Participating youth and interfaith leaders of the International Multifaith Youth Assembly read their Peace Declaration in front of the National Monument of Indonesia.

“The universal principles and shared values of the world’s faith traditions  provide the essential basis for rising above conflict and building social  cohesion in diverse and multi-religious societies. They offer the antidote to the  threat of global religious wars. That is why cooperation among faith leaders is  essential for securing peace at this critical inflection point of modern history.”
Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation at the Global  Peace Convention 2013

The Global Peace Foundation approach to interfaith cooperation taps into the moral authority of faith leaders as they collectively seek innovative and practical solutions to long-standing challenges to peace. In June, two interfaith programs in two very different regions of the world, Nigeria  and Indonesia, focused on cultivating cooperation and understanding among youth faith leaders. Both regions have grappled with creating cohesion in multi-faith, multi-ethnic and multi-tribal societies. Their shared challenges underscore how identity-based conflicts hinder development and thwart peace.

In Nigeria, the abduction of close to 300 girls from Chibok and the subsequent international social media campaign #bringbackourgirls has drawn attention to the bigger issue of inter-tribal, intra and inter-religious conflict. In South Asia, the move towards economic integration by 2015 has accentuated national, sub-national, tribal, racial and religious conflicts.GPF’s work is critical as it seeks to explicate universally shared values as the foundation for understanding and cooperation.

Dr. Douglas Johnston explains religious diplomacy at the Global Peace Convention 2012.

A recent blog on the Global Peace Foundation drew on the experiences of Dr. Douglas Johnston, a member of the Global Leadership Council and founder of the International Center for Religious Diplomacy (ICRD), a long-time partnering organization of GPF, to provide an up-close look at how interfaith-cooperation works. ICRD uses “Track Two diplomacy” to engage religion as a solution to religiously based conflict.

In 2007, Douglas Johnston conducted a round table with several Taliban commanders in the mountains of Pakistan. At the Euphrates Summit in 2011, he recounts that his objective at the time was “to see if we can build on religious values that we have in common to build a confidence-building measure that can point to peace.”

Significantly, Dr. Johnston does not shy away from his own Christian convictions, and he is not afraid to draw connections with Islam. At one point in the discussions, a participant stood up and confronted Dr. Johnston, “I cannot talk to you unless you are a Muslim.” To which Dr. Johnston responded, “I don’t see a problem with that. Muslim means submission to God, we all submit to God, and thus we are all Muslim.” Later that year, that same group of religious and tribal leaders became instrumental in the release of 18 Korean missionaries kidnapped by the Taliban.

This exchange illustrates what Professor Diana Eck of the Pluralism Project at Harvard University encourages as an “encounter of commitments” that becomes the basis for an “active seeking of understanding across lines of difference.” Rather than stripping away religious convictions, it is a quest to draw out the universal principles and shared values that can become the basis for cohesive, ethical societies amid diversity.

Yet, it takes a leap of faith to tread on “enemy” territory to discover common ground. It also takes clarity of understanding, as well as the courage to seek out connections that can cultivate respect and eventually, cooperation.

Muslim and Christian leaders discuss the challenges of inter-religious cooperation in Southern Kaduna State.

Retreats and assemblies such as the Interfaith Young Leaders  Retreat in Nigeria and the International Multifaith Youth  Assembly facilitate this process by providing a safe space to  explore common ground and commitments in places fraught  with tension and conflict. It is in these safe spaces among    those who are poised to shape the future as the parents,  teachers and leaders of tomorrow, we might imagine peace,  understanding, and with it, cooperation and prosperity.

Fundamental to GPF’s inter-religious efforts is the process of  discovering shared commitments to universal principles and  values. The growing network of religious and spiritual leaders  are working together based on a common platform of ideals  and setting critical precedents of character while harnessing  the innovation and resources to create lasting solutions.

Similar experiences, visceral experiences of “One Family Under God”, are vital for rising young leaders.
The Global Peace Foundation Blog appears here: Interfaith Youth Leaders in Nigeria and Indonesia Tackle Identity-Based Conflict 

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Douglas Johnston presents the Global Peace Award to Ms. Tri Mumpuni at the Global Peace Convention 2012.

On December 1, 2012, the Global Peace Foundation presented Ms. Tri Mumpuni the Global Peace Award for Outstanding Social Entrepreneurship. Before introducing Ms. Mumpuni, Douglas Johnston, founder and president of the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy, asked for a moment of silence to honor Ms. Mumpuni’s mother, who had just passed on.  Ms. Mumpuni also paid homage to the lasting legacy that her mother, a social worker,  had bequeathed to her.  “My mother told me, that life is about sharing,” she told the audience of global leaders.

Among her other accolades, Ms. Mumpuni received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in August 2011 and in 2010, she attended the United States Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, where she expressed, “I got in my life so many privileges from God, this is the way to pay back.”

“My mother told me, that life is about sharing” Her mother taught her that life is about sharing, and she has in turn is teaching her countrymen the same. This principle is the simple brilliance behind the comprehensive model of power generation and village development that she has created. The government, local businesses and village residents are sharing the resources of nature together for the betterment of the nation.

