“As faith has led in the discovery of the principles and values of the vision of One Family Under God, family is where we translate them into relationships. The family is sacred – the most basic human social unit where life begins and is nurtured, and where we form our primary relationships that define how we relate to ourselves and the world.”
In the face of rapid urbanization, globalization, and the disintegration of traditional structures, families continue to play a fundamental role in nurturing moral and social growth. The African Renaissance Initiative, unveiled during the Global Peace Leadership Conference (GPLC) in Nairobi in June 2024, envisions a future where Africa’s rich cultural heritage serves as the foundation to drive a spiritual renewal that can serve as a model for the world.
The Family Track at the conference underscored the crucial role that families play in fostering ethical leadership, social cohesion, and peace. Faith leaders were recognized as essential partners in supporting parents in their critical roles in values education. Acknowledging this critical function, Global Peace Women (GPW) worked in collaboration with Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Kenya and other partners to launch The Parents’ Guide to Values Education in the Home Curriculum. This initiative aims to tackle the pressing moral and ethical challenges that children face while growing up in vulnerable environments.
Rooted in the values of Ubuntu, the curriculum highlights principles such as respect, compassion, responsibility, and integrity, which are core to African identity and values. It emphasizes the family as the foundational unit of society, where faith, culture, and tradition merge to shape character and build resilience. The guide provides practical tools for parents, caregivers, and faith leaders to initiate values-based education at home, including activities designed to support children’s moral, emotional, and social development.
This groundbreaking manual has been refined through two extensive review workshops held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024 and January 2025. These workshops brought together faith leaders from Christian, Muslim, and Hindu communities, along with other curriculum developers, all of whom shared a commitment to value education as a tool to strengthen Kenyan families.
The curriculum draws on the strength of faith communities to address modern parenting challenges, such as absent parents, digital distractions, and the diminishing of cultural traditions. Encouraging the active involvement of both parents and extended family members seeks to restore the bonds that form the foundation of healthy, values-based societies.
More than just a manual, this guidebook represents a movement—a united effort to equip future generations with the moral and ethical foundations necessary for Africa’s transformation. By fostering collaboration and shared values, this initiative ensures that children will grow into individuals who embrace the principles of Ubuntu: collective responsibility, mutual care, and a belief in a common destiny.
Through this journey, the home becomes more than just a living space; it transforms into a learning environment where parents and caregivers are the first educators. The lessons of character and leadership imparted within these homes will shape Africa’s leaders of tomorrow. With this curriculum, Africa moves closer to realizing its renaissance—a continent where heritage and hope come together to build a prosperous and ethical future.
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 peacebuilding models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.