Dear Brother and Sister

When it comes to matter regarding change, many of us ask them self many question on How to change?

Well, we could start off by slogans from the TV show Heroes, “Save the Cheerleader, Change the world,” but that wouldn’t be very helpful would it? 

I believe deep inside we all wish to change the world, or a legacy we can leave with. The kind of change we are talking about is conscious change, one that will make the world a better place. Not all of us want to “make waves”, and that’s okay. The idea is to be conscious of the impact you make in yourself on a daily basis. One small change everyday adds up to one big change in a lifetime.

I’ll start off with my favorite quote from unknown Monk (around 1100 A.D)

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.

When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change
the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.

We are all responsible for developing a world where people can enjoy basic needs, freedoms and a proper dignity, befitting creatures of the one supreme creator. Unfortunately, the danger of conflict among groups, though sometimes masking other agendas, or interwoven in them, 

is proving a significant threat to global stability.

The General Assembly of the United Nations has proclaimed the years 2001-2010 the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children and youth of the World".

The Assembly  defines  culture of peace as 'all the values, attitudes and forms of behaviour that reflect respect for life, for human dignity and for all human rights, the rejection of violence in all its forms and commitment to the principles of freedom, justice, solidarity, tolerance and understanding between people'.

Essential for building a culture of peace is education for peace. The United Nations has called on every country to 'ensure that children, from an early age, benefit from education to enable them to resolve any dispute peacefully and in a spirit of respect for human dignity and of tolerance'.

Most disputes between people are solved without violence - but not all. If we are to move away from violence as a means to solve disputes at home and abroad we must work together to help young people learn how deal with conflict creatively and nonviolently.

We believe that differentiation is not only enriching but is necessary to make life surprising.  Together with our sister organisation Damietta Peace Initiative and Caritas South Africa we  offers a vision of common humanity that looks beyond the barriers of caste and creed, race and gender and sees the acceptance of other among us as necessary for peace in our communities.