“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.

“As African women, we are expected to be the chief molders of mind, character, and behavior at home and in the community. The success or otherwise of society therefore lies in the roles women play. Consequently, the presence or lack of peace will be laid on the doorstep of women and mothers.” Her Excellency Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo, wife of the former President of Nigeria and Founder of I-CARE Women & Youth Initiative, was one of hundreds of women leaders, policy makers, NGO experts, educators, civil society leaders, business leaders, and artists from twelve countries who attended the 2018 Global Peace Leadership Conference hosted in Kampala, Uganda.

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

 

Dr. Junsook Moon, Chairwoman of Global Peace Foundation women’s division, shared, “Naturally, women are peace-builders, harmonizers and healers. This is because we are endowed by our Creator with innate qualities of empathy, grace and caring for others. This is most evident in motherhood, when a mother is completely committed to the wellbeing of her child, giving every ounce of her body and soul.”

She continued, “While women have assumed various duties beyond the immediate care of their families, we must remind ourselves that our intrinsic value is not determined by professional success or socio-political status. The true value of a woman, which is unique and irreplaceable, resides in the fact that she can bring new life into this world, infuse her children with genuine love, and allow them to experience the dignity and divinity of human life, beginning in the home and expanding into society and the world.”

The Chairwoman highlighted the positive impact women make in society by tackling the fundamental issues that affect basic God-given human dignity and the value of all people. She also indicated that the tribes, faith communities, and government bodies must reinforce and support the values-based lessons taught from the family level through appropriate policies and assistance. Therefore, solutions that emphasize the value of family and women’s indispensable role in their homes and communities will make a lasting, positive impact on the world.

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.

At the Global Peace Leadership Conference on August 1st and 2nd, 2018, Dr. Robert Schuller of the Global Peace Leadership Council, spoke on the idea of “water” and “mountain” people. Do you know what a “water person” or a “mountain person” is? Find out what these types of people might mean for leadership in our world today.

DR ROBERT SCHULLER (Member of the Global Leadership Council):

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure for me to be able to be here today and to share a message with you. How many people here have ever heard of water people? Has anyone ever heard of “water people”? Do you have any idea what I am talking about? Some of you may be thinking of what “water people” are. You are thinking well, maybe “water people” are a little too hard on the water. It is not quite right.

Honestly, we are all made of primary water. Maybe everyone is a water person; it could be. Let me suggest this. “Water people” are those who act like water but how does water act? Water, if you pour it some place, will always take the path of least resistance. It will always continue to flow until it reaches the lowest place possible. It has no plans. It has no motivation. It has nothing except seeking the path of least resistance. That is “water people.” The good news I have for you today is that there is not a single “water person” here. There is not a single person who is here today because they have decided to take the path of least resistance.

The people that I am looking at today are quite the contrary. You are here today because you have a vision. You have a goal. You have an understanding of what you want for your family, for your community, for your country and for the world. That is to seek peace and joy and goodness and to make the space around you better.

You want to improve that which is part of your world and so you are here today, not seeking the path of least resistance. Instead, you are here today for dialogue – to discuss, think and plan. If we are going to do something and make a difference, the first thing we need to do is make a plan that is going to make a difference. The last thing you want to do is spin your wheels doing something that is not productive.

I heard a Ugandan proverb. Tell me if you have heard this one before. “If you do not know where you are going, any road will take you there.” (Laughter) Is that right? That is not what this is about. We are about making some plans; having a vision, creating a plan and then implementing that plan. We are not taking the path of least resistance in any way, shape or form. We are using our brains. We are using our minds. We are using our God-given ability to create a plan and then take the effort to implement that plan. It takes effort to avoid falling into the trap of being “water people.”

Water people simply take the path of least resistance. What we are doing here in this conference over the next two days finding the path that leads to victory. How many people want victory?

Stand up right now if you like victory. Now that you are all standing, let us just give a round of applause to the Heavenly Father who brought us together. (Applause)

We are standing here today but sitting because “Water people” sit. We are leaders. As leaders, we have decided not to take the path of least resistance but to take the path that leads to success.

