“The interfaith approach of GPF is built on the premise that there is a common vision that motivates and animates all of humanity. That vision is One Family under God.”

Dr. Hyun Jin Moon highlighted the unique peacebuilding approach of the Global Peace Foundation during his first visit to Abuja, Nigeria in 2013. Over the last decade, GPF Nigeria has taken significant strides in healing communities once divided between Christians and Muslims, tribal beliefs, and cultural traditions. Stakeholders across the country have joined Peace and Reconciliation Committees and, most recently, the establishment of Cooperative Societies.

Dr. Moon’s encouragement in 2013 forecasted the powerful transformation Nigeria had in store. “Africans have not been overwhelmed by their challenges. They have the spirit and hope to build a brighter future for themselves, their families, and their future generations. That is more precious than all the gold, oil, or diamonds that are on this continent. That is what will allow Africa to lift itself from its challenges and will bring a brighter future for the children and the children’s children.”

“I’m inspired by the enthusiasm and unity displayed today. Let’s harness the power of cooperation to create sustainable livelihoods and opportunities for all members of our community.”

A leader of the Ni’ima Cooperative Society, a partner of the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Nigeria, expressed enthusiasm for the joint efforts to bridge religious and cultural divides in Southern Kaduna, saying, “I’m inspired by the unity and enthusiasm displayed today. Let’s harness the power of cooperation to create sustainable livelihoods and opportunities for all members of our community.”

In a one-day event held in Fadan Chawai on March 2, 2024, more than 160 men, women, and youth gathered to hear keynote speeches from community and religious leaders advocating for cooperative societies and peaceful coexistence. The audience included families, local authorities, and people from various cultural backgrounds.

“As the Divisional Police Officer, I commend the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders in promoting peace and economic stability,” said one participant, “Let’s continue working together for a safer and prosperous community.”

A representative of GPF Nigeria stated, “On behalf of the Global Peace Foundation, I applaud the community’s commitment to unity and cooperation. Together, we can build a future of peace and prosperity for all as members of One Family Under God.”

A captain from the Nigerian Army was moved by the collaboration he saw at the forum, stating, “I commend the community’s dedication to peacebuilding. Let’s continue to support each other in fostering security and development.”

The Kauru Peace and Reconciliation Committee chairman also commended the community for coming together to build a more resilient community. The peace committee is one of several groups formed following years of peacebuilding workshops and facilitated dialogue by GPF Nigeria. Together with local partners, the peace committee strives to foster collaboration, enhance community empowerment, strengthen security, and increase economic resilience.

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.

Global Peace Foundation’s ongoing peacebuilding work in Nigeria is healing communities traumatized by religious persecution and tribal and cultural conflict. Peacebuilding workshops centered around the theme of “One Family under God” help participants explore shared values across traditions to drive positive social change and build more inclusive communities.

Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Nigeria collaborated with the Christian Rural and Urban Development Association (CRUDAN) to host peacebuilding workshops in November and December 2023.

One training on the freedom of religion aimed to address religious conflicts and promote harmonious communities. The event brought together diverse communities to envision violence-free societies. Tear Fund Peace Foundation’s dedicated staff played a pivotal role in facilitating the training. CRUDAN and GPF Nigeria facilitators also skillfully guided participants through small group discussions, emphasizing freedom of religious choice, respect for human dignity, and envisioning a society free of violence. The facilitators’ expertise contributed to the program’s success, fostering a space where participants felt empowered to share their perspectives and commit to positive change.

Through this collaborative initiative, participants gained insights into shared values and committed to applying their knowledge in their communities. The training proved instrumental in achieving its objectives, with participants now serving as advocates, calling themselves Freedom of Religion and Belief agents for community cohesion. Together, they are championing service-oriented initiatives in their localities. The collaborative effort underscored the significance of partnerships in driving positive social change and building resilient, inclusive communities.

GPF Nigeria and CRUDAN also collaborated on capacity-building workshops to equip participants with mediation and reconciliation skills. The training improved inter-community relations and organized a dialogue forum to reduce conflict escalation on November 16, 2023.

