From September 10 to 12, the German capital will be a place of dialogue between the religious world. The Roman Catholic Community of Sant Egidio based in Rome invites to its 37th International Peace Conference, under the motto "Dare for Peace".
"It will be a big moment," the organization's general secretary Cezare Zukoni told DW. Because today there is a need for dialogue, learning from others and understanding diversity. "The great challenge of our time is how to live together in differences, how to strengthen dialogue and how to dare for more peace in a time so strongly marked by war."
There are many wars
This is true for Europe, given the Russian aggression in Ukraine, but also for many other wars in the world that we do not pay attention to, says Zukoni. He mentions the war in Syria that has not ended even after twelve years, as well as many other wars, in Africa, in the world.
"With the corona pandemic, we may have realized that we are all in the same boat, but also that we are networked with each other in a globalized world. This is precisely why we must work together for peace," says Zukoni.
Imams and rabbis, bishops, cardinals and patriarchs, representatives of the Evangelical Church of Germany, Baudists, Hindus come to Berlin. This kind of gathering was last held in Germany in 2017 in Münster and Osnabrik.
In addition to the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoko Embalo, leading religious leaders will also speak at the opening. But perhaps the most important will be the speech of the least known participant of the meeting: Zuhra Sarabi from Afghanistan. This is exactly what Sant Egidio's approach reflects: grassroots actors are important – a judge from Ivory Coast, a human rights activist from Mexico, a witness from Ukraine.
The Italian Andrea Riccardi founded the organization Sant Egidio with his friends in Rome in 1968 as a student. What started as the idea of a few young people in the Roman district of Trastevere, now has over 60.000 members in more than 70 countries. It is a Roman Catholic peace movement that aims to mediate politically even in the most difficult conflicts. In 2009, the founder of the organization, Andrea Riccardi, received the international award of Charlemagne of the German city of Aachen.
Humanitarian corridors for war refugees
Sant Ejidi's greatest success was the peace agreement for Mozambique in 1992, which was signed at the organization's Rome headquarters. It was a worldwide sensation. Occasionally members of Sant'Egidio are engaged as mediators in conflicts in Africa, and in Italy itself, and now in France, the organization is known for having brought thousands of people from refugee camps in the Middle East to those countries, mostly Syrian families with children - in cooperation and with the active help of state authorities.
The impetus for the annual peace gatherings came from former Pope John Paul II, who in 1986 invited representatives of all world religions to Assisi. That's what Sant Eđidio builds its involvement from year to year. And from the very beginning, the gatherings were interfaith - so much so that in the media, photos of official religious representatives in traditional clothing often seem more important than the actual conversations.
"Religions can be the cause of conflict," says Zucconi, "but if they remember their roots and are authentic, then they can also be peaceful. They have a great responsibility. Religions, of course, are made by people who live in a certain time, with all the challenges it brings."
Zukoni believes that such gatherings and long-term networking are an impulse for religions to work on promoting peace and "getting out of some kind of egocentricity." It's about taking more responsibility with regards to the wars in the world.
This is also the message for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. After returning from the G20 summit in India, he will appear at the world gathering of religions for peace of the Sant Egidio movement in Berlin and participate in the work of a forum. Berlin students and schools are specifically invited to participate in the discussion. The organizers from Sant Eđidi are satisfied with the response of the residents of the German capital.
It is already known what the final photo from the three-day meeting will look like. After prayers in different places, representatives of the world's religions will gather in front of the Brandenburg Gate, where the Berlin Wall, a symbol of division, once stood. There they will demonstrate their connection, as well as their opposition to war and any kind of violence.
Bonus video:
