The First Alexandria Declaration of The Religious Leaders of the Holy Land

by Pave The Way Foundation | Oct 26, 2012 | Peace

January 21, 2002. In the Name of God who is Almighty, Merciful and Compassionate, we, who have gathered as religious leaders from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities, pray for true peace in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and declare our commitment to ending the violence and bloodshed that denies the right to life and dignity.

According to our faith traditions, killing innocents in the name of God is a desecration of his Holy Name, and defames religion in the world. The violence in the Holy Land is an evil which must be opposed by all people of good faith. We seek to live together as neighbors, respecting the integrity of each other’s historical and religious inheritance. We call upon all to oppose incitement, hatred and the misrepresentation of the other.

The Holy Land is Holy to all three of our faiths. Therefore, followers of the divine religions must respect its sanctity, and bloodshed must not be allowed to pollute it. The sanctity and integrity of the Holy Places must be preserved, and freedom of religious worship must be ensured for all.Palestinians and Israelis must respect the divinely ordained purposes of the Creator by whose grace they live in the same land that is called Holy.We call on the political leaders of both parties to work for a just, secure and durable solution in the spirit of the words of the Almighty and the Prophets.As a first step now, we call for a religiously sanctioned cease-fire, respected and observed on all sides, and for the implementation of the Mitchell and Tenet recommendations, including the lifting of restrictions and a return to negotiations.We seek to help create an atmosphere where present and future generations will co-exist with mutual respect and trust in the other. We call on all to refrain from incitement and demonization, and to educate our future generations accordingly.As religious leaders, we pledge ourselves to continue a joint quest for a just peace that leads to reconciliation in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, for the common good of all our peoples.We announce the establishment of a permanent joint committee to carry out the recommendations of this declaration, and to engage with our respective political leadership accordingly.

Delegates:

Actual Copy of the Signed declaration

Photograph of the signing ceremony

God Bless the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God – Matthew V

Armenian Church in the Holy Land and the Armenian Genocide

by Pave The Way Foundation | Oct 26, 2012 | Peace

PTWF is proud of its warm relations with the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem.

Meetings with the late Patriarch His Beatitude Torkom Manoogian, and recently His Beatitude Nourhan Manougian, resulted in an international acknowledgement of the Genocide committed against innocent Armenians in the Holy Land at the beginning of the 20th century.

PTWF Director for Germany, scholar, and historian Dr. Michael Hesemann, has been our primary researcher in the Vatican Apostolic Archives (formerly known as the “Secret Archives”.) During his study of the actions of the Holy See before, during, and after the Second World War, Dr. Hesemann discovered over 2,000 pages of documents evidencing the genocide. Dr. Hesemann wrote his book Volkemord an den Armenien, which was presented to His Holiness Pope Francis.

Pope Francis traveled to Armenia and acknowledged the murder of over one million Armenians at the beginning of the 20th Century.

PTWF is encouraging more Armenian pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Tourism helps everyone in the region. Below PTWF meets with His Beatitude Patriarch Manougian and with Archbishop Nourhan. We identified specific problems and ways in which PTWF could be instrumental in solving. A dinner meeting with First Deputy Minister of Tourism Rafi Ben-Hur established personal relations with the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and the Armenian Church.

Meeting with His Beatitude Torkom Manoogian, Canon Sacrist Archbishop Nourhan Manuougian, Fr. Angelo Ison and Gary Krupp from Pave the Way.

Dinner meeting with First Deputy Minister of Tourism Rafi Ben-Hur, His Beatitude Nourhan Manougian, Gary and Meredith Krupp and Fr. Angelo Ison, discussing a visit for 500,000 Armenian Pilgrims to the Holy Land and Israel.

Maintaining Positive Personal Relations with the Religious Leaders in the Holy Land

by Pave The Way Foundation | Oct 22, 2009 | Peace

As a non-sectarian organization, Pave the Way Foundation has worked hard, through gestures of  good will, to develop trusted personal relationships with the religious and political leaders in the Holy Land. When problems develop, we attempt to take an unbiased position, in order to suggest solutions. Many times this methodology succeeds, and avoids the “turf wars” that usually inhibit interreligious cooperation in the region. Back door communication and diplomacy usually succeeds when public confrontation confounds solutions.

PTWF maintains open lines of communication with many of the Holy Land’s religious and political leaders in order to call upon them to quietly solve problems that may normally erupt into public confrontation.