On the occasion of the International Day of Friendship, 21 participants of different generations came together in Berlin on July 29, 2026, to reflect in greater depth on friendship and peace.
To begin, each participant wrote on a slip of paper how they would describe friendship in a single word or sentence. The responses included trust, connection, forgiveness, respect, reliability, honesty, common ground, and hope.
Through personal anecdotes and shared reflections, the participants explored a range of themes, including:
- the somewhat unfamiliar notion that a friendship can be “canceled”
- the many forms friendship can take — from enduring relationships to brief encounters that leave a lasting sense of warmth
- the sacred quality of genuine friendship
- the shortage of meaningful friendships among young people
- the essential role of mutual appreciation, even in the presence of significant differences
- different ways of perceiving and experiencing a relationship
- friendship as an expression of (spiritual) love
Several passages from Holy Scriptures were read aloud, affirming many of the aspects of friendship that had already been discussed while also introducing further dimensions — including the idea of freedom and the understanding that friendship does not chain.
In small groups of four, participants exchanged thoughts until they had identified four things they all shared in common. These were then presented to the wider group and ranged from enjoying ice cream and wishing to promote peace in everyday life, to a shared conviction in a higher power.
In the end, time did not allow for a closing round on whether, and in what ways, friendship contributes to peace. Yet those who remained a little longer to tidy up and clear the buffet table experienced, in that moment, a sense of peace, friendship, and satisfaction after a thought-provoking evening.