Beyond War and Towards Reconciliation:
Multi-Religious Peace Roundtables

The Second Tokyo Peace Roundtable
18 - 22 FEBRUARY 2024
CONCEPT NOTEBeyond War and Towards Reconciliation:
Multi-Religious Peace Roundtables
The Second Tokyo Peace Roundtable
18-22 February 2024
Tokyo, Japan
Concept Note
Background
Against a backdrop of myriad threats to our common home, the international community is plagued
by a pervasive sense of insecurity, stemming from what the United Nations reported to be the highest
number of ongoing violent conflicts since the Second World War. In every region of the world, thefoundations of peace and security are currently threatened. Simultaneous armed conflicts in
Afghanistan, Colombia, Ethiopia, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, Myanmar, and Ukraine stand as
horrifying examples of the many threats.
The urgent need for new and renewed approaches to peacebuilding led by multi-religiousorganisations and diverse religious leaders remains vital and clear. The Second Tokyo Peace
Roundtable will focus on these new and renewed approaches, as well as concrete examples of multireligious action.
Global humanitarian needs are at record levels. Over 360 million people worldwide are in need ofhumanitarian assistance, of which over 110 million have been forcibly displaced as a result ofpersecution, violent conflict, or human rights violations. The “silent victims” - women, children, andmarginalised peoples - are caught in the crossfire, disproportionately deprived, and impacted by grosshuman rights violations.
Addressing global challenges to peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights
requires sustained collaboration across faiths, cultures, peoples, and sectors. In this context, allreligious and faith traditions call upon their followers to work together for the common good of all
people and the planet. As foundational pillars of society and critical agents of change, religious andfaith actors, policymakers, and governmental and intergovernmental entities are well-positioned toinform and strengthen each other’s capacities and efforts in facilitating reconciliation and (re)building
the foundations for peace, security, and human dignity.
It is with this understanding that Religions for Peace launched the Beyond War and Toward Reconciliation:
Multi-Religious Peace Roundtables, which convene multi-religious leaders experienced in serving diverse
communities in times of both war and peace (and doing so together), alongside secular policymakers.
The inaugural convening of the first Roundtable, the Tokyo Peace Roundtable, in September 2022
created a ‘safe space’ for religious leaders from otherwise warring countries – including Ethiopia,
1Myanmar, South Sudan, Russia, and Ukraine - to inspire and support each other to heal social
divisions, redress trauma, and foster forgiveness and reconciliation for more peaceful, just andinclusive societies.
The Second Multi-Religious Peace Roundtable
Building on this foundation, Religions for Peace International and Religions for Peace Japan, in collaboration
with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), will convene diverse religious and faithleaders and actors, policymakers, and experts for the second Multi-Religious Peace Roundtable from
19-21 February 2024 in Tokyo, Japan. The second Peace Roundtable will build on the commitments
made by leaders from the first Peace Roundtable, particularly:
1. A commitment from all stakeholders to initiate long-term processes of reconciliation, to avoid
the reoccurrence of cycles of violence, based upon the need for healing and forgiveness andthe charter thereof;
2. A continuation of multi-religious peace dialogue roundtables, to bring together religious leadersfrom all sides of conflicts to share wisdom and build multi-religious cooperation and advancepeace;
3. A recognition of the sanctity of human life, and the imperative for all of us to continue tocultivate love for every single human being.
As the world's oldest and most representative multi-religious leadership platform, Religions for Peace hasover a 50-year legacy of facilitating mediation efforts, interreligious dialogue and cooperation, as wellmulti-religious critical service provision, through its Interreligious Councils, Women of Faith andInterfaith Youth Networks in nearly 100 countries. Across the globe, religious and faith leaders fromthe Religions for Peace movement advance common action not only with one another, but also withsecular civil society organisations, policymakers, and governmental and intergovernmental entities.
Objectives and Outcomes
Religions for Peace International and Religions for Peace Japan, in collaboration with the United Nations
Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), will convene diverse religious and faith leaders and actors,
together with secular policymakers and experts to:i. Identify and assess the specific roles that leaders from diverse faith traditions fulfil in war-tornand humanitarian contexts, as they execute collaborative efforts;
ii. Identify and evaluate the various strategies employed by multi-religious platforms (includingInterreligious Councils) in reconciliation and rebuilding social cohesion efforts;
iii. Assess the unique contributions of multi-religious humanitarian support provided in diverse
contexts and the lessons learned in how such humanitarian efforts contribute to (re)building
socially cohesive contexts.
As a result, the second Multi-Religious Peace Roundtable will directly contribute to:i. Providing a replicable and a scalable platform for effective peacebuilding actions between
multi-religious and secular leaders and policymakers.
ii. Developing a clear understanding of how multi-religious actions provide positive influenceson policymakers’ efforts in rebuilding and reconstructing peaceful and inclusive societies.
2

iii. Strengthening bonds of solidarity, engagement and trust between diverse faith leaders, andbetween religious and secular policy makers and peacebuilders.
Relevant Links
Documents from the First Tokyo Peace Roundtable (2022)• Press Release for the First Tokyo Peace Roundtable (2022)••

Report of the First Tokyo Peace Roundtable (2022)
Statement from the First Tokyo Peace Roundtable (2022)

Religions for Peace Publications and Resources• Religions for Peace 2022 Annual Report• Religions for Peace: The Global Movement Through Impact• Faithful Peace: Why the Journey to Build Resilience is Multi-Religious• Religions for Peace Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund3