This year marks the 70^th year of Korea’s independence, but also its division. As Koreans contemplate the challenges of unification and the “reconstruction” of one nation, there are some lessons perhaps that can be offered by the leadership of Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States on the brink of civil war. The war became a test of the true meaning of democracy and the ideals of the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal,” a measure of whether its founding vision could bring together two disparate societies—one that condoned slavery and one that affirmed the freedom and dignity of every person,

During his five years in office, Lincoln endured personal tragedy and civil war with an unwavering commitment to preserve the union and secure the emancipation of an oppressed people. Following the military surrender of the South, the president inaugurated “a new birth of freedom”, yet recognized that Reconstruction of the nation and the moral battle ahead was one fought first in the hearts and minds of the people.

Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address reflects this, as he turned the nation’s priorities from the prosecution of the war towards reconciliation:

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

One can only imagine what would have been possible had Lincoln lived to enact the policies and programs that would have created the just, inclusive and prosperous society of the American founding ideals.

Lincoln’s generosity can inform a true reconciliation of the greater Korean family, starting in the hearts and minds of the people. They should be guided by Lincoln’s noble example, and usher in an era of Reconstruction of the one Korean nation, with the aspiration of freedom and prosperity for all.

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In 1994 Martin Luther King Day became a day of service.

Twenty years ago the United States Congress declared Martin Luther King Day to be an official day of service. Up until that point, the third Monday of January was a national holiday commemorating the birthday of the spiritual leader and civil rights activist, but mainly through sermons, talks, meetings and lunches.

The bill in 1994 transformed the day into a “day on, not a day off.” Mrs. Coretta Scott King asked Americans to “commemorate this Holiday by making your personal commitment to serve humanity with the vibrant spirit of unconditional love that was his greatest strength, and which empowered all of the great victories of his leadership.”

At the heart of Dr. King’s example is his life of service to his nation and humanity. In his final sermon delivered in Ebenezer Baptist Church entitled, “Drum Major Instinct” he told congregants, “I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I’d like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.”

Excerpt from “Drum Major Instinct” sermon delivered on February 4, 1968.

It is fitting that his memory be honored by embodying the value by which he lived his life. Martin Luther King Day of Service is a crucial reminder to all people of faith, of the fundamental and universal value of service.

In the same sermon, Dr. King warned Americans against pursuing their “Drum Major Instinct”, the desire to be recognized, for themselves: a better car, a better house or a satiated ego. He paraphrases Jesus’ response to his disciples John and James to present the noblest pursuit of life, “I want you to be first in love. I want you to be first in moral excellence. I want you to be first in generosity. That is what I want you to do.”

In essence, he redefines the definition of greatness not based on titles, positions, power or wealth, but “that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” The nobility of life is determined by how much one lives according the universal principles that govern this world, the most basic of these principles being living for the sake of others with “a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.”

“We must rapidly become a person centered society, rather than a thing oriented society.” Rev. Bernice King, GPC 2012.

For America it is a timely reminder of its founding principles and promise. U.S. Senator John Lewis said, “Our country, this little piece of real estate that we call America, was built, founded upon service. We didn’t wait for local, state of national government; we just came together and did it.” This is the power of the American spirit, but a power that has been waning over the years.

In her address to the Global Peace Convention in 2012, Rev. Bernice King said of her father, “He reminded us that we are at a very critical place in the world that we must have a radical, underlined by me, revolution of values. But we must rapidly become a person centered society, rather than a thing oriented society.” The time is ripe for such an awakening.

Martin Luther King Day of Service is an important reminder of service as the great equalizer and the means by which the “beloved community”, the dream of peace shared by all humanity can be realized.

This year Martin Luther King day will be observed on Monday, January 20. To find a way to serve visit: mlkday.gov.

This video was produced for the 25th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Day. It tells how Dr. King’s birthday evolved into a national day of service.

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Rev. Anthony A. Schller delivered the following message at the Global Peace Convention 2012 in Atlanta. Rev. Schuller served as co-chair of the convention. He is also a member of the Global Peace Leadership Council and co-chair of the Coalition for American Renewal. His simple message? When asked to help to world peace, the only acceptable answer is, “Yes.”

