The Fellowship of Reconciliation was founded at an international conference in Constance in 1914. Christians from various countries tried to avert the threat of war because they considered wars to be fundamentally incompatible with the spirit of Christ. One of the main focuses of today's work is the Middle East conflict. In the occupied territories, the Fellowship of Reconciliation supports many peace projects; in Israel, there is a joint village of Israelis and Palestinians. Clemens Ronnefeldt of the Fellowship of Reconciliation presents the projects in the Middle East.
History of the Fellowship of Reconciliation The Fellowship of Reconciliation was founded in 1914 as a pacifist association in England and the USA, and after the war also in Germany.In 1919, branches from ten countries joined together in the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. The existing militarism – this was the main goal of the founders – should be overcome and the recognition of conscientious objection should be enforced.In 2. During World War II, many members of the German Fellowship of Reconciliation were imprisoned for refusing to serve with weapons; two of them – Catholic priest Max Josef Metzger and Protestant publicist Hermann Stohr were killed because of that decision.After the war, new tasks were confronted: reconciliation work between West and East, solidarity in the struggle for liberation in countries of the 2/3 world, the preservation of the natural basis of life. The work of the association also contributed to the founding of many important initiatives in peace work in Germany, including Aktion Suhnezeichen, Ohne Rustung Leben, Bund fur Soziale Verteidigung, Kampagne gegen Rustungsexport, Forum ZFD, and Plattform zivile Konfliktbearbeitung (Platform for Civil Conflict Transformation).