The Silsilah Summer Course on Muslim- Christian Dialogue is one of the most relevant programs of Silsilah. We started the first summer course in 1987 and this year we offered the 38th Summer Course in Harmony Village. The Basic Course was conducted on July 7-21, 2024 and the Special course on July 21-30.
We present the introduction of Prof. Fr. Paolo Nicelli, PIME, one of the resource speakers of the Silsilah Special Course and the statement of commitment of the Silsilah Special Course participants guided by the theme, “Rediscovering Dialogue with Creation in Christianity and Islam to Protect Mother Earth.”
From July 7-30, 2024, the Silsilah Dialogue Movement held a Special Course in the Harmony Village (Pitogo, Zamboanga City), with the Title: “Rediscovering Dialogue with Creation in Christianity and Islam to Protect Mother Earth.” Special guests and participants were involved in sharing together their insights on the basis of preserving the environment and its biodiversity in promoting dialogue with Creation, as the fourth pillar of the Spirituality of Dialogue Path to Peace.
Whether Muslims and Christians based their reflections on the necessity of looking at the strict relationship between the preservation of the environment and its biodiversity, as well as the growth of economic development and human development. All these factors are very much connected for the promotion of a balanced overview on the theme.
According to the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church and the Qur’ān, there cannot be real respect for Creation and the Environment without considering all the factors that are affecting reality in itself, mostly regarding the so called “Common House,” the place God wanted us to preserve and to live with other created things, such as plants, animals, etc. Therefore, we have to balance on one side the respect for Creation and on the other side the respect for economic progress and development in human creative action. However, since as humans, we are involved in promoting goodness, through our personal and social commitment to dialogue with Creation and the Environment, we have to avoid any possible immoral activity, due to the destruction of the land and the seas, manipulating resources, till the point of provoking the irreversible reconstitution of biodiversity in nature.
Then, here comes the need of educating ourselves, whether Muslims or Christians, in adopting new styles of life, closer to the preservation of “Our Common House,” through entering into dialogue with Creation and the environment, for the promotion of goodness and harmony in the world. It is a matter of promoting a personal spiritual transformation, towards a possible spiritual social and ecological transformation, for the well-being of Creation. It is a matter of looking at our inner spiritual dimension, to see our biases against Creation, as the result of the difficulty we have to create peace and harmony from within to without…It is the need of developing a Spirituality of Dialogue, Path to Peace, for rediscovering ourselves with Creation and the Environment, without conflicts and in complete unity. This is our commitment, whether Muslim or Christian. This is our hope for future generations.
STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT FOR DIALOGUE, PATH TO PEACE
We, the Muslim-Christian participants of the 38th Silsilah Summer Course, representing a diverse array of backgrounds- educators, community development organizers, religious leaders, nuns, and seminarians- across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, hereby declare our unwavering commitment to uphold and promote the culture and spirit of dialogue in all its forms.
Guided by the theme of this year’s course Rediscovering Dialogue with Creation in Christianity and Islam to Protect Mother Earth,” we recognize the urgent need to foster a deeper understanding and collaboration between our faiths to address the pressing environmental challenges of our time. We acknowledge that both Christianity and Islam call for stewardship of the Earth and that our shared values and teachings provide a solid foundation for this mission. Hence, we commit to:
- Strive to deepen our knowledge of each other’s faith traditions, recognizing and respecting our differences while celebrating our commonalities.
- Work together on projects and initiatives that promote environmental sustainability, drawing from our religious teachings to inspire and guide our actions.
- Speak out against environmental degradation and advocate for policies and practices that protect the Earth, ensuring that the voices of the marginalized and vulnerable are heard and considered.
- Lead by example, integrating the principles of environmental stewardship into our daily lives and encouraging our communities to do the same.
- Share the knowledge and insights gained from this course with our respective communities, empowering others to join us in our commitment to dialogue and environmental protection.
- Recognize that true peace is built on justice and sustainability. We commit to fostering a culture of peace that includes harmonious coexistence with each other and with the natural world.
By making this commitment, we affirm our dedication to the path of dialogue as a vital means of achieving lasting peace and protecting our common home, Mother Earth. We pledge to carry forward the spirit of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary in our ongoing efforts to build a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world for all.
We are happy that thanks to the Silsilah Summer Course many have been inspired to internalize and understand the mission of Dialogue and peace of Silsilah promoting the spirituality of life-in-dialogue with God, Self, Others and Creation.
Silsilah Dialogue Movement