The Words of the McLackand Family
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The Words of the McLackand Family |
"Innovative Approaches to Peace, Leadership and Good Governance" was the theme of a one-day UPF International Leadership Conference (ILC) in Jakarta, Indonesia, on December 8 at the Ministry of Religious Affairs' auditorium. The conference was held to support the Indonesian government in exploring innovative approaches to building a peaceful and just society. Three hundred participants from government, the diplomatic corps, academia, civil society, women's organizations, youth groups and businesses attended. Mr. Erman Gusman, chairman Of the House of Regional Representatives (the second chamber of the Indonesian Parliament), welcomed everybody. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Chong Sik Yong. He drew attention to True Father's peace-making efforts and the active role in conflict resolution that UPF has been playing in various Asian countries.
A presentation on the UPF approach to character education with reference to Indonesia's indigenous philosophy of Pancasila, the Five Moral Principles of Indonesian life and society, followed the opening session. The presenter, Asia UPF secretary-general Ursula McLackland, emphasized the quality of service for others through which one's character and deep love for others develop. The conference also included a presentation by a Ministry of Religious Affairs representative. The conference deliberations invoked lively interaction with the audience in question and answer sessions that followed.
The conference concluded with the inauguration of the Indonesian chapter of the Global Women's Peace Network (GWPN). Mrs. Genie Kagawa from the UPF Office for UN Relations laid out what the UN does for the empowerment of women throughout the world and how GWPN can support those efforts. Yenny Wahid, daughter of the late Abdurrahman Wahid, former president of Indonesia, spoke on the crucial role women can play in peace-building. Following UPF's successful model in both the Philippines and Thailand, UPF Indonesia secured support from the government for its activities. In fact, the chairman of the House of Regional Representatives felt honored that UPF chose his institution as a partner for the ILC. He felt the choice reflected UPF's "confidence in the capabilities, dedication and integrity of the 132 senators representing all the provinces across Indonesia."
After receiving Regional President Yong's guidance that spiritual fortune comes whenever we follow the formula course established by True Parents, the. Indonesian national leader Mr. David Ang -- a Singaporean -- resolved to set a condition for the restoration of Indonesia by creating holy grounds in each Indonesian province before the end of 2012. Without being able to speak many of the local languages, he traveled by plane, boat, ferry, road and motorbike to reach even those provinces most distant from Jakarta, the capital city, in this nation of more than 17,000 islands that spans three time zones. Mr. Ang indicated that some risk was involved in creating holy grounds because they needed to be in prominent public areas, preferably near the provincial governors' offices. "This was not a pleasure tour," he said. He explained that many areas he travelled through were undeveloped and that the possibility of accident or natural disaster was a constant concern.