from the president’s desk

October 25, 2010

Dear all:

I want to share with you my reflections on a profound experience and invite your participation in an exciting initiative!

Last week I attended the conference and celebrations surrounding the 50^th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s speech in Ann Arbor, Michigan that lead to the establishment of the US Peace Corps. This all took place at the University of Michigan since, in a very real sense, that’s where it all began on October 14, 1960. I was struck by the fact that the successful launching of that new program was largely the result of the enthusiastic endorsement of college students who were captured by the vision of what the corps could be.

As all of us who are involved in service are well aware, young people today are no different to those students from 50 years ago – the desire to make a real difference by serving abroad is still as alive as ever. That’s why I am personally excited about the idea of significantly expanding the opportunities for young people today to experience what Return Peace Corps Volunteers have been enthusiastically reporting for the past 50 years.

It was 2 am when presidential candidate John F. Kennedy arrived at the University of Michigan in October 1960. Finding that there was a substantial crowd of students waiting to greet him, he spoke to them about a new “army” that should be created by the United States. This force would be made up of civilians who would volunteer their time and skills to travel to underdeveloped nations to assist them in any way they could.

The students took the idea very seriously and began planning their own involvement in this new “peace corps.” It was their enthusiasm that convinced the Kennedy administration that this was an idea that would resonate with young Americans. President Kennedy issued an executive order on March 1, 1961 establishing the Peace Corps as a trial program. Kennedy sent a message to Congress asking for its support and made clear the significance of underdeveloped nations to the United States. The people of these nations were “struggling for economic and social progress.” “Our own freedom,” Kennedy continued, “and the future of freedom around the world, depend, in a very real sense, on their ability to build growing and independent nations where men can live in dignity, liberated from the bonds of hunger, ignorance, and poverty.”

Since that time, tens of thousands of Americans – especially young people – have flocked to serve in dozens of nations, particularly in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Working side by side with the people of these nations, Peace Corps volunteers helped build sewer and water systems; constructed and taught in schools; assisted in developing new crops and agricultural methods to increase productivity; and participated in numerous other projects.

Today, Service World, the Building Bridges Coalition and others are enthusiastically endorsing the expansion of the Peace Corps and urging the adoption of similar programs by countries across the globe. Service For Peace and Global Peace Service Alliance will be actively involved in promoting and organizing these programs.

Here in the United States, I will be taking a leading role together with other board members of the Building Bridges Coalition in planning and executing a petition drive designed to persuade congress to pass a bill that will come to them in February 2011. The bill will increase the size of the Peace Corps and expand opportunities for global service. Our goal is to have 100,000 people sign the petition expressing their own interest and/or support for international service.

Can this really make a difference? Well, just remember how the Peace Corps got started in 1961. When the US government was made aware that there were thousands of young people who were ready to join this new corps, then the President had the confidence to sign an executive order.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

We’ll need all the volunteers we can get to circulate this petition and get it signed in every state – every zip code! – across the country and throughout the world. We’re going to show Congress that the same enthusiasm that greeted John F Kennedy at 2 am on October 14, 1960 still burns brightly in young people across our nation.

If you like a challenge and you’d like to help by becoming an IT Peace Volunteer to help engineer and execute this campaign, or a team leader who can reach out to 10 other people to sign the petition or a division leader who can lead 10 team leaders please contact serviceworld @ serviceforpeace.org.

This is going to exciting, world changing campaign, but we can’t do it without you.

Respond to the challenge of this generation and become part of the solution.

In service,

Charles Phillips

September 16, 2010

Dear all,

As Service For Peace’s fiscal year draws to a close, there is a lot of reviewing and planning going on as we gear up for a new year of activity. Our recent Board meeting was as energetic as ever and it has launched us on a new round of planning for this new year.

As most of you will be aware, we have four committees now working feverishly to complete their operational plans for the year. These will then be reviewed by the Board during October.

NEW ATLAS CORPS FELLOWS

It’s always a happy coincidence when a new start is accompanied by new energy and I’m excited about our new Atlas Corps fellows. Atlas Corps is an American-based organization that facilitates international fellowships for outstanding young leaders. They volunteer at organizations addressing social issues and are enrolled in an ongoing training program. After 12 or 18 months, they return to their countries to work for at least one year (and usually their entire career) back in the nonprofit sector.

