Senior Religious Leaders of Different Faiths Build Peace
in War-Torn Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan religious leaders in Jaffna. (Daily Mirror)(NEW YORK, 19 December 2007)—Senior international religious leaders of different faiths met in war-torn Jaffna, Sri Lanka, to identify peaceful means for ending Sri Lanka’s violent ethnic conflict. The summit of religious leaders from seven countries was convened by Religions for Peace, the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition.

The senior religious leaders—representing Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu faith traditions—convened on 11–14 December 2007 at the Public Library Auditorium in Jaffna, which is located in the highly volatile northern region of Sri Lanka. Making Jaffna the location of the summit was a symbolic expression of solidarity with all those who continue to live in situations of violence and despair due to the ongoing conflict.

The eminent leaders—representing Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Japan, Norway, Pakistan, South Africa and the United States—unanimously adopted a Jaffna Declaration of Religious Leaders. “As religious leaders with extensive experience in peace making in other parts of the world, we urge a renewed search for a non-violent solution to the ongoing conflict,” the statement said. “We do not accept that there can be victory through a military solution or that war can bring peace. On the contrary, as religious leaders, we believe that violence begets violence and hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love.”

In the statement, the leaders called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for increased development assistance to reconstruct the war-torn areas, empower local community groups, rebuild the livelihoods of war-affected people, and strengthen the national economy. The leaders also called for an immediate end to the use of claymore mines, artillery fire, and bombings that have targeted civilians; and to the forced conscription of children and adults into armed groups. [A text of the full statement is attached.]

A keynote address at the Summit was given by Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Representative of the Government of Japan for Peace Building, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Sri Lanka. Mr. Akashi has served as an Under-Secretary in the United Nations for public information, disarmament, and humanitarian and emergency relief.

This gathering was one of a series of meetings designed to support the emergence of a Religions for Peace Inter-religious Council–Sri Lanka that would include senior religious leadership from throughout Sri Lanka—West, East, North and South. Future meetings are planned for Kandy and Trincomalee.

[To read the initial press release, please click here.]