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October 24 marks the anniversary of entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter, officially establishing the United Nations.

Since then, the global community has made great efforts to elevate the human condition through political, diplomatic and economic frameworks that address the symptoms of an ailing humanity, such as poverty, disease, environmental degradation, conflict and war.

For years, Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon has advocated for the importance of the UN and a revitalization of a UN dedicated to upholding interfaith collaboration and moral and innovative leadership based on universal principles and values to tackle the modern challenges threatening peace today.

The American dream led the United States to prosper and inspire other nations throughout its short history. After the end of the Second World War, this dream was the inspiration behind the U.S. effort to create the United Nations.

Yet, under the dark cloud of the Cold War, the true source behind those rights and liberty that nations with western-style democracies took for granted was not fully acknowledged.

After the counter-cultural revolution of the 1960s, a secularization of human rights and freedoms occurred in the West, especially in the United States and Europe, where faith and spirituality were slowly removed from the civic square.

Nevertheless, everything changed after September 11, 2001. In our post-9/11 world, where radical expressions of faith embrace the tactics of religious war, the need to mitigate the divisiveness of narrow religious advocacy becomes all too obvious.

It is clear that a broader consensus on a spiritual platform rooted in aspirations, principles and values is urgently needed to stop the trend towards a global religious conflict. The United States has already established a model, on a national level, where religious freedom is one of many guaranteed rights afforded to every American citizen. Yet, this ideal is not recognized or accepted by many nations in the international community.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for us to dream big and adopt a global vision rooted in spiritual aspirations, principles and values. It has to have the breadth and the scope to transcend all the barriers that separate humanity and build a common identity without diminishing the unique attributes that each one of us exhibit and cherish.

It also needs a national advocate that can communicate this vision to the larger global community. I believe that that vision is “One Family under God” and that a united Korea should be the champion to advocate that vision around the world.

Today, on the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the UN, commemorating the men and women of the Peacekeeping forces who have striven to make the dream of a world free from the “scourge of war” a reality, let us seek common ground through sharing this powerful vision that can unite humanity and finally bring peace.

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An uninhabited village on the western coast of the Korean peninsula lies squarely on the Demilitarized Zone. The Joint Security Area is located in this village, used until recently by the United Nations to host negotiations between North and South Korea. North and South soldiers stand-off in an uneasy staring match, epitomizing the longstanding stalemate.

Panmunjeom is also a popular tourist site, being one of the only places where you can stare at a North Korean soldier and “step across” into the North.

One might anticipate feeling something different when crossing the border, just like the feeling one gets when disembarking at a foreign airport. But, surprisingly stepping across isn’t so different. When straddling across the DMZ on realizes that both sides are Korea, the people on both sides are literally of the same family. They share a common cultural heritage, language and thousands of years of history but have been torn apart by ideological differences.

Yet, the danger that lurks on either side of the line is real. Soldiers with machine guns stand on either side, daring the other to make the first move.

However, these borders are manmade. Across the border there is lots of exchange. The DMZ has become a wildlife preserve, where bears, goats, and bobcats roam across between the two Koreas. Birds fly overhead, defying the boundaries defended by watch towers, missiles and guns.

Human beings are the only creatures who create threatening boundaries to protect what they imagine to be their own and to keep “Others” out.

Perhaps there is something that can be learned from these animals that refuse to be contained by artificial boundaries. Perhaps its time to “tear down these walls” that have kept the greater Korean family from each other.

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“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. — Isaiah 2:3-4 This statue was a gift from the Soviet Union to the United Nations in 1959. (credit: Wikicommons)

September 21 is International Day of Peace. Citizens of the world are encouraged to observe a moment of silence at noon to pray for peace.

The International Day of Peace was established as a day of cease-fire and non-violence in 2001  with a unanimous vote at the General Assembly. Prior to that, the day of peace was commemorated on third Tuesday of September to coincide with the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The 2013 focus is “Education for Peace”. A few months ago, Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani girl who almost lost her life while advocating for girl’s education, spoke at the United Nations. She said, “One teacher, one book, one pen, can change the world.” Yet the amount spent to fuel violent conflict increases, while, the UN reports aid for education has dropped for the first time in a decade.

It may be time to turn swords into plowshares by which we can learn to serve others instead of hate, time to turn in guns for pens, paper and books to cultivate the minds and hearts of the world’s children. Time to move beyond training just the mind with facts and figures to educating the heart and character. Time to raise a generation of moral and innovative leaders who are governed by their moral compass and inspired to make a significant contribution to their world.

The moment of silence at noon on September 21 is an opportunity to recognize humanity’s intrinsic connectedness as “One family under God,” and commit to upholding and protecting the value and dignity of every member of our human family. For at the heart of peace and harmony is the principle of living for the sake of others, the characteristics that connects us to the noblest characteristics of the human race.