I was recently in Washington DC where I met our new Atlas Corps Fellows. Alejandro Bonilla, of Jalisco, Mexico holds a Masters degree in Management of Corporate Communications from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, in Barcelona, Spain. He recently completed a Strategic Marketing Diploma at the Jesuit University of Guadalajara and a Fund Raising Diploma at the School of Fund Raising, University of Indiana. Children International, where Alejandro has been working, recommended his expertise in strategic fundraising as a “best practice.”

Alejandro and the other SFP staff members in Washington DC will also be working with the Atlas Corps fellows who have joined the Global Service Alliance team. Phillip Mlanda, comes from Harare, Zimbabwe. Phillip holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Computer Science & Statistics from the University of Zimbabwe. Utilizing his innovative computer science skills, Phillip co-led a 2-year project that helped disabled people to empower themselves through entrepreneurial projects.

Varun Sood, 26, from Himachal Pradesh, India has more than five years of experience in consulting and nonprofit management. He has a Master in Commerce degree from the University of Mumbai and a certification in Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) management from Indian Institute of Management. The urge to find a solution to the urban-rural divide in India led to the creation of Vishwa Ashraya Sansthan (VAS) in Palampur, his hometown. Now Varun’s focus is to promote the organization’s vision to create a successful sustainable social enterprise that will achieve both financial viability and social impact in the long term.

I am excited that these capable young leaders will be able to participate in what will be a very busy and transformative year for both SFP and GPSA.

NEW OFFICES

It also helps when a new start takes place in a new space – and we also have some exciting news in this area. Reverend Mark Farr, who serves as a member of the Board of Service For Peace, is also a senior staff member at the Points of Light Institute (POLI) in Washington DC. With Mark’s support and assistance, we have been able to reach an agreement with POLI so that from now on, SFP’s offices will be housed in the POLI headquarters building.  This is a significant development since POLI has been an important partner of SFP for several years, particularly in relation to the Martin Luther King Day of Service. I am confident that this is a step toward an even more effective partnership to promote service and social change in America.

THE NEED FOR PEACE THROUGH SERVICE

Finally, I have to say something about a recent episode that started as a very small event but unfortunately grew to catch the attention of much of the world.  Last week, the pastor of a tiny American church gained instant notoriety as a result of his threat to burn copies of the Quran. Rev. Terry Jones, pastor of Dove World Outreach in Florida, a church with a congregation of about 50, threatened to burn the holy books in protest against the planned building of a mosque near the site of the 9/11 attack in New York City.

In a startling illustration of how such threats can instantaneously ignite religious passions, there were demonstrations around the world and President Obama took the unusual step of making a public statement condemning the plan.

The leader of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, warned that the pastor’s plan to burn the Quran threatened global peace. “This threatens peace and international security. This is something that endangers harmony among religious people,” Yudhoyono said in a nationally televised address at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

It was only when Imam Muhammad Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, went and spoke with Rev. Jones that some hope for a resolution began to emerge. Would Reverend Jones have ever made the threat if he knew Imam Musri before this episode? Perhaps not.

It is more vital than ever that people of different faiths come together in cooperation and service to others. Throughout the world, Service For Peace is making every effort to reduce the distances between different groups by offering opportunities to work together in service to others. Those who know and befriend people of other faiths will still be very aware of the differences in their beliefs, but they would never burn their holy books.

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September 11, 2010

Statement on the Threatened Burning of the Quran

This week, the pastor of a tiny Florida church gained instant notoriety as a result of his threat to burn copies of the Quran. Rev. Terry Jones, pastor of Dove World Outreach, with a congregation of about 50, threatened to burn the holy books in protest against the planned building of a mosque near the site of the 9/11 attack in New York City.

In a startling illustration of how such threats can instantaneously ignite religious passions, there were demonstrations around the world and President Obama took the unusual step of making a public statement condemning the plan.

