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Passion, energy, and dreams animate youth to see beyond their current realities. What exists today doesn’t have to exist tomorrow. Likewise, what doesn’t exist today can begin to be built tomorrow.

In a challenge to the current reality of rising religious intolerance following riots and suicide bombings by religious extremists, Global Peace Foundation Indonesia initiated the Peace Talk program. In a safe space, Indonesian youth renew and redirect their energy and drive. Christian and Muslim youth dream of the kind of Indonesia they want to build – together.

The rise of fake news and thinning consensus around long-standing Indonesian values stemming from a shared cultural heritage, language, traditions, and local wisdom have made the country more vulnerable to the spread of extreme radicalism.

Global Peace Foundation “peace talks” invites young people from different religious background to participate in interfaith dialogue and discussion in peacebuilding.

“There needs to be a common awareness to maintain the unity in diversity that exists in Indonesia,” said one Peace Talk participant. Interfaith dialogue and engagement is a powerful practice to strengthen not only tolerance but to create respect and care for others beyond lines of identity.

The first Nusantara Peace Talk program took place on May 19. Based on Indonesia’s motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), the peace talk program draws on noble Indonesian values, Pancasila, to promote collaboration amongst the younger generation to strengthen their sense of national identity and the rich diversity that makes their nation great.

The space allows young people to share their stories and experiences of tolerance and diversity in their communities as it relates to Indonesia’s principles of democracy. Over a meal, participants shared traditional performances, musical recitals, and even poetry.

Ulfi, a young Muslim participant, was cautious at first, yet later gladly shared her feelings of relief. She said she felt a “sense of space and calm” when she met people who respect religious differences with the end goal of peace.

Saverius Jena is a Catholic student studying in Jakarta. He commented on the simple act of sharing meals together. “Rice is a medium that brings us together,” he said. Quick to make friends with Muslim students, Saverius explained how his deep conversations with his Muslim friends convinced him that no matter what some outlying extremists might do, religions all fundamentally teach goodness.

Peace Talks are providing youth with a space to share their stories, and build kinship and deeper understanding with friends of various faith backgrounds based on their shared values.

Do you have a place to build unity and peace based on shared values in your own community?

If not, why not start one up today?

The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, which promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God.  GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional 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 post Muslim and Christian Youth Build Peace in Interfaith Talks appeared first on Hyun Jin Preston Moon.

March 1 is a national Korean holiday established in 1949. It commemorates the events of March 1, 1919 when an estimated 2 million Koreans stood together to demand their independence and the dignity of self-rule.

Even while March 1^st is the date that is commemorated, it was in fact a grassroots movement with a total of “1,542 demonstrations [held] across Korea over a three-month period. An estimated 2 million people, or about 10 percent of the entire population at the time, are said to have taken part.” Today, we can marvel at such a feat, which was accomplished under limited opportunities to organize or communicate to the masses and strict colonial policies regarding political activities.

Japanese historian, Masayuki Nishi, noted: “Back then, Koreans had no freedom of assembly or association. Nor were there media to convey the will of the people.” Yet under such circumstances, how was it possible to coordinate and conduct such a wide-scale movement? To answer this question, Nishi points to Shin Yong Ha, a distinguished professor at Ewha Womans University who explains, “religious organizations and schools took the lead because they were the only entities that were allowed to hold rallies without notifying the authorities in advance.”

Interreligious Unity in the Korean Independence Movement

Interestingly enough, while much is made of the role of Christians in the Independence Movement, what emerges in the studies surrounding March 1 is that it was an inter-religious effort. All 33 signers of the Korean Declaration of Independence were religious leaders, representing an inter-religious alliance committed to Korean independence. The group was made up of Methodists, Presbyterians, Buddhists as well as the indigenous Korean religion, Chondogyo.

Korea’s spiritual landscape has always been considerably diverse and forming a consensus among these very different groups was made possible through dialogue and a commitment to a shared ideal. The spiritual leaders recognized the historic, global awakening of consciousness taking place after World War I that acknowledged certain universal principles concerning the value of individual rights and freedoms. The founding authors of the Korean Declaration of Independence were inspired by President Wilson’s 14 Point Declaration written at the close of World War I. They proclaimed the call for independence as the “solemn will of heaven,” and the religious leaders put aside their personal agendas, circumstances, and differences to stand with a higher vision and fulfill their duty to the Korean people.