The following is an article that first appeared in the 878^th edition of the Weekly Donga as part of a seires entitled, “Ko Young’s Job Revolution” (Professionals who are changing the world), and later reported on GPF-Korea’s blog.  It is Ms. Mumpti’s story  bringing electrical power, self-reliance and most of all the desire to share with and care for one another from one village to the next  in Indonesia.

Tri Mumpuni, Recipient of the 2012 Global Peace Award

“She brought a ray of hope to developing areas through Micro-hydro Power ”

Tri Mumpuni introduced micro-hydro generators as a means to provide electricity to remote villages in Indonesia.

National characteristics are often influenced by its natural environment and resources. People who grow up in areas where they have to make infertile land fruitful tend to have strong and persistent characteristics. On the other hand, people who live on land rich in oil and mineral resources are likely to live without major worries, and tend to be easy going.

Indonesia has many barren areas but is also blessed with a variety of mineral resources. It is a MIKA  country, an acronym for Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, and Australia, which are regarded as the rising nations post-BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South African Republic). 

Nevertheless, Indonesia consists of 17,500 islands. It would take an astronomical amount to build up its industrial infrastructure. Presently, 90 million people, about 35 percent of the entire 240 million people, live in homes without electrical power. By 5 pm the production line at factories and plants come to a standstill as the power is cut in order to reserve energy for future use.

Under these circumstances, one woman has suggested an alternative to loan-based development plans for building electric power infrastructure. She is not a politician with great accomplishments or a CEO of an enterprise. She is a 47-year-old graduate student named Tri Mumpuni, who is building a new Indonesia by working together with local residents to develop the nation’s natural resources.

In the early 1990s, while traveling through Switzerland as a graduate student to attend a conference, Ms. Mumpuni witnessed something she had never seen before. She spotted small hydro power generators in the deep valleys of Switzerland. Curious about the machine’s function, Ms. Mumpuni made inquiries.

She discovered that each household could produce cheap electricity using the small scale hydro power generators that harnessed the power of water that rapidly flowed through the deep valleys of Switzerland.

The Engineer who Established an Infrastructure for  Electrical Power

A villager checks the pipes of a micro-hydro generator.

When Ms. Mumpuni heard this, she was thrilled. She immediately thought of the deep gorges that ran through the islands of her home and considered the possibility of using the micro-hydro power system in Indonesia. She gathered information about micro-hydro power technology from the local Swiss residents and technicians and found that maintenance costs were less than she expected.  She decided, “Let’s try this in Indonesia. It might work for the villages on the islands that do not have access to electricity.”

Ms. Mumpuni purchased books on micro-hydro power systems and returned to Indonesia to draft a design of a micro-hydro power system that matched the local topography. However, the further her work progressed, the more she realized that the cost for electric motors and piping would be too high.

“I realized that this is not something I can do by myself. I decided to submit a proposal to the municipality of Cinta Mekar and local businesses.”

She knew businesses and the government were interested in a profit making ventures and rarely took interest in individuals. So, Ms. Mumpuni  created an entity called IBEKA. Through this organization she submitted her proposal. The following describes the proposal’s vision.

 “The Micro-hydro power plant is a perfect way to supply electricity to people in remote villages likes Cinta Mekar. This is a venture that will continuously generate profits for the community. However, it is first and foremost a civil cooperation project. The micro-hydro power plant facilities will be built in the village through the joint investment of the government, local businesses, and IBEKA. As local businesses and the village community jointly own shares, the local people will have first access to power.  The surplus will be sold to the government. The profits will be equally divided between the local businesses and the community 50:50.”

This model was dubbed a ‘Hybrid Model’ by Ms. Mumpuni.  The government showed positive response, noting that the company would set a precedent for local community development. But Ms. Mumpuni confronted an unforeseen hurdle. The local residents did not accept her vision. They doubted its possibility, and wondered if they would have to be responsible for maintenance and repairs, or if the government would do everything.

When Ms. Mumpuni realized that no resident was willing to take on the project, she moved to Cinta Mekar herself to ensure the business’ success. For two years she spent time with the villagers building close and intense communication. She focused on changing the mindset of people. To prevent the project’s failure, she worked hard to increase the village’s maintenance and repair capacity. In this way, the co-op was created with the local villagers. Even after the facilities were completed, business has continued. A couple micro-hydro power plants were built in Cinta Mekar, and in 2004, the village achieved 100 percent energy independence.

Multiplying Small Scale Environmentally Friendly Energy Development

Based on the success of Cinta Mekar, Mumpuni created an ironclad principle for the hybrid model business. “Natural resources must be developed and utilized in cooperation with the local residents.” Ms. Mumpuni poured her life into this project. She traveled to 68 regions in Indonesia disseminating the hybrid model.

IBEKA’s Philosophy of community-driven development of Indonesia’s natural resources.

The local businesses and the village community jointly own the shares of the plant, and are supported by the government, local businesses, and IBEKA. This is her explanation of the hybrid model.

