“As African women, we are expected to be the chief molders of mind, character, and behavior at home and in the community. The success or otherwise of society therefore lies in the roles women play. Consequently, the presence or lack of peace will be laid on the doorstep of women and mothers.” Her Excellency Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo, wife of the former President of Nigeria and Founder of I-CARE Women & Youth Initiative, was one of hundreds of women leaders, policy makers, NGO experts, educators, civil society leaders, business leaders, and artists from twelve countries who attended the 2018 Global Peace Leadership Conference hosted in Kampala, Uganda.
The women’s track, Peace Begins in the Home: Women-led Initiatives for Peace and Development, provided a wide range of approaches and models for comprehensive peacebuilding starting from the home and expanding to the world. Topics such as healthy relationship building, financial capacity building, and women’s participation in the decision making process were an integral part of the discussion on how women-led initiatives could play a crucial role in bringing sustainable development and peace in societies around the world.
Dr. Junsook Moon, Chairwoman of Global Peace Foundation women’s division, shared, “Naturally, women are peace-builders, harmonizers and healers. This is because we are endowed by our Creator with innate qualities of empathy, grace and caring for others. This is most evident in motherhood, when a mother is completely committed to the wellbeing of her child, giving every ounce of her body and soul.”
She continued, “While women have assumed various duties beyond the immediate care of their families, we must remind ourselves that our intrinsic value is not determined by professional success or socio-political status. The true value of a woman, which is unique and irreplaceable, resides in the fact that she can bring new life into this world, infuse her children with genuine love, and allow them to experience the dignity and divinity of human life, beginning in the home and expanding into society and the world.”
The Chairwoman highlighted the positive impact women make in society by tackling the fundamental issues that affect basic God-given human dignity and the value of all people. She also indicated that the tribes, faith communities, and government bodies must reinforce and support the values-based lessons taught from the family level through appropriate policies and assistance. Therefore, solutions that emphasize the value of family and women’s indispensable role in their homes and communities will make a lasting, positive impact on the world.
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 peace building models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.