InterfaithNews.Net

Just as a negotiated-peace began to take hold in southern Sudan, a new crisis arose in the western Darfur region this past winter and spring. Half a year after escalation of the atrocities, estimates of the dead range from 30,000 to 50,000, and well over a million people have been internally or externally displaced. Men and boys have been systematically murdered; worse yet, a conscious effort at genocide has once again turned to mass rape of the remaining women. International response has been harsh yet guarded, and far too slow. We must push our political leaders to appropriate action under international law.

In his latest communication to the URI community, Executive Director Charles Gibbs highlights three of the dozens (hundreds?) of URI-related observations and celebrations of the International Day of Peace coming on September 21. He additionally gives several excellent examples of ways that organizations and communities can participate.

A new survey from ReachingCommonGround.com and Harris Interactive finds that a
majority of adult Americans believe that religious differences are the biggest
obstacle in the face of achieving world peace, translating this belief into a call
for greater respect for other religions in institutional religious education. The
survey also finds that religious tolerance is strongly correlated to age. The article
also announces an essay competition for youth, with $100,000 worth of prizes. [Editorial
note: what does “take the time to learn about other religions” really mean for
these folks? Am I just jaded that I don't believe that 59% of adults actually know
anything substantial about a religion other than their own?]

The College of Preachers at Washington National Cathedral organized and
hosted an unprecedented Abrahamic residency for three scholar-theologians
June 14-25. The task assigned to Bishop Krister Stendahl, Rabbi Marc
Gopin, and Abdulaziz Sachedina was to plumb the doctrinal, historical,
and psychological depths of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to discover
sources used to justify religious violence and develop approaches to
counteract them.

Can a group of passionate activists from a small town in California
really do anything about the retributions, recrimnations, and violence in
the Middle East? An initiative called “Hands Across the Jordan” seeks to
find out. Their intention is to build a bridge of peace across the Jordan
River, with help from all around the world, to help unite the people of
Israel and Jordan in a grassroots effort. Here is their statement.