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Education – dealing with division between Catholic and Protestant schools. There is a lack of support for integrated education, which needs to be addressed by the Christian churches. Also, as this is the UN Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World (2001-2010) a unified effort by all to put nonviolence and peace into education, and teaching peace at every level of society. Seeking way to help Northern Irish society to break out of the tribalism of Unionism and Nationalism and create a new model of Northern Irish identity, based on our common humanity. Inter-Church, Inter-faith, Inter-spirituality dialogue, based on the Right and celebration of religious diversity. These are way down in the list of our priorities in Northern Ireland in terms of commitment of time, money and resources. This needs to be taken on with more will and commitment by all the faiths. The spirit in which this work is undertaken is very important. Dialogue can lead us to be inspired by the truth not only in our own but also in other traditions. It can also help us to transcend the false ideologies of race, class, and all other human-made myths, which have divided people since the beginning of time. Such dialogue, based on equality, also helps protect us from dangerous certitude as we come to realize there are many paths to the Ultimate reality, and as Vatican II tells us "grace lives in the hearts of all men and women". In this interspiritual age, I believe, it would be immoral for any one church or faith to be declaring theological superiority, as this would not contribute to the urgent mission of peacebuilding in our world today. Environmental degradation – Unethical globalization, and Corporate Capitalism. Many of these issues are interconnected, as often profit is put before people. The Faith traditions have important role in encouraging people in N. Ireland to become more aware and active on global injustice. The most urgent task facing us all is to work together as the human family, to end the Occupation of Palestine, the ongoing war in Afghanistan, and the invasion of Iraq. This can be done, in all cases, and we the International community must demand of the Political leaders,United States of America, Britain, and Israel to take immediately the necessary steps to solve these problems, before they escalate into more horrific violence and destruction of human life both military and civilian. We must never doubt the great power of nonviolence, which is the power of love in action.. But we must also remember that with great power comes great responsibility. We, men and women throughout our world, have a responsibility to unite and raise our voices against the forces of war, violence, injustice, abuse of human and civil liberties, and the setting aside of International Laws, by an undemocratic corporate and governmental elite, in the USA and other governments. They can only operate if we, the people, remain silent and afraid. They are made powerless by our refusal to accept their polices and agendas, to dominate and control the peoples of the world. The Human family is at a crossroads. We must choose between violence or nonviolence, death or life, despair or hope. Let us choose hope, and have the wisdom to put our common humanity above everything that divides us. We CAN build a nonviolent world together, we are not afraid. Peace to you all, Mairead Maguire, Peace People, 224 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT96GE, N. Ireland [ www.peacepeople.com ] e-mail: info@peacepeople.com |