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On Friday March 25, FRRME Director, Peter Marsden, ran the first ever Jerusalem Marathon to raise funds for our peace efforts.
The run came just a couple of days after a sectarian bomb attack at the city's central bus station killed one woman and injured many.
The attack was a stark reminder of an old conflict and the need for the reconciliation efforts of charities like FRRME.
Following the run, Peter wrote: '"It's not a sprint, it's a marathon."
'As annoying and overused as the expression is, the phrase was on loop in my mind as I set off this morning on the first ever Jerusalem Marathon. This place is seriously hilly; a fact lost on me until someone pointed out that, famously, Christ's main teachings were delivered from mountain-tops...
'The marathon/sprint metaphor also applies to conflict mediation. There's pressure to deliver quick fixes, but the work takes time. Sure, there are moments of clarity; mountain top experiences with great views of the path ahead, and there are also tough times; terrible times, when body and mind, in perfect concert, scream "enough".
'As I ran 26.2 miles around Jerusalem and its environs, the Hebrew, "Yishar Koash" - well done, merged with the more direct Arabic, "Yalla Yalla" - hurry, hurry. This was wonderfully encouraging, both for the run and for hopes of reconciliation.
'We slowly but steadily clocked up the miles towards a predetermined end, but the mile-posts towards reconciliation are less easily definable.
'More significantly, whereas our path was lined with enthusiastic supporters cheering us along, the role of the mediator is a far lonelier one. Meetings are necessarily conducted behind closed doors and below the radar. Few people cheer.
'The road to peace is not a marathon; it's much tougher than that.'
To sponsor Peter, click here.
For further information about FRRME's reconciliation work, click here.
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