January 21, 2002. In the Name of God who is Almighty, Merciful and Compassionate, we, who have gathered as religious leaders from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities, pray for true peace in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and declare our commitment to ending the violence and bloodshed that denies the right to life and dignity.
According to our faith traditions, killing innocents in the name of God is a desecration of his Holy Name, and defames religion in the world. The violence in the Holy Land is an evil which must be opposed by all people of good faith. We seek to live together as neighbors, respecting the integrity of each other’s historical and religious inheritance. We call upon all to oppose incitement, hatred and the misrepresentation of the other.
The Holy Land is Holy to all three of our faiths. Therefore, followers of the divine religions must respect its sanctity, and bloodshed must not be allowed to pollute it. The sanctity and integrity of the Holy Places must be preserved, and freedom of religious worship must be ensured for all.Palestinians and Israelis must respect the divinely ordained purposes of the Creator by whose grace they live in the same land that is called Holy.We call on the political leaders of both parties to work for a just, secure and durable solution in the spirit of the words of the Almighty and the Prophets.As a first step now, we call for a religiously sanctioned cease-fire, respected and observed on all sides, and for the implementation of the Mitchell and Tenet recommendations, including the lifting of restrictions and a return to negotiations.We seek to help create an atmosphere where present and future generations will co-exist with mutual respect and trust in the other. We call on all to refrain from incitement and demonization, and to educate our future generations accordingly.As religious leaders, we pledge ourselves to continue a joint quest for a just peace that leads to reconciliation in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, for the common good of all our peoples.We announce the establishment of a permanent joint committee to carry out the recommendations of this declaration, and to engage with our respective political leadership accordingly.
Delegates:
His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey
The Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi
The Sephardi Chief Rabbi Bakshi-Doron
The Deputy Foreign Minister, Rabbi Michael Melchior
The Rabbi of Tekoa, Rabbi Menachem Fromen
Rabbi David Rosen, President of the WCRP
The Rabbi of Savyon, Rabbi David Brodman
Rabbi Yitzak Ralbag, Rabbi of Maalot Dafna
Chief Justice of the Sharia Courts, Sheikh Taisir Tamimi
Minister of State for the Palestinian Authority, Sheikh Talal El Sider
Mufti of the Armed Forces, Sheikh Abdulsalam Abu Schkedem
The Mufti of Bethlehem, Sheikh Taweel
Representative of the Greek Patriarch, Archbishop Aristarchos
The Latin Patriarch, His Beatitude Michel Sabbah
The Melkite Archbishop, Archbishop Boutrous Mu’alem
Representative of the Armenian Patriarch, Archbishop Chinchinian
The Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, The Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El Assal
Actual Copy of the Signed declaration
Photograph of the signing ceremony
God Bless the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God – Matthew V
PTWF is proud of its warm relations with the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem.
Meetings with the late Patriarch His Beatitude Torkom Manoogian, and recently His Beatitude Nourhan Manougian, resulted in an international acknowledgement of the Genocide committed against innocent Armenians in the Holy Land at the beginning of the 20th century.
PTWF Director for Germany, scholar, and historian Dr. Michael Hesemann, has been our primary researcher in the Vatican Apostolic Archives (formerly known as the “Secret Archives”.) During his study of the actions of the Holy See before, during, and after the Second World War, Dr. Hesemann discovered over 2,000 pages of documents evidencing the genocide. Dr. Hesemann wrote his book Volkemord an den Armenien,which was presented to His Holiness Pope Francis.
Pope Francis traveled to Armenia and acknowledged the murder of over one million Armenians at the beginning of the 20th Century.
PTWF is encouraging more Armenian pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Tourism helps everyone in the region. Below PTWF meets with His Beatitude Patriarch Manougian and with Archbishop Nourhan. We identified specific problems and ways in which PTWF could be instrumental in solving. A dinner meeting with First Deputy Minister of Tourism Rafi Ben-Hur established personal relations with the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and the Armenian Church.
Meeting with His Beatitude Torkom Manoogian, Canon Sacrist Archbishop Nourhan Manuougian, Fr. Angelo Ison and Gary Krupp from Pave the Way.
Dinner meeting with First Deputy Minister of Tourism Rafi Ben-Hur, His Beatitude Nourhan Manougian, Gary and Meredith Krupp and Fr. Angelo Ison, discussing a visit for 500,000 Armenian Pilgrims to the Holy Land and Israel.
This bronze monument, created by Sam Philipe was erected on Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem on December 20, 2011.
In the spirit of the mission of PTWF, we are proud to sponsor this project in Israel.
Made possible with the generosity of Mr. Richard Kandel and Mr. Jonathan Kandel, Elliot and Karen Hershberg, Theodore and Ruth Mirvis, Bernard Turner and Joyce and Matthews Calvin, Pave the Way Foundation salutes the artistic effort of famed Israeli Sculptor Mr. Sam Philipe in creating this moving tribute to those who protect the Jewish homeland and to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Director of Pave the Way Foundation and project sponsor, Mr. Richard Kandel delivers his opening remarks. Sam Philipe, PTWF director in Israel, built this important monument.
