As we seek to see God glorified, people reconciled, and communities restored through the Church in the Arab world, we are committed to equipping peacemakers with resources and tools to build healthier communities through inter-religious and intra-religious workshops. Today, many young people of different religious backgrounds face barriers of ignorance, fear, and mistrust in their own communities; these sometimes escalate into hostility or armed conflict.

Khebz w Meleh (KwM) brings together youths from different backgrounds, including Christians and Muslims, to share meals, openly discuss their faith together, and take action for the common good of their local communities.

This is done over seven curriculum-based sessions. In order to carry out constructive discussion around faith, young people agree to adhere to the 11 Guidelines for Dialogue.

KwM is a transformative peacebuilding initiative that allows for solid interfaith friendships to be formed. It provides space for young people in Lebanon to come together from across faith divides, to address areas of mistrust, and to experience healing. We are motivated by God to work collectively toward the common good in our societies as we seek to practice his model of peace. Our curriculum allows Muslim and Christian young people to go from talking about their faith together to acting upon their faith, seeking the common good of their community.

We believe that through Christ, God invited us into reconciled relationship with himself. Through self-sacrifice, Jesus expressed the epitome of love, as he said: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13). He taught his followers: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Because of him, we are also motivated to be reconciled with God and to seek reconciliation with those who are different from us.

In 2016, Khebz w Meleh was launched in Lebanon and inspired by The Feast UK.