Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, walks along the Israeli settlement construction in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem Sept. 12. Bishop Pates was one of 18 bishops on a nine-day prayer pilgrimage for peace in the Holy Land. (CNS photo/Debbie Hill)
“Peace is not a matter of prizes or trophies. It is not the product of a victory or command. It has no finishing line, no final deadline, no fixed definition of achievement. Peace is a never-ending process, the work of many decisions by many people in many countries. It is an attitude, a way of life, a way of solving problems and resolving conflicts. It cannot be forced on the smallest nation or enforced by the largest. It cannot ignore our differences or overlook our common interests. It requires us to work and live together.”
- Oscar Arias Sánchez, from his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Dec. 10, 1987
