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PREFACE TO THE ROME STATEMENT
by Takeo Fukuda
Honorary Chairman
InterAction Council
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| My greatest concern has been and is the difficult
situation the world faces. Whether one looks at the world politically, militarily or
economically, problems abound. And physical conditions surrounding our life, including
population, development and environment, also present us with unprecedented crises. We
simply will have no future, if we failed in our responses to these precarious settings.
They require perseverance and determined efforts on our part, if we want to leave the
world safe for our posterity. Starting with such
awareness, I convened in 1983 the InterAction Council with over two dozens of former heads
of states and governments to consider how these problems can be solved and to act upon our
convictions. While incumbent leaders are also concerned with these problems, they are
preoccupied with daily events and are constrained by their respective national interests.
I felt that former leaders with abundant experience which provides a certain dimension of
wisdom, should not be complacent. The InterAction Council has had five plenary sessions
and many special study group meetings. And we have had considerable impact on the world.
But I thought further, I have long felt that world peace
and welfare of mankind concern religious groups as much as political figures. Would it not
be significant for political and religious leaders to gather together and discuss the
problems and issues of mutual concern? I felt that an understanding could be obtained from
religious groups and that a certain common denominator might be found. After all, the
importance of human being is universal.
So, some of the InterAction Council members met with
leaders of five major religions of the world in Rome in the spring of 1987. It was agreed
that the world's situation is such that there is no future for mankind, if we failed to
take up the challenges presented to us and that there is no room for political and
religious leaders to jointly contribute to solving some of these problems. It was
enormously gratifying for me to confirm that a broad agreement was reached on the
fundamental difficulties of the world by representatives of the groups conventionally
considered to have such divergent and even confronting views.
The agreement reached in Rome encourages us to continue
our efforts. The meeting was an unprecedented effort in the human history and a very
valuable one. I know that continued efforts to seek the meeting of minds will bring joint
actions. I am grateful to have confirmed my belief with my own eyes and I offer my
profound appreciation to the providence.
PREFACE TO THE ROME STATEMENT
by Helmut Schmidt
Chairman
InterAction Council
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| Since the deep impressions which my conversation with
Anwar el Sadat in the mid-seventies left on me - and especially after reflecting more
about Sadat - my curiosity for the religious, philosophical and ethical tangencies and
correspondences among the cultural areas of this world has become ever greater. Without
mutual understanding it is difficult to serve peace. But
whether in Palestine or any other place of the world, it is difficult to imagine the idea
of an "eternal peace" (as propagated by Immanuel Kant) to become reality. Of
course, most people accept the moral value of this goal. Nevertheless, it also seems
deductable from history that there is a high probability for further conflicts that will
be solved by arms also in the future - in spite of a League of Nations or the United
Nations and in spite of a far reaching cartel of the world powers.
Yet, the fact remains true: the earlier and the more often
conflicts are defused and transformed towards compromises before leading to international
use of force, the more there is a hope to evade wars. Or, in reverse: the more people
resort to religious, nationalistic, racial or ideological radicalism and fundamentalism,
the lesser will be their mutual understanding and the greater the probability of use of
force and of war.
It was the wish for mutual listening, which brought
together religious and political leaders in Rome. We did not only convene as Muslims, Jews
and Christians, as Hindus and Buddhists or as free-thinkers, we also came as democrats and
communists, s conservatives or liberals; we came from utterly different dictatorships or
utterly different democracies; we came from all the five continents of the world; we were
black, brown, yellow or white. Despite those enormous differences, we did not only
understand each other, we even agreed on deadly important questions.
It may seem simple to agree upon the wish for peace. But
it is difficult - and this goes equally for religious and political leaders - to tangibly
serve peace in our daily actions and omissions. It also may be relatively simple to
realize that the world's population explosion, which so far could not be slowed down, will
in a few generations not only mean great economic suffering for billions of people, but
also will mean an energy consumption that inevitably will change the chemical composition
of the troposphere within a few decades and result in a greenhouse-effect leading to
catastrophic consequences for an even greater number of people. Yet, in our daily actions
and omissions, it is difficult to work for a slowing down of the world's population growth
and to make family planning a purpose for billions of human couples.