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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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The International Young Leaders Assembly (IYLA) begins today in New York City. The Assembly will travel to significant institutions of peace and development in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

In New York, the Permanent Mission to the Republic of Paraguay will host the International Young Leaders Assembly at the United Nations. During the assembly, young leaders will examine the roots of conflict. As the next generation, they will consider the necessity of forging new paths to peace and development that incorporate the spiritual dimensions of humanity.

On their journey down to the U.S. Capital, they will pass through Philadelphia, the birthplace of the United States. It will be a unique opportunity to contemplate the significance of the U.S. Founding Fathers’ promise and its implications on the modern notion of human rights and governance.

In 1776, 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence affirmed “all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.” Today Independence Hall preserves this story as a national park.

The men and women, who were part of the independence effort, understood the historic significance of what they were undertaking. They were separating themselves from the greatest empire of the time to set out on an experiment to prove that humanity was capable of self-rule based, not on force, but on conscience and self-evident truths.

The final stop of the IYLA will be the capital of the United States of America, Washington D.C. At the World Bank, they will explore forms of moral and innovative leadership, particularly global youth service and entrepreneurship. At Capitol Hill, they will address the issue of U.S.-China relations, and discuss how they can carry on the visionary leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in lieu of the 50th anniversary of his “I have a dream speech.”

The program will end on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the commemoration the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s stirring oratory. The speech sparked a spiritual movement that reminded the world of the promise of the Declaration of Independence that all men are the created equal, and should be treated with dignity befitting the sons and daughters of God.

This program is an opportunity for these young leaders to consider the shared vision and aspiration that has driven the great men and women of history, and learn from the examples of moral and innovative leadership.

As these young leaders pursue their career and studies, may they remember that the greatest contribution is not of money, power or fame, but of bringing humanity one step closer to its age-old dream of peace.

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Korean businesses have partnered with Global Peace Foundation to implement social and economic development projects around the world.(top) Korean Security Depository employees before volunteering at the company sponsored Alllights Village in the Philippines. (middle) Korean and Latin American businessmen meet during the international conference on governance, ethics and development in Paraguay. (bottom) Kangwon Land Co. Executive Vice President Mr. Kimseo Seoung Won greets residents of the first High 1 Hope Village.

Over the past year, Global Peace Foundation (GPF) has formed numerous partnerships with Korean corporations to spearhead social responsibility projects. In neighboring South East Asian countries and Africa they have established Alllights Villages and the Love in Lights Foundation. This month, Kangwon Land Co. Ltd, and Global Peace Association-Nepal launched the High 1 Hope Village initiative. In June a delegation of Korean businessmen attended an international conference in Paraguay to explore prospects of investing in Latin American development.

In his article, “Business and third sector have much to learn from each other”, Mark Makepeace, CEO of FTSE writes, “An Alliance based on a core set of shared objectives can have a very tangible impact on the business itself.”

The same concept is operational in the United Nations Global Compact, a strategic policy initiative that fosters business partnerships with the United Nations. It states, “Business practices rooted in universal values can bring social and economic gains.”

If core principles are the glue that holds multiple sectors together, what core principles are bonding Korean corporations and GPF?

In an interview with Daily DongA, Global Peace Foundation Chairman, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon observed that social responsibility is an intrinsic part of Korea’s heritage. “The Korean founding mythology of Dangun and the philosophy of Hongik-ingan assert that Koreans are endowed by Heaven with responsibility to live for humanity.” He has encouraged Korea to step forward to mentor developing nations.

The 2008 global financial crisis left the world wanting new more sustainable and ethical models of development. Korea’s story has something to offer.

More than 60 years ago, the Korean War left the peninsula devastated. Social and spiritual reforms like the New Village Movement united the South Korean people.  Divisions of an aging feudal system came down and the Korean people worked together to build their nation. This transformation coupled with foreign investment and aid boosted Korea’s GDP per capital from $91 in 1961 to $1,746 in 1971. Today, Korea ranks 15th in the world’s economies and stands head to head with western nations as a member of the G-20.

In the same interview, Dr. Moon states that Korea stands in a rare position of opportunity to set a precedent of moral leadership in the world. If it revives these founding principles, starting with reaching out to its global community.

And the economic and social gains that Ban Ki-moon speaks of? Mr. Markpeace lists higher employee moral, better potential hires, and higher brand appeal. Dr. Moon has predicted that Korea can become a top 5 if not 3 economy in the world if it earns its a moral authority.

GPF Korea and its Korean business partners could be starting a new economic and social development trend based on the universal principles that are embedded in Korea’s founding philosophy that acknowledge fundamental human rights and dignity and the sanctity of the natural world.

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GPA and partners released fish into the Bagmati River at the start of World Environmental Week in Nepal

At the start of World Environmental Week in Nepal, fish were released into the Guheshwori section of Bagmati River. Weeks prior, volunteers came to clean the riverbanks.  Kishor Kumar Rajbhandari commented on Facebook, “…time has come to resurrect life in the water of this section.”

