ALTWhen I was planning my trip, Global Affairs Canada offered me two pieces of advice:
1) Do not go to Somalia under any circumstances;
2) If you are already in Somalia, flee immediately.
The country has real risks. But the people are kind, generous, and refuse to live in fear.
I am honoured that they invited me to contribute their peace process.
I am glad I came. I leave inspired by their determination to triumph over adversity.
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My colleague Deirdre at IamDeirdre’s Art created this delightful image for me, for my upcoming project on equestrianism as an instrument for international peacebuilding.
The image is based on the myth of Perseus’ quest for Medusa, one of my favourite stories from European antiquity. However, instead of beheading her, this Perseus joins hands with Medusa, and the two set off together on Pegasus.
The image is a light-hearted metaphor for the ability of people who are goaded by history to destroy one another, to instead choose a common future together.
I am very grateful to Deirdre for her work.
I spoke with Michael Dan about his new book on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and whether there are any paths to peace.
The conflict has ancient roots, but it is being thrown into new focus by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plans to annexe one-third of the West Bank.
I found Michael’s responses to my questions surprisingly direct.
Not everyone will agree with him, but I think most people will find his positions thought-provoking.
I held this live conversation with Prof Margaret MacMillan, as part of her investiture ceremonies as the Mosaic Institute’s 2020 Peace Patron, our highest honour.
Margaret is one of the world’s most eminent historians, and has been decorated in the national honours of both Canada and the United Kingdom.
She discussed her insights into why states have wandered onto the path of war, and how they have succeeded or failed to find the way to #peace. These are certainly the questions of our time.
“The past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past.”
Across the world, nations are struggling with the ghosts of the past and the demons of the present. The lessons of history may be our surest guide to a better future.
The Mosaic Institute will host a live online fireside chat with Margaret MacMillan, as part of her investiture ceremonies as our 2020 Peace Patron.
The event will be on Tuesday 16 June. It will begin at 16h00 UTC (12h00 Toronto, 09h00 Vancouver, 17h00 London UK).
She will discuss why nations have historically wandered onto the path of civil conflict, and how they have succeeded or failed to find the way to peace.
These are certainly the questions of our time, as countries everywhere struggle with ghosts of the past and demons of the present.
This is a free event, but registration is required.
I was delighted to join Karim Bardeesy of the Ryerson Leadership Lab, to discuss the nature of public leadership in times of crisis.
It is precisely amidst crisis, when we are apt to fall prey to our most unworthy fears, that public leadership becomes most important, to recall us to our better selves.
Our conversation was moderated by Geoff Cameron, as part of the Bahá’í Community of Canada’s new podcast series The Public Discourse.
I am delighted to welcome Margaret MacMillan as The Mosaic Institute’s 2020 Peace Patron, for her contributions to public understanding of war and peace.
Even as we conduct our investiture ceremonies online, anti-racism protests are marching across the world. It is a stark reminder of the urgency of our work.
Mosaic’s mission is to bring together people at conflict, to discover our shared humanity, and to build a better world together. That work is the calling of every human being, both those who cry out for justice and those who hear the cry.
It is the mandate of our age.
Earlier this year, the Mosaic Institute announced that Margaret MacMillan would be our 2020 Peace Patron, our highest accolade, which we confer for preeminent contributions to peace and intercultural understanding.
In place of our usual physical investiture dinner, we will be holding a series of online events with her in June.
Mosaic was founded in the belief that each of us can only enjoy a peaceful and prosperous world, if all of us build that world together.
Coronavirus is a stark reminder of that truth. While we must remain physically distant from one another, we must find new ways to stand together.
Bello and I are longtime supporters of the Peace and Sport movement, and are proud to be part of the White Card campaign, on the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
For all the shortcomings of sport institutions, sport itself retains its capacity to inspire us to our better angels: fair play; equality of opportunity in the pursuit of excellence; humility in victory and grace in defeat.
My Mosaic colleagues and I spoke with Shawna Novak, head of CISEPO, about our collaboration on the International Paediatric Emergency Medicine Elective (IPEME). It brings together Canadian, Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian medical students, to build mutual understanding and co-operation between future medical leaders.
Coronavirus means IPEME participants can not meet physically this year. However, I am delighted that the project will still bring them together through distance technologies, and in greater numbers.
Even amidst physical distancing, we can and must still stand together.
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All of us at the Mosaic Institute are working remotely, and collaborating through online tools.
We are also maintaining our esprit de corps through fortnightly virtual lunches together.
It is an interesting exercise in maintaining social connection while keeping physical distance.
Find out about the Mosaic Institute’s mission at https://maharaj.ca/mission
I was delighted to speak with Kizito Musabimana, about the Mosaic Institute and the Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre working together on the Alkebu-Lan Project.
The project will build dialogue and social engagement between young Canadians from across Africa, unquestionably the world’s most culturally diverse continent.
Our previous collaboration was on the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda. I am glad to join hands once again.
Read about the Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre at https://rchc.ca/
My first week working from the farm has been a mixed experience.
My dog Jumblie and my horse Bello are ideal officemates, but video conferencing does not entirely replicate a sense of meaningful connection with my other colleagues.
Nevertheless, I had a very productive discussion with Rebecca van der Westhuizen of Jerusalem’s St John Eye Hospital Group, about collaborations with The Mosaic Institute, in our shared peacebuilding missions.
The Hospital Group cares for patients across Israeli and Palestinian controlled territories, irrespective of faith, ethnicity, or ability to pay. It is an inspiring story of people building hope amidst despair. We look forward to working with them.
See the Hospital web site at https://stjohneyehospital.org/
The wars raging across the planet today – from Afghanistan to Yemen – are stark reminders of the importance of the Mosaic Institute’s work.
Peace is not only possible, but inevitable, when peoples at conflict understand one another’s common humanity, feel mutual empathy, and commit to building a shared future.
Today, 21 September 2019, the Mosaic Institute is joining with the peoples of the world to observe the International Day of Peace. This year’s Peace Day will be especially meaningful for Mosaic: it will also be the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Resolution on the Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
The Resolution called on the international community to support “dialogue and consensus-building” and to “promote increased understanding, tolerance, and cooperation among all peoples.” This lies at the very heart of Mosaic’s mission: we advance pluralism in societies and peace amongst nations, by bringing together people, communities, and states, to foster mutual understanding and to resolve conflicts.
We are proud of the work Mosaic’s community of donors, volunteers, partners, and colleagues carry out every day of the year to foster a culture of peace. International Peace Day is our opportunity to thank you for being part of this journey, and we look forward to welcoming every person ready to join us.
See the United Nations page on the International Day of Peace at https://un.org/peaceday
I am grateful to Senator Yuen Pau Woo, a member of the Mosaic Institute’s Advisory Council, for his counsel on our upcoming talks on peaceful coexistence on the Tibetan Plateau.
We previously brought together youth leaders from the Chinese-Canadian and Tibetan-Canadian communities in 2012-2014. The time is at hand for us to take the next step.
See the report from our 2012-2014 dialogue at https://maharaj.ca/plateau