A very moving scene in the Oscar Award winning film, Gandhi, by Richard Attenborough showed a Hindu who had killed a Muslim child coming to Gandhi, to ask him to stop his fasting, promising him that they would end the violence in Calcutta.

A very moving scene in the Oscar Award winning film, Gandhi, by Richard Attenborough showed a Hindu who had killed a Muslim child coming to Gandhi, to ask him to stop his fasting, promising him that they would end the violence in Calcutta. The Hindu, sure that he would go to hell, begged, Gandhi to stop his fasting for he did not want his wrong-doings to cause Gandhi’s death. Gandhi assured him that there was a way out of hell for him and that was to adopt a child, a Muslim child specifically, and to raise him as a Muslim. These are moving words from one of the greatest persons of the 20th century, spurring us to be more committed to inter-religious dialogue. The life of Gandhi is worth remembering as we celebrate the 6oth anniversary of his death, and as the reality of war and terrorism is still very present in our midst.

It is a good thing that the beliefs and values of great men and women like Gandhi are becoming a part of international and national laws nowadays, as in the recent annual high-level Tripartite meeting between the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations and partner organizations in Strasbourg last July 7, 2008 which delineated and expressed seven points with universal significance in intercultural and interreligious dialogue. Useful guidelines in many situations, these points are:
1) The emphasis on the promotion of intercultural dialogue and the management of cultural diversity, based on universal human rights, minority rights and effective integration policies that respect minority identities within states, the principles of democracy and the rule of law;
2) appreciation that the international community had recently developed several initiatives to promote intercultural dialogue at all levels, addressing a wide range of policy areas and institutional settings;
3) agreement that human rights—civil and political as well as economic, social and cultural rights, together with minority rights and integration policies which respect diversity—provide the essential value basis for intercultural dialogue within democratic societies;
4) reiteration of the important role of edu cation for the promotion of intercultural dialogue;
5) agreement that intercultural dialogue could contribute significantly to the prevention and resolution of conflicts;
6) agreement that due attention should be given to the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue; and
7) a declaration of their determination to strengthen co-ordination and co-operation in the area of intercultural dialogue, and the discussion of additional opportunities for joint action in the field of human rights protection, education and conflict prevention.

These seven points address the on-going peace processes in many nations, which are suffering seemingly stalled negotiations as in the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, Sri Lanka, India, the former Soviet Republic and the Southern Philippines. To implement these points at all levels, we need fraternity. Fraternity will surely help disarm hearts and weapons of selfish and vested interests that oftentimes cloud the on-going peace process. Often we hear people talk of conflicts with religious and cultural pretexts. As one tries to discover their root cause, one may discover that it is based on the desire for power or economic interests. It is possible to overcome eventual differences by opening oneself up to understand the others.

Our daily experience shows that fear of others is caused by lack of knowledge of the other person. Fear creates invisible walls that prevent human beings from making a real experience of sisterhood and brotherhood. There is a need to increase dialogue between people in their daily interactions, and this requires much transparency among the persons concerned. One first step is to overcome one’s fear of others; this can only be realized if we really get to know the others, their sufferings, their past, their hopes, and dreams. In short, as an expert on dialogue says, “to enter into the skin of the other, to fit into the shoes of the other.” The newly-elected president of the Focolare, Maria Voce, puts it this way—“Problems are resolved if we disarm the heart.” “Fear of the other is against God’s will.”

Yes, disarming our hearts and looking at every person we meet as our sister or brother is a prerequisite for universal brotherhood and for lasting peace on earth.