This year we held the Global Peace Foundation’s flagship event fully online. The virtual Global Peace Convention 2021 ran from August 6-15 and had thousands of participants join from over 100 nations.

Some 40 sessions were convened across many different Peacebuilding tracks ranging from freedom of religion and conscience to Korea reunification to women’s and youth leadership. All sessions are available on On-Demand, and I welcome you to engage with the rich content that came out in the forums.

Let us all commit to become the moral and innovative leaders who invest all of our passion, energy, and talent to serve the greatest good -for the benefit of all humanity, that together, step by step, we can finally realize the greatest dream of all, the dream of One Family under God!

Read the report here.

Global Peace Women Plenary 2021
Keynote Address
Dr. Junsook Moon
August 13, 2021

Ladies and gentlemen joining us from around the world,

Greetings! Welcome to the Plenary of the Women’s Leadership Track at the 2021 Virtual Global Peace Convention on Moral and Innovative Leadership in Peacebuilding for Our Changing World.

Hon. Samaniego, thank you for your kind words of support. I also want to extend my gratitude towards our other distinguished speakers: H.E. Dr. Hajiya, Amina Namadi Sambo, Dr. Nona Ricafort, and Dr. Eva Latham, who are not only incredible women leaders, but also active peace builders in their communities and around the world. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us today. I am so glad that we can come together virtually and continue working towards our mission of peace and development through service minded women leadership.

I miss seeing your faces and sharing the irreplaceable human connection that comes when meeting in person. Although the global pandemic has made it difficult for us to gather, I am grateful that the wonders of technology have enabled us to meet together today, even from far away.

Our theme for the Women’s Leadership track is Service-minded Women Advancing Peace in the Home and World During Unprecedented Times.

The pandemic is the first of its kind in our lifetimes. The world as we know it has been altered, perhaps irrevocably.

Undoubtedly, each and every one of us has been through loss and change. Some of us have lost loved ones. Most of us have had to stay distant from people we long to see in person, and confront the stresses of a new reality, including job loss, remote work, and markedly altered school and home life.

As we faced these emerging challenges, we have had to wrestle with how to find meaning in the sacrifices and turmoil around us. We have had to transform crisis into opportunity and turn despair into hope.

The question we must ask ourselves is, “How can we, as women, as leaders, contribute to opening a path to a brighter future?”

The pandemic has revealed how the well-being of family fundamentally affects the health and wellness of all people. What does your family mean to you? Family is precious. When times are good, it is where we thrive and share happiness with loved ones. When times are hard, our families can be the place where we offer support and draw strength from each other. Through every season of life, I believe, the family can be an enduring source of gratitude, service, and love.

A crucial ingredient sustaining successful families is gratitude. Family means that we will always be connected regardless of our differences in personalities, talents, and interests. Having a family to turn to when things are tough means that we are never truly alone. When we appreciate and express gratitude for our family, we strengthen relationships that endure through all the ups and downs of life.

Service is another key element that families offer. Choosing to serve provides comfort and healing while uplifting ourselves and others. When times are especially difficult, we rely most on the physical, spiritual, and emotional care that we receive from family members.

Lastly, the most defining characteristic of family is deep, intimate, and unconditional love. When children first enter this world, they completely rely on the love and sacrifice of their parents. Even as adults, we realize that family provides the deep-seated love and support that helps us to overcome life’s greatest difficulties. The unconditional love in our families equips us to love others outside of the home. Over the past year, women have especially stepped forward to selflessly love and care for their families and communities. They are transformative teachers of peace both in the family and in society.

During the pandemic, Global Peace Women around the world have turned their focus to supporting women and families as the wellspring of gratitude, service, and love. In 16 nations, Global Peace Women have organized webinars, workshops, hotlines and public broadcasts to provide expert advice, counseling, livelihood training, and small group support for the well-being of families. We also met basic needs – providing meals, diapers, clothes, and sanitation products. These programs focused on various dimensions of family health including spiritual, emotional, and physical wellness. We are proud of our women leaders who continue to give hope and practical support. Their efforts have helped families create stable, loving environments even in the midst of these uncertain times.

Ladies and gentlemen, every parent wants to create a happy, healthy, and peaceful family that cultivates gratitude, serves others and offers unconditional love. Every family member has an irreplaceable role to play in creating such a family.

In my family, my husband and I play different, but equally important roles. My family leans on my husband, Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, to cultivate self-discipline and strive for a high standard of excellence. He challenges all of us to grow past our own perceived limits and to accomplish so much more than we thought we could. He provides spiritual leadership for our family through his unabated dedication to building One Family under God. On the other hand, I am the one who observes how each of our children is doing. My children feel comfortable to tell me the details of their challenges and struggles. I usually know even before they tell me. At those times, I do my best to give support and encouragement to help my children take daily steps towards growing themselves, investing in their families and contributing to the world. Just as a father and mother offer complementary strengths in the family, I believe men and women have unique and important contributions to make both in the home and in society.