A page from a Red Cross pamphlet on the March 1st Movement

What is not often written about is that the process of writing the Declaration took years of dialogue and deliberation amongst leaders of the different faiths. Initial efforts were stifled by disagreements between Christians and those of Chondogyo. Yet, while there continued to be differences of opinion, religious leaders recognized that without a unified effort for independence, the movement could not succeed.

They met to identify common issues and shared values upon which they could create a plan together for the March 1 movement. From their shared commitment emerged a concerted, grassroots effort driven by the various religious communities that put in the time, resources and manpower to support the independence movement. Rev. Soon Hyun, one of the original representatives of thirty-three Korean leaders who signed the Declaration of Independence writes, “March 1 showed the outcome of several decades of schooling and civic discourse concerning enlightenment and social reform, which heightened the sense of national unity as well as the thirst for independence.”

Much of the education took place within the religious communities who trained their leaders to become teachers who developed “a strong collective consciousness and will” in the Korean people. The religious communities became a natural place to educate and mobilize people. Chondogyo reports years of planning and training that took place in their monastery and religious communities leading up to the March 1 demonstrations. The connections within the communities were also used to raise resources to fund independence efforts.

Seoul, Korea’s Pagoda Park in the 1930’s

Faith leaders and the commitment to non-violence

It is also important to recognize that the faith leaders played an important role in ensuring the non-violent nature of the March 1 demonstrations.

The significance of this commitment to peaceful demonstrations can be understood when we look to a pre-cursor of the March 1 declaration made on February 8, 1919 in Tokyo, Japan. A considerably younger group of Korean students studying in Japan wrote out a declaration that concluded, “If our demands are turned down, we will fight an endless bloody war.” While we can debate the reasons why this declaration failed to gain traction, it may be in that the vengeful tone did not resonate with the spirit of the Korean people and lacked the moral authority of the religious leaders.

Instead, even despite the grievances imposed on the Korean people, the March 1 declaration advocates an approach that does not “dwell on the sins of the past” but looked to empower the Korean people to build a model nation for the world. Ultimately, we might surmise that the moral authority of the religious leaders and their peaceful aspirations for their nation ensured that the demonstrations were dignified and motivated by a higher purpose.

Lessons for Reunification

Although the dream of independence was never fully realized at that time, the Korean Independence Movement offers insights that could become a touchstone for our efforts for Korean reunification today.

We must reflect and ask difficult questions including:

• What hampered the Korean Independence Movement of the past?
• What can we learn from those efforts?
• How can we define common agreements that cut across lines of identity?
• What is it that we ultimately want to build together?
• What are the ideals that can bind us together?
• What is the Korean Dream?

In this historic time, will spiritual leaders and faith communities once again come together to play a critical role in advancing reunification and realizing the Korean Dream?

Revised on March 12, 2018.

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A ragtag group of refugees from Egypt arrived at the gates at the edge of the Promised Land of Canaan. They marveled at the city before them, the colorful and bustling marketplace, soldiers patrolling the perimeter and what they could only imagine was truly a land of milk and honey.

A particularly interesting, but controversial story from the Bible is the Battle of Jericho.

Illustration of the Battle of Jericho from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company

To give some idea of the main events of the battle, we might refer to the refrain from a rather popular children’s song of the event that proclaims:

Joshua fought the Battle of Jericho, Jericho

Joshua fought the Battle of Jericho

And the walls came tumbling down!

Religious scholar Karen Armstrong encourages in the reading of sacred stories such as Jericho, to ask ourselves what is the meaning and significance for how we live in the here and now.

This lens challenges us to view the story of Jericho with one that asks what can this teach us today?

Lessons from Jericho for today

We can imagine that Joshua and his ragtag group arrived at a fully formed, strong and flourishing city. His group, in contrast, needed much more than they had to offer. And yet, they took heart in the idea that they belonged there and that there was a way to similarly convince these strangers of the same.

The story goes that Joshua was commanded to parade first the trumpeters, followed by the Ark of the Covenant and only then the military men would follow. This group would march around the walls of the city for seven days. This purportedly caused (with, of course, the help of the Lord) the walls of Jericho to “come tumbling down.”

