Bringing the Message of Peace to Europe

By Nin Bebeau
Ambassador for Peace and Founder of the Archetypal Academy of Boulder, Colorado

“Namaste, the goodness of God in me, recognizes the goodness of God in you.” With these words I began to read the “Peace Message” each day in Europe. After Japan and Korea, our group was sized down from 120 to 40 and we were dispersed throughout Europe. The organizers assigned us to various countries in a seemingly random pattern, yet God choreographed my trip impeccably. I spoke in England, France, Spain, Germany, Norway and Slovakia in seven days.

What an amazing pace. Each day I awoke around 3:00AM, reached an airport by 5:00, flew around 7:00 and arrived in a new country more or less at noon. I visited my new family until 7:00 PM and then gave my speech. The formal gathering lasted until around 9:00 PM. We then talked about spirituality, healing and peace issues until almost midnight. Content, I fell into bed and slept three hours before awakening to begin again.

At each new airport I was greeted by a stranger. But within five minutes the stranger was gone and in his/her stead was my family: a sister, aunt, uncle or cousin to rediscover. Everyday, I fell in love again. As I boarded the plane, I began to anticipate the pleasure of the metamorphosis from stranger to family. I lived in an unusual state of mind where everyone I was with, was my family and everywhere I went was home. It wasn’t a process I tried to do but a state I existed in. The journey was magical. Everyone was gracious. It was a little taste, right here and now, of a global family dedicated to world peace. A true family reunited.

In England, I met a Congolese spiritual teacher and healer who was having great success curing AIDS with a secret herbal brew God had given him. He asked me to help him get his discovery out to a needful world. A friend of mine runs an AIDS clinic in Uganda so I am presently working to connect them.

In Norway, my dear friend Roseweither greeted us at the airport. She and I met earlier this year in the Middle East on a peace tour to Israel, Palestine and Jordan. On that journey we were traveling with Native American leaders and Korean military leaders, including four four-star generals. We were all working to resolve issues between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

The Middle East is a complex tinderbox. Every action is both life-affirming and destructive at the same time. Every action has two sides. If it helps one, it automatically hinders the other. There are no “good guys or bad guys” just complex webs of pain and suffering. The two cultures are but little fishes fighting one another, unaware of the harsh net ensnaring them both.

The one radiant light I found in Israel is Neve Shalom. In this beautiful community, an equal number of Israeli and Palestinian families are living and working together. Their children are being raised bilingually and celebrate each others’ holidays together. They are growing up in friendship in a community devoid of prejudice. The adults work shoulder to shoulder sorting their way through the madness and mayhem of their clashing cultures. Neve Shalom is truly an oasis of peace. They have a waiting list a mile long. A great many people want to live in peace and are willing to work through the issues. Their idealism is hindered by the lack of land upon which to expand. If a non-Jewish, non-Arab group were to buy a large piece of land in Israel, they could lease it to Neve Shalom for a second settlement. On a grassroots level, this is a powerful way to seed peace in the Middle East. The community offers many public events to garner economic support.

In Lille, France, I met a group of women who felt so familiar; we must have known each other for lifetimes. Time stood still. Our one evening was so rich; it will live in my memory always. I hope to return to Lille in the springtime and visit my dear sisters when all our creativity is in bloom.

I was driven to Slovakia where I met a wonderful group of people. When I told them that my father had grown up somewhere in Czechoslovakia on the Hungarian border, they told me that this is where I am. They showed me the Jewish ghetto where my father may have lived. In this lovely little city, I reconnected with my ancestral roots. I felt very grateful to God, fate, and the peace tour organizers for allowing me to experience a taste of my own family’s history.

The very next day I flew to Munich. On the highway, we passed an exit sign to Dachau, the concentration camp where my little sister and brother were murdered. Intense energetic waves passed through me. I suddenly understood that even though I cannot go back in time to save my little siblings, I work for peace so no more little children will die. That day, I opened my heart even wider to love the German people more deeply. It turned out to be a very rich and satisfying experience. The people I met were very kind.

Malaga, Spain

Spain was a treat. I was sent to Malaga, jewel of the Mediterranean. My guide was a wonderful historian. He expanded my understanding of the culture by insightfully explaining the connection between the Inquisition and Spain’s present social issues. This glorious autumn day was spent high in the hills overlooking the sea. There were ten of us seated on the terrace, savoring a wonderful Castilian feast, while we discussed our spiritual awakenings. Everyone around the table was a practitioner of some form of healing. We had much to share, while all their children played quietly together in the yard.

When the time for the presentation approached, about twenty adults and a dozen children arrived. The children formed their own circle and enthusiastically participated all in the rituals. After every paragraph I read in English, someone in the group read the Spanish translation. Everyone participated to make this wonderful night a group creation. After the guests left, the core group from the afternoon stayed on to chew on this fascinating topic of peace a little more.

