Fellowship of Reconciliation leads historic peace delegation to Iran

Social justice news
December 2005

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Fellowship of Reconciliation leads historic peace delegation to Iran
As part of its ongoing commitment to working for peace, justice, and the nonviolent resolution of conflict, the Fellowship of Reconciliation is leading a series of barrier-breaking “people-to-people” delegations to Iran.

On December 2, an interfaith group of Americans from all over the country departed for Teheran and the start of a 10-day long mission for peace. Another delegation will leave in late April. They will take with them thousands of personal messages of friendship from ordinary Americans across the country.

The delegations come at a strained moment for Iranians and Americans, whose governments have adopted increasingly belligerent and threatening postures towards one another.

FOR does not believe that threats and blackmail are appropriate tools of policy in dealing with those with whom we may disagree. Rather, the FOR believes in diplomacy and dialogue, in seeking the humanity in all people, especially those officially demonized and labeled enemies. It is precisely because Iran has been depicted as “evil,” and because there is still talk of invading Iran, that the Fellowship of Reconciliation believes such a peace mission to be vital.

Dialogue has long been a hallmark of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the oldest interfaith peace and justice organization in the nation. FOR peace delegations visited the former Soviet Union at the height of communist rule; delegations also visited Vietnam, the Philippines, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Latin America as conflict and civil war raged in those regions.

The delegates will visit cultural and historic centers. They will meet with independent and state-run media, academics, Muslim religious leaders as well as representatives of minority Christian and Jewish communities, leaders of environmental and women’s NGOs, and veterans of the Iran-Iraq war.

Iran delegations will allow U.S. delegates and the Iranians they meet to learn firsthand about each other. It will also offer them a chance to discuss ways to de-escalate the tensions between their countries. Americans and Iranians will exchange ideas on the creation and maintenance of a democratic and independent society.

FOR hopes these delegations will assist citizens of two countries to form a deeper understanding of the roots of their governments’ conflict. "Ultimately, we hope they will generate new processes for ending the animosity without resorting to violence."

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