The day was beautiful and sunny as the huge tarpaulin was laid out in the middle of the oval ground on February 15, 2010 that signaled the grand opening of the Global Peace Festival UMak-2010. The theme of the Festival was, “UMak for Peace – One Family under God”. The activity formally commenced with the ribbon cutting led by Dr. Edita I. Chan, Executive Vice-President, University of Makati.
The plan was to have ‘Human Hand Printing’ on the gigantic tarpaulin. The activity was called “Thousand Hands for Peace”; a weeklong endeavor to complete the formation of the Global Peace Festival (GPF) logo in consonance with the GPF UMak’s campaign for the promotion of peace, unity and harmony through arts on the campus level. The human hand printing itself was accomplished 3 days earlier by the school officials who made the first handprints, encouraging the student body to take ownership of the GPF’s vision of building “One Family Under God”. The fact that this was completed very quickly only further signified the unity and commitment of UMak’s faculty and its student body. GPF-UMak also aims to impact other colleges and universities to do the same and to proudly be the first to establish this powerful peace initiative.
From December 10 – 14, 2009, Manila was host to the first annual Global Peace Convention, which brought together five hundred participants from twenty-eight nations, seeking solutions to the world’s most pressing issues under the banner of “One Family under God.” The convention assembled leaders and representatives of the Global Peace Festival (GPF) movement, which swept the globe in 2008 with events held in twenty countries and over one million people participating worldwide.
MANILA, Philippines, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Grammy Award Winner and Humanitarian Usher Raymond IV, announced today that his non-profit organization, Usher's New Look, will take Powered By Service, an initiative from Usher's New Look that encourages young people to utilize their talents and resources to make a difference in their community, to the Global Peace Convention in the Philippines from December 10-14, 2009. At the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2009, Usher's New Look launched Powered by Service and a partnership with the United Nations Foundation to tackle critical issues facing the world including malaria prevention.
MANILA, Philippines - Grammy-award winning R&B singer Usher Raymond IV may be known to Filipinos as that artist with the velvet voice and smooth moves who famously gave a moving tribute at Michael Jackson's funeral.
But there is more to Usher than just catchy party songs and ballads, according to Shawn Wilson, president of Usher's New Look (UNL), a U.S.-based youth empowerment organization founded by Usher in 1999. (More information at www.ushersnewlook.org)
The leader of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Eid Kabalu told participants at the first Global Peace Convention last Saturday (Dec.12) in the Philippines to support a peaceful settlement of the Mindanao conflict in the Philippines.
This conflict has lasted since almost 40 years and cost an estimated 120,000 lives. The parties, MILF and the Government, resumed talks last Tuesday (Dec.8) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after a 16-month hiatus in what has been a 13-year peace process. Some Muslim participants couldn’t find hope for a successful outcome. “After four decades we decided to try a new approach to peace in Mindanao,” Estrella Babano, Department of Education director for the northern Mindanao region, told the conference. “The focus has to be on future generations.”
MANILA, Philippines, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Eid Kabalu, a leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, urged participants at an international peace convention Saturday in the Philippines to support the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Mindanao, the Philippines' southern island.
The conflict between the MILF and the Philippines government has lasted since the 1970s and cost an estimated 120,000 lives. The parties resumed talks last Tuesday and Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after a 16-month hiatus in what has been a 13-year peace process.
Some Muslim participants were not hopeful of the outcome.
"After four decades we decided to try a new approach to peace in Mindanao," Estrella Babano, Department of Education director for the northern Mindanao region, told the conference.
"The focus has to be on future generations."
The Mindanao Peace Initiative, launched in September 2008, was designed to address what she said was the lack of a common platform among the various religious, ethnic and social groups in Mindanao. It promotes cooperative projects among those groups across 17 social sectors, from education to sports, and religion to the armed forces.
On Monday, participants are to visit one of the education projects, a "Peace Village" in Lanao del Norte. There Muslim and Christian students share a camp experience and learn about each others traditions.
MANILA, Philippines, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Grammy award-winning American R&B singer Usher is looking to expand the work of his foundation into Asia.
Shawn Wilson, president of Usher's New Look foundation, was at the Global Peace Convention in Manila, the Philippines, last weekend looking for partners for the non-profit organization's Powered to Serve youth project.
Usher's New Look says it plans to invest $40 million over the next 10 years in micro-grants of up to $500 to youth engaged in service projects.