The last country I visited in Europe was Switzerland. My new sister, Hanna and I hiked over emerald green rolling hills and through sweet little villages filled with small winding roads and window boxes overflowing with colorful flowers. As we strolled beneath a canopy of trees, we delved deep into each other’s lives. Each day of the journey was a week long and this particular afternoon was timeless.

The evening presentation went wonderfully. Only a few people attended but they were enthusiastically inspired. Several said I had renewed their faith. Their sincerity touched me deeply. My Swiss family was wonderfully generous to me. They bought me all the little things I needed for Africa: bug spray to quiet my fear of malaria and a sleeping net to keep out the mosquitoes. Pagebreak

Our Ambassadors for Peace meet the Vice-President of Congo-Kinshasa

By Rev. Alain LeRoy, Berkeley, CA

During the 4th World Peace Tour, on November 17, 2006, our team of eight Pastors and Ambassadors for Peace, including Rev. Andre Jackson, Rev. Betty Tatalajski, Rev. Carolyn Larabee, Mrs. Carolyn Lincoln, Mrs. Sharyn Bebeau, Rev. Tony Lowery, Rev. Dr. Gilda Price, and myself, Rev. Alain LeRoy, were invited to meet with His Excellency Mr. Azarias Ruberwa Maniwa, current vice-president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, (DRC) formerly known as Zaire, or Congo-Kinshasa. I believe that this meeting was truly the highlight if not even the main purpose of our coming to West-Africa.

A few days before, on November 14th, a Peace Rally had been held in Kinshasa, the capital city of the DRC where Rev. Andre Jackson was the main speaker. This rally had been broadcast by the local television network, and Vice President. Ruberwa Maniwa had seen our international team of Ambassadors for Peace on his television set. At that time he was not yet sure if lasting peace was possible and a viable solution for the DRC. As the president of a political party called the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) and head of the defense and security commission in the current government, he had the full support of many armed men, but our Peace Rally convinced him that peace was the best solution and he decided to meet with us.

To better understand the significance of our meeting with the Vice-President, it is important to understand the recent history of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC is emerging from many years of dictatorship, misrule and civil wars. The country had been ruled under the dictatorship of Colonel Mobutu for over 30 years when, in 1997 Mr. Laurent Kabila took over by a new rebellion which plunged the country in a new five year war. In January 2001 Laurent Kabila was assassinated and his son, Joseph Kabila, replaced him as head of state.

For some time there were five main armed groups more or less in control of the country. In December 2002, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all belligerent parties, resulting in a roadmap for the DRC’s transition to a stable democratic state. A transitional political dispensation for the DRC started therefore on June 2003 and four vice-presidents took oath at the Supreme Court in Kinshasa. Those four DRC deputy presidents of the transitional government were Jean-Pierre Bemba, Ruberwa Maniwa, Arthur Z’ahidi Ngoma, and Abdoulaye Yerodia Ndombasi. Joseph Kabila was officially and democratically elected president of the DRC after two polls punctuated with violence and death involving supporters of the two main candidates, Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba.

DRC Four Vice-presidents

It is in this post war environment, when one could still see and smell the smoke of the guns (the elections second round had been held on October 29th), our team of Ambassadors for Peace met with Vice President Maniwa Ruberwa. A few days earlier, on October 9th, the vice-president was a guest speaker at the joint conference of the Baptist World Alliance and had already expressed his beliefs that Christian leaders in church and society must demonstrate the highest level of integrity. He had also mentioned that whatever happens with the elections he will stay truly attached to the Lord with integrity. His prayers were answered when we met with him on this evening of November 17th at his private residence.

We were introduced to Vice President Ruberwa Maniwa by one of our local Ambassador for Peace, Mr. Thomas Wetshi Tambwe, his Senior Advisor. It was the fourth time that Rev. Michel Futila, DRC National Leader (FFWPU) and our local UPF General Secretary had tried to meet with the Vice-President.

Rev. Michel Futila

The VP seemed very happy to meet with the eight of us. Since he only spoke French, I had the privilege to do the translation. Each AFP had an opportunity to share their heart and give a special blessing to Mr. Ruberwa Maniwa who reciprocated gratefully. The spirit was very high that night. We all felt that the VP could very well be the next president of the DRC and that finally there was a real hope for true and lasting peace in the region. He asked me some questions about Father and Mother Moon and the content of the speech we were reading.

After appointing the VP as an Ambassador for Peace, we all shook his hand and took a group picture. It was hard to believe that we had met an active vice-president at his private residence for over two hours, but it was time for us to go back to our hotel. We prayed for him and sincerely hope that our meeting will have a lasting impact in the region.