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STERNENWEG CHEMIN DES ÉTOILES

Level Values

Selection of basic social values as a framework condition for self-determined, humane and creative coexistence.

Peace

For there to be peace in the world, peoples must live in peace.

In order for there to be peace between peoples, cities must not rise up against each other.

For there to be peace in the cities, neighbors must understand each other.

For there to be peace between neighbors, there must be peace in one’s own house.

For there to be peace in one’s home, you have to find it in your own heart.

Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, 4th-3rd century B.C.

Peace refers to a state between individuals, groups or states that is free of (violent) disputes and wars and in which emerging conflicts are settled without violence with the help of rules and laws. An important prerequisite for this is the virtue of “peacefulness” and the willingness to actively strive for peace. Individuals, too, can develop a sense of “content!”, a so-called “inner peace, in self-awareness, in the confrontation with themselves. \u201einner peace” reach. Seeking (inner) peace means embarking on a path of life that is oriented toward living in harmony and unison with oneself. This is the basis for being able to find peace outwardly as well and to carry it out into the world.

Zwei Pilger vor Kriegsmahnmal zeigen ein Plakat

Question: How much importance do I give to inner peace in my life?

Impulse: Every step towards one’s own inner peace affects peace on the outside.

Every peaceful attitude and action gives you inner strength and confidence and is a contribution to all-connectedness and peace in the world.

What idea of my own do I have for today’s path?

Humanity

Humanity stands as a term for (co-)humanity and the continuous cultural formation of the mind, which aims at the realization of human rights, helpfulness and participation. It is about the position of man in the world and for the world: to be responsible, to follow the truth on the trail and to fathom the innermost thing that constitutes being human - the Conditio humana. Humanity is defined and brought to life both by the individual and by the particular culture that practices it. In most cultures, the humanitarian worldview includes the values of dignity, connectedness, compassion, kindness, charity, helpfulness, and mercy. The elementary prerequisites of a humane way of life include openness and kindness. The ability to recognize the polarities that arise on each individual life path and to balance them in the interplay between the inner and outer worlds, if possible to reconcile them, is one of the essential characteristics of humanity.

Zwei ältere Pilgerinnen auf Waldweg sind sich zugetan

Question: When and in what areas of life am I compassionate?

Impulse: On my journey through life I want to be human in my very own way. be. In this attitude, I would like to work especially on a small scale.

What idea of my own do I have for today’s path?

Freedom

The purpose of our existence is directed to the formation of humanity. Our rational activity should be formed to reason, our finer senses to art, our instincts to genuine freedom and beauty, our motive forces to human love.

Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803)

Freedom is a privilege from which many people are still excluded. Being free means being able to make decisions in a self-determined manner and without external coercion. However, part of the experience of freedom is the ability to feel the difference between freedom and unfreedom. Paradoxically, this means that in order to unfold, freedom also requires limits, which must be reflected in the pursuit of one’s own freedom. Freedom requires self-knowledge and self-responsibility in thought and action. Free is he who is in harmony with himself and shapes the gift of freedom with gratitude and meaning.

Frau mit ausgebreiteten Armen auf Felsvorsprung am windbewegten Wasser

Question: What freedoms do I actively enjoy? Am I aware of the privilege of living in freedom?

Impulse: Know yourself! With every step I come closer to myself, find myself, live out the center, become truer and freer in thought and action.

What idea of my own do I have for today’s path?

Democracy

Democracy always means: the willingness to see not only one’s own interests and the ability to balance and compromise.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Democracy (from the ancient Greek δημοκρατία’ rule of the people of the state) forms the basis of our European society. In democratic states, the government emerges from the people through (free and equal) political elections. The most important features of democracy include freedom of expression and of the press, separation of powers, constitutionality, and protection of fundamental, civil, and human rights. A democratic culture must neither ignore nor negate the ethical and religious forms of life that come together in a pluralistic polity; rather, it must embrace them and integrate them in such a way that the principle of respect applies equally to all citizens. Democracy needs people who have an interest in the community and the common good and who are willing to actively work for them. This presupposes that people respect each other as equals, do not make their own interests absolute, and have the courage to engage in an open, fair debate, but also to compromise. In this respect, democracy is also the decisive prerequisite for freedom, equality and solidarity. A democratic way of life within communities therefore always seeks a constructive balance between the I and the We.

Pilgergruppe sitzt auf Treppenstufen neben Kirche

Question: What meaning does civic belonging have for me? What active contributions do I make to the common good of the society in which I live? Am I prepared to actively stand up for the rule of law, the protection of human rights and equality when it becomes necessary?

Impulse: I open myself on my way for the recognition and appreciation of diversity in our society. I am committed to enabling all people to live peacefully in democratic structures.

What idea of my own do I have for today’s path?