Global Peace Women and the Global Peace Foundation launched a new campaign, Women and Families in Peacebuilding: Catalysts for Transformative Change, to spotlight inspiring women from their networks who have shown exceptional dedication to peacebuilding, service, and community transformation.

Emphasizing the idea that “peace begins in the home,” the initiative highlights the vital role women and families play in creating lasting peace through compassion, education, and intergenerational values. These women—mothers, educators, faith leaders, and community builders—are recognized for their grassroots efforts in reconciliation, advocacy, and healing after conflict. Their stories aim to motivate others to embrace peacebuilding roles in their own communities.

Read their encouraging stories:

A GPW Leadership Academy graduate launched a mental health initiative in Ruiru, Kenya, with support from GPW’s Global Women Dream grant. Running from July to December 2024, the project offered training, counseling, and community activities to help women manage stress, anxiety, and trauma, empowering them to support both their families and communities. Read

In Mkovur Zema, Benue State, Nigeria, a Global Peace Women Nigeria project empowered women, especially widows, through sustainable livelihoods and nutrition-focused training. The initiative equipped 20 widows with leadership skills, economic tools, and support to rebuild their lives and strengthen their families. The project fostered self-reliance, unity, and community development. Read

Disasters do more than destroy homes—they upend lives and leave families struggling to rebuild. In 2023, Cyclone Freddy devastated Mtauchira Village in Chiradzulu district, killing 18 people and displacing 59 families. With the village rendered uninhabitable, residents were forced into camps. For these displaced families, recovery goes beyond emergency aid—it’s about regaining dignity, livelihoods, and a sense of belonging. The Family Matters Assistance Project is stepping in to help. Read

In Tanzania’s Mtwara region, the Familia Moja Initiatives: Amplifying Change for Sustainable Peace project is strengthening families as the foundation of lasting peace. Recognizing that peace starts at home, the project empowered vulnerable families to become agents of change. The initiative tackled issues like conflict and gender-based violence by helping families lead the way toward stronger, more peaceful communities. Read

In Hayin Dan Mani, Kaduna, a transformation is taking place. Thirty single mothers, once facing economic hardship and social stigma, are now thriving as business owners and community leaders. The Empowering Single Mothers through Craftsmanship and Entrepreneurship project has provided these women with income-generating skills, confidence, and renewed leadership in their families and communities. Read

In Malawi’s Machinga district, women are driving community change through Ndife Amodzi (“We Are One”), a peacebuilding and empowerment initiative that equips women with skills in entrepreneurship, sustainable farming, and civic leadership, promoting strong families as the foundation of peaceful societies. Read

Launched in 2022, Project Saksham promotes moral values and leadership in youth through values-based education. The program encourages peaceful mindsets and strong character to build harmony within families and communities. By January 2025, the project had reached 11 schools in Kathmandu District, engaging 268 students, 20 volunteers, and 11 teachers in interactive workshops focused on leadership, teamwork, and service. Read

In Tanzania’s Rufiji District, a young woman launched the Empower Women with Disabilities through Economic Generation project from July to December 2024. The initiative aimed to break the barriers of economic marginalization and social exclusion faced by women with disabilities by providing 40 women with entrepreneurial skills, seed capital, and tools to improve their livelihoods. Read

This compilation of stories is adapted from stories featured on the Global Peace Foundation website. The Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, that promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God. GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peacebuilding models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

“As faith has led in the discovery of the principles and values of the vision of One Family Under God, family is where we translate them into relationships. The family is sacred – the most basic human social unit where life begins and is nurtured, and where we form our primary relationships that define how we relate to ourselves and the world.”

Dr. Junsook Moon
Global Peace Convention, 2023

In the face of rapid urbanization, globalization, and the disintegration of traditional structures, families continue to play a fundamental role in nurturing moral and social growth. The African Renaissance Initiative, unveiled during the Global Peace Leadership Conference (GPLC) in Nairobi in June 2024, envisions a future where Africa’s rich cultural heritage serves as the foundation to drive a spiritual renewal that can serve as a model for the world.

The Family Track at the conference underscored the crucial role that families play in fostering ethical leadership, social cohesion, and peace. Faith leaders were recognized as essential partners in supporting parents in their critical roles in values education. Acknowledging this critical function, Global Peace Women (GPW) worked in collaboration with Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Kenya and other partners to launch The Parents’ Guide to Values Education in the Home Curriculum. This initiative aims to tackle the pressing moral and ethical challenges that children face while growing up in vulnerable environments.