If my husband is the North Star that shows the ship where to go, perhaps I am the wind that fills the ship’s sails. If we take one step in the right direction every day, just as the winds blows the ship to safety through uncharted waters, I know that we can reach brighter shores together.

I invite you to find ways through which we can reach for deeper reserves of gratitude, service, and unconditional love in our daily lives. Global Peace Women strives to develop education, projects and initiatives that support women so we can nourish ourselves, our families, communities and the world with these gifts. 

The Family Volunteers for Peace initiative is yielding moving examples of women doing exactly this. In Nigeria, the Philippines, Uganda, and the United States, mothers have encouraged their families to serve. They have shared stories of how they have grown closer through volunteering together. Their families are also gaining important tools: problem-solving, character development, and skills for building healthy relationships to further peace in their homes and communities.  What beautiful examples of women leaders cultivating service-minded families who are rising above our current challenges.

Earlier this year, we hosted a webinar series entitled, “Women-led peacebuilding from the home to society.” The webinars sought to uplift and empower women who are cultivating seeds of peace in their homes and the world. Participants from around the world, representing countries from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe joined in engaging  conversations on teaching human rights in the family, bridging generations through music, practicing holistic health, cultivating service, and establishing family traditions to build a legacy of peace.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is true that we are living through unprecedented times. It has been profoundly difficult for our families, our societies and our world. But, let us not focus just on the challenges and pain. Let us look outward and find ways to serve together, and in doing so, we can bring healing and hope.

I know that the work of Global Peace Women is needed now, more than ever. We can serve as a platform to support and inspire incredible women leaders like yourselves. Let us work together towards a common vision of a world where every woman, man, child and family can pursue their utmost potential in peace.

Let us celebrate what we have accomplished, and also reflect on the question, “What more can we do?” I am certain that together, with our collective strength of service, heart and care, we will get through these times, and we will create a brighter, greater future.

Let us embark on the next step of this journey to build a peaceful world of One Family under God, one family and one community at a time.

May God bless you and your loved ones.

Thank you very much.

2021 Global Peace Convention Plenary
Keynote Address
Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon
August 14, 2021

Introduction

The theme for the Global Peace Convention this year is “Moral and Innovative Leadership in Peacebuilding for Our Changing World.” It could not be more timely, due to the present circumstances of global uncertainty and seemingly irresolvable conflicts.

While globalization benefited humanity greatly through trade, travel, and communications, there were also real downsides; the Covid-19 pandemic, for instance, showed how rapidly a health issue in one city can become a global crisis. More importantly, it reminded us of the uncertainties of human existence and our inability to find effective global solutions, regardless of the myriad international organizations created for just such a crisis.

As an economic phenomenon, globalization has heightened the inequities between rich and powerful nations and the developing world. This has reignited a politics of resentment and a growing separatist nationalism in reaction. These dynamics have been intensified by the global focus on consumerism and material development that seem to undermine traditional cultures and values, leading some to turn to violent religious extremism.

Thus, we face the irony that while globalization has interlinked our world in remarkable ways, it has also led to increasing fragmentation and antagonism in the spheres of politics and, most importantly, values.

Resurgence of Ideological Conflict

The rise of increasingly powerful dictatorial states that use advanced technology to strictly control their populations is, at root, about underlying values. The collapse of Soviet communism has not bankrupted Marxist ideas nor ended the debate over the source of human rights and freedoms; do they come from the State or are they endowed by a transcendent, principled Creator? Are people meant to be servants of the State, or is government meant to represent and serve its citizens?

Ladies and gentlemen, universal principles that guarantee human rights and freedoms, transcending governments or any human institution, are the foundation of a virtuous democracy. This understanding has been the cornerstone of every successful Western democratic-style government since the end of the Second World War. Today, however, many in the West have lost sight of those values and are turning to more extremist power-politics on both the left and the right, eroding liberty in the name of social justice, equity, welfare and national security.

Meanwhile, the very understanding that there are transcendent truths and principles is being challenged in the media and universities through neo-Marxist intellectual trends, such as critical race theory and deconstructionism, in an effort to breakdown the Judeo-Christian value system of western societies. Democracy, stripped of these underpinning values, and reduced to a competition for power, cannot by itself resolve conflicts and build peace; nor could it maintain the level of liberty and prosperity enjoyed by the West for centuries.

God’s Sovereignty and Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms

Thus, we stand today at a crossroads. What principles, which values, will direct our lives and guide us into the future? The path forward will be determined by our answer to this question. Our choices now, in the early 21^st century, will decide whether humanity takes the path to peace and prosperity or to further conflict and chaos. This is a human moral responsibility. Neither belief in one’s religion nor faith in scientific advances relieves us of this dilemma.

Ladies and gentlemen, there are important lessons to be learned from the American experiment. The U.S. Declaration of Independence lays out the foundation of a principled polity with the words, “all men are created equal and endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights.” It proclaims the fundamental value and dignity of every human life, and recognizes as self-evident that the Source of that value, and the rights it entails, is eternal and universal. Therefore, those rights cannot be abrogated by any ruler or human institution.

