True reconciliation is to rediscover our shared humanity
16 Dec 2009
AMMAN (Petra) – HRH Prince Hassan on Monday said true reconciliation at the global level can be achieved through a comprehensive process that involves everyone in order to “rediscover our shared humanity”.
In his inaugural speech at the opening of the “Global Reconciliation Summit” in Amman, he said we must move away from narrow nationalism, and consider supra-national issues to work towards reconciliation between human and natural resources.
The Prince also asserted the need to think seriously about establishing a social cohesion fund to empower the poor and give them the opportunity to participate actively in building their future and the future of the human community.
Prince Hassan said it is important to confront the psychological walls that hamper the process of reconciliation, through the pursuit of change by action instead of talk, and “put ourselves in the place of the other”, stressing that the meeting of global and regional commons is necessary in order to bridge the gap in human dignity.
He also stressed the importance of setting priorities by listening to people and helping them stand on their feet, in addition to activating places of worship through real social work. This would transcend religion above politics, he said, pointing out that talk about the role of religions should be linked to international standards and the establishment of effective bridges between the different religions and international humanitarian law.
The Prince emphasised that the moral dimension of solving global problems and crises requires a deep understanding, which must take into account the anthropological understanding of different societies. He also called for considering the issues of security, economy and culture within the frame of law.
At the end of the opening session, Prince Hassan presented the “Desmond Tutu Reconciliation Fellowship” awards to the inaugural recipients: Ian Campbell, Katarina Pejovic and Elizabeth Langslow.
The objective of the fellowship is to provide opportunities for people from all walks of life to undertake projects that contribute to reconciliation within, between and across communities.
The Global Reconciliation Summit, organised by Monash University of Australia and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in cooperation with the Regional Human Security Centre in Amman, seeks to explore alternative pathways to peace that emphasise local reconciliation processes.
More than 200 activists, academicians and experts representing non-governmental and international organisations from 37 countries are taking part in the conference.