As a member of the Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments of Peace, ministry for peace is calling for a Fresh Approach to the terrible situation in the Middle East. Please see the statement below: 28 July 2006 Call for a Fresh Approach to the Current Situation in the Middle East and for Immediate Steps for Effective Resolution of the Conflicts There is an urgent and immediate need for effective action to end the current and continuing cycles of violence in Lebanon-Israel-Palestine and the broader Middle East. The needs of all sides and parties must be recognised and addressed, and the human rights and human security of all peoples in the Middle East guaranteed as the fundamental foundation for an effective peace process aimed at addressing the root causes of the conflicts in the region and building lasting and sustainable peace.
The Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments of Peace calls upon governments, citizens, and international institutions to take immediate and effective action to bring an end to the violence in the Middle East and to support the development of effective peacebuilding engagements to transform conflicts in the region.
Proposals for Immediate Action for the Achievement of Sustainable Peace in Lebanon-Israel-Palestine and the Broader Middle East
We call for development of a coordinated strategy for peacebuilding in Lebanon-Israel-Palestine and the region as a whole. Such a coordinated strategy will offer effective mechanisms for peacebuilding and transforming the conflicts in the region, including coordination and cooperation within and between civil society, government, and regional and international engagements. The following actions are proposed as pillars of an immediate coordinated Middle East peacebuilding engagement for governments, civil society actors, and international institutions.
Immediate Cessation of the Violence and Release of Prisoners – To act for the immediate cessation of violence in order to provide the space for effective mechanisms for resolving the conflict and meeting the legitimate needs of all parties, including the release of prisoners held on all sides.
Reciprocal Recognition for the Human Rights and Human Security of All Peoples as Fundamental to Peacebuilding – A lasting and sustainable peace for all parties has to be based on the mutual and reciprocal recognition of human rights and respect, and the provision for human security of all peoples in the Middle East.
Conference on Peace and Security for the Middle East – An immediate priority is for all countries in the region to engage in a process to recognise and resolve together the inter-locking and inter-related conflicts in the region and to establish a regional framework for the development of effective mechanisms for strengthening cooperation.
Support for and Coordination of National and Regional Peacebuilding Initiatives – Substantially increased support for and coordination of peacebuilding efforts and government and civil society engagement in conflict transformation and violence prevention at the local, community-based, national and regional levels within each country and across the Middle East, including the development of civilian peace services and effective coordination of peacebuilding engagements through the creation of national-level Ministries and Departments of Peace and regional coordination mechanisms.
Coordination and Strengthening of International Engagements in Peacebuilding in the Region – Including coordinated engagement and immediate action by the Quartet (USA, Russia, EU, UN) and international governmental and non-governmental organizations to halt the violence and strengthen peacebuilding efforts and the cessation of armed conflict.
Review Peacebuilding Experiences – Develop a comprehensive review of peacebuilding engagements at the local/community, country, and regional level of the past 16 years by civil society organizations, governments, and international agencies, drawing out lessons learned to strengthen future peacebuilding engagements.
Immediate Deployment of Effective Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding Support Capacities to the Region – including the deployment of EU/UN peacekeeping forces to guarantee human security and the absence of armed force for all parties, and civilian peacekeeping and peacebuilding support capacities.
The Global Alliance supports all the peoples being affected by the current and past conflicts in the region, and calls upon citizens, governments, the United Nations, and international institutions to take
immediate and effective action to halt the violence devastating the region and to engage in
committed and sustained peacebuilding efforts. An alternative to violence is possible and necessary, but it will require our concerted action to make it happen. Citizens in the Middle East and globally, in cooperation with governments, the United Nations, and each other, can bring an end to the violence and conflict which has affected the lives of so many, and work for the establishment of a just and sustainable peace.