The earth indiscriminately supports life, particularly of all 7 billion people that inhabit it.

Yet, every year massive amounts of food are wasted. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that every year 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted, the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Sahara Africa. Meanwhile, 1 in every 7 people in the world still go to bed hungry, and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger. This year’s World Environment Day focuses on anti-food waste and food loss with the theme “Think, Eat Save”.

Humanity is connected as one family. Innovative solutions need to be generated to better care for and share the resources of the planet that support the growth and development of our human family.

From June 1-June 6 GPA Nepal and partners hosted a week of programs to explore ways to conserve and care for rivers, trees, plants and earth. Citizens, old and young had an opportunity to engage in everyday changes like composting and reducing food waste, and concerted civic efforts like cleaning the banks of the Bagmati River and tree planting.

The original report of GPA Nepal’s World Environment Week appears on  Global Peace Foundation

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During the session on the “Social Determinants of Health” at the Global Peace Convention 2012, Dr. George Askew introduced Global Human Services (GHS), an initiative that he began as the first medical officer for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF),

Dr. George Askew addresses the international crowd at the Global Peace Convention 2012.

“The U.S. government’s engagement in global human services is vital to protecting and promoting the health and well-being of Americans as well as protecting the health of our international colleagues,” said Dr. Askew.

Dr. Askew is not new to global health issues. Although he is a pediatrician in the United States, his residency focused on international and urban children pediatrics. His last year in medical school was spent in Kumasi, Ghana, “one of the most transformational years of my life.” Early in his career he worked in the U.S. Center for Disease Control, as a disease detective for the World Health Organization in Geneva, which also took him to Nepal to teach and conduct epidemonoligic work.For Dr. Askew, “health goals are not achievable without concrete human services in place.”

The idea for Global Human Services was proposed in 2011, when Dr. Askew realized that the global health strategy released by the Department of Health and Human Services neglected to include a human services component. For Dr. Askew, “health goals are not achievable without concrete human services in place.”

Human Services are programs and policies that support people’s well-being and health: where they are born, live, work, learn, play and worship. This includes the family, community, school, and places of worship.

GHS seeks to build a global network of health and human services through and multilateral engagement and exchange of knowledge and best-practices. It also seeks to open avenues for international mentorship.

The ACF frequently hosts international delegations. Recently, the first lady of Guatemala arranged for a delegation from Guatemala to come to study the programs of ACF. In 2008, Guatemala ranked second to China for children sent for adoption to the U.S. The first lady’s hope is to slow this trend by creating better human services that support families and youth in Guatemala.

Goal 8 of the UN Millennium Development Goals is to build Global Partnership for Development.

Earlier in 2012, a delegation from Brazil came to learn about U.S. legislation against human trafficking, and  ACF’s respective services for victims of human trafficking.

The ACF also participated in the planning of a global summit on foster care hosted by US AID. During the summit experts from around the world, including those from ACF, came together to review current evidence on effective systems.

Goal 8 of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals is Global Partnership for Development. GHS is one example that demonstrates how international cooperation can address shared global issues. Furthermore, it illustrates the strength of cooperation based on shared commitments such as to the family as the most basic and important unit of society, and the sacred value of every child and human being. Such kinds of global partnerships are key ingredients to achieving a world where families and children can flourish.

This article originally appeared on the Global Peace Foundation website.

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Projects like Alllights Village is engaging Koreans in giving back to the global community and raising the consciousness that all of humanity is One Family Under God.

In 2010, Korea hosted the G20 Summit as the first non G8 nation. Korea is unique, as President Lee Myung Bak shared, because it has “first-hand experience of economic development within living memory.”

In Korea in the 70s, the average family could not afford to put protein on the table. Fish and even eggs were a treat. Beef and pork were extra special.

So much has changed in such a short time. Today Korea has the 15^th largest economy in the world.

But, Korea couldn’t have made its miraculous leap alone. When torn by war, twenty-one nations under the UN forces came to support. After the war, billions of dollars in foreign aid supported Korea’s efforts for development like the “New Village Movement” that bound together rich and poor, urban and rural to rebuild Korea. The world has been a part of its making.

And now, Korea has an opportunity to give back in ways that are than just economic.  Yes, its example of rapid economic development offers a great deal for developing regions. But Korea also has an opportunity to set a holistic model of peace-building as it examines the issue of unification.

The Korean Dream is a dream of a united nation that honors the value and freedoms of each of its citizens and members of God’s family. If the process is centered on a dream that can bridge the historic and ideological enmity that divides this nation. Korea can create an example for the world of peace-building that is not just political and diplomatic, but includes the spiritual transformation of each person.

This process has started. It has begun with simple acts of service like the Eco Bag and Dream Bus projects. In these ways Koreans are beginning to give back. It is changing the mindset and lifestyle of each person, connecting them as one family. This transformation can breakdown the barriers of North and South within the minds of the Korean people and open a path to reconciliation.

This is what Korea can offer the world.

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