As international political circles busily redraw the map of a new world order, a silent clash is emerging on the horizon between two contradictory visions of peace. The first is the “Living Together in Peace” initiative, adopted by the United Nations following an Algerian proposal. The second is what is known as the “Abrahamic Initiative” (or the Middle East Peace Project). Although both utilize the term “peace,” deep analysis reveals that the former serves as a “counter-project” to the latter in terms of premise, objective, and outcome.
The “Living Together in Peace” initiative derives its strength from historic international legitimacy. It is the product of UN Resolution (72/130), adopted unanimously by the General Assembly (193 countries) on December 8, 2017. This resolution established May 16 of every year as an international day aimed at transforming coexistence into a global culture that respects the sovereignty and specificity of nations.
In contrast, “Abrahamism” emerges as a system of “transactional deals” based on the logic of immediate security and economic interests. This framing makes it closer to a “functional alliance” than a comprehensive, humanitarian peace project.
A fundamental difference also lies in “inclusivity.” The “Living Together in Peace” initiative addresses humanity regardless of religion or race, maintaining that peace cannot be achieved without social justice and respect for the rights of oppressed peoples. “Abrahamism,” however, relies on a selective “religious engineering” that attempts to fuse identities into a single mold to serve specific political agendas—an approach critics view as a “top-down peace” that ignores historical rights, most notably the Palestinian cause.
The Pope’s Visit to Algeria: Consolidating Moderation and Breaking the Political Exploitation of Religion
To strengthen this human dimension, the Pope’s visit to Algeria in April 2026—in both its historical and symbolic dimensions—provides practical momentum to the “Living Together” initiative.
This visit is not merely a religious event; it is an international recognition of the “Algerian School of Moderation,” which rejects the political instrumentalization of religion. The presence of the head of the Catholic Church on Algerian soil consecrates the concept of “peer-to-peer dialogue” that does not erase national identities but rather values them. This stands in stark contrast to the “Abrahamic” endeavors that attempt to blur religious lines to justify political concessions.
In the “Living Together in Peace” initiative, peace is viewed as an “end goal” built from the ground up through inter-civilizational dialogue and the celebration of shared heritage (such as the legacy of Saint Augustine or the philosophy of Emir Abdelkader). In the “Abrahamic” project, however, peace appears to be a “tool” for rearranging regional balances and creating new military and economic axes, shifting the concept from a moral value to a geopolitical lever.
Ultimately, current realities show that the “Living Together in Peace” initiative, backed by its UN legitimacy since 2017, represents the last fortress for preserving national and cultural identity against the “dissolution” projects proposed by Abrahamism. While the latter seeks to “normalize” reality through power and capital, the former seeks to “root” peace through awareness and justice. This makes it the viable civilizational alternative—one that bets on the sustainability of peace through the respect of difference, rather than its erasure.