This was a revolutionary idea at the time and still is today. Yet back in 1776, it was a direct challenge to a world in which “the divine right of kings” held sway. It aspired to create One Nation under God, recognizing God’s sovereignty and not a human one, so that the rights and freedoms inherent in each person made in the image of the Creator could be the national creed of the American experiment.

There was no guarantee that it could be established and prevail. It took nearly a century and a Civil War for America to finally address the fundamental injustice of slavery, which denied the essential rights and value of a whole race of people. In his Gettysburg Address during that war, President Abraham Lincoln asked if a nation founded on such a principle could long endure, and called for dedication to the founding ideal toward a new birth of freedom for all Americans.

The understanding that fundamental rights and freedoms are endowed to every human being by the Creator has endured. Just as Lincoln hearkened to the powerful assertions in the Declaration of Independence, so too did Martin Luther King Jr. a century later during the height of the Civil Rights movement in his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial.  They recognized the self-evident truth of God’s sovereignty as the source of all fundamental rights and freedoms; that regardless of human failures and contradictions in America’s history, surely, that idea will eventually prevail.

One Family under God

Today we must frame the question Lincoln raised at Gettysburg in a different way:  Can a world that is NOT built on such a principle survive?

Ladies and gentlemen, biologically, all human beings share a common DNA. We all come from a common ancestor. In essence, beyond the tremendous diversity of life, we are essentially all related as one human family. Today, those differences are even more pronounced due to the spread of identity politics and globalization that has brought different races, ethnicities, religions, cultures and nations into ever closer, often contentious contact.

To live together in peace and prosperity we must understand that beyond these many differences, we are one family who share the same origin in the Creator God.  The vision of One Family under God can unite us since it shows the pathway to true global unity in diversity, as the American experiment aspires to do on a national level. The alternative is continued conflict and chaos among warring power groups based on identity-based politics, rooted in our differences; and, eventually, forced to live under the tyranny of whatever power group wins out in the end.

One Family under God expresses, in a simple yet profound way, a fundamental truth about human life.  We are all relational beings. At birth, we are completely dependent on our parents for survival. As we develop in the family, we learn valuable lessons of interdependence, cooperation and co-existence by finding our sense of value and belonging, recognizing the importance of the relationships we build as a son/daughter, brother/sister, husband/wife and father /mother. These lessons are, then, expanded to a larger circle of relationships within the family, and outside the home to the larger society, nation and world.

Family is the central locus of human experience and meaning. Just as the pregnant phrase in the US Declaration of Independence became a catalyst for elevating our consciousness about the source of human freedoms and rights, so too the vision of One Family under God can spark a new awareness of our interconnectedness beyond the innate value of the individual to the most basic human social unit—the family. Imagine the ramifications if we really began to perceive every person as a member of God’s family, sharing in the innate value, freedom and rights endowed upon each one of us through our creation in His image.

It can be a catalyst for raising up our spiritual consciousness to an even higher level beyond the individual level to that of family. Thus, it will provide us the ability to perceive more clearly the eternal principles governing human life, along with the resolve to live by them. Living in resonance with these principles is living under the sovereignty of God. It is the foundation for genuine freedom, lasting peace and prosperity for the entire human family.

Importance of Conscience in Discerning Universal Principles

What will it take to achieve such a lofty ideal? Peacebuilding requires more than good intentions. It must stand upon foundational principles that can be expressed through effective action. We have to remember that we are not the source of our own existence. We cannot arbitrarily create the laws we exist under. Just as natural laws exist and govern the world of Nature, so too do moral laws that govern the human spirit.

In recent centuries, we have learned a great deal about our universe – that it had a beginning, is highly ordered, and functions with mathematical precision. Science itself begins with the assumption of natural laws and principles that are unchanging and absolute. The origin of the universe must be transcendent, and the source of the natural and moral laws that guide it must in itself be unchanging. We call that Origin and Source by different names, but, most typically, we use the word God.

Just as we understand that living in harmony with the laws of nature is necessary for sustaining life on our planet, so too is aligning with the moral laws of the universe necessary for finding meaning and fulfillment in life that can be shared by all people.  God and the universal principles He created must be at the center of human existence. True freedom is not doing whatever we like in the moment. It is the freedom to recognize and live by those principles through which true human value and dignity are realized.

That is why freedom of conscience is so important. It is the foundational freedom that recognizes and guarantees the equal value of every person that the U.S. Declaration of Independence proclaims and the Constitution ensures. It recognizes the conscience as the human faculty through which we discern the universal principles that govern our existence and distinguish right from wrong. All other freedoms, such as freedom of belief and expression, are an extension of the freedom to exercise one’s conscience.

