WEB DESK: Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) held the second Middle East Peace Committee meeting online on July 4, bringing together religious leaders, educators and civil society representatives from Iraq and across the Middle East to discuss regional cooperation and the promotion of peace education.
Participants reviewed challenges facing the region, including the long-term impact of armed conflict and religious and ethnic tensions, and agreed that rebuilding trust and achieving sustainable peace require collaboration between governments, religious institutions, educational organisations and civil society.
The meeting focused on Articles 8, 9 and 10 of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), covering freedom of religion, protection of religious and ethnic identity, and the promotion of a culture of peace.
Participants exchanged experiences from their respective countries and discussed practical initiatives suited to local contexts, including the introduction of peace education in schools, strengthening interfaith dialogue and encouraging greater youth participation in peacebuilding efforts. They also agreed to continue discussions through regular committee meetings.
Former Iraqi minister for migration and displacement Pascale Isho Warda said lasting peace could not be achieved through political solutions alone, stressing that cooperation between religious communities and civil society based on shared values and mutual respect was essential to rebuilding trust.
She said peace was not merely the absence of conflict but the establishment of a society where human dignity and justice are upheld.
Professor at the College of Islamic Sciences, University of Sulaimani, Dr Sarteep Aziz Fars said religion exists to protect the value of human life, adding that interfaith dialogue enables people to better understand one another without compromising their own beliefs.
He said greater understanding reduces fear, strengthens trust and cooperation, and creates conditions conducive to lasting peace.
The meeting followed the inaugural Middle East Peace Committee session held in June and formed part of HWPL’s broader efforts to strengthen regional cooperation in conflict-affected countries, particularly Iraq.
The organisation said it plans to continue facilitating dialogue among civil society leaders, government representatives and educational institutions while expanding community-based peace initiatives founded on the principles of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War.