Women and youth leaders fostered discussion on pressing issues at the community dialogue forum. The participants, empowered with mediation and reconciliation skills, actively addressed conflict within their communities. The forum served as a platform for dialogue, enabling the exchange of perspectives and developing collective solutions. Importantly, they agreed on a way forward, showcasing the tangible application of the acquired skills in real-life community scenarios.

The collaborative effort between GPF Nigeria and CRUDAN equipped individuals with valuable conflict resolution tools. It facilitated a forum where diverse voices converged, fostering a collective commitment to building harmonious and resilient communities.

GPF Nigeria and CRUDAN organized a Trauma Healing Training in December 2023, designed to navigate the complex dynamics of trauma, providing participants with valuable tools to recognize, cope with, and overcome the aftermath of deeply distressing events.

Integral to the program’s success was its seamless integration of the values and principles espoused by the One Family Under God campaign. By incorporating themes of forgiveness, love, trustworthiness, and the celebration of diversity, the training addressed the immediate concerns related to trauma and laid a foundation for long-term healing and reconciliation within the communities involved. This intentional alignment with the campaign’s core values contributed to a transformative experience, fostering an environment where participants could find common ground and embrace a shared vision of unity.

“The training was thought-provoking and eye-opening,” said Aisha, “I feel liberated after the forgiveness session, knowing that I have forgiven anyone who wronged me knowingly or unknowingly.”

The participants’ active participation and positive testimonies testify to the program’s efficacy. The openness displayed during the sessions and the willingness to engage with challenging topics indicate a genuine commitment to personal and communal healing. The recommendations put forth by participants further highlight the potential for the initiative’s sustained success and long-term impact. As participants advocate for the program’s expansion, mainly to engage more women in the community, the ripple effects of this training are poised to extend far beyond its initial scope, creating a positive legacy of resilience, understanding, and unity within the participating communities.

The Trauma Healing Training stands as a beacon of hope, showcasing the profound impact that collaborative, values-driven initiatives can have on the well-being and cohesion of communities recovering from trauma.

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.

While Nigeria is working to transition a new administration that began on May 29, 2023, Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Nigeria has been tirelessly working behind the scenes to ensure peace before, during, and after election season. 

The country, like many around the world, faces tension during each election season. However, GPF Nigeria’s ongoing work to prevent election violence has significantly lowered violence, including retaliation violence, and encouraged peaceful dialogue among diverse communities.

GPF’s vision, “One Family under God,” is at the core of every gathering hosted by GPF Nigeria. One of the latest assemblies brought together faith leaders, traditional rulers, and prominent youth and women leaders for a forum titled “The Role of Faith Leaders in Dousing Post-Election Tension.”

Rev. John Joseph Hayab, the Country Director of GPF Nigeria, gave welcoming remarks and recognized the significance of the audience’s diversity, saying, “There are lots of misgivings, misconceptions and misrepresentations of issues, particularly in social media which are capable of hampering the peace we worked together to achieve before, during and after the elections.”

“Elections are not over in Nigeria until after the inauguration and conclusion of cases in the court,” said Rev. Hayab. He charged the clerics and other leaders present to actively participate in helping dispel tension and mitigate violence amongst their followers.

Sheikh Halliru Abdullahi Maraya, the Northern Coordinator of GPF Nigeria, stated that the 2023 general elections were one of the most peaceful in the last 100 years of Nigerian political record thanks to the hard work of all parties present at the peacebuilding forum. Sheik Maraya applauded religious leaders for not letting political agendas overtake their places of worship but instead encouraged people to uphold common values and the nation’s interests as a whole. “Regardless of religious leanings, faith leaders must accept that as humans, we are first, members of one family under God and do all they can to preach it,” Sheik Maraya said.

Alhaji Yusuf Muhammad, the Sa’en Lere, who is the representative of Kaduna State Traditional Council and joint Patron of the KSPMC, and Rev. Bitrus Dangiwa, the Co-Chairman of KSPMC emphatically sounded in their separate remarks that Kaduna State Peace and Mediation Committee is one of the best things that has ever happened to Kaduna state. Alhaji Yusuf said, “The last election is the most peaceful I have witnessed in my life as an electorate in this country. It was relatively peaceful, particularly in Kaduna state, and thanks to the effort of GPF Nigeria.” He further pointed out that war and crisis begin from something small, so the Nigerian people must not give it a chance. He agreed with other speakers saying, “Religious leaders must set the standard and live by example. Do all you can and ensure you disseminate what we discuss here in your various churches and mosques.”