Therefore, we are standing here as one family under God. (Applause)

What is the direction that we are going to find? We may not have the answers now because the conference has just begun. God will reveal the answers to us through dialogue, discussions and plans. We will know them all; more innovative leadership that is required for us as an individual to have impact on our families, communities and the world. (Applause) Shake the hand of the person next to you right now and say, “God loves you and so do I.” That is the word we are going to use for the next two days. Thank you everybody and God loves you mightily. (Applause)

On August 2, Dr. Schuller addressed a group with some remarks contrasting “water people” with their opposites, “mountain people”:

DR SCHULLER:

Your Excellency, I would like to thank you for being what I call a mighty man. Yesterday morning, when I addressed this conference, I talked about the “water people” those who take the path of least resistance and always end up in the lowest place; those who face them out when faced with the mountains – you either find the way to turn around it or stand on that mountain. You overcome the challenges that are set before you and you accomplish your goals. Those are mountain people. Your Excellency, you are a mountain people. (Applause)

When faced with the mountains, your will do whatever it takes to succeed. Therefore, I would like to thank you, your Excellency for addressing the issues of peace, poverty and making a difference in your country. I congratulate and thank you. God bless you. (Applause)

Africa’s Great Lakes region has faced its share of challenges wrought by political instability, social conflict, underdevelopment and youth underemployment. The 2018 Global Peace Leadership Conference hosted in Kampala, Uganda, highlighted the potential of African countries to create new models of peace and development driven by moral and innovative leadership. The conference convened leaders from all sectors: educators, business owners, faith leaders, presidents, and parliamentarians. The unique held on August 1-2 conference drew representatives from around the world, including the United States, India, Nigeria, South Korea, Tanzania, and Kenya. Together, on a common affirmation of vision and values, they addressed regional peace and security issues and explored innovative approaches to fostering social cohesion, advancing excellence in education, improving economic opportunity, increasing youth productivity, supporting women’s empowerment, and addressing critical community development needs. Dr. Moon spoke at the high level plenary, joining conference honorary chairman Uganda President H.E. Yoweri Museveni, and representative heads of state from Burundi, Tanzania, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Kenya. Dr. Moon acknowledged the potential of Africa while calling for an urgent need for moral and innovative leadership in all levels of society to harness this potential as Africa takes the lead in generating new approaches born in a paradigm that acknowledges the value and rights of every human being. He also drew a parallel to the story of Korea and African nations who have come out of colonialism and the cold war. They are poised, he observed, at an opportune time to unfold a new page in their histories. He encouraged African nations and Korea to draw on their spiritual heritage as a foundation to begin this endeavor, inviting participants to partake in the March 1 commemoration to share best practices and reaffirm the common dream of making nations that can secure the happiness of all people. The conference highlighted the One Family Under God campaign, a project of GPF Nigeria now in its fifth year that engages religious and spiritual leaders and civil society partners to counter violent extremism and foster community-level social cohesion through partnerships and grassroots programs that stress universal principles and shared values. The campaign brings together Muslim and Christian leaders and traditional rulers to reconcile religious and ethnic divisions by drawing on the respect and authority of faith leaders to uphold values deeply embedded in faith traditions. GPF Nigeria patron and former Second Lady H.E. Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo. “Since the world has become a global village we need a common goal, where universal aspirations, principles, and values come together. We can build social cohesion through the family, community and the positive use of cultural and faith values.” The Kampala Declaration, signed at the close of the conference recognized such shares values and committed to continued regional cooperation to develop and expand emerging models like the One Family Under God peacebuilding campaign and the Character and Creativity Initiative to make education relevant to 21st-century challenges. GPLC Uganda was co-convened by the Republic of Uganda, the Global Peace Foundation, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Inter-religious Council of Uganda, and the Private Sector Foundation Uganda.   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 founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

 

The following speech was delivered at the Global Peace Leadership Conference in Kampala, Uganda under the theme, “Moral and Innovative Leadership: New Models for Peace and Development,” held at the Munyonyo Resort on August 1-2, 2018.

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Your Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentleman:

It is my honor to address this Global Peace Leadership Conference on the timely theme of “Moral and Innovative Leadership: New Models for Sustainable Peace and Development.” I want to sincerely thank His Excellency President Museveni for his leadership in hosting this convening, and guiding the important initiatives that will follow from it.

