No one is an island, therefore, do not ask for whom the bells toll. They toll for each one and for all of humanity.

If a darkness which beats upon our spirits is great, greater yet are our desires for light.

A few days ago we all watched the breaking out of human insanity with fear and indignation. Let us not permit this insanity to have the last word.

The last and greater word which cries out in us and unites us with all of humanity is that of solidarity and compassion for the victims. It is for peace and good sense in international relations.

The tragedies show us a dimension of the inhumanity of which we are capable, but they also raise up the truly human that exists within us which goes beyond the differences of race, ideology and religion. It is this humanness in us that makes us cry together, wipe away tears together, pray together, and together search for justice, construct peace and renounce vengeance.

The wisdom of the people and the voice of our hearts give witness. It is not terrorism which conquers terrorism, nor hate which conquers hate. It is love which conquers hate; it is the untiring dialogue, the open negotiation and the just agreements which take away the basis of any terrorism and establish peace. The tragedy which has touched us in the deepest recesses of our hearts invites us to rethink the directions of world politics, the meaning of the dominating globalization, the definition of the future of humanity, and the saving of our common home, the Earth. The time is urgent. This time we will not have Noah’s ark to save some and let the others perish. We must save everyone, the community of human and non-human life.

In order to do this, we need to abolish the word enemy. It is fear that creates enemies. We exercise fear when we bring those far away near and make our neighbor a brother and a sister. We distance fear and the enemy when we begin to dialogue, to know and to accept ourselves, to respect and to love ourselves. In other words, to care for ourselves: We care for the ways in which we live together in peace, in solidarity and in justice. We must take care of our surroundings so that they become a holistic ambience in which it is possible to live together amidst differences. We must care for our loved and generous Mother Earth.

If we care for others as brothers and sisters, the causes of fear disappear. No one needs to threaten anyone. We can fly in our planes without fear that they will be transformed into bombs to destroy buildings and slaughter lives. May the 11^th of September of 2001 be less remembered as a day of American and world tragedy and more as a day of tremendous transformation of the state of human conscience in the direction of more inclusive relations among all; in the direction of more compassion of solidarity amongst all living beings, human and non-human; in the direction of reverence before life, of commitment to justice, to caring and to peace in the joyful celebration of existence. Each one is called to place a brick in the construction of this sanctuary of peace, of good will, and of world and planetary cooperation.