"I forgot all that was sacred. I was a broken spirit. Dehumanized, I had no value as a person and I struggled with addictions."

"I survived..."

"Now I see differently, I see the universe. In seeing my own value, I see the value of all."

Chief Joseph, Chief of the Gwa wa enuk First Nation, began to speak with these words at the Global Peace Leadership Forum, held on Tuesday, May 18^th, 2010 at the National Press Club in Washington DC.

Atlanta, GA – There’s an added bonus for 250 young people taking part in Atlanta’s youth employment program this summer. In addition to a welcome pay packet they will take part in GPFF’s Character Competency Program, which may prove more valuable to them than the cash in the long run.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced the program, along with the Georgia Teenwork Program that provides city jobs to 1,700 young people, to media and hundreds of youth at the city council chambers Tuesday morning. The mayor’s office said this marked the launch of a pilot collaboration involving federal, state and city agencies, and the non-profit world represented by GPFF.

In his June 2009 speech in Cairo, U.S. President Obama pledged to host a Summit on Entrepreneurship to broaden and deepen ties between business leaders, foundations, and entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world. On April 26-27 the Department of State and the Department of Commerce jointly hosted the Summit at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.

USA - The Global Peace Festival in Washington, DC, on August 9, 2008 was a kick-off to a sustained US campaign in many other cities. A key theme and challenge to those mobilized by the Festival campaign was a call to “A Million Acts of Service and Kindness.” The event was organized by many groups, and led by the Universal Peace Federation. The Points of Light Institute was a founding partner and has led the Million Acts efforts, along with its many Kids Care Clubs and Volunteer Centers. Across the world, it is the efforts of unsung individuals who catch the dream and seek to change their communities who really make the difference.

New York, USA - The Global Peace Festival hosted an interfaith, intercultural celebration in New York City on October 23 at the historic Manhattan Center, one of the city's most renowned performance venues.

Los Angeles, USA - The Global Peace Festival on October 9 in Los Angeles capped a 21-day focus on peace events that included the annual ringing of the United Nations Peace Bell at Maguire Gardens in Central Los Angeles, an International Day of Peace Speech and Drawing Contest, Prayers for Peace at the Pasadena City College Campus, “Pinwheels for Peace” at the Monrovia Coffee Company, “Kites for Peace” by the Brahma-Kumari sisters, a tree planting at the Malibu Canyon Peace Center, a Women’s Federation for World Peace event supporting African schools, a “Clean Slate” presentation for inner peace among inner-city youth, and a kaleidoscope of other significant and colorful events designed to promote a culture of peace.

An Atlanta lawyer who attended the Global Peace Festival August 9 in Washington, DC, returned home to organize service activities to bring together local young people for the sake of peace. As a federal attorney and founder of the mentoring group “Brother to Brother,” Sheila Arnum had seen the effect that divisions in society have on young people, and the Global Peace Festival gave her new hope.

In preparation for the October 7 Global Peace Festival in Atlanta, Mrs. Arnum organized weekly opportunities for young people to make friends with people they would not ordinarily meet and experience the joy of doing good for others. The Saturday before the festival, 400 people young and old alike came together to clean Washington Park in Atlanta, working harmoniously as a sea of blue “Global Peace Festival” T-shirts.