Rooted in the values of Ubuntu, the curriculum highlights principles such as respect, compassion, responsibility, and integrity, which are core to African identity and values. It emphasizes the family as the foundational unit of society, where faith, culture, and tradition merge to shape character and build resilience. The guide provides practical tools for parents, caregivers, and faith leaders to initiate values-based education at home, including activities designed to support children’s moral, emotional, and social development.

This groundbreaking manual has been refined through two extensive review workshops held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024 and January 2025. These workshops brought together faith leaders from Christian, Muslim, and Hindu communities, along with other curriculum developers, all of whom shared a commitment to value education as a tool to strengthen Kenyan families.

The curriculum draws on the strength of faith communities to address modern parenting challenges, such as absent parents, digital distractions, and the diminishing of cultural traditions. Encouraging the active involvement of both parents and extended family members seeks to restore the bonds that form the foundation of healthy, values-based societies.

More than just a manual, this guidebook represents a movement—a united effort to equip future generations with the moral and ethical foundations necessary for Africa’s transformation. By fostering collaboration and shared values, this initiative ensures that children will grow into individuals who embrace the principles of Ubuntu: collective responsibility, mutual care, and a belief in a common destiny.

Through this journey, the home becomes more than just a living space; it transforms into a learning environment where parents and caregivers are the first educators. The lessons of character and leadership imparted within these homes will shape Africa’s leaders of tomorrow. With this curriculum, Africa moves closer to realizing its renaissance—a continent where heritage and hope come together to build a prosperous and ethical future.

The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, which promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God. GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peacebuilding models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

Service plays a critical role in uplifting the global ethic. How one acts and serves can not only transform the individual and those directly being served but also has the power to transform the community, nations, regions, and world to better humanity and bring more sustainable solutions for this 21st century.

In an article written for the Global Peace Foundation, a graduate of the Global Peace Women’s Leadership Academy described the powerful individual development one can achieve through a life of living for the sake of others.

In life, we all face different challenges and stressful situations with all that goes on in the world around us. The person next to you on the bus, on the street, or in the park could be straining, unable to share about the trials they face for fear of being harshly judged. Kindness isn’t just essential to help others, it is also vital to our own wellbeing. 

When we are kind, we are compassionate, generous, considerate, and empathetic towards others. We aspire to help others through actions like volunteering, engaging in a worthy cause, or just being there to support those who need us in our communities. This helps all of us to have a sense of belonging.

That is why a group called “Solidarity Hands” is helping make a difference in Paraguay. Solidarity Hands is a collaborative initiative that engages women from Global Peace Women and Global Peace Foundation in monthly volunteer service projects that provide support to vulnerable women, families, and communities in Paraguay. Every month they gather women to host a variety of service efforts: from donations for schools and orphanages, clothing drives and fundraisers, hosting community kitchens, and family visitations, to delivering supplies like food, clothes, and household appliances.

The group is made up of about ten women volunteers who contribute their own resources and raise funds for groceries, clothes, sheets, and blankets for those in need.

Such acts of kindness remind us all that we are indeed “One Family under God.”

Global Peace Women, an affiliate of Global Peace Foundation, advocates for the essential role of women as leaders in peacebuilding around the world. A GPW representative stated, “We are motivated by people who are kind and generous to others. They embody our spirit of ‘Living for the Greater Good.’ Other ways that we recommend of showing kindness to others include checking in with our neighbors, relatives, and the less fortunate members of our communities, listening empathetically, mentoring others, and engaging in charity work.’

What are you doing to show kindness today?

The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, which promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God.  GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peacebuilding models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials. – Seneca

We grow through challenges. It is a fundamental principle. If we want to grow in any particular area, we have to be challenged. If we are not, we are not going to grow.

If someone wants to be physically fit, they could work out with weights. What in essence are they doing? They are stressing their muscle fibers. That stress causes the muscles to break down. Eventually, after rest and recovery, the stress and breakdown result in more muscle. The same process applies to someone who wants to be a mathematician. They need continuously challenge themselves to master higher and higher levels of math. It is the same with someone who wants to be the most knowledgeable historian. They need to constantly challenge themselves.

