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E.N. Dhakal: Inspiring Youth to Help Build Peace
Written by Hon. Ek Nath Dhakal, Member of Parliament, Nepal
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Closing Remarks the International Leadership Conference
“Toward a New Paradigm of Leadership and Good Governance:
Creating a Culture of Service for Global Development and Peace”
Asuncion, Paraguay, July 2-6, 2008
These few days together have been an extraordinary and unforgettable experience. Because of what we have learned and experienced together here, I’m sure we have all become more motivated and inspired. So, in this sense, this is not really a closing session, it is a new beginning for all of us.
Youth constitute the major portion of the world’s population. More importantly, we have endless energy; we love challenges and thrive even in a pioneering environment. The Youth Federation for World Peace is teaching and guiding young people to redirect their lives and use their strength so that they are not part of the problem—rather they are the solution!
The ideal family provides the format for good governance. Leaders are in the position of parents. And it is the nature of parents to sacrifice for the sake of their children. This spirit needs to be promoted in the governing process of all nations. Economic wealth, job security, and social stability are very important. But the root of peace is deeper than all of these; it requires harmonious human relationships. Such relationships are learned in the family. In other words, the seed for true, lasting peace must first be planted in the family. Then it will sprout and grow in our communities, nations and world.
The teachings of the UPF Founder, Dr. Sun Myung Moon, have become very relevant to my nation, Nepal. We have been struggling and fighting for over a decade. As many as 15,000 Nepalese people were killed during the period from 1996 to 2005. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced. There has developed an enormous mistrust and misunderstanding among the political parties. In such situation, Father and Mother Moon visited Nepal on November 22-23, 2005 during his World Peace Tour and encouraged us to solve the problem by putting the interests of our nation above the interest of any party.
Ongoing programs such as the South Asia Peace Initiative, Young Ambassadors for Peace, character education, leadership and good governance conferences, Parliamentarians for Peace, and intercultural exchange projects have made substantial contributions to the peace process in Nepal. Thousands of students and youth have changed their lives through Father and Mother Moon’s teaching. Today Dr. and Mrs. Moon are inside the hearts and minds of many peace-loving Nepalese people.
Father Moon once said, “Once you have practiced the principle of living for the sake of others, a family of peace, a family of freedom, a family of happiness and a family of love will be realized. Then, a society of peace, a society of freedom, a society of happiness and a society of love will result. This will continue expanding to the national and world levels. You have to know that the conclusion is only a matter of time. Wherever you are, as long as you are living by this principle of living for the sake of others, then happiness, freedom, peace and love will dwell there.”
After my election to the Constituent Assembly of Nepal, I had an opportunity to meet Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, who talked about the importance in a democracy of acknowledging the existence of a Creator as the basis for fundamental human rights and true freedom for the all people
As the Secretary-General of Young Ambassadors for Peace in Asia, I would like to share with you the vital role it is playing to promote nation-to-nation understating and in reducing conflicts in different regions of the world. The scope of our Young Ambassadors for Peace in Asia extends from Mt. Everest (the highest mountain in the world) to the Mariana Trench east of the Philippines (the deepest part of the ocean), from China to India (the most populous nations on earth), and to all of the other nations in Asia. In all nations of the world we are making efforts to realize “A New Paradigm of Leadership and Good Governance.” We are creating a culture of service for global development and true, lasting peace. Therefore, I call upon the Youth Ambassadors for Peace from Middle East to North America, from Africa to Latin America, Oceania and Asia to elevate their vision, to take leadership roles in their nations, to be peacemakers and dare to build bridges across the borders of our segregated family.
We can change the world and put the history of suffering, injustice, poverty, corruption, and pollution of the earth behind us. The ideals that the saints and sages of history have lived and died for will now be realized. Young Ambassadors for Peace can be role models to realize God’s original ideal, “One Family Under God.”
In closing, I want to reemphasize that building a network of Ambassadors for Peace is really the grassroots task in building a peaceful nation. The Ambassador for Peace certificate is not just an award; rather it taps into the most valuable national resource—the hearts and minds of patriotic citizens. Ambassadors for Peace have the opportunity to use their skills and talents to contribute to realizing the age-old dream of a brighter and better future.