Now what does this story have to do with us? What if we could break down the stories into symbols or analogies to mean something other than what we “see?” Could we see beyond the “finger pointing towards the moon”?

Could the trumpeters represent social and cultural engagement? We might assume that the Ark of the Covenant would represent the truth. Perhaps it was significant that the marching military men were marching, not fighting. What if they symbolized not the threat of military action but a symbol of peaceful political change as a result of engagement with first culture and then universal principles.

Seven days of marching by these three groups around the city walls might suggest that the group engaged in these activities every day and in every part of the city. Were they to do this, perhaps the walls inside the minds of the people would “come tumbling down!”

Christian and Muslim leaders gather together during a peace festival in Mandu as part of the One Family under God campaign.

Towards a Social Transformation

Perhaps you might say that we are looking too hard at something that is not there. But what becomes interesting is to line up this “formula” to see that the Global Peace Foundation is, in fact, using a very similar strategy: building civil society, grassroots engagement between people of different backgrounds to nudge forward openings, partnerships and collaboration that can lead to more sustained social, political and even economic change.

Whether or not the story of Jericho has meaning for you personally, or not, the transformative power of engaging with people from different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences is undeniable. When we meet other members of our one human family, we can change our minds, our attitudes and behaviors. On an everyday, ongoing basis, this kind of change can then lead to changes in the community, changes to institutions, business and more.

The Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, outlines the efforts of the organization in this way at the Global Peace Convention 2014 in Paraguay:

“When nations engage in issues of transforming a nation in poverty, they do everything in reverse. They start with the economic, then interfere with political, then catch up to the social side as an afterthought. The GPF model has done the exact opposite – it started with the social side. The importance of civic and NGO engagement to create national transformation is critical. It starts with social engagement that builds reformation and transformation, building the foundation for economic development.”

A simple formula, but we can see it in other moments of great social change in history, from the Indian independence movement, South African anti-apartheid movement, the Abolitionist and Civil Rights Movements in the United States that gave way towards new and previously unimaginable social change. A study of history shows that change that transformed societies for the better were often – or possibly always – preceded by “spiritual awakenings” wherein a rise in the consciousness of the people worked to reform the very cultural landscape.

In the Global Peace Foundation’s work with this approach in Nigeria, a relatively small team of dedicated people are working to spread this message and strategy to help bring about social change on the grassroots level.

Nigeria: A Case Study of Social Transformation

Religious leaders gather for a community meeting in Goska as part of ongoing mediation efforts by Global Peace Foundation to relieve inter-religious tension in Nigeria.

Following a period of violence and destruction in Southern Kaduna between natives and Fulani tribes people in 2016, GPF Nigeria began a process in 2017 to negotiate two ceasefire agreements between the local Fulanis and the natives. This then led the team to begin to a focused engagement with one particular community, Kaninkon, to build a model from which others could similarly learn the process of peacebuilding and reconciliation.

Yet all of these things – from ceasefires and reconciliation – while desirable in and of themselves, are not the end goal but rather milestones on a continuum aimed at bringing not only peace but development into these communities. As the community leaders build trust and commitment together to rebuild their community, tolerance moved towards respect and respect then edged towards what is now active cooperation between people of these two groups in the community.

What comes next remains to be seen but as of early 2018, the Kaninkon community has been taking steps to celebrate their first annual Community Peace Festival to celebrate the milestones and to draw more popular support for all their efforts thus far.

Participants from recent local programs in Kaninkon community reflected on their experience with the capacity building and community empowerment programming reflecting a change in attitudes towards “the other” in ways that offered glimpses of a future wherein families that lived in fear and hate might learn hope, forgiveness and love to even those they viewed as their enemies.

Comfort Simon, of Goska, shared:

What happened between us and the Fulani is painful, and I had resolved never again to love or have anything to do with them, because, I lost my home and property completely during the crises. But, the teachings I heard today has given me strength, and now, anywhere I see a Fulani person even if such a person is in trouble, I will be willing to lend a helping hand if I can.”

Victoria Yusuf, of Gerti, reflected:

Seriously before today, I was still very bitter concerning what happened and the lack of peace in Kaninkon, but, with the teachings today, I understand that we are all one, both Christians and Muslims and we are supposed to put our heads together to ensure the progress of our lives.

