AW: Well we have always had a humanitarian side of our work because wherever there is conflict there will also be poverty in the extreme. So we had to increase that work recently.
CT: The conflict in Lebanon has been going on for three weeks now. Do you think the international community has done enough to secure a long-term end to the conflict in Lebanon?
AW: It is very easy for people to say the international community should do more. It is very difficult to actually bring about peace. War is war. If people are destined to kill each other there is very little you can do to stop it.
CT: The US was criticised for failing to condemn Israel. Do you think this is a fair criticism?
AW: Just condemning one side will not actually deal with the matter realistically. The fact is that in any conflict there are usually two sides involved. Two sides have suffered. But nobody is suffering like the Lebanese people have suffered at present. And that is our real priority and that is our real concern, the priority of the Lebanese.A lot of endeavours that we were working at we’ve had to temporarily put on hold because there is no way you can continue as if nothing has happened when the whole face of the region has changed.
Canon Andrew White, President & CEO FRME
But just condemning one side is very difficult and the fact is that Hezbollah have got to take some responsibility as well because they are the ones who have been attacking and firing on Israel and as far as Israel is concerned their attacks are just against Hezbollah.
CT: The UN is due to issue a resolution over the coming days. What kind of resolution is FRME looking to see?AW: Well the fact is that even resolutions are just broken by the dozen. The UN just saying something will not mean that it will happen. Especially as the credibility of the UN is not even that great at the moment. What we are hoping will happen is that there will simply be a ceasefire and that there may be the willingness of both parties to work together. But we know for a fact there will not be the willingness of Hezbollah to work with anybody.
CT: What impact is this going to have on the long-term stability of the region? How is long-term peace going to be secured?
AW: Maybe we’re not. It is very, very serious and there is no knowing and no telling of the severity of the situation at the moment. We have to keep hoping and praying for peace but it does not mean that it will come. It has not come in the last however many years and so who says it is going to come now. But we still see it as our calling to work for it.
