Anglican Communion News Service

A consultation of religious leaders from the Holy Land has issued a ten-point plan detailing the task and challenges ahead of them.

The two day consultation, hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, follows on from the first meeting of leaders in Alexandria which for the first time established personal relationships and a formal framework for discussion and consultation across the religious divides. The original meeting produced a Declaration signed by representatives from the three main faiths which remains a unique commitment to work together for peace and reconciliation.

The ten-point plan recognises the challenges ahead in implementing that agreement and seeks to set areas of work for the future.

The ten points are:

1. To maintain the relationship and channels of communication developed from the Alexandria Declaration
2. To increase local ownership of the Alexandria Declaration implementation process
3. To establish an inter-religious council for Jerusalem and the Holy sites
4. To sustain the existing close working relationships with the political leadership of both the Government of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority
5. To engage with those religious leaders who are seen to be instruments in the perpetuation of violence
6. To establish and set in motion clear channels of communication with the Quartet
7. To establish a program of education - through religious institutions - that will foster and encourage an environment of tolerance and eventual reconciliation
8. To systematically work through the implementation of the Alexandria Declaration
9. To provide encouragement for the delegates to the Permanent Committee, to enable them to continue the bold work that they have started
10. To engage with other nations of the Middle East region, at the highest level