A good end cannot sanctify evil means; nor must we ever do evil, that good may come of it... We are too ready to retaliate, rather than forgive... And yet we could hurt no man that we believe loves us. Let us try then what love will do: for if men did once see we love them, we should soon find they would not harm us. Force may subdue, but Love gains: and he that forgives first, wins the laurel.
William Penn

Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations wherever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone...
George Fox

Monday, May 14, 2012

Masterpeace: Start Your Own Peace Initiative







Before I began walking, I thought I should connect myself with other peacemakers. I was personally walking to get closer to God, for inner peace, but as loving one's neighbor is a part of getting closer to God, then I had to walk with and for others, even if only 'virtually' so.
The small Quaker meeting I am affiliated with was giving me spiritual support, but I was hoping to link up with an organization that I could draw on and support in a more concrete way. I looked into several peacemaking NGO's, but they generally have no room for individual peace initiatives.
Wijnand Boon had helped to inspire my own walk, and when I met him he explained the principles of an organization called Masterpeace. Masterpeace was just what I was looking for, it seemed, as it encourages just such individual peace initiatives as Wijnand's, and mine.
When I went to the Masterpeace website I was a bit dismayed by the emphasis on creative talent to contribute to its peacebuilding mission--  I can't sing or dance, or even make this blog function without a struggle. I was happy, nevertheless, that Wijnand had pointed me to Masterpeace Journey, which encourages peace pilgrimages to Cairo for the Masterpeace concert in 2014.
As I am not bad at plodding along, I decided that I too would walk, not only to Israel, but on to Cairo for Masterpeace. Though I can't sing or dance, I can still encourage other individuals to create their own peace initiatives through Masterpeace.
So if you would like to use your creative energy to build peace in the world, Masterpeace may be the organization to help you on your way.

Masterpeace's Mission and Goals, according to their website:


As peace-building is a verb, we want to mobilize millions of people everywhere around the world to work for the sake of peace in the broadest sense, including (social) sustainability, the reduction of (armed) conflicts (on both individual and global levels) and international collaboration.

We are dedicated to put:
MUSIC above FIGHTING, DIALOGUE above JUDGMENT , BREAD above BOMBS and CREATION above DESTRUCTION. People can do it. That's MasterPeace.

By exchanging ideas and creativity, individuals and world leaders we can work together and deliver on four important goals:

1. Creating a world with LESS (armed) conflicts;

2. NO nuclear arms;
3. MORE international co-operation and unity so opportunities are shared equally (Millennium Development Goals);
4. MORE positive attention and support for peace projects. 





For more information, go to:
http://www.masterpeace.org/InspirationCenter.aspx

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