Moreover, in light of the critical role faith leaders play in their communities, the changes reflected by local native and Fulani faith leaders demonstrate what is possible when people come together with a common vision.

Imam Mohammed Salihu Baye, Chief Imam Izala Mosque in Kaninkon reports:

I am very happy about this reconciliation. I am also grateful to this organization that has been spreading the message of “One Family under God”, they have done their part, and all that is left is ours.

Rev. Adamu Chawai, of ECWA in Kaninkon, noted:

The reconciliation is very important because for you to have development there has to be peace.

This work is still in its infancy in Nigeria as well as other parts of the world. Undoubtedly, there are many hard lessons and challenges to be learned along the way. Nevertheless, in first dreaming, together, the impossible dreams of peace and prosperity for all, we can imagine creative ways to do this in each of the countries that we work in.

How can you apply the lessons of Jericho to bring social transformation in your community?

Read more reflections from Nigerians in the One Family under God campaign in the original article at Global Peace Foundation. Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon is the founder and chairman of Global Peace Foundation, 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.

The post Studying Social Transformation: Another look at The Battle of Jericho appeared first on Hyun Jin Preston Moon.

Since its independence in 1945, Indonesia has struggled through a daunting array of social, political and economic challenges. Today, the Muslim-majority nation in the world is recognized as an increasingly mature, vibrant democracy. Though many would acknowledge that there continues to be divisions and conflict, Indonesia is a remarkable model of a free, democratic society.

Today, as Indonesia faces threats of identity-based conflict within and from challenges to its democracy in different forms, it becomes important to look back and understand what has allowed for Indonesia’s “unity in diversity.”

It is not uncommon for people to look to founding principles in times of crisis and conflict. During the process of Indonesian nation-building, the leaders acknowledged that such a diverse, island nation would need to have unifying, “self-evident” principles to tie the people together in common agreement. An archipelago nation made up of thousands of islands, with many distinct religious beliefs, cultures, languages, and traditions, it adopted a national motto to live as Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (“unity in diversity”). It is within this context that Pancasila developed to become the State ideology of Indonesia.

Translated as the “five principles”, Pancasila articulates five interrelated and interconnected principles to undergird Indonesian’s liberal democracy. They are as follows:

1. Belief in the One and Only God
2. A Just and Civilized Humanity
3. The Unity of Indonesia
4. Democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations amongst representatives
5. Social justice for the whole of the people of Indonesia

In the early days of the Republic, these principles were taught in schools under the guidance and direction of the government. Yet, as time and prosperity blurred the need for such education, the Pancasila ideals were less emphasized in recent history.

Today, the Indonesian government has now begun to advocate for education on the Pancasila principles. Yet the nation today is markedly different from the one founded over 70 years ago. Today, Indonesia boasts not one but two of the largest civil society organizations in the world, (Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah) and we would submit that what was once designated as the responsibility of the nation should now be taken up by the people.

This is to say: the Pancasila principles are not simply a matter of government control; Pancasila forms the basis for the freedoms and rights of the people of the nation. Civil society leaders – most notably the faith leaders – must take the lead in educating the citizens to understand that the principles must be understood and applied by the people, for the people as the shared heritage of the people.

Furthermore, as one of the largest Muslim-majority nations in the world, a strong, principled and prosperous Indonesian state counters the claim that liberal democracy doesn’t work in a Muslim context. In this way, the strength of Indonesia’s peace and prosperity becomes a testament for free societies everywhere and a model for the global community.

GPF Indonesia, along with its partners, has worked since 2010 to create an interfaith platform from which to engage in community-building in a way that transcends religions, culture, socioeconomic class and more. The service and educational programs aim to foster a spirit of unity as “One Family Under God” as the basis from which to work together towards peace and shared prosperity. This, combined with recent efforts to develop a Pancasila-based interfaith education brings together the elements of heart, mind and body together in building a just, peaceful and equitable Indonesian nation.

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.