In 2007, I was asked to meet with this gentleman. His name was Preston Moon. And I said, “Let me see if I can work it into my schedule.”  I managed to invite him to my office.

He came with about 15 other people. He shook my hand. And I was very impressed by this young man. He started telling me about, “One Family Under God”. I thought, I appreciate this, I enjoy this. And he introduced me to all the other people around that he came with. They were very involved in creating peace internationally around the world.

And I thought to myself, “That’s nice. That’s good for you, but what does it have to do with me?” Then he said, “I want you to come to Brazil and participate at our event there, and speak at our event”.  I thought for a moment, “I don’t have time to do that. We don’t have any offices in Brazil.  I’m busy with this ministry. I’m doing all these things, how could I possibly do that?”

But you know it’s hard to say “no” to something that you’re supposed to say “yes” to. It’s hard to say “no” to somebody who says, “Will you help me create world peace?” It’s hard to say no when you know you’re supposed to say, “Yes.”

I can’t see too much, so I’m just going to have to believe that there are people out there. All I can see are the bright lights. So, I’m going to ask a question, and I’m not going to know the answer, but, “How many people are here for the first time?”  This is for everyone, not just for me. So, if this is your first Global Peace Convention, I want everyone to see how many new peo

ple we have here, I want everyone to see. So you’re going to have to tell me. But I’m assuming there are a lot. Am I right? I’m assuming that it’s about half. Am I right?

Thank you for that feedback. I appreciate it.

I came to my first one, just like you did. That was in December of 2008, because I couldn’t say, “no” to world peace. I had to say “yes”.  I think shortly after that, I had an amazing time, I met Bishop Ferreira there. He had a convention room filled with about 20,000 screaming, wild, insane young people. And I was supposed to speak. I was at the podium. There were about 200 people at the podium. Nobody knew who was supposed to be speaking, and I spoke anyway.

And nobody stopped screaming and yelling the entire time, so nobody heard a single thing I said. And then Preston got up, and he walked around the stadium, so people knew who was speaking at least. Because he was the one walking around the stadium and he continued to proclaim his message, “One Family Under God, One Family Under God, One Family Under God.” A fabulous message.

Well, after that, I was asked to become a member of the Global Peace Leadership Council. And what do you say when somebody asks you to participate in helping to create world peace? “Yes!” That’s all you can say, you have no choice, you have to say “yes”.  So I said, “Yes.”

So by 2010 I was a member of the Global Leadership Council, and I continued to participate in events. I think it was two years ago that I met Emmanuel. Was it in Mongolia we met for the first time? Yes, it was Mongolia. And since then, he was asked if he would be the co-chair in Atlanta. And what do you say to world peace? “Yes!” I was asked if I could be the co-chair, and what did I say? “Yes.”

Then I was asked if I could be the chairman for the Coalition for American Renewal.  And what do you say? “Yes.” Period. End of story.

I brought my son here about a year ago, his name is Anthony, and he was asked to participate with the next gen of Coalition for American Renewal. So we have the Coalition for American Renewal, but N-Gen. So, it’s actually called CAR N-Gen. Got it?

A family of peace. Rev. Anthony A. Schuller, Co-Chair of of Global Peace Convention 2012, Mrs. Donna Schuller, Global Peace Women Advisory Council, Anthony Schuller, Coalition for American Renewal N-Gen

He was asked to be the co-chair. What did he say? “Yes.” What do you say when someone asked you to help for world peace? You say “yes.” Where is my son? He’s out there somewhere. I can’t see a thing. I believe he’s in that area, Anthony if you can stand so they can see you. So, I’m assuming by the applause that he stood and you all saw.

So, on behalf of the Moon family, on behalf of the staff of the Global Peace Conference here in Atlanta, on behalf of the King family, on behalf of the Coalition for American Renewal, on behalf of the Global Peace Leadership Council, it is my honor, along with Emmanuel Jones to welcome you to your very first, if this is your first, Global Peace Convention.