It was an important signal that priests of all religions
as well as political leaders from all quarters of the world acknowledged the importance of
family planning. Many other leaders must also be made aware of this importance.
Scarifies are not unilateral. To give is to have. At the
end of the 20th century, the threats to humanity can only be avoided by
solidarity.
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STATEMENT ON GLOBAL ISSUES
INTRODUCTION
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| For the first time in recent history, political and
spiritual leaders from all contents and five major religions met in Rome at the invitation
of the InterAction Council. Over two days, the participants engaged in a discussion on
world peace, the global economy and the interrelated areas of development, population and
environment. The leaders agreed that humankind is
confronted by the greatest set of crises in history, yet measures adequate to meet them
have not bee defined or devised. Unless there are effective and correct responses to the
challenge presented by these crisis, there will be no enduring future.
They further agreed that, in addressing these problems,
there are many areas for cooperation between spiritual and political leaders in their
shared devotion to moral values, peace and human well-being.
The initial exchange of views resulted in striking degree
of common perception, evaluation of present dangers and recognition of a need for action
built on a widely shared ethical basis.
The leaders assembled in Rome agreed that such contacts
must be continued by the InterAction Council and others at the global and regional levels,
involving political, intellectual and scientific leaders, and should influence, with the
support of the media, political decision-making processes.
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PEACE
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| Today, peace has lost its true meaning in a world which
since World War II has not seen a single day without war, conflict, poverty and widescale
human and environmental degradation. Ethical principles shared by all participants led
them to conclude that genuine peace can only be accomplished through an ongoing process of
dialogue and receptive understanding permeating all areas of society and international
contacts. All participants, therefore, welcome
efforts to bring about disarmament. The United States and Soviet Union should honor their
treaty commitments to achieve cuts in strategic weapon levels and continue negotiations
aimed at even further reductions. Policies of countries like the People's Republic of
China and Argentina to cut their military budgets provides examples for progress.
Scientific and engineering resources and capabilities
presently devoted to the arms race should be redirected to the solution of global problems
threatening human survival and welfare: the development of alternative energy resources
and new transportation systems and technologies to mitigate the effects of impending
climatic changes; the further exploration of the decay of the ozone layer; the prevention
of a continued decline in the number of biological species; and measures to counter the
threats to the biosphere.
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WORLD
ECONOMY
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| For moral, political and economic reasons, humanity must
strive towards a more equitable economic structure reversing the present appalling poverty
which afflicts vast numbers of human beings throughout the world. Change can only be
accomplished through a series of decisions and dialogue predicated on enlightened
self-interest on the part of the industrialized and mutually supportive policies on the
part of the developing countries. The debt crisis
with its ominous consequences must be resolved with a sense of urgency. Debt servicing
cannot be met at the price of suffocating a country's economy and no government can
morally demand of its people privations incompatible with human dignity. All parties
involved must make a tangible contribution and honor the moral principle of
burden-sharing.
Emergency assistance programmes are an indispensable part
of ensuring the survival of many people and communities currently enduring abject poverty.
There is a paramount need for fostering a sense of global solidarity for survival.
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DEVELOPMENT
- POPULATION - ENVIRONMENT
| It was stressed that moral values for the family in the
future and the recognition of the common responsibility of women and men are indispensable
in dealing with these issues. Rapid population growth in many developing countries
vitiates any advance in development. This fuels the vicious cycle between
underdevelopment, population growth and the erosion of human life-support systems.
Responsible public policies require systematic projections of population, environmental
and economic trends with particular attention to their interaction. Cognizant of the different approaches of religions towards family
planning policies and methods, the leaders yet agreed that present trends make the pursuit
of effective family planning inevitable. The positive experience of several countries and
religions should be shared and scientific research into family planning should be
accelerated. |
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