How does this apply to parenting? All parents want their children to be better than them. How can we raise our children to be better than us? We help them overcome whatever challenges they have. Because we are there, we can help mentor them through that process so they are victorious. They can come out on the other end with a victory. Not only do they gain greater confidence in themselves; it also means they are growing on every level.

If we can digest and overcome the challenges of life, those same challenges can make us stronger and better overall. That is why an important tradition and standard for our families is to not make excuses. No matter how difficult something may appear to be, do not make excuses. We have the strength to overcome. Overcome, learn and grow.

You will notice that people who are very accomplished and who have exceeded the standards of most other people tend to be people with a very difficult past.

God teaches us through challenges if only we have the strength to overcome them. God moves in mysterious ways, and it is the challenges that we face that push us more and more towards God.

If we want to be good parents, we need to prepare our children for the challenges they will inevitably face. There will always be challenges in our lives and we should hold the view that we do not grow without them.

In nature, a butterfly struggles to emerge from a cocoon. It is difficult and painful. Yet, were the butterfly cut out of its cocoon, without the vigorous physical exercise required to get out of the cocoon, the butterfly’s wings remain weak, brittle and it is ultimately unable to fly. We might take note of this to take a bigger view of the bitter and difficult experiences our children will need to go through.

Though it is the natural desire of parents to protect their children and help them succeed, this kind of parenting takes away opportunities for children to grow and gain independence. In The Coddling of the American Mind, Jonathan Haidt and Luke Kianoff surmise that the cause of “hothouse children” is a result of “a consistent message from adults: life is dangerous, but adults will do everything in their power to protect you from harm, not just from strangers but from one another as well.”

The dangers of this kind of parenting may not be immediately obvious, but underlying this idea is that children are fragile, weak, and unable to make his or her own choices.

The former editor-in-chief and editor-at-large of Psychology Today, Hara Estroff Marano, writes:

“Having had—or been allowed to have—few disappointments in their overparented, overtrophied lives, many have not learned to handle difficulty. In the absence of skills to dispel disappointment, difficulty becomes catastrophe.”

These hothouse children often come to expect or demand protection in exchange for essential qualities for a fulfilling life: agency, independence, and responsibility. A fuller view of life requires us to understand that the “hard things” are essential to realizing our innate potential.

This realization leads to a revision in the perspective of education.

A principal of a small kindergarten in the western edge of Tokyo explained, “Every child is strong; strength comes from within. So we have to step back and question if what we’re doing is for the good of the child or the convenience of the parent.”

The principal encourages parents to set clear limits and then to step back to let children learn and grow. The “education for the future” program in his school is designed with the idea that education needs to consider the long-term needs of the children. Within clearly defined boundaries, children are encouraged to play and to find answers for themselves.

“I want to consider what kind of adult the child will become… that the education each child receives here will help them to know that they are strong and help them to become responsible citizens.”

Parenting and education need to be for the sake of the child as well as for the good of society. Families can directly contribute to the health of a nation by raising strong, virtuous, and interdependent adults capable of making good choices and motivated to serve the greater good.

Schools can support this kind of education but as the primary locus of learning and self-understanding, the family can take a greater role in leading us back to education that prepares children for the future.

“The transformative power of the vision to create One Family under God is found in the fundamental truth that all people, regardless of their differences are spiritual beings who share a common heritage in the one Creator.” —Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon

The following story is by a Japanese American writer on learning about reconciliation in daily life and its practical application to building peace through the understanding and empathy learned in the family and applied in the greater community and society.

“That’s alright, we’re learning,” my Korean sister-in-law chuckled patting my arm.

It’s one of the most comforting phrases I’ve heard many times over the years we’ve gotten to know each other.

Over tea, we would exchange stories and ask questions—and advice—about everything: our relationships, work, our goals, and so much more. It took a few years to get into the deeper topics, but these days there really isn’t a single topic I wouldn’t feel comfortable talking to her about. Inevitably, I would stumble across a question or subject that would clearly display my ignorance about Korean culture or even parts of her identity that had nothing to do with race.

Recently she recalled to me when my brother first brought her home to meet the siblings. She laughed talking about the get-to-know-you party game we played in which we said her favorite things must be shopping at malls because she’s a “city girl.”

It made me think about how often we label the people around us and the effect it has on distancing us from really understanding who we are.