People across faith and denomination embraced the message of peace at the forum, pledging to work towards a peaceful transition during the administration turnover.

GPF Nigeria continues to advocate for community-driven peacebuilding through Peace and Reconciliation Committees around the country. Groups like the Lapai Peace and Reconciliation Committee are expanding sub-committees to address specific needs such as “Research, Quick Response, and Mediation.” Peace and Reconciliation Committees also conduct training programs for volunteers and are the planners for peace festivals that will be held throughout the coming year.

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.

The 73rd UN General Assembly unanimously adopted resolution A/RES/73/329 declaring April 5th the International Day of Conscience. The resolution, sponsored by the Kingdom of Bahrain, called on members states of the United Nations to build a “Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience.”  The resolution was inspired by Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states, “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, are endowed with reason and conscience, and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

International Day of Conscience recognizes the importance of people of conscience, from all nations and societies, working together to secure a culture of peace based upon “a set of values, attitudes, and behaviors inspired by the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, human rights, tolerance, and solidarity.”

Since its founding, the United States has recognized the importance of people of conscience and the contributions of faith communities in American public life. People often quote John Adams, one of the foremost Founding Fathers of the United States, who said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

American history reveals that significant periods of spiritual renewal – across faiths – have often been followed by transformative social and economic development. These developments have gone on to improve countless lives and have even inspired global change.

Recognizing the vital role of people of faith and conscience, Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon has long worked to bring together spiritual leaders to lead in an awakening towards a shared dream of peace. “Engaging, organizing and mobilizing people of faith and conscience in grassroots initiatives that put our principles into action is a timely and essential undertaking,” he said in 2012, at an inter-religious conference held in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Moon encouraged the building of “a dynamic civic square” with people from all the different faith communities. He emphasized that engagement should be based on a consensus around shared, spiritual values, and a “robust and diverse expression of religious freedom”. It was the combination of these things that would create “a rich environment for the fruits of liberty to flourish”, as it had so often happened throughout American history.

It was also then that Dr. Moon called on leaders from different faiths and backgrounds to come together to renew America in its promise:

“America is to be a place where people of all races and backgrounds can discover the deeper basis of human value that under God all have been endowed equally with the same essential rights. America is meant to be a living demonstration that all people of the world are to be one family under God.”

His words remain relevant for a world filled with division. Today, faith leaders can transcend differences and come together based on a shared vision of peace so that blessings can be shared not just in one nation, but with all the brother and sister nations around the world.

On this day celebrating the International Day of Conscience, let us, as people of faith and conscience, lead in the renewal of our nation, whether it be the United States or any other. In doing so, we become those that can usher in a world of peace and prosperity for all.

Read the full text of Dr. Moon’s speech at the Atlanta Conference here.

Many people know that the March 1st Korean Independence Movement was a peaceful civil society movement, but what most know much less about is what caused this three-month-long, peninsula-wide outpouring of public support from Koreans both at home and internationally. In fact, even while there was strong anti-colonial sentiment from the beginning of Japanese occupation of the peninsula, it was the violation of one of the most fundamental human right to freedom of conscience that became the catalyst for the movement in 1919.

Japan claimed Korea as a protectorate in 1905 then followed with a more formal annexation in 1910. With this, Japanese colonial authorities began a takeover of the basic land and labor of the country. While this had troubled many at the time, the corruption and ineptitude of the former governmental authorities of the flailing Chosun dynasty had made this change with little resistance from the populace.

Manse demonstration on March 1, 1919 (Author: 한국사진사연구소 Source : 공유마당)

The importance of religious freedom can be seen throughout history. Time and time again, when this basic freedom is taken away from a group of people, civil society is unable to establish lasting peace and falls into chaos and rebellion.

