The Damietta Initiative

Link to the Damietta Initiative

Welcoming people of all faiths to sow the seeds of non-violence and peace throughout Africa in the Spirit of St Francis of Assisi.

Vision

The vision of the Damietta Initiative is to have an African Continent that is non-violent, tolerant, conciliatory, respectful towards all creatures, and environmentally sustainable.

It respects the dignity of difference while revitalizing the spiritual search for values that will enable it to shape multiple “dialogues of a civilization” and non-violent alternatives to prophecies of impending clashes.

The formation of multiple Pan-African Conciliation Teams (PACT) whose specific peacemaking skills will include training others in peacebuilding roles and strategies and environmental respect.

To provide ‘conflict transformation’ experiences geared, in the first place, to the restoration of relationships between peoples rather than dissecting the material content of conflicts.

To awaken religious imagination among peoples in Africa to think of a future culture of peace permeating the continent. In this vision of Africa, every church, every mosque, every synagogue, every temple and other sites of worship will be dedicated to the embodiment of nonviolence in terms of tolerance, reconciliation and respect for creation.

Mission

Damietta Peace Initiative is a pro-active Franciscan Peace Enterprise whose mission is to build up in Africa – at local and national levels - the theory and practice of nonviolence, reconciliation and care for creation.
 
In response to this mission, the Damietta Initiative will activate the twelve thousand members of the religious family throughout different regions in Africa. This has the full backing from the combined leadership at the highest level.
 
The task of the Franciscan family network in Africa, whether priests, sisters, brothers or lay, is to be ‘a bridge’ or entry point for the Damietta Initiative to connect into local neighbourhoods. Teams will be formed in the local communities, drawn from mixed religious and ethnic background, who will then be trained in the methods of nonviolence, reconciliation and care for creation, assisted by different ecumenical peace education groups.

The teams, known as Pan-African Conciliation Teams, (PACT) will learn how to monitor tensions and conflicts by way of social analysis and to intervene before conflict spills over into violence.

By their presence, PACT will act as a taproot for peace in the local area, by giving witness to ethnic and religious disputants that cohesive living is possible - a precondition in Africa today for the optimum use of foreign social and economic aid.