Register to our newsletter
We will not sell, rent, or give your name or address to anyone nor market other programs or products to you.
Ramez Salamé
Country:
Lebanon
Activity:
Activist
Keywords:
activism, awake, change, contemplation, dialogue, empathy, listening, love, mindfulness, practices, spirituality
Ramez Salame is a lawyer from Lebanon. He gave up his militia gun during the civil war in Lebanon to start dialogues during the war.
Presentation
Ramez Salame as young Christian lawyer 30 years ago, decided to take stock of his life, putting right what was wrong, and to accept the daily discipline of listening for God's guidance. He returned library books he had intended to keep, and found a new frankness in his family through asking forgiveness from his father for his hatred and from his brother for his jealousy. As he took these steps he began to get ideas for his country, and, in the midst of the civil war, felt that he was not fighting the right battle.
‘In a moment of prayer, I believed God was telling me that he had a more important role for me to fulfil than to engage in the military fight.' He gave up his gun and courageously began having conversations with his Muslim compatriots. As a token of a new approach he sought out the Mufti, the leader of the Muslim Sunni community, to apologize for the way the Christians had conspired to keep the reins of power in their hands, not permitting the Muslims to be fully responsible for the country. He told the Mufti that he wanted to accept the changes in his own life which would help create a new Lebanon. The Mufti rose and shook his hand: ‘What you say is one ray of light in the present darkness. Thank you.'
It was then that Salame began to bring together groups of Lebanese, wherever possible both Muslims and Christians. ‘Dialogue is a powerful weapon which unfortunately is little used,' he says. ‘After our first meeting we felt joy in our hearts; we saw the beauty in the other person. We saw our enemy had fears like our fears, aspirations like ours. We grew in love and appreciation of each other.'
Interviews available from Ramez Salamé
-
A universal thirst to give meaning to one’s life
This is why I feel we have the duty to take this experience of change to the young generation.
-
Change has to be won in the small things
There is a test that you have to win everyday to bring change to the world.
-
Change yourself
-
Dialog is not easy but is not difficult too
-
Dialogues meeting that open ourself up to the other
-
How I gave up my gun
-
My experience of deep inner change and reconciliation with my self
-
We are tied by things which we have done wrong in our life
What to do with our past failures?
-
What I do everyday to be aware of me
-
What dialog requires to be fruitful
Having participate in a wide number of dialog meetings, Ramez explains the key elements he found for having a fruitful dialog.