All energy should go to political negotiations for a solution in Syria
Pax Christi International on the Vienna talks
The war in Syria has almost completed its fifth year. The cost in terms
of human life, the environment and infrastructure is immense – more
than 250.000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced.
The cycle of extreme violence on the whole Syrian population is
unacceptable and should come to an end as soon as possible.
A new round of international talks aimed at resolving the Syria crisis
took place on 14 November 2015 in Vienna, immediately after the
awful and gruesome attacks in Paris and Beirut. (See Pax Christi
International’s statement here.i) Participants at the Vienna meeting
came from 17 nations, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, and included
delegates from the United Nations and the European Union. A UN led
political process including a timeframe has been decided. A roadmap
has been agreed for ending the devastating and destabilizing war.
Although this may not be the perfect plan, the international community
should invest all its energy to ensure this is not another failed
opportunity. The war is Syria must end.
Pax Christi International believes that this process should be aimed at
bringing the fighting parties together in its broadest representation
possible. For peace negotiations to be successful, all stakeholders need
to be at the table. Hard work and transparent commitment from all
parties involved must be undertaken to end the military escalation and
to find a negotiated political solution. Pax Christi International is
convinced that military actions cannot bring about peace in Syria.
At the same time care should be given to protect all civilians,
especially the most vulnerable people. In particular, it is imperative
that bombing of residential areas stop and the siege of residential
neighbourhoods be lifted. All parties should be held accountable for
their actions.
Pax Christi International insists in that foreign countries should no
longer be involved in military operations in Syria; these interventions –
with divergent interests in the background - have been
counterproductive. The fighters of ISIS or other extremist groups should
be totally isolated and no longer supported.
Pax Christi International continues to support all those peace workers
inside and outside the region in their nonviolent actions to unite people
instead of making them enemies. We encourage their nonviolent
resistance aimed at ending military actions from all sides.
November 16 is the International Day of Tolerance;ii in recognition, Pax
Christi International expresses its belief in progress, peaceful
coexistence and solidarity among all peoples, a goal for not only in
Syria and the Middle East but worldwide. We hope that a new Syrian
reawakening might be created based on the advancement of freedom,
democracy, social justice, tolerance and respect for human dignity.
That is what the Syrian people long for and that is what the world
should support.
Brussels, 16 November 2015
i
http://paxchristi.net/news/terror-will-not-prevail-pax-christi-international-terrorist-attacks-beirut-andparis/5169#sthash.rNFG7wxW.dpbs
ii
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/international-day-tolerance