And we are very, very glad you’re here. I am praying that every single one of you will have an experience like myself, and like my son. Where you will be asked to participate in something and there is only one answer when you are asked to participate in world peace, “Yes.”

So this is a group, and organization which started very small. It started in 2008 when Preston came and talked to me, and there was a hand full of people there, and we started this thing, and it has been going on for many years. And it’s a combination of a lot of people doing a little.

As you have a lot of people doing a little, that little becomes much.  To the point that it becomes a tsunami, and that’s our goal: to create a tsunami of peace that is going to sweep around the world and just take everyone in with the love of God. Because we are all brothers and sisters together. We are one family under God.

And all it requires us to say is one small, three letter word – “Yes.” So you will be asked to participate in peace in one way, shape or form. And we don’t know how it’s going to happen we don’t know what the role is going to be. This is a very organic organization, meaning that it’s fluid, and creating and growing in ways that we don’t understand or comprehend. And yet it’s an organized organism, it’s not a cancer by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a very healthy institution. And so you’ll be asked to do something. We don’t know what it’s going to be, you don’t know what it’s going to be. It’ll be something.

And when you’re asked, you’re going to say “yes”. And you’re going to do your little share, and you’re going to bring some of your family and friends. And they’re going to say, “Yes,” and it’s just going to permeate around the world until people start recognizing it. And they’re going to start coming to us, and saying, “I want to be a part of this.” Very much as Bernice did. She wants to be a part of this.

So, I just want to thank you for being here. I want to thank you for saying “yes” to being here. I want to thank you for the opportunity to be able to have an amazing co-chairman, thank you Emmanuel. I just love you Emmanuel. I love all the people who are her.  I would love to shake your hand.

And again, I just want to thank you and welcome you to this wonderful place. And you know the answer when you’re asked the question, the answer is, “Yes.”

To register for find out more about the GPC 2013 in Kuala Lumpur visit: http://gpc2013.my/

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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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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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Volunteers ask for donations from Satellites for the All Lights Village initiative. (credit: Global Peace Youth Corps)

Eighty youth from the Philippines, Japan, Mongolia, Korea and the U.S. sang, danced and delivered speeches in the heart of downtown Seattle to raise funds for the All Lights Village project and promote the vision that humanity is connected as one family under God.

The Global Peace Youth Festival was held in Seattle, Washington on August 11, 2013 It was a part of the Seattle Westlake Family Fun Week, sponsored in part by the Downtown Seattle Association, the Metropolitan Improvement District and Seattle Parks and Recreation.

When asked what she hoped the people of Seattle would gain from the festival, one volunteer from New York said, “There are probably many people who believe in God, but they might not openly say it. Through this, they can see that there are people who are living for the sake of others because of God. I hope that by being here they can feel open to sharing.”

A Filipina representative expressed, “I hope people will be inspired by this chance to help people in the Philippines and around the world.”

Their moving renditions of the Global Peace Foundation theme song, “One Family Under God,” and Michael Jackson’s “We are the World,” got people to stop and donate.

Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop Emeritus of the City of Manila, and patron of the All Light Village movement once expressed, “Thank you for paying attention to the needs of our brothers and sister in those poor areas of the country. “

The small acts to support the rural villages in the Philippines were slivers of light connecting Seattle to developing nations across the Pacific in small but significant ways. Engaging people in service made the vision of One Family Under God tangible.

As a University of Washington student and local chapter member of the Global Peace Youth Corps, said, “I hope that they can share the feeling of love here and know that we are all one family, no matter what race, religion or nationality.”

The Lights initiative is a comprehensive development plan for rural villages in areas of the Philippines, Nepal, Mongolia and recently Kenya and Uganda. The primary organizer of the event was the Global Peace Youth Corps, a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Moon with the mission to educate young people to become future leaders with both moral and innovative capacity. It has undertaken All Lights Village as its signature international project.

For the original story visit: www.globalpeaceyouth.org

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