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We are all striving to leave our mark on the world. Young people have the passion, energy and vision to make a widespread positive impact. However, it is not enough to hold a title or position in society. Today’s world requires leaders with both moral and innovative capacities to tackle the greatest challenges to build and maintain sustainable peace and development.

The International Young Leaders Assembly (IYLA) is a premiere program sponsored by the Global Peace Foundation and partners to gather leaders with a common vision for our global community, expanding their network and broadening their capacity as a leader, role model and change maker.

Here are three ways IYLA is making better leaders today:

1. Fosters moral and innovative leadership skills

IYLA’s distinctive perspective on youth leadership development fosters character and skills that are essential for young people striving to make a difference in their communities based on universally shared principles and values. This program advances both the moral and innovative aspects of leadership in youth for a new generation of leaders who work towards the well-being of greater society as a complement to individual ambition.

2. Expands the global network

Every year, IYLA gathers thousands of young people from more than 100 countries around the world. This provides young people with the unique opportunity to network with accomplished, like-minded individuals making a difference in our world right now! Not only do IYLA delegates make new friends, but also get the chance to work with others to advance solutions to the issues they are most passionate about.

3. Provides global perspective

Spending over a week with other young people from around the world, IYLA delegates share rooms, meals and life-changing conversations. Often described as it’s own “United Nations,” the diversity of delegates in IYLA brings the multiplicity of our global family to one place, a condensed opportunity to experience culture from around the world and bring us closer as one human family.

Learn more about IYLA.

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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“… They were smiling in the video. They looked fine. They looked healthy. But the things they talked about… When you hear someone talking about the Korean War and how their family had to separate, how their brother or sister was left in North Korea, it’s sad to think they’ve gone through so much hardship and I’ve never really heard about it, experienced or seen any of that.” –Hae Jin Son

With an increasing awareness of the campaign for the unification of the Korean peninsula, youth from around the world have added their voice to the mix. Recent events, including an agricultural project with South Korean college students and North Korean defectors, a star-studded concert in Seoul calling for unification, and a forum of experts discussing the economic platform of unification all add to the growing reality of the campaign for One Dream One Korea.

IYLA on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during 1Dream1Korea concert.

Young leaders in the United States contributed their perspective on the reunification of North and South Korea. Although geographically and in many other ways so far apart, American students have started to become exposed more and more to Korean culture and the issues surrounding the peninsula. A graduate of the International Young Leaders Assembly (IYLA) and student at George Washington University, Hae Jin Son, was born and raised in South Korea. “In elementary school I remember that there were a lot of essay contests about reunification but after elementary school, they stopped,” Hae Jin shared, “That’s when I started forgetting about it.”

Reunification was not a common topic amongst relatives or friends, and it was not until Hae Jin came to school in America that she started to again hear more about the Korean War from friends’ parents and grandparents who fought in the war.  While watching a school documentary about this event termed “the Forgotten War”, Hae Jin reflected, “I was sad and touched watching the people who experienced the Korean War giving their personal testimony.  They were smiling in the video. They looked fine. They looked healthy. But the things they talked about… When you hear someone talking about the Korean War and how their family had to separate, how their brother or sister was left in North Korea, it’s sad to think they’ve gone through so much hardship and I’ve never really heard about it, experienced or seen any of that.”

“Their experience is being noticed by people all around the world who can help them get through it.”

As a person who came into the world on the same ancient soil of a once united Korea, Hae Jin realized she, like many born in the last 70 years on either side of the 38^thparallel, could not help but struggle with her identity. “Is home where I come from or where I am right now?” Hae Jin asked. She went on to explain that this is just a question that reflected her ‘identity-crisis’, the same crisis she believes faces North and South Korea. After investing time in her education in America, Hae Jin remembered how, upon contacting her family and friends in Korea, they pointed out the subtle changes that had gone unnoticed with her immersion in the present, leaving behind parts of her past identity.  “It’s a metaphor, “ Hae Jin smiled, “It’s like what Korea is going through: an identity-crisis. Their experience is being noticed by people all around the world who can help them get though it.”

