“The family is the hub and model for all other social relationships. No one can deny that healthy and happy families depend on women’s unconditional love and sacrifice for the family. Peace begins in the home because it is where we learn to trust, respect, and work together with members of our human family.” –Dr. Junsook Moon (2017 Global Peace Convention, Philippines)
Conflict and misunderstanding arising along gender lines have often curtailed effective cooperation between the genders in both the family and society.
To address this and other critical issues, Global Peace Women(GPW), a division of Global Peace Foundation, strives to serve women and families and help women realize the unique role they play in their families, communities and the world.
Men and women have complementary and unique roles to play in the family and, as such, solutions to social problems must take into consideration the family unit as a whole. The Global Peace Women Chairman observed, “Together with the father, a mother instills the core values and moral compass in children so that they can make wise decisions, navigate relationships, and contribute to society.”
With this intentional focus on the family unit as the cornerstone of healthy societies, GPW works to find comprehensive, long-term and creative solutions to society’s pressing issues.
Global Peace Women’s approach highlights the common aspirations of both genders and the special, innate qualities of each. GPW programs strive to build a strong appreciation for the value of men and women and cultivate effective relationships and communication strategies, towards the ultimate goal of strengthening families and communities.
Two recent programs illustrate this important comprehensive, family-based approach.
GPW Mongolia volunteers bring masks and socks to mothers and their babies
Last January, GPW Mongolia served 115 newborns and mothers at a community maternity house, donating socks and mouth masks, essential to the health of newborns and their mothers.
The project was part of ongoing efforts to support women and families that included awareness programs to combat gender-based violence. GPW Mongolia provides assistance and support to women and families through preventative training programs that emphasize family values, volunteerism, and women’s valuable contributions to the family and society. The program emphasized that both men and women are responsible to serve and protect the family and worked with participants to help them recognize the value of healthy relationships within the family as the cornerstone for all other social interactions.
Another unique GPW project is the Nepal Theater Forum, in which actors and narrators use drama to highlight the value of the unique and complementary qualities of women and men in raising healthy families. These mediums help to create a platform for discussion on ways to foster respect and cooperation among men and women that serves the good of the entire family.
GPW Nepal volunteers narrate theater drama to convey the importance of family values
Sabhir KC, an attendee of the Shikharapur CLC forum, reflected, “Some small things that we neglect in our everyday life have a larger effect in our community and relationships.” He explained, “The words used between husband and wife and in-laws affect our life and sometimes create problems between them. We need to be very careful while selecting our language.”
One volunteer described the transformative power of participating in the forum stating, “I learned that to bring a change in a society we need to change ourselves and start with our own family.”
Through programs and initiatives such as those mentioned above, Global Peace Women supports women as they foster the culture of service in their families and larger community, empowering women to utilize their innate leadership qualities that include compassion and empathy in their peace-building work.
The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.