Freedom of Religion

Thus, freedom of religion is an absolute necessity in ensuring true liberty. The world’s religions have a vital role to play in bringing about this transformation of consciousness. Extending the importance of freedom of conscience to the level of society means that freedom of religion is an essential foundation for a truly free and ethical society. But freedom comes with responsibility.

Throughout history, God has inspired the founding of various faith and wisdom traditions to elevate human consciousness and cultivate ethical civilizations. And yet continually we see division and even conflict between people of different faiths, although the vast majority of moral precepts they seek to live by in daily life are exactly the same. The source of their contention is often rooted in differing institutional orthodoxies, doctrines and traditions while they aspire to many of the same spiritual principles and goals, such as loving thy neighbor, living a moral life rooted in truth and righteousness and, eventually, create a world of peace.

Just as it was people of faith that engendered the American experiment, it should be the faithful that leads the world to peace by advocating the vision of One Family under God. All faiths should cooperate to build a world free of conflict, reflecting the highest spiritual ideals, rooted in universal principles and values that reflect God’s truth, righteousness, goodness and love for all humanity. Only then could we harness the power of faith to truly transform the world and build true everlasting peace and harmony for all.

Korean Dream

Ladies and gentlemen, today human rights are being violated in many parts of the world in ways that fundamentally deny human dignity and innate value. North Korea, in particular, is notorious in this regard. Korea, the country of my birth, has a significant role in resolving this grave injustice against humanity.

I have spoken and written of the Korean Dream, the dream of a country re-united on the foundation of universal principles and values. I look to the providential mandate rooted deep in Korea’s history and culture, predating the current ideological division by millennia. In particular, hongik ingan, or “living for the greater benefit of all humanity” resonates with the spiritual principles of all the great religious traditions and with the high ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

Divided Korea is the last remaining vestige of the Cold War. The North is the last bastion of atheistic communism in its most extreme form. The impact of the principled reunification of the Korean people, artificially divided for way too long, will be enormously significant. Not only will it benefit the peninsula and the East Asia region through greater peace, stability, and prosperity. It will be a light to the world, showing how even the most extreme division and conflict can be overcome. Korea can become a model for many countries in the world, particularly those that experienced colonialism, division and poverty, as it champions the vision of One Family under God as a global advocate.

Family and Character

Ladies and gentlemen, to create a world that substantiates One Family under God calls for moral leaders and virtuous citizens. These are raised in families. Effective peacebuilding with deep roots begins in families. Families look to shape the future of society through each rising generation. Therefore, before we speak of principled societies and nations, we should first speak of families that live in accord with the universal principles we have spoken about.

The family should be the school of love where children learn how to relate with others – parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, you name it  — and where the foundations of character are laid. This provides a child with the model for relating with others in the wider society as an adult. It is also where the child can experience most directly the love of God. The revolution in spiritual consciousness begins with a revolution in the life of the family.

Character education, first in the family, then in schools, should raise future generations with the grounding in moral principles, the spirit of public service, and the practical skills to move the world closer to the ideal of One Family under God. Such families will form the social foundation for realizing that ideal through raising the peacebuilders of tomorrow to actively bring it about.

The Need for Moral and Innovative Leaders

Realizing the vision of One family under God requires leadership that is both moral – rooted in universal principles and values – and innovative – finding creative ways to put these principles into practice. Such leadership is essential to tackle a wide range of challenges.

Our time features a cacophony of conflicting ideas about human identity and society, from the nature of the state to individual identity and gender relations. The result has been widespread moral confusion. That is why we need clarity in the principles, values and vision which could guide us through this impasse in human history. It is important that we understand which ideas will lead to a peaceful, harmonious future and which will dissolve social bonds, leading to chaos and anarchy.

Ladies and gentlemen, the vision that can guide humanity to world peace is none other than One Family under God. It builds off the idea of God’s sovereignty as the source of all human rights and freedoms as well as expanding those ideas to the level of family. It recognizes the relational nature of our human existence and how family shapes and forms our world view. It acknowledges the value of diversity and recognizes the Creator as the common thread that holds all humanity together; just as good parents are the glue that keep their often contentious and competitive children united in love within the ideal of family.

Most importantly, it raises humanity’s spiritual consciousness of the moral laws that should govern a truthful, righteous and good life beyond the barriers of ideology, religion, ethnicity, race or even nationality. It challenges us to rethink our paradigms and look beyond the failures of the past to what could be possible in the future, if we only dare to dream big.

For we, collectively, are the authors of this chapter in human history. Today our world is at a critical juncture, an inflection point. The choices we make, the standards we set, and the leadership we exhibit will have far-reaching implications for the future. Now is a time for clear vision and principled action.  I hope that each one of you will become peacebuilders in your respective spheres of influence and join with us in the great movement for global peace.

Let us all commit to become the moral and innovative leaders who invest all of our passion, energy and talent to serve the greatest good -for the benefit of all humanity, that together, step by step, we can finally realize the greatest dream of all, the dream of One Family under God!

Thank you and may God bless you and your families.