“The Micro-hydro power plant Is not just a small scale plant. The size is not the primary feature, it possess deeper significance. This project is not just about supplying power to remote villages but about initiating a change that uplifts the quality of life in the villages. Children can safely walk the streets at night; we can increase earnings as we harvest different crops and even create more jobs. The funds earned from the sale of electricity to the government can be allocated to fund provide college education for village children and life insurance for villagers who cannot afford medical expenses for surgery. The money could also be utilized for loans to people who want to start small businesses. The most important thing is that throughout the entire process, the local people are a part of the project. If our resources are developed with the consent and participation of the community that consists of individual families, we can enhance democratic participation. This is how we can begin to dream of change.”

Ms. Mumpuni travels around the globe propagating the development of this small scale environmentally friendly energy system. Even at this moment she is engaged in a dialogue with the local people somewhere spreading the message that they have the power to change their community.

“The belief that each of us has the power to change things ourselves is the real ray of hope that is illuminating the remote areas of Indonesia. I just helped foster that belief through building a sense of community.”

Original article written in Korean by:

Head of Social Consulting Group

puristo@empas.com

The English version was originally published on globalpeacewoman.org.

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Korea’s leading magazine Shin Dong-A, published a ten page feature of Global Peace Convention Atlanta 2012 in its New Year edition. Fittingly, the fourth segment of the report featured GPC Atlanta 2012’s “entirely new” approach to the reunification of the Korean Peninsula with the magazine’s announcement of Park Geun-hye’s presidential win, making her the first woman president of the Republic of Korea.

Read the unofficial English translation of the fourth segment of the article below.

See the original article in Korean.

GPC Atlanta 2012 Presents a New Paradigm for Global Peace

By Young Chul Choi ftdog@donga.com
Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Unification of North and South Korea a key to world peace

“The ultimate resolution to tensions in Northeast Asia is the reunification of the Korean peninsula. The international community must proactively cooperate to support Korean reunification.”In 2012, political leaders in the U.S., Japan, China, and Russia were newly elected. It was the same for North and South Korea. These significant changes in leadership will be accompanied by changes in the national leadership, and in turn will have major impact on the political situation of Northeast Asia.

Northeast Asian Peace is a critical issue for the entire world that has tremendous implications on not only security and peacekeeping, but for the global economy.

Leaders from different levels convened at GPC Atlanta agreed, “The ultimate resolution to tensions in Northeast Asia is the reunification of the Korean peninsula. The international community must proactively cooperate to support Korean reunification.” They acknowledged that Korean reunification is an issue that has significance not only to Northeast Asia but the world. Dr. Moon noted in his keynote address that North Korea and the Middle East have military ties. The record breaking U.S. deficit is fueled by enormous government spending to prevent nuclear proliferation and provocation.

Experts from various fields were impressed with Dr. Moon’s keynote address that connected three critical challenges: interfaith cooperation for peace, the need for a hemispheric great awakening in North and South America and Korean Unification. One participant commented, “This is an entirely new approach.”

Kyungnam University Emeritus Professor Tae Hwan Kwak hosted a session on the reunification of Korean peninsula with scholars representing U.S., Japan, China, Russia and Korean perspectives.

In 2012, Dr. Moon and GPF-Korea launched the “Korea United Campaign”. The campaign is an integrated movement of grassroots and high level campaigns that connects reunification to everyday practice. The initiative has brought together 400 civic organizations to develop a shared vision for a united Korea. In his keynote at GPC Atlanta, Dr. Moon particularly emphasized the importance of a grassroots driven movement for unification. During the conference, Kyungnam University Emeritus Professor Tae Hwan Kwak hosted a session on reunification of Korean peninsula. Scholars representing the U.S., Japan, Russia, and China discussed each nation’s view and role for Korean unification.

GPC 2012 also attracted renowned international policy research institutions such as Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation. The Carter Center co-hosted the Americas Summit, the King Center held a special session on the

Legacy of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement, and the Points of Light Foundation, held special sessions on volunteerism and social entrepreneurship. Dr. Douglas Johnston, America’s premier expert in religion and diplomacy, gave a particularly interesting presentation.

GPC Atlanta 2012 concluded that world peace cannot be achieved without considering humanity’s fundamental values. It called on leaders in every sector of moral principles and values to lead a spiritual great awakening. GPC 2013 will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the multi-cultural, inter-religious center of Asia.

Read the 1st segment of Shin Dong-A‘s ten page feature of GPC Atlanta 2012 at: http://www.hyunjinmoon.com/koreas-leading-magazine-shing-donga-covers-global-peace-convention-2012/

Read the 2nd segment of Shin Dong-A‘s ten page feature of GPC Atlanta 2012 at: http://www.hyunjinmoon.com/christianity-and-islam-join-hands-peace-koreas-leading-magazine-shing-donga-gpc-2012-feature-part-2-2/

Read the 3rd segment of Shin Dong-A‘s ten page feature of GPC Atlanta 2012 at: http://www.hyunjinmoon.com/all-lights-village-movement-most-popular-gpc-2012-shin-dong-a-special-report/

See also Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon’s speech at the Opening Plenary of the Global Peace Convention 2012 in Atlanta.

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