Hospitality





What does hospitality have to do with peace-buliding?

Hospitality and peace-building are not often seen to be related to one another, but the two have an interesting connection. Hospitality is the relationship between people (often a ‘guest’ and a ‘host’) which includes a reception and welcome of guests, visitor or even stranger, and hospitality is more than just ‘hosting’ someone. Hospitality involves showing respect for the guest, providing for their needs and treating them as people of value.

Think of a time when you’ve been shown hospitality. What did it feel like? What specific things did the person extending hospitality do to make you feel welcome? What didn’t they do? How did the hospitality you received help you to feel welcome?

How might hospitality be a key component to building-peace? Where there is hospitality it is difficult to find hostility. In the midst of difference or even disagreement, hospitality might be extended as a way to make connections with ‘the other’ and show respect by welcoming and treating ‘the other’ with acceptance and dignity.

Imagine a new man moves into the house across the street from where you live. You see him come and go and the two of you pass each other on the sidewalk occasionally; however, you don’t feel you have the time or energy to welcome him or are hesitant to introduce yourself. A few months pass and you don’t know his name and he doesn’t know yours. You do begin to notice that there always seems to be someone coming or going from his home and that his guests tend to park in front of your house, blocking access to the path in front of your door. This goes on for some time, until one evening when your elderly grandmother comes to visit you and she is unable to access the walkway because a car is blocking it. You find yourself annoyed and upset at ‘that man across the street’ thinking that he and his guests must have no respect for others and their property. You grumble to yourself, unsure of how to confront this issue.

How might have this scenario played out differently had you extended welcome and hospitality to your new neighbour when he first arrived? It’s possible the same scenario would have played out similarly leaving your grandmother unable to reach your door; however, it’s more likely your frustrations would have been placed within the context of a relationship from which to address the situation. Instead of just being ‘that man across the road,’ your neighbour would have a name, perhaps even a story. In this way, hospitality can serve as a pro-active, pre-emptive, peace-building tool.

While it might seem easy to extend hospitality to friends and family, it can be more of a challenge to be hospitable to the ‘strangers’ among us, especially to those who are different from us and particularly to those whom we have related to as enemies. Hospitality isn’t reserved for the familiar. What do you think? What does hospitality have to offer peace-building? What does peace-building have to contribute to hospitality?

“Hospitality is about offering people space where change can take place”. Henri Nouwen


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