Hae Jin and her fellow Global Ambassadors of IYLA showed their support for One Dream One Korea last August at Lincoln Memorial for a concert hosting traditional and modern Korean dancers and singers.  Though the event attracted viewers from every walk of life, the majority of spectators represented those of Korean descent; grandparents and their children and grandchildren, exemplifying the importance of an ancestry and strong familial culture rooted in 5,000 years of one Korea. Korean families in America may have grown desensitized to the idea of reunification over the years by geographical distance, however, just as an exchange student calls her family back home, all it takes is a few words to question and remember, “This is who I am. This is where I come from.”

Although the discussion about Korean reunification remains distant from typical American students’ realm of reality, students like Hae Jin who’s identity is growing to encompass global citizenship strive to raise awareness of these issues, one step at a time.

Hae Jin Son (third from left) poses with fellow IYLA delegates at 1Dream1Korea concert in Washington D.C.

Learn more about One Dream One Korea. Contact us to share why you support One Dream for One Korea!

Original article: www.globalpeace.org

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“Moral leadership is more precious for the future of a nation than gold, diamonds, or oil. It is guided by a common vision that reflects the most fundamental human aspirations, conforms to the universal spiritual principles that govern human life, and is expressed in shared moral values that can ultimately form a global ethic.”  

-Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation

Let me begin by appreciating the distinguished panel for contributing their insights and inspiration to this important session. Also special thanks to the Paraguay Mission for serving as the lead sponsor for this UN forum, along with the Permanent Missions of 23 other nations. The Global Peace Foundation is proud to join with our partners in collaborating on this forum and in convening the IYLA program each year.

Also I would like to especially appreciate all of the participants of the International Young Leaders Assembly 2014, representing nearly 70 nations. The fact that you are here, investing your time, energy and focus, addressing important issues facing our world today, is indicative of a quality of character vitally needed if we are to build a better future. Simply put, I believe that you are here because you care, because you want to make a positive difference, and because you are ready to take action for the greater good.

Global Peace Foundation International President Jim Flynn addresses 500 young leaders at the International Young Leaders Assembly at the United Nations.

It is most significant that the culminating sessions of this IYLA are here at the United Nations, the pre-eminent global institution dedicated to building peace. In the nearly 70 years since its founding, the UN has expended tremendous effort and resources in the cause of peace and security for all nations. Despite such dedicated efforts, tragically our world is still plagued by conflict, corruption, and poverty.

Clearly no one institution alone, no matter how comprehensive its scope, can solve the fundamental problems of the human situation. It will take all of us as global citizens, working together in common cause, to transform our world. That is why it is meaningful that you as young leaders are here to discuss, engage, and aspire together to make a difference.

As we all know, our world has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Technology and globalization are impacting the lives of people everywhere, driving change at a breathtaking pace. It is remarkable to note, for example, that this year the number of cell phones globally will reach 7.3 billion, exceeding the world’s total population. We can communicate, transact and travel with an ease previously unimaginable.

Yet with the great promise of this 21st century, we continue to face dire realities and ominous challenges, on every continent. Consider that:

• The BBC reports that every minute, two people are killed in conflicts around the world.
• According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die every day due to poverty. That means a child dies every 4 seconds.

Our most pressing challenge today is an ethical one. Our technology can gather massive data on our browsing habits and consumer preferences, but cannot help us to understand each other, respect each other, or forgive each other. General Omar Bradley most aptly described the dilemma we face, when he said:

Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount.

We are faced with a significant gap between our external development and our ethical maturity. Technology has driven rapid development, but itself is value neutral. It can be used to improve the quality of life and well-being for all people, but can also be used for weapons of mass destruction. We are in dire need of ethical leadership, leadership with moral authority, because we are seriously limited by a values deficit, a debilitating shortfall in values that hampers our ability to realize the promise of the 21st century.

Great transformative leaders of the 20th century – Gandhi, King, Mandela – were such persons of moral authority. Of the importance of values, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said “this is a moral universe, and there are moral laws of the universe just as abiding as the physical laws.”

Notably, Mahatma Gandhi described the interconnection of thought, action, and values, when he said:
Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words, 
Your words become your actions, 
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values, 
Your values become your destiny.

