Berlin: World religions say NO to war

Source: Community of Sant'Egidio

The International Meeting for Peace will take place in Berlin from 10-12 September. Organised by the Community of Sant'Egidio, in collaboration with the Catholic and Evangelical Churches of Berlin this will be the 37th Meeting for Peace in the 'Spirit of Assisi', after the first prayer of the world religions, convened by St Pope John Paul II.

The event will include an opening assembly, 20 thematic forums and a closing ceremony. A wide audience from all over Europe, from different age groups, including many young people, has registered to participate. Many more interested people will follow the various sessions online.

Berlin is a highly symbolic choice, as the president of Sant'Egidio, Marco Impagliazzo, explained: "In a season that witnesses the resurgence of so many walls and the growth of worrying polarisation, the example of a city, a great European capital, where a wall was brought down by the strength of democracy, dialogue and so much patient effort in the search of paths to peace, is crucial and gives hope for the future."

Numerous leaders of different religions and cultures, as well as representatives of institutions from 33 countries across all continents will attend. Among them are the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier (at the opening assembly) and the Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz (in dialogue with Marco Impagliazzo in a forum), the President of Guinea Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalò, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, the President of the Conference of European Rabbis Pinchas Goldschmidt, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi and Assyrian Patriarch Mar Awa Royel from Iraq, together with important delegations from various Christian Churches, Islam, Judaism and other world religions, including major Buddhist and Hindu delegations from Japan and India.

The programme includes an opening assembly on Sunday afternoon, September 10th, followed by 20 forums on Monday 11th and the morning of Tuesday 12 on various topics - the ecological crisis, migrants, inter-religious dialogue, democracy in the contemporary age, globalisation, disarmament and artificial intelligence.

The final ceremony will take place in front of the Brandenburg Gate (Pariser Platz) on September 12th afternoon. A message from Pope Francis is expected and the world religions' appeal for peace will be read out. Testimonies from countries at war, such as Ukraine and Afghanistan, are also planned.

To be part of the event - see links below:

For in-person attendance, once you have registered, you will receive an email containing detailed instructions on how to access the meeting venues. The registration is valid up to availability of places.

To follow online, upon registration you will receive a virtual badge that does not give you access to the venues. Updates on live streaming and other news will be sent by email.

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