Global Peace Festival USA launched “The American Youth Leadership Series” on Friday, October 16, with an event in Washington, DC. The series explores contemporary issues of American public life in the context of America’s founding vision and principles. The first event featured a talk by Rebecca Cataldi, program manager at the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD) and founder of the American-Islamic Friendship Project. The event focused on the principles that have united the American people and how those principles can serve as a basis for cooperation between America and the world.
Following is an address given by Rebecca Cataldi for the American Youth Leadership Series on October 16, 2009 in Washington, DC.
Good evening and thank you for having me here. I’m very happy to be part of the Call2Character movement, which is a movement to awaken the essence of America 's founding spirit and principles. The beautiful thing about this movement is that it is not a “right-wing” movement or a “left-wing” movement. It is not a Republican movement or a Democratic movement. It’s not even a religious movement or based upon any one religious faith. But it is a spiritual movement that seeks to revitalize the moral character of America and American values.
Now, American values can mean different things to different people, and this is perhaps fitting for a nation based on both diversity and the freedom to follow one’s own path. But whether we always agree on how to put these values into practice or not, this movement seeks to begin a national conversation about the values that we as Americans want our nation to embody and how we can live up to these values, both as individuals and as a nation. It seeks to reawaken these values in our national consciousness.
Written by Rev. Mark Farr, Points of Light Institute
Wednesday, 26 November 2008 00:00
The Global Peace Festival in Washington, DC, on August 9, 2008 was a kick-off to a sustained US campaign in many other cities. A key theme and challenge to those mobilized by the Festival campaign was a call to "A Million Acts of Service and Kindness." The event was organized by many groups, and led by the Universal Peace Federation. The Points of Light Institute was a founding partner and has led the Million Acts efforts, along with its many Kids Care Clubs and Volunteer Centers. Across the world, it is the efforts of unsung individuals who catch the dream and seek to change their communities who really make the difference.
Saturday, October 25, 2008 was truly a day of celebrating “One Family Under God” during Chicago’s Global Peace Festival Banquet held at the Wyndham O’Hare Hotel. The Grand Ballroom was overflowing when Emcee Torrey Barrett, Youth Minister of Life Center COGIC, welcomed the lively crowd. The diverse assembly of nearly a thousand participants represented a broad range of racial and cultural backgrounds – all joined together in the common cause of world peace.
During lunch, a creative slideshow was presented of a recent youth service project involving volunteers from “Chicago Cares” and youth from other Global Peace Festival partnering organizations. The half-day project involved the painting and renovation of a public elementary school on the south side of Chicago. The results of the work were rewarding as the multiracial volunteers labored harmoniously to beautify the school.
Saturday October 18th we had a peace dedication in Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan. We had music, a history presentation of the park and neighborhood, a Global Peace Festival banner painting, a peace tree planting and we talked of the importance of peace in our communities and the world. College students, park administrators, people from the surrounding community, and even some youth passing by joined to celebrate our peace dedication. We collected 9 trees for Marcus Garvey Park, from a Million Trees NYC tree give away in Brooklyn. We dedicated a Sawtooth Oak tree for Peace and everyone who came out on Saturday made a pledge of peace by tying an orange peace ribbon onto the Peace tree. People of interreligious and intercultural backgrounds gathered together with the common goal and will for peace.
The Global Peace Festival promotes and celebrates persons and programs that contribute to reconciliation, mutual respect, harmony and cooperation among the members of the whole human family, as "One Family Under God". In partnership with a variety of faith-based organizations, NGOs, government agencies, educational institutions, and members of the private sector, GPF encourages programs that strengthen God-centered marriages and families, facilitate intercultural and interreligious cooperation, and foster a culture of peace and service. Ongoing programs are carried out throughout the year, and culminate in a biennial Global Peace Festival that consists of an international leadership conference, a social impact program, and a public celebration.
How you can join us?
Partnerships The Global Peace festival is all about partners supporting and learning from each other. You or your organisation can either make partnerships with the working groups or just simply because you want to support or endorse the GPF project.
Sponsorships Monetary support is always appreciated, as well as sponsorship in kind e.g. facilitating a venue or materials for service projects.
Global Peace Festival USA launched “The American Youth Leadership Series” on Friday, October 16, with an event in Washington, DC. The series explores contemporary issues of American public life in the context of America’s founding vision and principles. The first event featured a talk by Rebecca Cataldi, program manager at the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD) and founder of the American-Islamic Friendship Project. The event focused on the principles that have united the American people and how those principles can serve as a basis for cooperation between America and the world.
Good evening and thank you for having me here. I’m very happy to be part of the Call2Character movement, which is a movement to awaken the essence of America 's founding spirit and principles. The beautiful thing about this movement is that it is not a “right-wing” movement or a “left-wing” movement. It is not a Republican movement or a Democratic movement. It’s not even a religious movement or based upon any one religious faith. But it is a spiritual movement that seeks to revitalize the moral character of America and American values.
Saturday, October 25, 2008 was truly a day of celebrating “One Family Under God” during Chicago’s Global Peace Festival Banquet held at the Wyndham O’Hare Hotel. The Grand Ballroom was overflowing when Emcee Torrey Barrett, Youth Minister of Life Center COGIC, welcomed the lively crowd. The diverse assembly of nearly a thousand participants represented a broad range of racial and cultural backgrounds – all joined together in the common cause of world peace.
Saturday October 18th we had a peace dedication in Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan. We had music, a history presentation of the park and neighborhood, a Global Peace Festival banner painting, a peace tree planting and we talked of the importance of peace in our communities and the world. College students, park administrators, people from the surrounding community, and even some youth passing by joined to celebrate our peace dedication. We collected 9 trees for Marcus Garvey Park, from a Million Trees NYC tree give away in Brooklyn. We dedicated a Sawtooth Oak tree for Peace and everyone who came out on Saturday made a pledge of peace by tying an orange peace ribbon onto the Peace tree. People of interreligious and intercultural backgrounds gathered together with the common goal and will for peace.