The theme of this forum is quite meaningful: “Moral and Innovative Leadership: Vision, Service and Entrepreneurship.” This unique juxtaposition – moral and innovative leadership – we believe encapsulates the leadership qualities needed for our time. A moral leader is guided by an ethical framework rooted in universal principles and shared values. A moral leader has integrity, and is committed to advance the greater good before self-interest. To quote the GPF Chairman, Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, who first introduced the framework of moral and innovative leadership in 2010:

“Moral leadership is more precious for the future of a nation than gold, diamonds, or oil. It is guided by a common vision that reflects the most fundamental human aspirations, conforms to the universal spiritual principles that govern human life, and is expressed in shared moral values that can ultimately form a global ethic. On the foundation of a solid ethical framework, innovative leadership can tap the wellspring of innate human creativity, ingenuity, and the power of innovation so that they could be channeled to address even the most intractable social problems.” 

“Let a noble vision guide your steps.” GPF president Jim Flynn urges young leaders to reach for a purpose that benefits all humanity.

Globalization has brought us into close contact and interaction with people quite different from ourselves. While that affords us a rich opportunity, it also could lead to more serious identity-based conflicts. When such conflicts are framed in religious terms, fueled by extremist interpretations, and rapidly connected through worldwide networks, then the threats immediately have global implications. As the current situations in Iraq and Gaza remind us in jarring detail, a global consensus is urgently needed that uplifts the essence of our common humanity, affirming the universal values necessary for a diverse world of freedom and peace.

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Daniel Juma, Executive Director of GPF-Kenya with youth from Kariobangi shovel garbage out of ditches during the city-wide Clean-up Day.

There’s a new Saturday trend in Nairobi. On June 29^th, the Nairobi City Government announced that ever last Saturday of the month is a city-wide Clean-up Day. Residents are encouraged to clean their neighborhoods together. This is the most recent effort to improve the quality of life in Kenya’s capital city.

GPF reported that on the last Saturday of August, Global Peace Foundation joined youth members in Kariobangi, a lower income district in northern Nairobi for Clean-up Day. Daniel Juma, executive director of GPF-Kenya said the project goes much deeper than cleaning; it’s about “the dignity of the African people.”  Clean-up day is telling evidence of Africa’s move towards community driven change. Native leaders are starting to drive progress.

In 2010, Dr. Moon visited Kenya for the Global Peace Convention. He observed:

“Many in the developed world are trying to make their mark on this continent, either through economic incentives, humanitarian aid, or even historic and cultural precedents harkening back to the age of colonialism. These forces have definitely shaped the current state of affairs on this continent but have no bearing on what could happen in the future.

2010 should signal a new decade of African leadership from local communities to the national halls of government to the four key regional corners of Africa where a new breed of leaders, motivated by a common vision rooted in universal principles and values rise to shape the future of this continent and, possibly, the world. “

GPF-Kenya has spearheaded efforts to raise and engage moral and innovative African leaders through projects such as the Character and Creativity Initiative, Leap Hubs and the All Lights Villages development project.

More significant than the scale or number of projects, however, is the transformation of native leader as they work to make their nation, their continent a model for the world.

Former Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Kenya to the United Nations Dr. Josephine Ojiambo puts this into perspective with her statement at the recent International Young Leaders Assembly at the United Nations.

“Whatever you do, small, large, medium, do it to the best of your ability. Leadership isn’t about being on the highest mountain, or having the loudest voice, it’s about doing that particular thing that you have skills for so well that everybody stops to look.”

Clean-up Day is rallying small acts of service in Nairobi. The results may exceed cleaner neighborhoods and a higher quality of life. Placing the responsibility of national and continental development may be the beginning of a new generation of local African leaders.

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The footprints of the Twin Towers in Manhattan are now a memorial to the bravery and service of responders.

Even as the dust was still settling from the twin towers in Manhattan and the Pentagon in Arlington, Dr. Moon went on a 12 city campus tour to urge American young leaders to respond to the incidents of 9/11 not with violence, but with service, with love in action.

