I gaze upon the
world today, and I see a disturbing scenario.
War is still
raging on. Civilians suffer. Children die. Families are displaced. Bribes are
accepted, and friendships are formed. Ties are strained—and lost.
Meanwhile, the
occurrence of climate disasters is growing. Millions are being impacted by
floods, droughts and heatwaves. The poorest countries have to bear the brunt of
the impact while playing the least part in causing the crisis.
Vaulting the
walls, another crisis is brewing. Debt. Too many developing countries spend
more on servicing old debts than on educating their people, building hospitals
and making them more resilient to climate change.
There's now a new
challenge that's come our way. Artificial intelligence. There are tremendous
possibilities of AI. However, it also poses severe ethical, accountability,
privacy and human dignity issues.
In this way, in a
world like this, I think it is more important than ever that there is moral
leadership.
That is, for this
reason, this year's Religions for Peace 2026 International Council Meeting in
Mauritius is particularly important.
Religions for
Peace has been gathering religious leaders for over 50 years. It has all been
very simple and powerful, a search for common ground in a divided world.
There are many
things that they have to face.
The first obstacle
is conflict. Today, there are millions of people who are victims of armed
violence. Political leaders talk the talk of power. The religious leaders have
to be in the language of humanity. They have to make peace the word of the
world and not weakness. It is courage.
The second
challenge is climate change. Scientific solutions exist. The use of renewable
energy is growing. Some new technologies are starting to develop. However,
there are still obstacles to progress. It's not just the knowledge that is
lacking. It's more about the political and moral resolve to do something.
Debt is the third
challenge. In many countries, repayments of debt take away resources that are
required for development. Economically it's the numbers. The impact is on human
beings. Each of the reforms that comes late means fewer opportunities for vulnerable
groups.
The fourth
challenge is artificial intelligence. Technology is advancing at a greater rate
than regulation. Faster than public understanding. Speeds up ethical
contemplation. Therefore, in order for AI to benefit humanity, humanity needs
to influence AI's values first, rather than AI influencing the values of
society.
There's a bigger
problem, too.
Trust.
The worldwide drop
in confidence in institutions is growing. There is an increasing strain on
working together internationally. Problems in the global arena are difficult to
solve by multilateral systems. But there is no country that can address climate
change, pandemics, conflict or technology issues independently.
This is where
faith communities can make an impact.
They are able to
connect with billions of audience members. They shape values. They inspire
service. They encourage compassion. They remind us that all human life has
dignity.
I don't expect the
Mauritius meeting to have a lot of solutions to all problems.
No conference is
able to do that.
It can be a factor
in bringing about something just as significant, however. Common sense of moral
purpose.
I hope religious
leaders will come out against the normalization of war. I hope they'll be
proponents of climate justice. I'm looking forward to them offering fair debt
solutions. I hope they will help to promote ethical guidelines for AI.
Most of all, I
hope they bring some awareness that there's still room for co-op.
History
demonstrates that it is moral courage that propels mankind forward in his
political endeavors.
Issues affecting
our world are interrelated. It should also be interconnected—see how that
works? It should also be interconnected solutions—how is this?
Ephesians 2:13:
Now in His presence, there is no fear of war or violence.
Dignity: The
absence of this does not equal development.
If technology
without ethics is not going to work.
But there can be
no flourishing of humanity without compassion.
The world is in
one of the most complex times in recent history while the World Council of
Religions for Peace is meeting in Mauritius.
The future of the
road is up for question.
But I hope for the
best.
When dialogue
replaces division, it is people of different faiths, cultures and nations who
help to preserve the hope for a more peaceful and humane future.
That is something
that we need to safeguard.
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