The Words of the Brann Family
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The Words of the Brann Family |
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Many greetings from the Global Peace Festival (GPF) Team in London, where a group of us is now working based in Lancaster Gate, to pull together a Peace Festival for Europe that will make True Parents and Hyun Jin Nim happy and represent the very best that our European movement can offer at this time.
I am sure that you will all have followed the amazing developments in the GPF as it progressed from Paraguay to The U.S.A, to Kenya and, most recently, to Mongolia. The Mongolian example will really be a hard one to follow because almost every aspect of it was truly excellent - from the total government support, to the excellent service projects, the highest quality entertainment in the main program and a main square in the capital packed with 120,000 people - plus much more besides! However, we are confident that if we all pull together we can at least create something with exemplary elements that other GPFs will want to emulate and that will lift up the providence in Europe to a new level.
So with a mere 2 months to go now, we need to move quickly if we are to fulfill our aspirations. My purpose in writing to you all is to give you a clear update on what has been accomplished so far and an understanding of how each one of you can contribute to making it a great success. The first thing to understand is that we are trying to create an event that is not a church or movement event like the kind of rallies and speeches that we have put on so often in the past.
What we want to create is a very broad and embracing event based on an alliance with many partner organizations that share our basic values and ideals. The aim is to transform society, to "mainstream" our movement and to bring about a major change in our own culture. In this process Ambassadors for Peace ("AfPs") are the key. More than ever it is time for them to be at the forefront and, while our role is still critical, for us to remain more in the background facilitating things behind the scenes. In other GPF events it is clear that AfPs have been able to achieve things that we could never do and Hyun Jin Nim has emphasized many times that we should empower them to be fully effective.
One key thing that AfPs can do is to introduce partners. Partners are essential to making GPF the broad-based coalition that it should be and they can also bring not only sponsorship but people to attend, as well as new projects and activities. At the moment the partners we have tend to be small bodies with few resources and we badly need to increase the level as well as the number of partners that we work with and to ensure that they truly reflect our movement's partners across Europe. AfPs can of course also help by attending themselves and I very much hope that each nation will be able to fulfill its quota of AfPs that need to be sent, both to the GPF as such and to the ILC.
This brings me to what we all (as FFWPU members) can do. The first thing is of course to keep going with the cheon-song conditions that we are all doing for the 120 days since July 27th. We deeply appreciate all of your prayers, bows, financial offerings and other conditions that have been made thus far. Continuing them will be the basic foundation for our success.
However, we also want to ask you to get our AfP contacts well and truly into the spirit of GPF and on fire to do things (come themselves and bring people to the events, find partners, sponsors, etc. etc.) So many of our AfPs have come to few, if any, events and they badly need this opportunity to understand what UPF and GPF are all about. Attending GPF is a great chance for them to understand and also for us to educate them. Also they can bring their family and friends. Please remember that Hyun Jin Nim's guidance to us is that we should bring people who are serious about making peace and not people who are mainly interested in enjoying the entertainment. Also, it is not necessarily important for us as FFWPU members to attend the GPF events unless it is to enable others to be there. We are investigating how those not present on the night can enjoy the main program from where they are, most likely by web cast.
We also need young people to help in various ways in carrying out the service projects that are such an important part of every GPF. If you have or know of such young people (2nd generation or otherwise) who are free, please let our office know as soon as possible or ask the young person in question to call or email our office as soon as possible. We can provide an inspiring opportunity to serve in this way as well as all kinds of support for them during their stay. It has been difficult to finalize the program of GPF events and there are still many details to work out. However, the following main elements are now clear:
1) There will now be a full 'International Leadership Conference' ("ILC") for100 participants from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, beginning on the evening of Thursday November 20th and ending just before the main program on Saturday November 22nd at 15.30. it will take place at a hotel not far from the Excel arena in East London where the main events are taking place and also some sessions will be at Excel itself or in Parliament.
2) From now until November 22nd there will be a whole series of service projects in and around the East London area culminating (probably) on Saturday November 22nd with a demonstration of mass break dancing and an attempt on the world record as well as a press conference and an awards ceremony involving central and local government. Young people, including especially our second generation who can make themselves free, are urged to come to London for as long as they can to help on these projects. They will gain a lot of inspiration and also practical experience of service projects. Accommodation and other means of support will be available as well as leadership and guidance.
3) The "main event" featuring music, dance, song and various other forms of entertainment and awards, plus Hyun Jin Nim's speech will take place from 16.00 to 18.30 on Saturday 22nd November in the Excel Arena. The level of entertainment on offer will be high.
4) A series of display tables, will be arranged on which our partners and our own organizations can display their activities, literature and other materials in and around he Excel Arena. Details of costs and how to obtain a table will be available shortly. Please note that there will be no formal, themed exhibition as such.
5) An Art Exhibition will be mounted at Excel on the day of the main event (Nov 22nd).
6) An Essay Competition is already underway and the winners will be announced at the time of the main event
I hope the above at least gives you some flavor of what the GPF is all about and can achieve. Also I hope you have a clearer idea than before as to how you can contribute. I know that many of you will have questions and/or comments and suggestions and our Executive office is happy to receive them and try to answer them. Please send emails or if you prefer to call and ask to speak to Martin Maloney, our Director of General Affairs, who will be happy to receive your call.
We look forward to working together with you over these next couple of months to make GPF Europe in London, a great success.
May Heaven bless each one of you and your precious families!
Sincerely,
Mark Brann
Chair and CEO GPF Europe