Message of Mussie Hailu on the occasion of the International Golden Rule Day, April 5th 2012
(To view Ambassador Hailu's International Golden Rule Day presentation, visit here).
Dear Brothers and Sisters throughout the world
On the occasion of the celebration of International Golden Rule Day which was started and establshed here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2007, I send you greetings of peace, light and best wishes.
As we are celebrating the International Golden Rule Day, I pray for the creator of the universe to open our hearts and minds to understand the uniqueness of each one of us and to pour out the spirit of unconditional love, Compassion and to understand and fully embrace the idea that, though we are people from different faiths, traditions, culture and color we all are part of one human family with the common principle of the Golden Rule.
One of the most important missions for humanity at this stage must be to bring people together with the shared goal of creating a peaceful world for all to live in. And this is what we are trying to address through the International Golden Rule Day.
Our world is coming together and as such all nations are our close neighbors and our wellbeing increasingly depends on how well we interact and live together with others based on the teaching of the Golden Rule which says “ Treat others the way you want to be treated”
In this interrelated and globalized world we need the Golden Rule more than ever as it is a fundamental human value needed today as the basis for co-existence. We need to make it the first article of our faith and the last article of our creed as the Golden Rule is not an option – it’s the key to our common survival.
The Golden Rule is the way to manifest world interfaith harmony in the world and it is one practical action that leads us from war to peace, from killing each other to co-existence, from disrespect to honoring each other, from hate to love, from despair to hope, from darkness to light, from being selfish to living for the sake of others and from revenge to forgiveness.
Each and every one of us needs to practice and exert all our effort to be a peaceful person. We need to acknowledge that peace is only possible in the world when each and every one of us start to make peace within ourselves, families and in our respective communities. Each of us needs to commit ourselves as best as we can to become a non-violent and make personal pledges for peace.
We need to focus on what we can do in a practical term to change the things we can change than talking about things we cannot change. And I am happy to be part of a movement like United Religions Initiative and Interfaith Peace-building Initiative and to be able to work with people like you from all over the world who decide to be part of the solution and take concrete action to bring positive change in the world by living according to the value of Golden Rule and Compassion for all.
By promoting interfaith cooperation and engaging in inter-religious constructive dialogue we learn to respect one another. We learn to appreciate both our differences and the common values that bind us to one another like the Golden Rule. We need to recognize pluralism and respect diversity. Pluralism is an obvious fact of life. As it is has been stated mutual understanding is no longer a luxury but an absolute prerequisite for peace and co-existence in the world.
If we truly want to open a new chapter in human history and see a new world based on a culture of peace and social justice, I believe it is high time to promote the Golden Rule throughout the world as it is a fundamental principle that addresses critical issues such as democracy, human rights, respect for each other, gender equity, social development, interfaith harmony, constructive dialogue among nations, violent conflict prevention and building right human relationships.
It is with this core values in mind that in 2007 through the Interfaith Peace-building Initiative (IPI) we declared April 5 as a “Golden Rule Day” and called upon all citizens of the world, religious leaders of the world, mayors of the world, heads of state of the world, the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States, interfaith organizations, schools, higher learning institutions, the business community and civil society to join IPI in proclaiming this day as International Golden Rule Day and to live accordingly to make this world a better and ethical place for all. Currently I am working to get the United Nations to proclaim the Golden Rule Day.
In addition to this we also started in 2007 a Golden Rule Goodwill Ambassador program to highlight the need for the Golden Rule in the world to promote a culture of peace, interfaith harmony and a Global Ethic. Since 2007 every year we honor an individual or organization with Golden Rule Medal and appoint Goodwill Ambassador.
Let us be instruments of peace and a living example of the teaching of the Golden Rule. Let us walk the talk by taking practical action in supporting the initiative of Karen Armstrong Charter for Compassion which is the base for the Golden Rule.
May Peace, Golden Rule and Compassion Prevail in our Heart, Mind, Family, Community, Country and the World.
In Peace and Gratitude
Mussie Hailu
Regional Rep. of URI for Africa and
Board Chairman of Interfaith Peace-building Initiative
