Assaad Emile Chaftari (Lebanon)
Assaad met the Moral Rearmament movement in 1988 and came to experience a change of heart.
Prior to this time, Assaad had played an active role in the Lebanese civil war which took place from 1975-1990. He was primarily a senior official with responsibilities in the security and intelligence services of the Christian Lebanese Forces (LF). In 1985, he co-negotiated the Tripartite Agreement on behalf of LF. Following the civil war, Assaad co-created the WAED –National Secular Democratic party in 1990. Since 1994, however, he has had no political commitments.
In February 2000, Assaad wrote a public letter of repentance and apology to his victims from the civil way. Continuing these healing efforts, in 2005, he initiated and coached the production of a documentary called You and I: Knowing each other’s religion.
Assaad serves as an Advisory Board member and as an ex-general coordinator for a gathering of 31 NGOs called Wahdatouna Khalsouna (Unity is our salvation) working for civil peace in Lebanon. In addition, in 2012 he co-created an organization called "Fighters for Peace” (FFP), an NGO of ex-civil war fighters from all denominations working together for civil peace, healing and immunizing against violence. He authored an autobiography titled The Truth Even with a Trembling Voice in 2016 in both French and Arabic. Represents FFP in a forum it helped to co-found called Forum for Memory and Future in Lebanon. Assaad has been a member of the Global Peace Builders Network since 2016. In 2018, Assaad received training at Clingendael Institute about insider mediation with UNDP.
Assaad is a member of Moral Rearmament-Lebanese Chapter of Initiatives of Change.