Youth volunteers at the recent Global Peace Volunteer workshop.

“We are all united as we are the creation of God,” said Yaqeen, a participant at the  May 21-22, 2011 Global Peace Volunteer Workshop at Outbac Broga, Semenyih, Malaysia.  “If we can break all the barriers of race, language and nationality, we can realize this dream of one family under God.”

This recent Global Peace Volunteer Workshop, organized by Global Peace Festival Malaysia (GPF-Malaysia) on the theme “Young People Making Change,” drew 40 participants from Somalia, Indonesia, Republic of Chad, Bangladesh, Fiji, Kashmir, Mongolia and Malaysia.

The Global Peace Volunteer Workshop.

The program aimed to instill the spirit of volunteerism and a vision of One Family Under God so that future leaders can transcend divisive ethnic and religious boundaries and bring about positive change in the society, nation and world.

“I am amazed by the workshop participants that despite coming from different universities and countries, they are able to build family bonding very quickly and broke through the many challenges that we set!” said Dr. Teh Su Thye, Secretary General of GPF-Malaysia.

The workshop included a peace education component that emphasized three major principles that are building blocks of peace: First, the family is the school of love and the fundamental base of a peaceful society; second, interfaith cooperation is based on respecting every human being, culture and faith tradition; and third, an ethic of service empowers participants to break down barriers through living for the sake of others.

The workshop also included challenging service work to “walk the talk” in the local community. “Action speaks louder and nothing is impossible if we do it together for the highest purpose centering on One Family under God!” said Fiji participant Niko Namositava.

To learn more about Global Peace Volunteer Workshops in Malaysia, contact Global Peace Festival Foundation Malaysia at [email protected] or visit Facebook at facebook.com/GPVMalaysia.