Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane received the Peacemaker Award last night from our diocesan Commission on Peace. His remarks are here.
An excerpt:
“Our hearts are too small, our generosity is too limited – because we know that a stable and lasting peace can only be founded on justice and equality of dignity and equality of opportunity, and those who have more than enough are too often unwilling to do what it takes to meet the needs of those who have less than sufficient.
This is the great tragedy of Afghanistan , and the unfolding heartbreak we now see in Iraq .
Politicians were prepared to make a military commitment, and to win a war – misguided though they may have been.
But, far worse, they have not been prepared to make the necessary commitment to stay the course and follow through by building the peace.
Indeed, it is unclear whether they even understood, as they deployed their forces, that without a firm and concrete undertaking to pursue the process of rebuilding, they would fatally undermine their own objectives.
Strong words, you may say. But there is no part of this world that is not God’s world, there is no area of human endeavour that is beyond his concern. Christians cannot rest unless we pursue God’s best in every area of creation – and that includes the pursuit of his peace which passes all understanding.”
Previous winners of the award include Lee Hamilton, Helen Caldicott, the Arab/Evangelical Episcopal School in Ramallah, CARE, George Mitchell, Desmond Tutu and Marian Wright Edelman.