Creating a cultural shift through collaboration
In our last Logic of Love issue, we shared our theme for this year, Empower, Collaborate, Impact: Towards a Culture of Heart, as a model of what it takes to make peace a sustained reality. In that article we expanded upon the first building block of peace: empowered people. (Be sure to read our unique take and definition of empowerment, and find related educational tools offered here.)
Further expanding on the theme, we need empowered leaders who prioritize peace in every sector of society, who exercise cooperation to enact mutually supported and substantial change made to last.
As neither collaboration nor making an impact are inherently good or bad, it is important to remember that it is up to us to guide the direction of each. We are the drivers! This is why we emphasize the underlying purpose of our efforts, which is to move towards a culture of heart.
Peace will not come about in our culture of power and self-interest, but in a new culture where we connect in heart with compassion, honesty, and kindness, much like the relationships you would find in a loving family.
A shift in current culture would also mean a shift in our everyday environment. Imagine walking outside and feeling safe instead of afraid, experiencing embrace instead of indifference or hate, and being able to interact authentically instead of with guarded walls. All of these things and more can be a reality, not just a distant dream, if we work together and commit to making a change. But as long as we believe there is nothing I can do, life’s pains and inadequacies will continue to be overlooked, and will not change. And to that I ask, how much longer will we allow things to remain the same?
To initiate and facilitate collaboration among leaders, organizations, and governments to address major social issues, Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon launched the Global Women’s Peace Network (GWPN) in 2012, to continue to expand the work of WFWP International. During the inaugural speech, the GWPN was described as having “the mission of realizing the providential goal of creating, on earth, a world of lasting peace, without conflict or war… Women will be the central axis in building a new century characterized by its loving, peaceful culture, and their role will be more important than ever before.”
The international inauguration was followed by a national GWPN launch in the US, and continued launches throughout all five regions across the US in 2019. This network will continue to be a major focus for WFWP USA this year in 2020, and if you would like to join as a changemaker and stakeholder, connect to a future gathering posted on wfwp.us/gwpn, and apply to become a Global Friend peace partner at wfwp.us/globalfriends.