The Global Peace Initiative of Women

From November 8-12, 2006, an interfaith delegation led by The Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) traveled to Damascus, Syria on a peace mission in the hope of increasing dialogue between the religious community in the United States and Syria. Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, Chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women, led the US delegation comprising religious and spiritual leaders from the Abrahamic and Hindu faith traditions. Ms. Hind Kabawat served as the Syrian coordinator for this mission, which marked the first women’s led religious group ever to travel to Syria.

The concept for the trip emerged during the July 2006 war in Lebanon with Israel. While the US government openly halted dialogue with Syria, GPIW leaders –Dena Merriam and Rev. Joan Campbell– sought to establish alternative ways for communication by opening channels for ‘people to people’ dialogue. It was clear to both Merriam and Campbell that a wider, more inclusive effort to find peace must be made within the region.

During the three-day consultations, the GPIW delegation met with Syrian religious, political, and civil society leaders to explore what steps can be taken to create a better environment for regional peace. The delegation discovered there is a common effort and willingness for new thinking and creative approaches to regional stability; the underlying goal and mission of the Syrian people and leadership is peace. The Grand Mufti of Syria, Sheikh Ahmed Hassoun, underscored this sentiment by emphasizing the importance of recognizing common human values, and caution toward influences of division and conflict. To emphasize this point, he said: “If you ask me my nationality or race, then I will tell you I am a human being first.” The US religious leaders also had the honor of meeting with Her Excellency Dr. Najah Al-Attar, Vice President of Syria.

As a follow up to these meetings, members of the US delegation would like to organize a second delegation in 2007 that would have greater participation. For this, GPIW will seek commitment from other religious leaders in the US, particularly from the Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist communities. Recognizing the role of civil society and youth in fostering goodwill and positive exchange, GPIW will also invite young American business leaders to join this second trip. Young Syrian entrepreneurs have expressed to GPIW the potential benefit of increased dialogue with their counterparts in the United States –business exchange can help to heighten awareness between the two communities and sustain a climate of peace. GPIW feels there is a unique opportunity to bridge the resource and communication gap that exists through such business initiatives.

Accompanying Rev. Joan Brown Campbell and Dena Merriam were Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB (Co-Chair, GPIW), Director of Benetvision, columnist for the National Catholic Reporter, and a leading voice in contemporary spirituality and church; Rev. Dean Morton, Founder and President of the Interfaith Center of New York and former Dean, Cathedral St. John the Divine (NYC); and H.H. Swami Parameshananda, the international representative for Bharat Sevashram Sangha and member of the US Board of World Conference on Religions & Peace. Janelle Surpris, GPIW Program Director, joined the delegation as a youth representative.

"Road to Damascus Still a
Place for Conversions" - National Catholic Reporter
» PDF Document

"Peace Concept with US Clergy" - Syria Times
» PDF Document

Photo Captions (top to bottom):

Photo 1 - GPIW Interfaith Delegation and Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Hassoun

Photo 2 - GPIW Interfaith Delegation and Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim

Photo 3 - Gift from Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Hassoun to GPIW Interfaith Delegation

GPIW Leads Interfaith Peace Delegation to Syria