We are proud to announce the successful completion of the first annual Global Peace Convention held in Manila, Philippines from December 10 – 14, 2009. Hundreds of committed leaders and peacemakers from twenty-eight nations and six continents gathered together to share wisdom and best practices and to launch the Global Peace Festivals of 2010. Twenty-seven conference sessions were held over three days, with a fourth day devoted to a trip to the island of Mindanao in the south of the Philippines to observe and experience the local peace projects of that region.
Two especially noteworthy initiatives that came to the fore during the convention were the Mindanao Peace Initiative (MinPI) and the launching of a global service initiative. MinPI brings together Filipino educators, politicians, celebrities, and other leaders to bring an end to the history of conflict in that particular region. The initiative was featured in a conference session and experienced first-hand by convention participants during a one-day trip to Mindanao. International leaders in service, volunteering, and philanthropy launched a global initiative to break down the barriers of race, religion, and culture through service. The Global Peace Service Alliance will serve as an international networking hub for service activities and partnerships in 2010 and beyond.
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)
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.
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.”
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