It was no coincidence that most of the signatories of the Korean Declaration for Independence did so as representatives of different Korean faith communities. Even though these 33 courageous leaders from different religious backgrounds—Christian, Buddhist, Cheondogyo, etc.—they were each cognizant of the fact that there were fundamental human rights and values that they shared across faith traditions. It is this spirit of cross-community cooperation and social engagement that we seek to capture today in the “Korean Dream,” inspiring the movement of Action for Korea United (AKU).

By working across all lines of difference and protecting fundamental freedoms in pursuit of a peaceful, principled Korean reunification, we see hope for a Korea that can bring benefit to all humanity.

As we commemorate the March 1st movement today in 2020, it is worth remembering those who came together across religious divides to pursue a greater dream of a “free, independent and united” Korea.

World Interfaith Harmony week, celebrated the first week of February, gives us an opportunity to explore the universal principles and spiritual values upheld by the world’s great religious teachings.

Among these is the truth that good things don’t come easily.

We live in a time when so many people are seeking out fast and easy results. Surrounded by modern conveniences, it takes a lot for us to be able to step back and ask ourselves “at what cost?”

Does the convenience give us more time for the important things in life?

Or is it actually preventing us from an incredible opportunity for growth?

The truth is that a lot of opportunities for growth are not put in our lap as a neat package. Much of growth is wrapped in things that we do not want—many times, pain can be a precursor to growth; it all depends on the attitude we choose to have.

The opportunity to grow through challenges can be seen as a universal spiritual principle held by faith traditions around the world.

We can see in the age-old wisdom of the sages, there is a certain caution against the easy things in life. In the Christian scriptures, Romans 5:3-5 extolls the virtues of suffering and the potential it carries in making us better through the hardships:

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts.

Similarly, in the Dhammapada of the Buddhist tradition, we see the comparison of becoming a person of character as a process that might be like that of tempering metal:

By degrees, little by little, from time to time, a wise person should remove his own impurities as a smith removes the dross from silver.

While most people are probably unfamiliar with the process of producing fine metals, it is the most intense heat that produces the best silver and gold. When we consider this, we might want to ask if the price of convenience – the automated teller machines, the opt-out button for anything and everything, the “set it and forget it” mentality – might be costing us more than we bargained for.

In fact, the Quran of the Islamic faith extolls the beauty that awaits one behind the pain of growth in that it brings one closer to God:

O man! Verily you are ever toiling on towards your Lord – painfully toiling – but you shall meet Him…

And in the Jewish Talmud we see the benefits of the struggle that comes with the inconvenience of something that we moderns might deem inconvenient or incompatible with our daily, busy lifestyle: the continual effort to refine one’s character:

The study of Torah leads to precision, precision to zeal, zeal to cleanliness, cleanliness to restraint, restraint to purity, purity to holiness, holiness to meekness, meekness to fear of sin, fear of sin to saintliness, saintliness to the holy spirit, and the holy spirit to life eternal.

From Hinduism, there is the caution against turning a blind eye from the challenges that life will inevitably come our way. By accepting my own personal responsibility to make the tough choices in life to grow and become the people we are meant to be, we become our best friend instead of our own worst enemy:

Man should discover his own reality and not thwart himself.
For he has his self as his only friend, or as his only enemy.
A person has the self as a friend
When he conquered himself
but if he rejects his own reality,
the self will war against him. Bhagavad Gita 6.5-6 (Hinduism)

And last but not least, Confucius reflected on the process of learning through his own life as one of training in order to become truly free:

The Master said, “At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty I had planted my feet upon firm ground. At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities. At fifty, I knew what were the biddings of Heaven. At sixty, I heard them with a docile ear. At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of right.”

All of these passages from the different wisdom traditions point to this truth about our human potential as rooted in the Divine. From this, we can deduce that the pivotal role personal growth – of our hearts, character, maturity, habits whatever pain that might come with it – helps us in fulfilling our divine potential.

So, in the many different choices, decisions that we come up against in our everyday lives, let’s begin to acquire the habit of asking: which are the choices that make us become better, help us to bring out the best in ourselves and which are the easy outs?