PTWF Director and Generations Project Founder, Richard Kandel officially dedicates the Camararaderie in Arms Memorial honoring the Jerusalem Brigade Mt.Scopus.
“iPAVE ®” is an organization of high school and college students who will be tasked with verifying and reporting international statements and news reports. iPAVE ® will correct inaccuracies when it can be discovered and proven that a story is rife with media generated agendas. When the public is fed erroneous information, the public will draw erroneous conclusions. This is a dangerous reality. It is up to the next generation to insist on accurate reporting. iPave® hopes to identify and engage these thoughtful, concerned students through social networking.
Pave The Way Foundation Announces the Formation of iPave® Media Watchdog
Pave The Way Foundation has embarked upon a project, dubbed iPave ®, which will task high school and college students to examine and verify the accuracy of news reporting worldwide. iPave ® aims to prevent conflict and violence created by incorrect and biased media reports.
Media outlets must … become part of a solution rather than adding to the problem
New York, NY (PRWEB) January 19, 2013
Pave the Way Foundation (PTWF), a New York-based, nonsectarian organization whose mission is to bring about peace through positive inter-religious gestures and to educate the everyday person, announces the formation of iPave, an organization of high school and college students who are tasked with verifying and reporting statements and news reports worldwide. iPave will correct inaccuracies of media reporting that could otherwise cause misunderstandings, conflict and violence.
“The role which the media plays is primary with regards to international conflicts,” Gary Krupp, Founder of Pave the Way Foundation stated. “We have been working for some time to launch iPave, wherein we hope to harness the energy of today’s youth and empower them to recognize the intentional use of biased, unbalanced reporting to fuel further confrontation.”
To verify consistency and correctness of news reports, iPave members will travel to areas in question and investigate the facts firsthand. Results of their observations and reviews of media reporting will be made available on the iPave website, coming soon.
Pave the Way Foundation has previously documented numerous instances of biased reporting, with the media outlets wittingly or unwittingly forwarding agendas of continuing disagreement and strife. One example is the fact that many in the Muslim community have spoken out repeatedly against acts of violence that have defiled their religion. Yet these statements are seldom reported, leaving the public to ask, “Why haven’t the Muslims spoken up?”
The controversy surrounding the papacy of Pope Pius XII is rife with examples of biased reporting, beginning in 1962 and continuing to the present day. The many instances of incorrect reporting have created a personal prejudice in many people. It has been difficult to even get many to look at new evidence that might disagree with their already-formed opinion.
Most of the public are already aware that much of the reporting of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is slanted one way of the other to support the agenda of the reporter and media outlet. It’s probably not likely that the Jerusalem Post and Al Jazeera would give the same report of a situation in this hotly contested area. When world opinion is based upon inaccuracies, the instigators of violence are emboldened to begin yet another war in this troubled region. The frightening reality is tantamount to a scenario of last resort; one in which weapons of mass destruction may be employed. This may in turn start a chain reaction of events which can spread worldwide.
“International conflict and acts of terror committed in the name of religion can only be resolved if viewed from a realistic prospective,” continues Gary Krupp. “Pave the Way Foundation champions the role of responsible media, yet also recognizes, unfortunately, the media’s role as a device used to fuel controversy. As we face the violence of terrorism and effects of extremism, media outlets must realize the role they play in these events and become part of a solution rather than adding to the problem.”
About Pave the Way Foundation https://www.ptwf.org/ PTWF is a nonsectarian foundation whose mission is to identify and work to resolve non-theological obstacles between religions through the trust garnered from our work to initiate historic gestures between the faiths, “paving the way” to removing the use of religion as a tool to justify private agendas and violence.
PTWF organized this Christian themed sculpture to the Revi Karuna Karan Memorial Museum in Alleppey, India. An Israeli Jewish sculptor created a Christian monument to be exhibited in India.
Pave the Way Foundation has initiated a magnificent gift of a monument of the Prodigal Son to be donated to the Revi Kauna Karan Memorial Museum in Alleppey India.
This is a magnificent 1,400 pound, 7 foot bronze monument built in Israel by famed Israeli Sculptor Sam Philipe featuring a Christian theme and placed in a Museum in a Hindu nation.
The Prodigal Son
The story of the Prodigal Son, also known as the Parable of the Lost Son, follows the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin. Jesus is responding to the Pharisees’ complaint: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus tells the story of a man who has two sons. The younger son asks his father to give him his portion of the family estate as an early inheritance. Once received, the son promptly sets off on a long journey to a distant land and begins to waste his fortune on wild living. When the money runs out, a severe famine hits the country and the son finds himself in dire circumstances. He takes a job feeding pigs. He is so destitute that he even longs to eat the food assigned to the pigs.
The young man finally comes to his senses, remembering his father. In humility, he recognizes his foolishness, decides to return to his father and ask for forgiveness and mercy. The father who had been watching and waiting, receives his son back with open arms of compassion. He is overjoyed by the return of his lost son! Immediately the father turns to his servants and asks them to prepare a giant feast in celebration.
Meanwhile, the older son is not one bit happy when he comes in from working the fields and discovers a party going on to celebrate his younger brother’s return. The father tries to dissuade the older brother from his jealous rage explaining, “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.”
Media outlets must … become part of a solution rather than adding to the problem