“I urge you to take the message of Service For Peace rooted in the ideal of living for the sake of others, to every single family and community in America and to every single nation and community throughout the world. If we do this, then the promises that arose from the ashes of Sept. 11 will not be wasted, for the true war against terrorism and conflict, in general, can only be won in the realm of heart. Only by breaking down the walls of hatred, vengeance and misunderstanding can the seeds of peace truly blossom. “

9/11 was a call to action for the American people to dig into their heritage of service to a greater purpose. It was a call for America to stand not just as an economic and military superpower, but a presence that brought the deeply divided human family together.

In his State of the Union Address in 2002, President Bush reflected on the events following 9/11. “In the sacrifices of soldiers, the fierce brotherhood of firefighters, and the bravery and generosity of ordinary citizens, we have glimpsed what a new culture of responsibility could look like. We want to be a Nation that serves goals larger than self. We have been offered a unique opportunity, and we must not let this moment pass.”

A recent post on the www.globalpeace.org on the Global Forum on International Service hosted at the World Bank pointed out that service has been and continues to be a crucial part of America’s heritage and national destiny.

Service has been a integral part of America’s heritage.

The final lines of the Declaration of Independence calls on the citizens of the newly formed nation to, with reliance on Divine Providence, “mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor” to support of the declaration. The Independence war was fought largely with volunteers, farmers, bricklayers, and smiths, who put down their tools or trade to pick up muskets to fight for their liberty.

And although many calls to service were military, in 1960, President Kennedy made a national call to philanthropy and volunteerism as a means to fight back the spreading Cold War. Subsequently, Kennedy created the Peace Corps, a corps of volunteers who were America’s new ambassadors of goodwill to the far corners of the world. Service became the new form of diplomacy and peace-building.

The war against terror has yet to be won, as ethnic, cultural, ideological and religious divisions still spark conflict. Yet, the service movement continues to grow.

As the anniversary of 9/11 nears, it is good to make a renewed commitment to service, beyond one’s family and community, to include one’s global family and community. Service is a universal connector for it touches a deeply spiritual core in each person.

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The forum on Global Leadership held on Capitol Hill in lieu of the 5oth Anniversary of Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech concluded that to be realizing the dream, true leadership that builds inter-cultural, inter-religious relationships based on common principles and values is needed.

This original blog post appeared on www.globalpeace.org

From top: Amy Lazarus, executive director of International Institute for Sustained Dialogue; John W. Franklin, Senior Manager, Office of External Affairs, National Museum of African American History and Culture; and Jason Washington, a former White House Fellow for the Leadership Development, at the Capitol Hill forum.

50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. posed the question, “Where do we go from here? Chaos or Community?”

Today we still face this great question. Will we stand together to build the beloved community or will we continue to harbor hate and misunderstanding?

Tuesday, the eve of the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech, the International Young Leaders Assembly convened a Global Forum on Visionary Leadership at the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill asking, “How can we be realizing the dream?”

It is understood that while progress has been made, the dream of Dr. King is yet to be fulfilled. White House fellow Jason Washington said, “The reason the dream has not yet been fulfilled. There are still barriers implicit and explicit [therefore], there is still work to do.”

Hon. Peter Emmanuel Eriaku, a Parliamentarian from Uganda cautioned that each person should read and internalize King’s speech to understand what the dream really was. Dr. King was a spiritual man and a firm believer that we are all universal beings tied together by God, the creator. He believed that relationships are essential to the progress of humanity and that love must be the fuel for human interaction.

Mark Farr, President & CEO of The Faith & Politics Institute set the tone when he said, “The relationship paradigm is important to solve today’s problems.” John W. Franklin, Director of Partnerships and International Programs, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture also encouraged exchange across cultural, national and generational divides. He said, “We need to take dialogue into the future to understand each other better.”

The chasms and walls that exist in our world today sometimes seem insurmountable, but we do not stand alone, and together these barriers can be overcome.

Amy Lazarus, Executive Director, International Institute for Sustained Dialogue, told the participants, “Dr.King saw us moving toward a better future, but the change has to be championed. It won’t occur by itself. Good things demand risks.” She encouraged participants to practice courage, for “courage is like a muscle, it takes time to develop.” Alan Inman, president of Global Peace Foundation USA, called on participants to “Join in with the legacy of Dr. King, Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Teresa & be counted in history as someone that made a difference.”

