Many of the people we met with spoke about “shared values” which brought the Christians, Muslims,and Indigenous People together. From an outsiders perspective, it was easy to notice the cultural values which differed from my own. These values were presented to us in several ways.
Generosity was an important value in all people that we interacted with. Each person welcomed us with a smile, a place to sit,a handshake, or even a fan or air conditioner to make us more comfortable. We were even provided snacks of fresh fruit from the nearby farms.
In the schools, values such as purity, piety, prudence and honesty were taught alongside math and science. These values were incorporated throughout the curricula as part of the larger peace process and in the hopes of sustained peace in the region.
People specifically mentioned the importance of values in the peace process, that come from sharing a community and history. Many times we heard about harmony, compassion, mercy, respect, and forgiveness, all of which are values that can contribute to a more peaceful community. I wonder if appealed to the shared values, outside the context of religion, they could find a more effective conflict resolution method?