October 2020 - Returning to Shingal
Our Mission:
Addressing the roots of religion-related violence.
Promoting survivor resilience.
Global Covenant Partners (GCP) is a non-profit organization that celebrates the flourishing that comes with diversity of religion and freedom of belief. We work with partners around the world to understand, articulate and interrupt anti-religious violence and end religicide.
What is Religicide?
Religicide is the attempt to annihilate a religion and its followers. Religicide includes genocide (the killing of a people), ecocide (the killing of their natural habitat), femicide (the killing and control of women), and factocide (the killing of science and truth).
We Believe:
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Religion-related violence is a distinct and growing threat to civilization and security.
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Survivors of anti-religious violence can heal when they receive the support they need to build resilience and regenerate their communities.
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We all have a part to play in protecting religious, cultural, and ecological diversity.
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We are called in solidarity with survivors to advance empathy, dignity, and equality.
Our Mission:
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Research and design strategies to end religicide
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Ensure survivors of religicide have the support they need to heal
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Support regenerative farming for food security and survivor livelihood
Why does religion-related violence need its own definition?
Defining genocide, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity has been a necessary step to understand and address them effectively on legal and practical levels. By recognizing and addressing the distinctive nature of religicide, including its hallmarks of genocide, ecocide, femicide, and factocide, we can advocate to end religious persecution and discrimination.
Why propose a covenant?
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Covenants are long-lasting agreements that foster deep relationships through mutual commitment and shared responsibilities.
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Covenants can be effective even where there are power imbalances and the reciprocity between partners appears asymmetrical.
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Covenants extend beyond transactional business or legal agreements while putting boundaries in place to honor difference and trust despite disagreement.
What would a Global Covenant of Religions entail?
A covenantal approach means making communal commitments to a future in which diverse parties, of all faiths and none, fulfill their sacred duty to protect, preserve, and regenerate all religious traditions and communities.
Covenantalism is a commitment to respecting the dignity of difference. It means honoring the spiritual, intellectual, cultural, and political benefits our differences create.
Covenantalism involves relationships of solidarity with religious groups on a personal and communal level. It means responding to practical needs with the understanding that each individual and community has a unique and important role to play in shaping a future that is multicultural and peaceful. A Global Covenant of Religions will help us celebrate difference and flourish instead of fight.