PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Dear friends,

Pre-Thanksgiving greetings to one and all!

There is peace in the air... at least, we hear voices for peace here and there, especially in September during the time of International Peace Day.

Why are voices for peace so important? They matter because they provide a much-needed counterpoint to the ugliness that is occurring in many parts of the world and even in our own backyard, such as:

Wars - In the Syrian civil war, well over 400,000 have so far been killed. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, thousands are still dying in conflicts over minerals.
Poverty - It's estimated that 21,000 poverty-stricken children die every day from hunger and easily preventable diseases.
Addiction - At least 100 Americans die every day from opioid overdoses.
Gun violence - Some 30,000 Americans die each year as a result of suicide and homicide.

And there is a great deal more going on... Violence occurs on so many different levels, and it sometimes seems as if we humans are hellbent on destroying each other, our own selves, and this planet Earth.

This should be a wakeup call that it is time for all peace-loving citizens, from local to global, to coalesce and make our voices heard, sharing messages of hope, reconciliation, wisdom, and self-change wherever we are and whenever we can, because PEACE DOES START WITH ME. The only long-term antidote to war and senseless killings is prayers and actions for peace, creating an atmosphere in which peace can grow, through education and through leadership that builds up caring and sharing in our families, communities, nations, and world.

It's in light of this that we applaud and pray for our Founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who is currently preparing a "Peace Starts With Me" public rally in Seoul's World Cup Stadium on November 11. She is is seeking to bring to the table a voice for peace on the international stage, especially concerning the peaceful reunification of North and South Korea.

Let us join her in prayer and action wherever we are, because each action of love, care, reconciliation, forgiveness, and serving others makes a difference on the global level. We are all in this together!

Here is an action step you can do right away: Send a peace message to a friend or foe today, and then repeat such an action every day!

And let's keep in mind the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: "We must learn to live together as brothers (and sisters) or perish together as fools!"

Wishing you peace in all you do!

Sincerely,
Angelika Selle