“Offering the young hope and opportunities in a time of uncertain future is also one of the keys for addressing the pressing problem of identity-based conflict, driven by the violent extremism of religious and ethnic hatred. On this issue more than nearly any other, we need more than policies and programs. We need an overarching vision, a vision based on our common humanity, a vision that inspires meaning and purpose that can transcend the divisive ideologies of the extremists.” —Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon

Africa is a continent rich with resources, culture, and diversity. Many countries across Africa have experienced untold challenges and tragedy with the global pandemic only adding another layer of complexity… and opportunity according to many peacebuilding leaders.

Sharing their insights and optimism in an international virtual conference, African leaders from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria revealed how they are turning suffering into an opportunity for growth and adaptation in an ever-changing global landscape. Crisis and challenges are a natural occurrence that often highlights what is most important to our humanity. Whether it is a pandemic or natural disaster, we as humankind rush to the aid of the vulnerable and in need in our communities. We remember what is essential to each of us; basic human needs and rights that every person is granted as a human being.

The continent of Africa is a special place; a land lush with innovation and optimism. Countries within her borders have experienced untold human tragedy, natural disasters, and violent conflict as a result of an “us vs. them” mentality that instigates a vicious cycle of underdevelopment, poverty, environmental degradation, and social disorder as a result of various identities, many that are tribal or religious. However, her borders are also filled with untold possibilities and people that have retained an attitude of positivity and brotherhood. In recent years, leaders have been reaching across the aisle to band together under their shared identity and common aspirations as members of the human family first, beyond the boundaries of ethnicity, religion, and nationality.

The global pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption and has fundamentally altered the way we conduct peacebuilding. As the access to public spaces become limited, now more than ever, religious and community leaders play an essential role in bridging people. Conflict resolution programs have needed to seek out different methods, incorporating digital means that have opened up possibilities to an even greater scale, uniting the world like never before.

In many ways, the pandemic has forced programs to expand to an even bigger audience, allowing more people to participate in peacebuilding efforts online. This comes at an opportune time as we have seen an increase in the online radicalization of youth: a serious and growing global threat. This has renewed relevance in the wake of the pandemic, and there is growing evidence that the extremists are taking advantage of the fear and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic to radicalize and recruit youth online. While social media is being used by the extremists to spread radical content, it is also a very powerful tool to prevent conflict and extremism and promote greater understanding and tolerance. This is why African leaders are discussing how social media can be leveraged to prevent youth radicalization and how to empower youth to counter the disruptive impact of extremists’ messaging and become powerful agents for peace.

Read more about the Global Peace Leadership Africa Virtual Conference at www.globalpeace.org.

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.

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. –Buckminster Fuller

The 21st century opened with hopes for an era of peace. Yet the first two decades have continued to be plagued by identity-based conflict, violent extremism, and all that they bring. 

Since 2009, the Global Peace Foundation has advanced models of reconciliation and peace based on a simple truth, that all humanity is “One Family Under God.” This vision has resonated with communities and nations around the world and has since become a platform for engagement, relationship-building, the development between unlikely.

A decade later, many of its models are yielding significant results. We have played an important part in mitigating violent outbreaks, empowering youth and families, and cultivating social cohesion in communities that have long been at odds with one another. Our peacebuilding model in Nigeria offers significant lessons for building peaceful communities around the world.

The Role of Faith Leaders 

It began all began as a process as we started to engage with particular two leaders—one Christian and one Muslim who have since been dubbed the “Kaduna Twins.” Our work and their story in particular, has helped to transform community relations between groups in conflict as well as relationships between security forces, the government and the medias. Together, these groups have begun to engage in dialogue and negotiation, overcoming sporadic violence and tragedy together towards the vision of building “One Family Under God.”

Most recently, with the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic at its peak, violence erupted in the villages of Gonan Rogo, Makyali, Agwala, Ungwan Modi, and Ungwan Rana. Global Peace Foundation, Nigeria quickly began to engage the community. Rev. Hayab and Sheik Maraya, the “Kaduna Twins,” came together with those who took shelter in the refugee camps, mourning with the community in the loss of lives and destruction of property, distributing much-needed aid and encouraging resilience, fortitude, and the understanding of a larger vision for peace as “One Family Under God.”

Kajuru Youth Dialogue 2020

In a follow up to this program, Christian and Muslim youth from the affected areas were brought together in a round table discussion to pursue solutions to bring lasting peace to the wider community. The youths were tasked to spread the same message of peace to their local communities and encouraged them to pursue dialogue and peacebuilding rather than violence and revenge.

Transforming Communities

Their work with the Global Peace Foundation began in 2016, with then GPF Nigeria Country Director, John Oko. They began In Kaduna State, one of the most diverse states in all of Nigeria that was particularly fraught with killings, destruction of property, fear, anger, and unrest. Most of all, people were tired of the conflict.