To the question of “What do we need to do?” the answer seems to be that to realize that all of us are a part of the beloved community. And only through strengthening the bonds that bind us as brothers and sisters can the dream be realized. Or as the Parliamentarian from Uganda reminded us, use our “Soul force.”

For more reports on the IYLA visit: www.globalpeace.org

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IYLA High Level Forum: Speakers from right: James Flynn, President Global Peace Foundation, Loida Lewis businesswoman, Mr Ahmad Alhendawi, UN Youth Special Envoy to Sec Gen., H.E. Dos Santo, Ambassador of PM of Paraguay to the UN, and H.E. Mr Desra Percaya, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of PM of Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations.

In his address at the International Young Leaders Assembly at the United Nations, hosted by the Permanent Mission of Paraguay, Global Peace Foundation President, Mr. Jim Flynn told the young leaders, “Leadership in the 21^st Century must begin as moral leadership.”

Moral principles and values are as important as diplomacy, governance, economic development and advances in technology are for human progress.

Conflict resolution, ethical societies and solutions to the world’s biggest economic and health problems have been motivated by compassion, respect for others, empathy, forgiveness, and integrity. These are not qualities that can be mandated by policy or bought by currency; they emerge from the heart and spirit of humanity. They are values that translate across religion, ethnicity, nationality and race.

Mr. Flynn pointed out, “Our greatest challenge is an ethical challenge.”

The previous day, IYLA participants visited the World Trade Center memorial. The hallow footprints are a somber reminder of humanity’s delicate state. And, they are a call to the great religious traditions and people of conscious for a common spiritual vision and a renewal of ethics upon which peace can be secured.

The time is ripe for a spiritual awakening spearheaded by moral leaders who transcend traditional barriers and own the vision of a world where every human being lives with dignity and peace.

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On August 28, 2013, the nation and world will gather around the Washington Monument’s reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial to commemorate a momentous day in history.

50 years ago, a young, relatively unknown, southern Baptist preacher from Atlanta, Georgia put a flame into the hearts of people. His words, “I have a dream” rang across American, and over oceans, resonating through other nations, to spark an awakening that changed the 20th century.

In 2012, Dr. King’s youngest daughter, Rev. Bernice King, CEO of the Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violent Change, spoke at the Global Peace Convention, in Atlanta, Georgia. She told the international audience that the 50th Anniversary of her father’s famous speech “will perhaps be the only time that we will have an opportunity as a world, to come together and really think about why God has placed us in this world.”

To the convention, Rev. Bernice King intimately described her father as first and foremost a spiritual leader who led a spiritual movement. All other things: jobs, equality, access to public services, education, were results of his deep-seated spiritual conviction.

“I characterize him [as] a man of God, as a moral leader who just happened to impact civil and human rights. Everything that he did came out of his spiritual foundation. It didn’t come from his political ideology. In a sense it really didn’t come from his religious beliefs, it came from his spiritual beliefs. That was a spiritual movement that he led, that impacted civil rights. If you read everything that he wrote, if you listen to all of his words and speeches, you would have to be an extremely naïve person to not know that that was a man sent by the most high God. He had an assignment to awaken us to a higher spiritual plain. He was calling us back to some principles and values that in a real sense are the same principles and values that no matter where you live, no matter where your nationality, your ethnicity, your culture. At the end of the day, those principles and values transcend any particular generation, which means that they are everlasting. And he called us back to that foundation.”

Four years after his speech in Washington, Dr. King addressed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference appropriately asking, “Where do we go from here?” At the end of his long list of demands for policy reform and radical systemic changes, he candidly tells his colleagues, the two fundamental principles that have guided him:

1. 1. “Love is ultimately the only answer to mankind’s problems”
   2. “Out of one blood God made all men to dwell upon the face of the earth.”

50 years later, the question is, “Are these principles and values present in our lives, our homes, our nations and the world?”

That day he called on the ministers of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to say together, “America, you must be born again.” 50 years later, Dr. King’s legacy calls out to leaders around the world to say, “World, you must be born again.”

