Peace, pre-condition for progress
The Sri Lanka Council of Religions for Peace
(SLCRP) held its inauguration ceremony on Saturday January 22, 2011 in
Colombo. Prime Minister D M Jayaratne was the chief guest. Other
distinguished guest speakers included World Conference of Religions for
Peace Secretary General Dr William F Vendley, European Council of
Religion Leaders Moderator Rev Bishop Gunnar Stalset, Ven Prof
Bellanvila Wimalaratana Anunayaka Thera, Kandy Bishop Rev Dr Valancy
Fernando and Religions for Peace (Japan) International Trustee Rev Norio
Sakai
Text of the speech by Ven Prof Bellanvila
Wimalaratana Anunayaka Thera
Once again time has been gracious enough to give us another
opportunity to make amends for all commissions and omissions that have
taken place, whether wittingly or unwittingly. On a few other occasions,
too, we had good opportunities. But we have failed to make the best use
of them. The respite we have at the moment should not be allowed to slip
off. All of us had to make huge sacrifices to obtain this respite. So,
all of us are stakeholders of this precious situation and it is of
paramount importance that we all should collectively and committedly
join hands to put right what has gone wrong.
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Ven Prof Bellanvila Wimalaratana
Anunayaka Thera |
It is in this context that we, as religious leaders, thought is
prudent to join hands and take the initiative to gear up to handle this
precious opportunity. Though religions at times in the hands of
unscrupulous individuals and groups have turned out to be major divisive
forces, we are convinced that, if properly utilized religions serve as
beacon lights guiding the humankind from darkness to light, from
insanity to sanity, from conflict to unity.
It is this conviction, strengthened by the experience gained
previously through working in collaboration with other religionists that
embolden us to forge a broadbased Council of religious leaders and
religious dignitaries. Such collaborative work is indispensable in a
social milieu as the one that prevails in Sri Lanka.
Major religions
The population of Sri Lanka is constituted of adherents of four major
religions. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. This situation
has prevailed over the last few centuries; and in spite of a few
sporadic incidents, virtually the situation has been one of goodwill,
co-operation and understanding. Perhaps, religion is the major source of
influence on people’s thinking, attitudes, approaches and general
outlook regarding matters that affect their day-to-day life. Hence
religious leaders are in a position to exert much influence on the
people.
It is no over-statement to say that their influence over the people
is stronger and more effective than that of politicians. This not merely
adds to the importance of the religious leaders as agents of social
change, but also I make of incumbent upon them to play a dynamic role in
working for the progress of the society.
This is a crucial juncture in our history that calls for intervention
of the religious leaders to guide and help the society in a vast range
of spheres. The evil, long spell of the disastrous war has come to and
end, at least in the war-front. The country’s sufferance is not limited
only to lost of thousands of lives, but also to total destruction of all
sorts of infrastructure. The ruthless war did severely wound the
feelings and sentiments of many, making most lose humaneness. Many of
the affected parties feel betrayed, abandoned and left to find their own
way. There don’t seem to be the required feeling of amity and trust.
Yet, there is too much political bickering, parties of different hues
and political ideologies engaged in verbal battles, causing much
confusion and disunity among the ordinary people. All these have made
the authorities mix up priorities.
Affected parties
It is in this background that religious leaders thought it prudent to
step in and urge all parties to bury the hatchet and worker unison to
take the country out of this chaotic situation, and lead it to a better
future. We as religious leaders have already set an example by forging a
unity among the major religions and forming the Sri Lanka Council of
Religions for Peace (SLCRP).
This Council is constituted of religious leaders of all four major
religions that prevail in Sri Lanka namely, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam
and Christianity. Yet, this is not the religious forum. This is also a
completely an apolitical Council. It is very heartening to find that
there is total consensus among the Founder Members of the Council
regarding the objectives for which this is establish and also regarding
the place and the role each religion occupies in the culture of Sri
Lanka as well as the ambit within which each religion should contribute
to successfully achieve the Council’s objectives.
Hence, naturally Buddhism and Buddhist religious leaders are
entrusted with the major responsibility of streamlining all procedural
activities, coordinating work plans, arranging areas of priorities that
need to be urgently addressed and so on. The main target of the Council
is to prepare the ground to usher in truly long lasting peace.
There is no need to underscore the fact that establishment of peace
is the necessary and indispensable pre-condition for progress. Why Sri
Lanka is merely inching forward, even after the end of a grueling war,
is that there is no true peace in the country. Though everything happens
to be smooth on the surface, there is distrust, disillusionment, disgust
among the affected parties and this form a big obstacle in obtaining
their total commitment and participation in the process of the
rebuilding the devastated country. It is very necessary to get the
committed participation of all, for otherwise progress would be hampered
and delayed.
The most fundamental step in rebuilding the nation is building up of
trust, confidence and understanding among all segments and strata of the
society. To establish such a mind-set among all it is mandatory for
those who are engaged in taking steps to rebuild the country to rise
above petty divisions of all types. Being apolitical is not enough.
Those directly involved in the rebuilding process have the rise above
all kinds of narrow divisions; religious, ethnic, case, regional and so
on.
Rebuild country
The Founder Members of the SLCRP weighed all pros and cons and
deliberated at length regarding the objectives and means of attaining
them. Through these deliberations it was found that religious teaching
and could be fruitfully used to heal the wounds that have gone deep in
to minds of some segments of the society and assure them that we all can
live peacefully as the children of Mother Sri Lanka. We have lived in
this manner for quite a long time, mutually helping and caring for each
other.
All religions shun acts of inequality, all kinds of discrimination,
all divisive forces that create disunity. Buddhism teaches oneness of
humankind. Using different expressions and idioms all religions echo
similar teachings. The SLRCP is basing its action plan on the common
humanistic fundamentals embodies in religions. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam
and Christianity.
It is quite well-known that though religions have separate
identities, advocate different paths and goals, all of them converge at
one point and that converging point is the good, benefit and well-being
of all.
The SLCRP works on this broad principle of good, benefit and
well-being of all. This provides a level ground for all religions to
work in unison, maintaining their separate identities. This, Council
feels should be made the motto of all, including the political
authority, who are truly committed to rebuild the country and lead it to
a prosperous future.
The Council is very realistic and also optimistic with regard to
achieving its objectives. It is not aiming to build an Utopia, but a
peaceful country ready to take a long leap to a better future. This
realistic objective can be achieved and already the Council is assured
of help and co-operation of other world bodies who are ready to help.
Hence, the SLCRP is hopeful that it will be able to help the process
of establishing peace, bringing about mutual trust, harmony among all
and thus contributing to the process of rebuilding the country and
leading it to a very peaceful and prosperous future.
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