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Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, founder of the Global Peace Foundation, addressed international peacemakers at the 2013 Global Peace Leadership Conference in Abuja. The One Family under God Campaign was initiated later that year as a grassroots effort connecting faith leaders of diverse traditions to work for peace in their communities. Four years later, the program has built a reputable track-record for mitigating religious-based conflict in several communities in Nigeria, and gained the recognition of government agencies and tribal and faith communities.

John Oko, country director of Global Peace Foundation in Nigeria has been at the forefront of these efforts.

The following conversation, originally published by the Global Peace Foundation records some of the key lessons and insights that John Oko has garnered that may help others who have interest in working with faith leaders in their own community.

Question: Why do you work with faith leaders in the One Family under God campaign in Nigeria?

I believe that faith and community leaders are the most sustainable, long-term way to establish peace in a community. Faith leaders are in it for the long haul and they have the authority and role in the community that makes them natural partners in our work of building peace and social cohesion. In a country like Nigeria where – I believe – we are one of the most spiritual or religious nations in the world – working with a network of diverse faith leaders strengthens our ability to articulate universally accepted principles as well as to find new ways to build consensus around shared values.

Even beyond this, once we engage these spiritual leaders in this message and work of building “One Family under God” in Nigeria, the faith leaders play the extremely important role of basically “translating” these ideas from the context and language of the respective faiths. This is something that no other kind of leader is able to do in a community.

Question: What has been the biggest challenge in working with faith leaders?

Generally, the biggest obstacle we’ve seen comes only when there is any sense of coming to take their followers away from them. We’ve rarely had this problem but it’s worth mentioning in that it’s important to know as, in our experience, when the faith leader starts to feel this in anyway, it closes down the avenue of working with them.

So generally, our approach and message is very simple. We encourage them to become a true Christian; live by the virtues and values of Christianity. Same with Muslims; live as Muslims are supposed to live. In doing this we actually strengthening faith commitments! Because we are basically saying “be true to your faith” and so faith leaders are very comfortable with us and our approach.

Question: What would you say is the most important thing you’ve learned through the campaign?

I would say respect. We need to be disciplined, to be careful not to undermine people in their religious faith, commitments and practices. We need to have a long-term mindset about this work and to know that what we are essentially doing is relationship-building. And so, we have to approach people with real respect. There are no shortcuts in this work.

Question: Any advice to some who would like to engage in similar work in their own country?

One of the most important things I do is to try to stay focused on the long-term goal, to never be satisfied, to always “beta-test” everything and seek out advice – even criticism – because I know they can be the key to improvement. We tried many different things and I would say that some things didn’t work out in the way that we wanted it to but we were still able to come away with lessons to continue and improve our work.

I’m also so grateful to Sheikh Maraya and Rev. Hayab as our inspired, inspiring partners and my team – our family in Nigeria. Having the right partners and team make all the difference – to try to figure out, more deeply and substantially how we might build “One Family Under God” in Nigeria. This permeates every single aspect of our work: One Family under God. It will inevitably look different in other countries because the people and the cultures are inevitably different but there are lessons we can learn from each other and I hope we in Nigeria are able to offer our lessons for the global community.

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“In order to meet the threat of global religious conflict, a new type of interfaith movement must appear. Such interfaith partnership is vital in coalescing faith leaders to work together as the conscience of society.” –Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon

A hotbed of religious and racial tension, Nigeria’s Southern Kaduna state has experienced an outbreak of violence over the last year that has resulted in the death of thousands.

The most recent series of ethno-religious killings and counter-killing between members of Nigeria’s indigenous populations and the predominantly nomadic, Muslim Fulani people was addressed swiftly in a consultation between Global Peace Foundation (GPF) representatives and 80 local Fulani leaders from eight local government areas in Southern Kaduna on January 17, 2016. GPF’s One Family under God campaign is being pushed to the forefront of peace-making efforts to subdue further conflict.

Fulani and indigenous faith leaders gather to participate in resolution of violence amongst religious crisis

The One Family Under God campaign, initiated in 2013 at the Global Peace Leadership Conference in Abuja, is a values-based approach to peace building that encourages substantial cooperation between diverse communities through faith leader’s training workshops, retreats, and community projects. By engaging local leaders of faith communities, the campaign creates model examples of peaceful coexistence that encourages other members of the community to follow suit.