The call for moral leadership is as relevant and imperative now as it was during the days of Dr. King. We must, “be dissatisfied” until all positions of power “house a [leader] who will do justly, who will love mercy and who will walk humbly with his God.”

The call to recognize and protect the value and rights of every human from abuse and injustice is as pressing now as it was then. Although the world had progressed, people still live in destitution. Moreover, there is a growing regression towards what Dr. King called to “thingify” people, measuring a person with numerical and quantitative values, when a person’s value is immeasurable and divinely endowed.

It is good to be reminded once again of the fundamental, time-tested principles that will enable us to protect and uphold fundamental human rights, and to rise up as moral and innovative leaders. Dr. King said, “If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love.”

If we can return to these basics, perhaps, 50 years later, we can turn back and say, that we are realizing that timeless dream that Dr. King gave voice to:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'”

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Lady Liberty is a reminder of why America has been blessed.

In 2012, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon addressed religious leaders at the first Coalition for American Renewal Symposium.

“I firmly believe that God has blessed America not for itself but for the sake of the world. As a “shining city upon a hill”, America is to give hope to all as a model of a unified world. America is to e a place where people of all races and backgrounds can discover the deeper basis of human value; that “under God” all have been endowed, equally with the same essential rights. America is meant to be a living demonstration that all people of the world are to be one family under God.”

Today, the International Young Leaders Assembly visited the Statue of Liberty during their cultural excursion of New York City. Although the United States has sometimes struggled to manifest its founding principles by uplifting the dignity of all people, Lady Liberty stands are a reminder of why the United States has been blessed.

Read the blog post that appeared on Global Peace Foundation about the beacon of America’s values.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land
Here at our sea-washed, sunset fates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Emma Lazarus wrote this poem about Lady Liberty as part of an effort to raise funds for the completion of the statue. The poem now adorns the inner wall of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal.

Lady Liberty stands at the mouth of the Manhattan harbor welcoming the world’s weak and tired, those worn by the troubles of their old world, and promising a new life of opportunity and freedom.  She embraces every person who comes to her shores,  honoring the sacred value of each life.

She has become a symbol of the principles that the United States was built on and continues to work towards, an iconic representation of international friendship, cooperation, human dignity, hope, pride and compassion.

Although there are stains on the history of this young country, Lady Liberty continues to stand as a beacon of hope and promise.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship between France and the United States. She is an example and result of international and national cooperation. The statue herself was funded by the French people. However, there were insufficient funds to erect her pedestal. The symbol of America’s values and vision was at risk of being lost. Yet, many different Americans: artist, business and community leaders, middle and upper class, collectively took ownership to support the project.

Journalist and entrepreneur Joseph Pulitzer was one such person. In his publication, New York World, he ran the following appeal.

“We must raise the money! The World is the people’s paper, and now it appeals to the people to come forward and raise the money. The $250,000 that the making of the Statue cost was paid in by the masses of the French people- by the working men, the tradesmen, the shop girls, the artisans- by all, irrespective of class or condition. Let us respond in like manner. Let us not wait for the millionaires to give us this money. It is not a gift from the millionaires of France to the millionaires of America, but a gift of the whole people of France to the whole people of America.”

The popular appeal raised $100,000 in six months, enough for the pedestal. Most donations were under $1, which equates to approximately 125,000 Americans funding the project.

The Statue of Liberty was erected in 1886, a result of ownership over common vision and values, and teamwork from every tier of society.

In 1986, she would again become the centerpiece of the American the spirit of shared responsibility.  The fundraising effort for her restoration fund is the most successful private-public fundraising effort in American history.

Lady Liberty stands as a symbol of hope to many weary immigrants, and an icon of human dignity and compassion. No matter where you came from or what your story, she welcomes you with her warm light, guides you to her shores, and offers refuge.  Lady Liberty embraces all walks of life, for she acknowledges that all life is sacred, as how God intended.

She is much more than just an amazing engineering feat.  She stands as a symbol of liberty, justice, love, and the idea that all of humanity is one family under God.  She reminds us all that we have a responsibility to one another to protect and ensure a brighter future for each generation that is to follow.

original article appears on www.globalpeace.org

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