Celebrating Unity in Diversity
October 12, known as the Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity, is celebrated widely during Global Diversity Awareness Month — a time to pay tribute to the positive impact a diverse culture of people have on our global society. The international Unification movement comprises a vast array of minds and backgrounds that enhance the value of multiculturalism and strengthen our understanding and appreciation of the world.
True Parents, who have united tens of millions of people from different backgrounds through the Marriage Blessing, long emphasized cultivating a worldview through serving and embracing all of God’s people. As we honor and celebrate our cultural differences, below is an excerpt from True Father’s autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen (2009), in which he shares the framework for becoming a true citizen of the world.
Excerpt:
When you are setting your goal [in life], be sure to consider the entire world ... I was thinking globally before that word even entered the Korean language. The reason I went to Japan to study was to see a wider world. The reason I planned to work for the Manchuria Electric Company in Hailar, China, and learn the Chinese, Russian, and Mongolian languages, even before Korea was liberated, was to enable me to live as a global citizen.
People live in many countries, and they all live in different circumstances ... There are many examples of how something is lacking in one place but overabundant in another. The problem is there are not enough people focused on equalizing the distribution...
The phrase global leader is now in vogue in Korea. People say they want to become fluent in English and become global leaders. Becoming a global leader, however, is not a matter of a person’s fluency in English. The ability to communicate in English is nothing more than a tool. A true global leader is someone who is able to embrace the world in his own bosom. A person who has no interest in the problems of the world cannot become a global leader, no matter how well he might communicate in English.
To be a global leader a person must think of the world’s problems as his own and have the pioneering spirit that is needed for finding difficult solutions. A person who is attached to a secure and fixed income, or dreams of having a pension after retirement and a comfortable family life, cannot be a global leader. To become a global leader a person must consider the whole world to be his country and all humanity to be his brothers and sisters and not be overly concerned that he does not know what the future may hold for him...
A global leader is someone who loves humanity as he loves his own family. It has been awhile since we first heard the phrase “global village.” Yet the earth has always been a single community ... The world is like a living organism in that it is always changing. New problems are always arising. I go to the dark corners of the world where these problems exist. These are not the places with beautiful views or comfortable amenities, but I feel happy in places that are dark, difficult, and lonely because that is where I’m fulfilling my mission, my purpose, my goals.
I hope to see peace leaders who will take on my mission of pioneering new solutions from the land and sea, and embracing the world’s people. The starting point is to have a dream and a goal. Please have an adventurous and pioneering spirit. Dream dreams that others dare not imagine. Set goals for yourselves that have meaning, and become global leaders who will bring benefit to humankind.
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