My sister-in-law’s laughter and soft smiles in these kinds of interactions are so valuable because it is a demonstration of something we all need to build deeper relationships, understanding, and reconciliation: Grace.

I’m the child of an interracial marriage myself, part Caucasian and part Japanese, so you could say that being a part of the intercultural exchange was always a part of my daily life. As I grew older, that blessing would only expand with additions to the family over the years. People like my sisters-in-law were incredible allies in helping me learn how to dialogue and learn more about people who were very different from me because I was allowed to learn in an environment of grace. In a family, when each person knows that no matter what is said, no one will stay mad and arms will always be open at the end of the day, it is safe to have those deep discussions.

Creating this family culture is the first step in establishing reconciliation between any diverse groups of people. Once we have that common identity—that we are family, truly—we are gifted with the ability to give grace and receive it in the process of learning cultures, backgrounds, and the all-around diversity that the people around us, people we care about, are a part of.

Reconciliation on a community, national, and global scale takes place in the same way. Start with the fundamentals: establishing that we really are one human family. From there, with grace, we can start the process of building lasting peace.

Family plays an essential role in the development of children in societies around the world. In Nepal for example, family is integrated into many social structures. One young woman is even helping to include the familial perspective in the education system to support students be successful not only academically, but holistically at home and in their communities.

Discovering that there was no formal system for recruiting school counselors and that less than 1% of schools even hired people for the position, Nepalese native and student of psychology Kripa Sigdel organized a project to address the academic, emotional, and social vulnerability of youth in schools.

Research shows that absenteeism, premature withdrawal from school, and students’ ineffective learning habits can be mitigated through the simple but effective process of teacher training. That is why Kripa decided to form an innovative series of workshops not only for teachers but also for parents to support students, incorporating the familial and cultural aspect essential to transforming the future of these students. Reaching out to three pilot schools in Kathmandu, the young leader organized “Workshops for Teachers and Parents on Identifying Problems and Supporting Students of Transitional Phase.”

More than fifty teachers and ninety parents from the three schools participated in the pilot workshops, indirectly affecting more than 4,000 students. Facilitators trained adults to recognize potential psychological issues among students, address behavioral challenges, provide support with problem-solving strategies, and create a support system to identify abuse, bullying, and even larger social problems like child marriage. Parents and teachers also covered assessment procedures and a process for intervention and referral throughout the workshop.

Kripa explained that the training sessions not only helped teachers, who often spend more time with students than their own parents but also the family as a whole to inform adults of empathetic understanding and listening styles that support children and students in the classroom and at home.

“Parents play the most important part in anybody’s life,” said Kripa. “If parents are able to support children in need, it will strengthen family values and the family system, consequently making the world a better place to live and the individual more able to strive for good.”

Pricilla Gurung, a teacher attending the workshop, described her experience saying, “After the program, I felt: Every child has different problems and we should not judge just by looking or observing their present condition. We can also deal with problems the child has with different effective ways, not by forcing them to do the things but listening and communicating with them properly.”

Kripa continues to monitor the schools to research the ongoing effectiveness of the program, collecting data to present to other school systems and government agencies to showcase the need for parents, teachers, and the larger community to take action in schools.

The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, which promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God.  GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peace building models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

“Korean people are full of Jung (feelings of love, feelings of intimacy). This is our unique contribution to humanity. This is something that we should be celebrating; that we should be proud of. Because the world is watching us… Let us dare to dream the greatest dream at this time that inspires the people of Korea to embrace a vision that can bring an end to the division of our homeland and create a new nation founded upon the very ideals that our ancestors formed the identity of the Korean people on. And in so doing, let us inspire the world to peace.” —Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon (Action for Korea United Festival 2019, Seoul)

Chuseok is a time of thanksgiving, harvest and celebration for the Korean people. While every family might have differing traditions, they all take time during Chuseok to give honor and thanks to those who came before them as well as to pass down important values and traditions to the next generation. Celebrations like these are a demonstration of the long-held traditions that have united Koreans in heart, North and South and across generations, for centuries.

What follows is a short story of one family that continues in that tradition.

“And then there’s this…”

My Korean mother-in-law drew out a plastic bag with a green lump of what appeared to be playdough. She unwrapped it carefully and pushed a bit of it down with her thumbs. The kids gathered around her, wanting to do the same.