The leader of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, warned that the pastor’s plan to burn the Quran threatened global peace. “This threatens peace and international security. This is something that endangers harmony among religious people,” Yudhoyono said in a nationally televised address at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

It was only when Imam Muhammad Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, went and spoke with Rev. Jones that some hope for a resolution began to emerge. Would Reverend Jones have ever made the threat if he had developed a friendship with a Muslim before this episode? Perhaps not.

Of course, we recognize at this point that the result of the encounter with the Imam did not resolve the issue as recently another Christian leader Evangelist K.A. Paul has joined Rev. Jones in a challenge to Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, who is leading the plan to build an Islamic Cultural Center near ground zero to contact them.

Although the United States is religiously, culturally and ethnically very diverse this dilemma illustrates a drift from acceptance and valuation of people who are different and a move towards xenophobia and ethnocentrism. How can we avoid this clash of cultures?

It is more vital than ever that people of different faiths come together in cooperation and service to others. Throughout the world, Service For Peace is making every effort to reduce the distances between different groups by offering opportunities to work together in service to others. Those who know and befriend people of other faiths will still be very aware of the differences in their beliefs, but they would never burn their holy books.

In Service,

Charles Phillips

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June 5, 2010

Dear all,

As always, I want you to know how grateful I am to each of you for your constant commitment to Service For Peace. Wherever I am in the world, it is always VERY inspiring to learn about the great things that are being accomplished by you and our chapters around the globe.

I am excited to report that my recent travels in Asia resulted in a much closer alliance with some of our most important partners. The Global Peace Festivals (GPF), in which SFP plays a significant role, are proving to have a lot of traction and long-term significance. We are now working closely with GPF to plan major events later this year in Africa and Asia. GPF has in turn given birth to an initiative named Global Peace Service Alliance – I know some of you are already familiar with that name. SFP and GPSA will be working very closely this year and I will be explaining more about this partnership in future communications.

My recent visit to Mindanao and Nepal was very productive and very timely. In both areas, conflict is never far away and this tends to make the local residents even more appreciative of those who make the effort to visit with the goal of addressing the sources of conflict. Whereas my last visit to Mindanao took place only days after a massacre, this time it was Kathmandu that was experiencing unrest as a citywide strike forced the closure of foreign embassies resulting in the cancellation of some of my appointments.

Despite that setback, we were able to make significant advances in both areas. It is particularly significant that SFP is forging strong partnerships in the Muslim world. At a time when the Obama administration and others are concerned about the spread of Islamic extremism, SFP is not only improving the lives of young Moslems but also involving them in the direct, positive experience of improving their communities.

In Mindanao, I first traveled to Marawi City, popularly known as the Islamic City of Marawi.  It is the capital city of Lanao del Sur, Philippines, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).  I provided a lecture on leadership as part of a program organized by Risale I Nur at Mindanao State University (MSU).  The title of the lecture series was Love, Righteousness and Leadership.  It was part of an ongoing lecture series on MSU campuses throughout Mindanao.  This series was tying together February as the ‘month of love’ and the upcoming elections in the Philippines. We then went on to visit the MSU campuses in Cagayan d’ Oro, meeting with university officials to further explain SFP’s plans and goals.

This was followed by our peace education summit with 40 teachers from Iligan East High School. Riza Dalkilic and Prof. Samuel Quivs were co-presenters.  Riza and Prof Quivs will follow up with developing and adapting the curriculum for Mindanao and holding teacher training seminars in other schools throughout Mindanao.

These seminars are an important dimension of SFP’s work. They offer a full explanation of our underlying philosophy and an opportunity for teachers and professors to ask questions. As a result, we have developed scores of allies and advocates in Mindanao and other areas.

Upon leaving Mindanao, I then traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal, where I visited our impressive six-story headquarters building that provides accommodations for orphans from the ongoing conflicts in addition to housing the SFP offices.  We immediately set out on an eight-hour journey over unpaved roads through the mountains to Sarlahi where Saroj Khanal, SFP’s Executive Director, is based.  The HQ in Sarlahi is a four-story building that houses orphans in addition to the SFP offices.  The next day, we visited one of our libraries where the community held a festival to welcome me.  In the audience were two groups of women with identical saris.  When I inquired about the uniform, I was informed that they were part of different literacy programs in our libraries.  The women had created the uniforms on their own initiative since, as young girls, they had always dreamed of going to school with a uniform.