One Family under God campaign 2017

Eventually in 2017, the work spread to Southern Kaduna, through connections that had heard of our work with the One Family Under God campaign in other parts of Kaduna state. Through the long and arduous process of dialogue with different groups, negotiations and agreements, the communities began to form a dialogue platform that they dubbed the “Southern Kaduna Peace and Reconciliation Committee.”

This committee is made up of Muslim and Christian representatives to include youth, faith, women, and traditional leaders of different tribes and has been critical in handling delicate situations that have plagued Southern Kaduna for months.

Real Results

In a review of data collected by Crisis Watch, an organization that tracks the global conflict, we were able to ascertain some of the results of the work with the Southern Kaduna Peace and Reconciliation Committee.

In the 18 months leading up to the formation of SKPRC and the training and programs the GPF Nigeria team provided for them, killings in Southern Kaduna state made up 54% of the total number of killings in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. And yet, in 18 months after the GPF intervention, even while there was a 22% increase of killings as a whole, the number of killings in Southern Kaduna dramatically dropped to make up only 1% of the total number of killings.

The approach has been simple. Through working with youth, women, tribal elders, and religious leaders, Global Peace Foundation has been spreading the message that all Nigerians, whatever their religion, tribe, profession, are, “One Family Under God,” and should be treated as such.

International Day of Peace 2019

Increased dialogue and engagement between the community leaders and security agencies resulted in non-violent local elections and local communities have taken up the call to own the vision of One Family Under God for themselves, celebrating peace through a multi-cultural celebration of the International Day of Peace in 2019.

A Model for Peace

Models like this one allow us to test the validity and efficacy of Global Peace Foundation’s values-based approach. The GPF model in Nigeria has worked in different contexts to create a shared understanding between groups even in the aftermath of violent conflict. This model has and can be applied to other contexts. The focus on universal principles and shared values makes it possible to replicate the GPF peacebuilding and community-building approach in countries as far apart as and as varied as the United States, Mongolia, Indonesia, Korea, Paraguay, Tanzania and beyond.

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 the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

“We are all beings that come from one single creator; we are all members of one family under God. A self-evident truth that every human being—no matter what race, religion, tribe, nationality or socioeconomic status—every human being has fundamental human value instilled in them by their creator.”

James Flynn, the International President of Global Peace Foundation, described the basic and essential element that binds all people when he spoke at the International Peace Forum in Belfast, Northern Ireland on February 27. 

The delegation was comprised of leaders from across the globe, all inspired by models of peacebuilding based on shared values to discuss practical and evidence-based methods of bridging diverse communities.

Illustrating the power of the vision of One Family under God, President Flynn described how even tragedy can be a powerful catalyst to unite people. Nations that are experiencing conflict and natural disasters can use the calamities as opportunities to bring people together to discover solutions. Using the case of the horrific earthquake that nearly demolished Haiti as an example, Mr. Flynn shared the story of Kiki, a small boy, who was trapped under rubble for days, but the moment rescue staff heard his cries, they all rushed to save his life at all costs, catching the attention of people all over the world. The celebrations that followed the successful rescue of this boy was a perfect example of the value we all have for human life.

Belfast as a community has experienced its own journey to peace. The Junior Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive Office, Declan Kearney, attended the forum and expressed the need to look to history for lessons in peacebuilding saying, “In the Irish context, our peace and political process must not be taken for granted. Old fault lines still remain.” Kearney made the point on how Northern Ireland is doing its best to bring holistic unity, from balancing a government that consists of multiple parties to researching and implementing new ways for community engagement with an emphasis on youth inclusivity. It’s clear that Northern Ireland is proud of how far it came but that it is far from putting the brakes on the country’s goal of achieving a peaceful community founded in trust and value.

Throughout the forum, peace practitioners from across the globe, from Nigeria, Philippines, Uganda, Kenya and the United States who are working to transform conflict into innovative solutions such as the Global Peace Foundation’s Millennial Peace Festival (Indonesia), Google Webrangers (Child Online Safety in Kenya), and a program in New Jersey, United States that was created to counter violent extremism in urban centers. Each of these programs involved thousands of stakeholders each ranging from students to first responders and each program provided data proving the effectiveness of these programs.

Presentations throughout the day highlighted the importance of working in the prevention of stage of conflict rather than the intervention stage. Many conflicts can be easily avoided with proper training and engagement before violent escalation. “Every dollar societies invest in preventing peace is equivalent to sixteen dollars used to stop violence,” said Mr. Mark Clark (MBE CEO, Generations For Peace).

By utilizing important vehicles for peace, like sports, arts, advocacy, and dialogue under a vision that upholds our common humanity, leaders can bring real transformation to communities all around the world.

The Peace Learning Program was created by Global Peace Foundation and partners like Co-operation Ireland to create a platform for peacebuilders from around the world and all sectors to share best practices, experiences, and expertise to collaborate. And most importantly, as GPF International President Jim Flynn pointed out, to articulate a common vision for peace that can transform the challenges of today into new solutions and plant new seeds of hope and peace in regions throughout the world. 

