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The
Damietta Peace Initiative
is realised by:
Creating local interfaith
Pan-African Conciliation Teams (PACTs)
Forming PACT members around the core values of non-violence, reconciliation and respect for creation.
Facilitating group communication among PACTs
nationally and internationally.
Giving special attention to Christian/Muslim relations in the tradition of St Francis of Assisi.
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Messsage from
Father Donal
THE HUMAN FACE
Damietta Peace would say 'Amen' to John Paul's Lederach's emphasis on the importance of building relationships as central to the work of peace. That is, or should be, the first principal of every PACT (Pan - African Conciliation team) in Africa.
When a PACT is formed, its first goal is help build up trust among its ethnic and religiously diverse members. Then reconciling conflict and violence in the neighbourhood. In other words, transforming relationships has priority over the content of struggle if it exists in the local or wider community. A Ugandan refugee in South Africa at a recent PACT meeting spoke emotionally about its significance. Following twenty years of deep 'alienation' in South Africa he discovered what he was seeking for (Cf.Damietta's 19th Quarterly Report). He learned also that the thirst for 'power' in personal, social and religious life is a cancer hidden inside all forms of violence.
Traditional scholarship continues to pay a lot of attention to the content of conflict. Damietta Peace gives priority to the relational aspect, while acknowledging the importance of acquiring development skills. Both are needed when working to build up a culture of peace.
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