Religions for Peace Statement on the Ukraine Conflict

United in the dignity of our diversity, every member of Religions of Peace from across the world sends their prayers and love to all those caught up in the latest senseless round of violence and conflict currently taking place in Ukraine.

As an organization founded on a deep religious conviction for peace, inherent in all our traditions, we unreservedly reject any form of violence. We know in our hearts and minds, and from bitter experience, that violent conflict can never result in any positive outcomes.

We reject the invocation of defending religion or tradition as a pretext for war.

We pray with all our strength for every single person involved in the conflict.

We pray for the children, women and men who been killed and injured, and who are fleeing from their homes in sheer terror at what has happened. We appeal to all parties to help guarantee a humanitarian corridor for the safe evacuation of civilians and the delivery of much needed aid.

We pray for the citizens of Ukraine and Russia, who through no fault of their own will now suffer both spiritually and materially for decades to come. Violence breeds violence, and they will need much support to recover from the fear, insecurity, bitterness, and trauma that inevitably follows violent conflict.

We pray for our brothers and sisters in the Russian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), the Interreligious Council of Russia (ICR), the believers of their religious denominations, and for people of every religion in the region, and call on them to remember the fundamental purpose and nature of all religions and stand up and speak out for peace.

We pray for the political leaders. We hope with all our hearts that they pause long enough to recall the essence and goodness of their humanity, and the preciousness of every single human life on this planet. We ask them to remember their sworn duty to protect the lives of every human being under their leadership, and immediately cease this senseless violence.

We pray for all those around the world who have come out to protest this war and to demand an immediate end to this violence.

As an organization dedicated to peace and the prosperity of everyone, Religions for Peace reaffirms its belief that advocating for a non-violent resolution to this crisis is an expression of our shared spiritual commitment to a just and sustainable peace.

Continuing our commitment to deeply held, shared beliefs in the obligation to collaborate as faith communities to support the most vulnerable, the Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund of Religions for Peace will call for proposals to support interfaith initiatives that provide aid to those displaced by conflict. We call on other religious and secular civil society organizations to support collaborative action to protect those who are harmed by war.