“A virtuous family built on true love embodies the essence of what all people cherish, forming the basis for civil, ethical and prosperous societies.” —Dr. Junsook Moon (Uganda 2018)
While leaders speak on global platforms and citizens rouse crowds to action in nations everywhere, real transformation takes place when a fundamental mindset drives individuals seeking change. This mindset is the acknowledgment that every human being is a member of one family, people from a common origin and therefore endowed equally with human dignity and value.
Whether providing innovative farming practices and clean water for rural villages, re-creating educational methods that focus on the whole child, or helping religious leaders from drastically different faiths come together to heal warring communities, the vision of One Family under God is transformative and it starts in each of us and our own homes.
Global Peace Foundation in Uganda
With this vision, Global Peace Foundation transforms schools by first instilling in teachers, parents, and volunteers a culture of service and a desire to not only provide the best education for students, but an environment that bolsters their aspirations to give back to their community as part of their extended human family. It all starts with a shift in mindset: that we are motivated not by high scores or making our educational facilities reach standardized benchmarks, but rather a genuine desire to help generations that follow us just as we would our own families in our own homes.
Students in Uganda put this into practice…literally. Practicing sports on the field, boys and girls between the ages 12 to 16 participated in a twelve-week program that focused on combating gender-based violence and discrimination. Designed by a young woman in the Global Peace Women Leadership Academy, the program allowed a space for both genders to see each other more as brothers and sisters, helping to build empathy and respect while making the school community a safe environment for girls who became more confident to speak publicly during daily activities and events.
Dr. Junsook Moon addressed this transformative mindset with world leaders at the 2019 Global Peace Convention in Seoul:
“If we treat each other like brothers and sisters, cherishing and empathizing with each other as parents do, how can destructive violence and war ever take root? If men and women grow up in a family respecting and serving each other because they know that they absolutely need each other, how could we see the widespread animosity between the genders sweeping across Korea and the entire world? Global Peace Women recognizes that men and women each have unique value and dignity that are complementary to each other. Both men and women have the responsibility to work together to create vibrant, happy families.”
When we understand the value of every member of our family and extend that view into members of our community, real transformation can take place.