Currently, with the support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), a new building is being developed for the library project.  We also visited a computer center where basic computer skills are provided to local citizens free of charge.  I greeted 30 of the over 100 SFP Peace Volunteers before leaving to the next city, Dhading, where we were again greeted by SFP Peace Volunteers following another eight-hour journey.

When we arrived back in Kathmandu, we met with officials who are developing the national peace education curriculum centered on the director of curriculum development in the Ministry of Education. We had meetings with the Minister of Education and the Minster of Peace, together with the Chairperson of SFP in Nepal, Dr. Joshii, who is known as the Gandhi of Nepal.

The peace education summit was very well received and well attended with the Minster of Peace delivering the opening remarks and staying for the first half of the program. Action plans were developed for the implementation of the curriculum and integrating the curriculum with the national curriculum.

One VERY important conclusion that we can reach from these, and other developments around the world, is that SFP is putting down DEEP ROOTS. Becoming part of the educational programs in schools and colleges, and forging strong partnerships with other organizations and agencies means that SFP is becoming part of the fabric of society in several nations.

This is going to be a very eventful and exciting year for Service For Peace. I look forward to sharing more details in my next communication! (On American television, that’s called “a teaser.” It means you’ll hopefully be looking forward to my next letter!!

In Service,

Charles Phillips

President

Service For Peace

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March 30, 2010

Dear all,

Last week, I returned from a very successful and meaningful visit to Turkey. I met with the Turkish participants from our recent GPM in the Middle East and I am happy to report that they are well on the way to establishing the Turkish chapter of Service For Peace! However, thanks to the thorough preparations that had been made by a very gracious host, that was only one of several exciting developments.

I arrived in Istanbul on March 15 and was greeted by Riza Dalkilic whom I mentioned previously in relation to his excellent work in the Philippines. Riza is part of Risale i Nur, an enlightened Islamic movement that has around 20 million members worldwide and 5 million in Turkey.  Soon after my arrival, we met some of the key leaders of the movement including several of the business leaders who are supporting all their activities. Riza is very actively involved in this movement and is clearly well respected and very well connected.

The next day, we went to Ankara to meet with members of the Turkish Parliament who are connected with the Risale I Nur movement. They are all members of the Justice and Development Party (In Turkish, it’s abbreviated as AK Parti or AKP) This is the ruling party.  Until the AK Party took power in 2007, Turkey considered that it was surrounded by enemies. Under the AK Party, the relationship with neighboring countries has been significantly improved. Under the AK Party, Turkey has established free travel between Turkey, Syria and Iran.  They have also been in dialogue to have a similar agreement with Armenia.

Turkey has historical and cultural ties with Greece, Bulgaria, Russia and the Middle East and is currently seeking membership in the European Union. As a result, just as throughout its history, Turkey is again a key meeting point for several nations, cultures and faiths. This is why the idea of connections with the West holds a strong appeal and the vision and activities of Service For Peace (SFP) and the Global Peace Festivals (GPF) is VERY appealing. As you know, caring for the needy is one of the pillars of Islam and so the idea of global voluntary service is an exciting prospect.

During the next 10 days, we maintained an intense schedule of visiting 2-3 cities per day, greeting thousands of enthusiastic young Moslems, many of whom affirmed their interest in international service and the vision of SFP. At times, we were 50 miles from Iran and 80 miles from Iraq and there was a sense that we were in a region that holds a strong significance at this time in world history.

On the last day, I met with the young Turks who attended SFP’s recent Global PeaceMakers program in the Middle East. When I began talking about the possibility of beginning an SFP chapter in Istanbul, they informed that they had already begun the process of doing so!

One indication of the level of excitement about SFP and GPF is the fact that my visit was reported in more than 100 media articles in cities throughout Turkey. It seems that our approach to this nation and region is VERY timely.

In Service,

Charles Phillips

President

Service For Peace