“We’re going to make song-pyeon with this,” she explained with a smile. Her annual visit landed on the Chuseok holiday and with it, she brought a bit of the tradition with her to our home in Japan.

I’d seen song-pyeon many times before. It was not always green but always made with rice flour and fashioned into little plump pillows in the shape of a half moon. Tucked inside would be a surprise. As you bit into these steamed rice cakes, you might find red bean paste or sweetened powdered bean flour or a sweet mix of nuts, brown sugar and spices—my favorite.

With a nod to me, we went to work, giving each child a small handful. With little murmurs of encouragement to the kids, we all began to carefully form round discs in our palms. Unlike real playdough, the dough was a bit tough and didn’t easily behave. When the kids began to complain about this, my mother-in-law commented, “if you’re able to make good song-pyeon, they say you will have a good spouse in the future.”

My daughter tilted her head to the side and went back to work.

Usually, this was a woman’s activity and the men and boys would go off to do their own allotted work to prepare for the harvest and thanksgiving celebrations. But that day, there were no ancestral gravesites to be cleaned or planning to do and so my husband, his father, brother and our son joined in on shaping the song-pyeon.

My husband and his brother began to reminisce of the Chuseok holidays of the past, of the mugwort grass they would collect the day before to color the green song-pyeon. My son soon became bored of making half-moons and had started making dinosaur and beetle shapes. My two daughters diligently plowed on, proudly holding up the pretty lumps they had made.

Later, I reflected on what my mother-in-law had said as it reminded me of the saying, “The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.” Making song-pyeon, like anything, wasn’t easy but also like anything, if we’re mindful and sincere, the process shapes us—our character, our habits and our attitudes. While the lesson was buried, much like the sweet fillings in the rice cakes, I could hope that one day my kids would find the truth in this saying.

Turning to my husband, I teased, “so did you make good song-pyeon?”

“The family is the first place where children learn love and respect. Children also learn the lessons of integrity, hard work and responsibility.” —Dr. Junsook Moon

Peace Begins in the Home in 2018

In countries around the world, from Tanzania to Nepal, Korea, and Uganda, tens of thousands are showing their support for a global campaign that has swept all family members into the peacebuilding process that “Peace Begins in the Home.”

Programs implemented by Global Peace Women, the women’s division of Global Peace Foundation, remind parents that one of the most important leadership positions they hold is in their families. This is where they start as change makers in their society. From the family, they can positively impact the emotional and spiritual foundations of each family member. They can cultivate essential virtues like perseverance, dedication to the community, and integrity, and to inspire future generations with the vision to be moral and innovative people who can contribute to their world.

Forums, conferences, campaigns and grassroots projects in 2018 brought the message that peacebuilding starts in the family, then expands to nations and communities around the world.

1. The women’s track, Peace Begins in the Home: Women-led Initiatives for Peace and Development, at the 2018 Global Peace Leadership Conference provided a wide range of approaches and models for comprehensive peacebuilding starting from the home and expanding to the world. Topics such as healthy relationship building, financial capacity building, and women’s participation in the decision-making process were an integral part of the discussion on how women-led initiatives could play a crucial role in bringing sustainable development and peace in societies around the world

2. Campaigns to bring peaceful reunification to the Korean peninsula inspired people from around the world to take part in the Korean Dream by first discovering how to fulfill it within their own families.

3. Global Peace Women’s ongoing campaign, Peace Begins in the Home, is spreading the message of empowerment for family-led peacebuilding in communities around the world.

A World of Peace through God-centered Families

The Family Peace Association celebrated its 1-year anniversary this year. At the December 2 inaugural ceremony last year, Dr. Moon issued a powerful call to strengthen God-centered families, as the cradle of civilizational advance and the cornerstone of God’s ideal of a peaceful world.

The role of God-centered families is central to all positive human development since it brings back the divinity in that sacred institution and aligns it to the original purpose of creation. Without such families, humanity will not have the moral clarity and conviction to take on the challenges of this age and build a brighter future for our children and grandchildren. The course of human society will turn on how well we understand this truth and the choices we make today to act upon it.

The Family Peace Association is working with partners across national, religious, and ethic differences, to support families in cultivating strong family traditions that connect them to God’s vision for humanity, and carrying on important universal principles and values from generation to generation.