At the onset of winter, families and communities around Korea still practice kim-jang, or kimchee making. This yearly activity animates the virtue of “hong-ik-ingan” inherent in Korean culture. (Photo Credit: Victoria Choi)

Every autumn, when the leaves change from green to brilliant crimson and gold, and the winds begin to cool, families around the Korean peninsula begin the yearly tradition of kim-jang, or ‘the making and sharing of kimchi’.

From the coast to the midlands, from the countryside to the cities, families harvest and pickle nappa cabbage and make Korea’s most beloved dish, Kimchee.

Every family and region has their specific concoction of spicy pickle sauce.  On the southern coasts, they use homemade fish sauce and locally caught mackerel. In the heartlands, they mix in seasonal vegetables, herbs and fruits.

And while there are plenty of store-bought varieties of kimchee available today, families continue to gather in this age-old tradition; not only in Korea but also in communities around the world.

During this season, the concept of poomashi, or ‘sharing the work together’, comes alive.

Children and grandchildren return home to help their parents in kim-jang. In local villages and even cities, neighbors make their rounds bringing their own rubber gloves and boots to neighbor’s kim-jang sessions.

The Global Peace Leadership Exchange hosted by the Global Peace Foundation in 2012 fostered international connections between global peacemakers.  In this photo, Malaysian delegates experience “poomashi,” or sharing work together, during a kimchee making session.

The cold autumn air makes their breath visible, as they wash and salt the heads of cabbage, catching up with each other, laughing and crying together, and sharing in hot radish soup at the end of each day.

There is an unspoken understanding that together, they can make a mountain of work enjoyable.

Some mothers will pickle up to 300 heads of cabbage, enough for the entire year and always some to share.

This yearly ritual is for many families and communities a time to rebuild familial ties with each other. Today, even in the cities, families will still gather to make kimchee together. In small apartments, three generations will get together to make and share in their mother’s special, one-of-a-kind kimchee.

Global Youth Exchange, formerly called Global Poomashi, sends Korean youth abroad to serve developing regions.

This sense of extended family and community is something that has tied the Korean people together for centuries. Going out of the way to help each other, and knowing that somehow the good will be reciprocated, is a concept that is still alive and well in Korea today.

It can even be said to have sparked Korea’s economic miracle in the last century, and it continues on in the international relief efforts of KOICA. Recent Global Youth Exchange programs, previously named Global Poomashi, sends Korean exchange students abroad for community development projects.

Perhaps it is one manifestation of the principles of “Hong-ik Ingan”, or ‘to live for the benefit of humanity’, passed down through the millennia with the Korean people.

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Global Peace Volunteers cleaning up communities in Malaysia

Service has been an integral part of all of Dr. Hyun Jin Moon’s peace efforts, from Service for Peace, which he founded in 2002, to the Global Peace Foundation. Dr. Moon has described service as a powerful peacemaking tool that puts the value of living for the sake of others into action, and starts a process of personal transformation and social harmony.

A recent blog post by the Global Peace Foundation referenced an article by Fortune Magazine that wrote, “Service – whether elected, military, faith-based, or in the non-profit sector – brings people from across the country and across the aisle together to see eye to eye and learn from each other as they work for a shared purpose.”

The article pointed to a recent Pew Research report that showed the United States to be the most politically and ideologically divided as it has been in the last two decades. Fortune called on the millennial generation to engaged in more service to heal the rift and re-engage in public leadership. The article also pointed to a study by American University that said one in ten college students would choose to be mayor, even if the pay were the same amount as a business owner, sales person or teacher.

Political divide, inter and intra-religious conflict, ethnic tensions and apathy are international issues. Aisyah Hanah  of Malaysia University of Science and Technology observed, “Youth nowadays are segregate in so many ways, they need to re-learn to have empathy and the deep sense of inter-connectedness.”

Global Peace Foundation combines interfaith cooperation, strengthening the family and service to mitigate extremism, assuage tensions along identity-based fault lines and build moral and innovative leadership. As Dr. Moon has identified, service is a powerful hands-on tool that puts universal values learned in the family and faith communities into action. This process transforms individuals and breaks down barriers.

Participants hiking up to the top to build character through challenging experiences.

The blog on the Global Peace Foundation featured testimonies from a recent Global Peace Volunteer camp that was held in Malaysia. The leadership camps held across Asia Pacific in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia use outdoor challenge programs, leadership skills workshops and service projects to raise young peacemakers.

GPV Camps provide a place for participants to serve together, grow together, and become leaders together. A participant of the Malaysia program reflected, “At this camp you learn to step back and let other people step in. And as a group you collectively achieve better results. And I think that is the start of leadership that I want to pursue.”

Beyond leadership and self-development, the experience of serving together is a real experience of peacebuilding. Nadeyya Rahmat  a participant of a GPV camp in Malaysia reflected, “My perception of other religions is changed. Despite different faith and practices we have a creator. Hence, there shouldn’t be an issue with religion.” Service transcends traditional divides and unites individuals as they serve based on common values and experiences. One begins to realize that everyone in the human family cries and laughs in the same language, and that everyone in the human family is family.

These testimonies demonstrate that every small or large act of service begins a process that builds out into lasting and global peace. And that service should be considered a powerful tool for peacebuilding on all levels, whether in the community, the nation or the world.

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“Every culture has examples of extraordinary men and women who propelled humanity forward in the fields of philosophy, ethics, the sciences, athletics and the cultural arts. They have challenged existing paradigms by exercising their God-given talents.” Dr. Hyun Jin Moon

Steve Jobs delivered the commencement address at Stanford University in 2005.

During a recent interview, a reporter mentioned Steve Jobs as a role of young Korean entrepreneurs. In response, Dr. Moon listed  essentials values of successful innovators.

First is living for the greater good.  The great innovators of our time were not motivated by money, fame or prestige.  They were driven by the simple desire to make a difference in the world. We all want to make a contribution to humanity. Our dreams are part of how we will make an impact.

In 2005, Steve Jobs gave an unforgettable speech at Stanford University’s commencement. He told the graduates “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

Steve Jobs wanted to improve the world, he did it through technology.

Second is to own that dream. Even a grand dream remains a pipe dream without ownership. When pursing a dream challenges are guaranteed, setbacks are an absolute.  The results are hidden around the corner from the turbulence.

At one point in his career, Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, the company that he had co-founded. Without success and position, he told the graduates, “something slowly began to dawn on me – I still loved what I did.” So, he started over. He said it was “one of the most creative periods of my life.”

There are people who set out to make a difference but back off once success comes to live happily ever after. They are not remembered. Those who are remembered are the ones who stick to their dream through success and failure.  A successful innovator owns their dream.

Third is teamwork. A successful innovator can create a team around their dream. Success is never the result of one person. Success comes with the help of many people along the way. Leaders can draw people and organizations to a common objective, and bring out the best from them.

When Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, Apple issued the following statement, “Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.” Steve Jobs was able to build a team of committed, inspired and motivated people who shared his dream to make the world better through technology.

Fourth, is dreaming big dreams. The capacity to dream big is one of the most important components of life and accomplishing anything that is worth noting. Small dreams for the ancillary products of larger dreams fizzle out.

In the same Stanford address, Steve Jobs said, “Follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference”

Successful innovation has to be rooted in a desire to serve the greater good through an ambitious dream that one refuse to let go of and can draw others to it.

It is fair to say that the modern world with its greater freedoms and advancements has benefited greatly from these innovators.

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