We greatly appreciate the National Organizing Committee with the Government of Uganda, along with co-conveners who worked tirelessly with Global Peace Foundation to make this all possible. Please recognize the Interreligious Council of Uganda and East Africa, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Private Sector Foundation Uganda, and other partners.  Special thanks are also due to former President Amani Karume of Zanzibar, Chairman of the GPF Africa Leadership Mission, for his wise guidance.

Finally, I want to especially thank the Minister of Public Service, Hon. Muruli Mukasa, who chaired the National Organizing Committee, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah, and our dedicated GPF Uganda Chapter leader, Milton Kambula.

Africa is a continent vibrant with possibilities. There is vast potential in your great resources, a noble, spiritual and cultural heritage, and a large youth population yearning for a future of peace and prosperity. How can their hopes, and the enormous promise of this continent, be fulfilled?

Many serious obstacles must be overcome to create truly just, equitable and flourishing societies. If these obstacles are not addressed in a comprehensive way, we are all too well aware that many of those young people, their hopes frustrated, could swell the ranks of the violent extremists and the criminal gangs that are undermining stability and prosperity in so many African countries.

You are all too familiar with this here in Uganda and throughout East Africa, where religious and ethnic conflicts and extremism spread across borders and threaten peace throughout the region.

To unlock the potential of the African continent, its people, its families and its youth, and to address the challenges that at times appear insurmountable, calls for a comprehensive vision and broad, long-term strategy. The core mission of the Global Peace Foundation is to advance such a vision and to engage multi-sectoral alliances in developing the strategies and practical grassroots applications that give it substance. We can see this purpose reflected in the great diversity of backgrounds represented in the participants here. You represent government and politics, business and education, and faith and community leaders.

To tackle the obstacles before us that undermine peace and development we need, at every level – from the highest echelons of government to the smallest village community – leadership that is both moral and innovative.

Moral leadership is guided by fundamental universal principles and values that are found at the heart of every great faith and wisdom tradition. At its core, moral leadership acknowledges that every human being is “endowed by our Creator” with eternal value, dignity, rights and responsibilities.

This principle is the foundation of good governance, which is key to establishing peace and prosperity. A moral leader lives for the benefit of his people, all his people – not just one class, one faith, or one interest group. This may seem quite idealistic but it is practical politics as well. The more people in a nation are educated and empowered to be creative, responsible, and productive citizen owners, the more prosperous that nation will become. The moral leader aspires to unleash the potential of all citizens to the greater benefit of the whole.

Within a moral framework of principles and values, the leader can then address practical problems in creative and innovative ways. All over the world societies are facing unprecedented challenges, and the East Africa region is no exception. Old ways of thinking are no longer adequate. Our time requires fresh, creative ideas, and thinking outside of the box. New technologies and in-depth analytics on many issues can be tapped to reveal new possibilities in this effort. Multi-nationals in the digital information field can increase their level of partnership with countries in the emerging world in this area.

It is in the interest of cultivating moral, innovative leaders to take on these challenges that the Global Peace Foundation has worked with educators and officials across East Africa to establish the Character and Creativity Initiative in schools and launch Entrepreneurship Leap Hubs in Kenya, Uganda and other parts of the region.

In educating youth in both character and creativity, we can equip them with a moral and innovative mindset, better preparing them to be good citizens and good neighbors. The goal is also to better prepare young people for life after school in the present environment. Recognizing that not enough traditional jobs may be created for all the booming youth population, character and creativity programs develop initiative and flexibility of thought with an emphasis on personal responsibility and the creation of new opportunities.

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.

Such a vision emerges from the principle that we human beings are all created by God and endowed with equal value and dignity. We are all, essentially, “One Family under God.” This is our core identity, more fundamental than any worldview built on narrow identities that set one group of people against others.

This vision is being translated into practice and applied at the grassroots level by GPF with our many African partners even as we speak. In the wake of Kenya’s 2007-2008 post-election violence, GPF was at the forefront of conflict resolution efforts at both the government and local levels. At the 2010 Global Peace Convention, held in Nairobi, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga participated together in a tangible demonstration that even bitter rivals can resolve differences for the greater good of the nation. Meanwhile in hot spots like the Rift Valley town of Eldoret, GPF gave support to community groups formed to prevent future violence.