How can your community reflect One Family under God to transform society?

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.

The innovative practices of Global Peace Foundation’s All Lights Village project in countries around the world are not only helping to raise rural societies out of poverty, but most importantly, provides education and support for local people to become leaders that uplift their own community. This kind of model is based on the vision that every person is a member of our greater human family and through the power of service, everyone can be a part of a culture that uplifts the innate dignity of all people, whatever their background. The following article from Global Peace Foundation demonstrates the kind of transformation that can take place in communities when people are empowered to become the changemakers for the future of their home.

In the Philippines, you’ll see hills of rice fields and other farmland with dedicated farmers working on them, providing crops for their families and communities. Even though the country relies heavily on its farmers, according to the Phillippine Statistics Authority, the poverty rate among farmers in 2015 was about 35% due to a lack of funds and support from the government. To make matters worse, the soil became overdosed with chemical fertilizers and pesticides from decades of farmers using them for crops, which not only harms the health of animals and people but also hurts the overall environment.

Global Peace Foundation’s (GPF) ongoing All-Lights Project helped farmers grow vegetables organically to be sold at the organic market every week. GPF joined the committee of the National Empowerment and Development Exchange (NEEDEX) as a partner among a network of organic farming practitioners. While GPF trained the farmers, NEEDEX provided the farmers with the seeds for organic farming and created the organic market the produce was sold, even buying leftover produce. The push for organic farming has been an important aspect of sustaining the natural environmental cycle. Besides creating healthier conditions for the local community, this project is helping farmers provide wealth for their families and stimulate communities.

GPF and NEEDEX spread the message on organic farming to parents and teachers during the Camp Tinio Elementary School’s Parents and Teachers Association General Assembly. The community was taught that organic farming had lasting effects that would improve their quality of life and preserve the environment.

The All-Lights Project volunteers and staff are committed to providing ongoing service in the Philippines, meeting with the Municipal Mayor of Bongabon to provide updates and helping the local council manage the continued development of communities.  Recently, the All-Lights Project has also helped upgrade the water facility, as well as replacing solar panels, resulting in the continued production of clean and safe water.

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.

“A virtuous family built on true love embodies the essence of what all people cherish, forming the basis for civil, ethical and prosperous societies.” —Dr. Junsook Moon (Uganda 2018)

While leaders speak on global platforms and citizens rouse crowds to action in nations everywhere, real transformation takes place when a fundamental mindset drives individuals seeking change. This mindset is the acknowledgment that every human being is a member of one family, people from a common origin and therefore endowed equally with human dignity and value.

Whether providing innovative farming practices and clean water for rural villages, re-creating educational methods that focus on the whole child, or helping religious leaders from drastically different faiths come together to heal warring communities, the vision of One Family under God is transformative and it starts in each of us and our own homes.

Global Peace Foundation in Uganda

With this vision, Global Peace Foundation transforms schools by first instilling in teachers, parents, and volunteers a culture of service and a desire to not only provide the best education for students, but an environment that bolsters their aspirations to give back to their community as part of their extended human family. It all starts with a shift in mindset: that we are motivated not by high scores or making our educational facilities reach standardized benchmarks, but rather a genuine desire to help generations that follow us just as we would our own families in our own homes.

Students in Uganda put this into practice…literally. Practicing sports on the field, boys and girls between the ages 12 to 16 participated in a twelve-week program that focused on combating gender-based violence and discrimination. Designed by a young woman in the Global Peace Women Leadership Academy, the program allowed a space for both genders to see each other more as brothers and sisters, helping to build empathy and respect while making the school community a safe environment for girls who became more confident to speak publicly during daily activities and events.

Dr. Junsook Moon addressed this transformative mindset with world leaders at the 2019 Global Peace Convention in Seoul:

“If we treat each other like brothers and sisters, cherishing and empathizing with each other as parents do, how can destructive violence and war ever take root? If men and women grow up in a family respecting and serving each other because they know that they absolutely need each other, how could we see the widespread animosity between the genders sweeping across Korea and the entire world? Global Peace Women recognizes that men and women each have unique value and dignity that are complementary to each other. Both men and women have the responsibility to work together to create vibrant, happy families.”

When we understand the value of every member of our family and extend that view into members of our community, real transformation can take place.

Global Peace Foundation has been building models of peacebuilding around the world, connecting people across race, nationality, religion and social divides to recognize shared values and invest in a future together. The “Smile” project in India is a developing model where youth in India are breaking past traditional identities of religion and caste in a program that helps them affirm their common humanity through storytelling, values, and character education.

The project is helping youth see each other as brothers and sisters, One Family Under God. 

For the last few decades, there have been ongoing efforts to mitigate the historic inequalities faced by Indian people of lower castes. In 1949, the constitution banned caste-based discrimination and government-initiated affirmative action promised people of the scheduled castes (a socially disadvantaged group previously known as the untouchables) quotas in government jobs and educational institutions. With these efforts, scheduled castes have gained opportunities to lift themselves out of poverty and to improve their quality of life.

