We were beside ourselves with joy when the news reached us on Saturday, 18 September, of the historic meeting of the top leaders of Naga political parties and the agreement they signed. We salute those leaders, along with members of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation that has worked so tirelessly and courageously to orchestrate these discussions.
The Naga “Journey to a Common Hope” has never been so lively. The seeds of justice planted so patiently over the years now break through the hard ground of vengeance and promise a harvest of peace.
Yet the harvest is far from secure. Now is the time for the Naga people, through your many social, religious and human rights organizations, to guard against a despoiling of the crop. The presence of peace is more than the absence of violence. Much work is yet to be done. Your political parties will not be able to accomplish this on their own.
Rather than provoking enmity, now is the time to “provoke one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). Now is the time to harness your joy to the hard work of turning dreams into deeds, of transforming renewed hope into concrete public policies.
You must demand that the agreements reached be honored by all and exploited by none. Many of us stand in awe of the hard work and uncommon wisdom that have brought you to this point. Most of us of us have spent many hours with your various leaders over the past 15 years. We know something of the path of tears and the tangle of fears you have endured. The peace you have waged has come at a great cost.
Yet those gone before you now rise with rejoicing. You honor them, and you secure the future of your children’s grandchildren, by seizing this hopeful moment. May the peace that truly passes understanding guide your feet toward the things that make for peace.
Dr. John Sundquist,
Retired Director of the
American Baptist Churches
International Ministries
Rev. Daniel Buttry,
Global Consultant for Peace and Justice, American Baptist Churches International
Ministries
Rev. Ken Sehested,
Founding Director, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America
Rev. Raimundo Barreto,
director, Baptist World Alliance Division of Justice and Freedom