In Nigeria’s Kaduna State which stands between the predominantly Muslim and predominantly Christian areas of the country, our GPF team there developed the One Family under God Peacebuilding Campaign that engages local faith and community leaders, working together to immunize their villages against sectarian violence. Two of the most active leaders of that program are here with us today. Let’s recognize Rev. John Hayab and Sheikh Maraya for their noble efforts.

GPF is also highly committed to its ongoing collaboration with Interreligious Councils in East Africa, here in Uganda as well as in Tanzania, Kenya and throughout the region. By marshalling the power of faith communities in collaborative action to solve problems and counter the appeal of extremist groups like Al Shabbab, these Interreligious Councils can provide essential leadership throughout the region that also provides a model of global significance.

All these initiatives are being driven by Africans themselves. They are examples of African people stepping forward to solve local and regional problems. President Museveni has called for an African-led Renaissance, for Africans to take up responsibility for Africa’s future. I fully support this approach. Through it you can expect to see the emergence of more and more effective moral and innovative leaders in every sector and at every level of society, from the village to the Government House.

For my home country of Korea, I have articulated a vision, the Korean Dream, and a movement to re-unify the divided Korean people. It is a Korean-led movement where Koreans take up responsibility for their own destiny. Based on my own experience, I know that positive change for Africa must be driven by African leadership.

The Korean Dream is not primarily about politics or process. It draws on the deep values that underlie Korea’s culture and have guided its history. To build a new future free of division and conflict, we must learn from our past. At the heart of these values is the Korean ideal of Hongik Ingan or living for the greater benefit of all mankind. It is a fitting motto for moral leadership and good governance. I believe that an African-led Renaissance must likewise draw upon the wisdom, heritage, and traditional values of the African village and extended families and apply them in creative ways to building a bright future.

In fact, I see many parallels between Korea and Uganda, as well as other African countries. We both experienced colonial rule in the 20^th century and even after independence were caught up in the geopolitics of the Cold War, squeezed by great powers and their ideologies. Korea, after the Korean war was at a similar level of economic development as many African countries today. It has shown a way forward that offers important lessons for the countries of the emerging world as a nation that was both poor and a colony not so long ago. This is important in a world in which the economic leadership of Western nations can no longer be taken for granted.

Furthermore, the dominant values of the secular West often present a direct challenge to the traditional, time-tested values of Africa and Korea, particularly in fomenting forms of irresponsible individualism at the expense of the family and community. Families are the foundations of a stable and prosperous society. They shape the character and outlook of future generations of citizens. It is hard to imagine a successful future for any society in which individual whims are allowed to dominate. Resisting this tide by drawing on our traditions is another significant area where Africa and Korea can cooperate.

March 1 next year is the centenary of the Korean Independence movement against Japanese colonial rule. It was launched in 1919 with peaceful mass demonstrations where the Korean Declaration of Independence was proclaimed. The centenary will be a moment for rededication to the ideals and aspirations of those independence champions, and to galvanize all Korean people in common cause toward a shared future that realizes the historic aspiration for a unified Korea that benefits all its citizens and indeed the entire world.

The Global Peace Convention will be held in Seoul next March focused on achieving the original goals of the Independence movement and promoting the One Korea Global campaign. I invite you all to join us in Seoul next year and to support this global campaign. With all we share in common, I believe such mutual support will provide inspiration for an African-led movement of renewal.

To close, I’d like to share with you a thought – relevant then as it is now at this inflection point in history. It was in the midst of the American Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln declared “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.”

And so, this is true in our own time, in our own nations and in our global community – we need a new paradigm and a new, normative framework for peace and development to bring with it peace and development opportunities for our families, communities, nation and world. I believe that now is the time for the framework of One Family Under God, and that Uganda and other African nations can be the leaders that demonstrate the efficacy of such a vision and approach.

It is my hope that our discussions during this Global Peace Leadership Conference have been stimulating good ideas, and will forge new partnerships, that yield coordinated plans of action for ongoing positive impact. Our time together will conclude with the signing of the Kampala Peace Declaration that will lay out proposals for action to implement the action agenda agreed to here. The responsibility then lies with each of you to make it happen. I am confident that you, as proud Africans and moral and innovative leaders will take up the challenge to launch a transformation – an African renaissance – that will bring hope and prosperity to future generations.

Thank you and may God bless each of you and your precious families.