by José Henríquez
Secretary General, Pax Christi International
Easter is the central event in the Christian tradition; it is a time to celebrate the victory of life over death. For Christian communities, the certainty of that victory opens an endless source of hope, and it becomes a permanent motivation for those committed as peacemakers.
At the end of both the Lenten season and our fasting campaign in solidarity with the people of Syria, we remain extremely concerned as violence in our sister nation keeps taking numerous human lives because there is no clear path in sight to solve the conflict. As the campaign progressed throughout the Lenten season, we read the news about the increasing number of refugees – over one million people; about the bombing of neighborhoods, universities and places of worship; and even about opposition to dialogue as a conflict-transforming mechanism.
We close our campaign but our solidarity with Syria will not cease. We will keep calling for uncompromising respect for the life of every person, and we will keep condemning every violation of human rights. At the same time, we will be especially attentive to the signs of life coming from Syrians themselves: The nonviolent expressions asking for peace have not all been silenced, and grassroots solidarity is still very alive to address basic human needs of the civilian population – we have heard of cars distributing bread around neighborhoods to avoid the formation of lines which could become military targets. The Syrian people want a just peace, and our voice and our commitment will echo that desire. Peace is still possible…
Now what do we do as the Syrian tragedy continues? Is it true as some claim that the Syrian government wants to negotiate now, as do many of the rebels as the recent resignation of one of their prominent leaders over this issue indicates. It is said Obama will only accept a resignation. But Syria is a sovereign country; on what basis does he decide the conditions for talks? How else will this war end? Let’s push for ‘TALK NOW.’ Barry McGrory