Leaders expressed their resolve to find a resolution to what has been described as a “religious crisis.” Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria and Kaduna State’s Interim Chairman of Jaba Local Government Area, Mr. Ben Kure, showed his solidarity and implored other leaders to partner with branches of government to encourage inter-organizational cooperation.

Pointing out the underlying issues ignited by rumors and false accusations, Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Haruna Usman Tuga discouraged reprisal attacks, emphasizing the sheer number of innocent lives lost in local communities.

Before concluding the meeting, Fulani youth leaders made a team resolve to work against the incitement of violent attacks. As a population largely affected by extremist actions, youth are essential participants in countering a culture that emboldens acts of violence based on religious or ethnic diversity.

The campaign is an ongoing mediation effort to end the crisis of violence taking place across Nigeria.

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 post One Family under God Campaign Engages Religious Leaders to Mediate “Religious Crisis” appeared first on Hyun Jin Preston Moon.

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Rev. Joseph Hayab (left) and Sheik Abdulahi Maraya (right) are known as the “twins of Kaduna”

The Christian and Muslim cleric from Kaduna State in Nigeria, Rev. Joseph Hayab and Sheik Abdulahi Maraya, are known as the “twins of Kaduna” for their affectionate personal relationship and evangelical commitment to publicly emphasize values shared among Christians and Muslims. “When you see me you can be sure that within five minutes you will see Sheik Maraya,” Rev. John Hayab jokingly said, adding that everything that belonged to him – other than his wife – also belonged to his Muslim twin.

“We chose to use our God-given position to influence our community for good,” said Rev. Hayab. “I find in Maraya a man who loves God and I love him and am proud of him. Saying negative things about Christians or Muslims is not an education; it is an incitement. How can you win people [over] when you don’t respect them – when you don’t trust, tolerate and appreciate them?”

“When I first met Rev. Hayab,” reflected Sheik Maraya, “my first thought was that I have met someone from my original family, the family of Adam and Eve. The first thing expected as a Muslim is that whenever you meet another human, if younger than you, you consider him a younger brother or sister.

“From the Islamic point of view, as found in the Quran, there is no basis to dishonor him or her on basis of some racial, religious or tribal identification. Was there ever a time that the prophet Muhammad dishonored a person because he was practicing another religion? No. As a Muslim you are enjoined to be kind and just to all regardless of any difference, particularly religious difference. If one goes by the tenet of Islam you are expected to consider the religion of others as sacrosanct.”

When I first met Rev. Hayab,” reflected Sheik Maraya, “my first thought was that I have met someone from my original family, the family of Adam and Eve.

Sheik Maraya mused that conflict and hostility exists because the majority of Christians and Muslims are ignorant of the rudimentary teachings of their faith. “That is why they are carried away and pass judgment on the basis of sentiment. But the Quran says that even if you hate someone you must not allow that sentiment to lead to injustice to others.”

For the common vision and understanding of One Family Under God to truly take root, we need partners and models of this vision. The GPF approach essentially seeks to create relationships that model the ideal of One Family Under God. Relationships such as the one between Sheik Maraya and Reverend Hayab are key to building peace between groups of different backgrounds and religions.

Rev. Joseph Hayab (far right) and Sheik Abdulahi Marya, (far left) were the co-facilitators for Global Peace Foundation’s entire One Family Under God campaign’s local peacebuilding programs in Nigeria.

The “Kaduna twins” Rev. Joseph Hayab and Sheik Abdulahi Marya, were the co-facilitators for the entire One Family Under God campaign’s local peacebuilding programs. Having both a Christian and a Muslim spiritual leader as the models of interfaith leadership was essential for every aspect of this program from its planning, the introduction of the program to the traditional rulers and stakeholders in each community, to the actual educational 3-day training program and follow up programs. Given that the interfaith programming inevitably included members and leaders from both Christian and Muslim faith traditions, Rev. Hayab and Sheik Maraya were able, together and separately, to handle problems, questions, concerns from people of both traditions.

 “We chose to use our God-given position to influence our community for good”

Moreover, the warm nature of their personal relationship and obvious respect for one another, regardless of differences in faith or practice, inspired participants to seek out the same kind of relationship with one another, without even being directly encouraged to do so.

So, in building One Family Under God, how you can replicate the Rev. Hayab/Sheik Maraya model in your own community?

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.

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