Powered by Service has trained 3,500 U.S. youth in leadership and organizational skills. It also provides malaria nets for people in Africa through young Americans' fundraising efforts.
Global Peace Convention is led by Hyun Jin Moon, who also is chairman of News World Communications, owner of UPI.
Close to 2,000 local and foreign peace advocates from 28 countries have convened starting Dec. 10 at the historic Manila Hotel for the Global Peace Convention, with Moro leader Eid Kabalu appealing to the forum delegates to support the resolution of the Mindanao conflict through peaceful means.
An American citizen of Korean descent, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, led the Global Peace Convention themed "Peacebuilding 2010: Family Interfaith Service." It ends Monday, Dec. 14.
Moon is co-chairman of the Universal Peace Foundation (UPF).
Kabalu heads the Civil-Military Affairs of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but he hastened to add that he participated in the forum and appealed as another peace advocate to the delegates to help in the 13 years old Mindanao peace process.
"I am fortunate to be invited and took advantage to attain, not as a representative of the MILF. My participation is in my capacity as another peace advocate," said Kabalu.
"In my speech, I appealed to the close to 2,000 peace advocates from around 28 countries to support the resolution of the Mindanao conflict through negotiated settlement," the Moro peace advocate said.
More than 200 foreign delegates involved in peace-building activities around the world will visit the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao Monday to make an assessment on the real situation there and possibly be ambassadors of goodwill for the South when they go back to their respective countries.
Paul Murray, spokesperson of the Global Peace Convention, which is ongoing at the historic landmark Manila Hotel, said that they will hold a fact-finding tour in Lanao del Norte where international peace advocates would see for themselves the situation in that region.
“Whenever there is conflict, what we usually do is we look at the community level and we don't focus much on the conflict, may it be political or religious.
Our goal is really to engage the communities to talk to the government and find solutions,” Murray said.
“Instead of working from top to bottom, we would be more productive if we work from the bottom up. We can galvanize and bring the whole community together to bring change,” he added.
The Philippines was chosen as the host nation of the first four-day Global Peace Convention that started Thursday.
It has a tri-fold platform of three pillars essential to peace-building namely promoting interfaith cooperation, building a culture of service, and strengthening family.
Participants composed of foreign educators, youth leaders, members of non-government, and faith-based organizations, among others, have convened to look at best practices in these three areas.
The Global Peace Convention (GPC) is an annual gathering of peacebuilders from around the world. The GPC resulted out of the excitement and positive impact of the Global Peace Festivals (GPF) held throughout the world since 2007. The convention is an opportunity for peace advocates from around the world to exchange information and learn from best practices to improve the quality of all peace-building projects. It brings together key leaders in the realms of politics, civil society, and religion to discuss creative approaches to pressing global issues.
For the 2009 Global Peace Convention that is being held at the historic landmark Manila Hotel, the theme is “Peacebuilding for the 21st Century: Interfaith, Service, and Family.” The convention runs several interconnected program tracks based on the three Global Peace Festival pillars of interreligious cooperation, fostering a culture of service, and strengthening marriage and family. Woven into the schedule are a variety of educational seminars and workshops, cultural events, optional recreational activities, and a fact-finding tour in Mindanao.
First Global Peace Convention Convened in the Philippines from December 10-14, 2009
Early
morning, December 14, 134 dignitaries and leaders of peacebuilding
efforts from 28 different nations boarded a plane to Mindanao – a
region that has been the center of national attention recently.
Globally, Mindanao may be seen as a hot spot of armed conflict and
considered “dangerous”, but it is also the home of innovative
peacebuilding models. These models have attracted leaders of global
peace efforts.
Service For Peace is developing an exciting project that will Empower 900 Filipino Youth in Peace Building. Find out more at www.globalgiving.com/4054 and join in an effort to bring peace in Mindanao, Philippines.
The day was beautiful and sunny as the huge tarpaulin was laid out in the middle of the oval ground on February 15, 2010 that signaled the grand opening of the Global Peace Festival UMak-2010. The theme of the Festival was, “UMak for Peace – One Family under God”. The activity formally commenced with the ribbon cutting led by Dr. Edita I. Chan, Executive Vice-President, University of Makati.
MANILA, Philippines, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Grammy award-winning American R&B singer Usher is looking to expand the work of his foundation into Asia.
Early
morning, December 14, 134 dignitaries and leaders of peacebuilding
efforts from 28 different nations boarded a plane to Mindanao – a
region that has been the center of national attention recently. 