However, such development has yet to shift people’s perspective to abandon their caste identity and the conflict between castes remains an ongoing challenge. This limitation of the affirmative action is exemplified by the discontent of poorer members of the upper caste communities, who felt unrepresented by the current policy. This eventually led to the recent approval of a bill that opened up 10% of government jobs specifically for the poor members of the upper caste. This result concerns many as it can encourage people to group themselves more toward their caste identity. Further, such conflict has a risk to be utilized as a political tool. These problems suggest the need for an alternative approach in relieving caste conflict and to bring social cohesion among Indian communities.

This is why youth in the Balmiki community of Karol Bagh with the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) India have come together to initiate the “Smile” project. The program aims to transform the attitudes and behaviors of individuals surrounding caste by suggesting a new paradigm for peace and development using universal principles and values. This approach seeks to bring social cohesion among individuals with diverse backgrounds and promote development at both the person-to-person and societal levels.

Values-based Education

The Smile project brings youth from both high and low caste communities every week to provide values-based education and an opportunity to engage with people from diverse backgrounds. The content of the education is based on the vision of One Family Under God, rooted in the idea that all people are born as equal with intrinsic values, dignity, and fundamental rights. This vision communicates that we are all brothers and sisters of one human family, and it is in our benefit to work together to live in harmony. Such shared values suggest a new identity that replaces the current caste-based system and instead unite the Indian people.

In order to achieve this goal, the Smile project works to raise moral leaders who can exemplify the lifestyle of living for the greater good. As one of the core values of the project’s vision, participants believe that this is one of the fundamental values that drive people toward positive development.

“People and organizations that fight for themselves are bound to perish. However, if they have the motive of living for the greater good, they will prosper. Therefore, people are what matters in the end.” —Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, GPF Founder 

Within our life, we face inevitable suffering caused by the unjust and immoral behaviors of others. Such an event always seems unfair and underserved and, as a victim, we feel justified to direct our resentment toward the perpetrator. However, recognizing that the perpetrators are also often the victims of unjust acts of the past, we can gain insights that can better direct our future attitude, actions, and goals. In our daily interactions with people, our choices, positive or negative, have a significant influence on others and vice versa. Together, through a sentiment of shared responsibility—oftentimes unfortunately instigated by different tragedies in the world—youth with the Smile project rediscovered the importance of living a life for the greater good. Only when each and every one of us partakes in such a lifestyle, can we eliminate the unnecessary suffering within our communities. With this renewed attitude towards life, participants were inspired to lead future discussions and efforts to eradicate inequality and work towards a society that can be beneficial to the people of India as a whole.

Sharing Stories

Our culture, traditions, religion, race, expertise, and talents are what makes us unique. However, overemphasizing these aspects can make us lose focus on finding our shared identity as one human family. In this regard, the Smile project includes sessions for participants to share their personal experiences. Through sharing their stories and vulnerabilities, participants were able to connect with one another. Such connection highlights our shared identity and promotes participants’ ability to build a relationship beyond their current caste-based identity and realize that they are, first and foremost, brothers and sisters who deserve respect and love. With this shared foundation, discussion of ideas becomes more fluent and can be directed to bring better solutions that prioritize the common good of Indian communities.

“We take part in debates where everyone gets a chance to speak. This helps us to know and understand each other better and gives us the advantage to work more efficiently in a group.” —Neha, 2019 Smile project participant

Play & Musical Performance

Every Saturday throughout the Smile program, participants gathered to practice for a play that would be performed in front of an audience of Karol Bagh. The powerful and emotional play depicted the inequality faced by a Dalit student who lost his scholarship due to caste discrimination, which eventually led to his death. This creative project was conducted to bring awareness and shift the perspective of people in the community. Recognized for its ability to touch the hearts of people across all barriers of race, class, language, and social standing, the arts are a profound method to spread a message to entire communities and society at large. Music classes were also conducted where volunteers developed their interest and ability to play musical instruments. After the play, some young audience members came forward and showed their interest in being part of future Smile programs.

“I liked the strategy of creating awareness among the community through the medium of music and play by which people started to recognize an issue, which can lead to a discussion of solutions.” – Rumit Walia, 2019 Smile project participant

English Classes

English classes were provided for Smile participants throughout the week, helping them develop a proficiency in English, allowing them a voice to partake in all kinds of discussions. Such skills can equip them with the power to understand their peers, convey their own beliefs, and open doors for participants with different opportunities in the future. One participant, Gagan, was impressed by his own development saying, “Earlier, I wasn’t able to even form simple sentences. But now, I’m getting into the flow. I have seen much of improvement in my English.”

“I have learned many things from the Smile project. One of them is on my English skills where I see so much improvement. I learned how to make sentences and I can now read very well.” – Sarita, 2019 Smile project participant

This ongoing project takes place from April to July 2019 with the purpose to motivate people to move past their caste identity and bring them together as “One Family.”

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.