Johanna Vilhjalmsdottir

<h4 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:hsl(0,75%,60%);"><strong>JOHANNA VILHJALMSDOTTIR</strong></span><strong> and </strong><span style="color:hsl(210,75%,60%);"><strong>SYLVIE BERTI ROSSI</strong></span><strong> offer us a glimpse of this year’s Spirit of Humanity Forum’s retreat in Iceland. They also share insights from some of the participants on the final day.</strong></h4><p style="text-align:justify;">The 2023 Spirit of Humanity Forum was held from 31 May to 3 June in Reykjavik and Hveragerði, Iceland. One hundred and twenty leaders from 27 countries and diverse fields came together to explore the theme “Healing a World in Crisis – Leading with Authenticity and Love.”&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">After ten years of existence, this sixth edition of the forum moved away from the usual panel discussions to embrace a retreat format, offering us all a unique and transformative experience that had a lasting impact on our lives. The commitment, confidence, and courage of the group to embark on a profound journey surpassed the expectations of the organizers and made their dream a reality.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The opening reception was hosted by the City of Reykjavik at City Hall, and an atmosphere of authentic sharing was established, fostering unity among participants from all corners of the world. Over the next three days, the retreat provided an opportunity to set aside roles and titles and engage at a purely human level.&nbsp;We delved deep into the exploration of authenticity, love, and healing. We cultivated trust, exploring authentic dialogue, the art of listening, and moments of silence, creating an atmosphere conducive to personal growth and collective transformation.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">One of the highlights was an online interview with the Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, who spoke on spirituality, self-reflection, and the importance of care in governance, and her words resonated with the participants, highlighting the significance of personal experiences in leadership.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The emphasis on love and compassion as essential elements for a better world was prominent throughout. Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, the President of Iceland, stressed the importance of genuine care for one another in restoring peace globally. His message catalyzed many to share their experiences and perspectives, reinforcing the notion of a shared humanity and the hope for a brighter future.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The forum concluded with “The Language of Peace,” a public event organized in the Fríkirkjan church in Reykjavík, where some of the participants shared their reflections.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">As we approach the International Day of Peace on September 21, we invite you to listen to some of these touching voices from different continents, cultures, languages, and professional backgrounds. Each voice speaks of peace in their own way, through a poem, an experience, an encounter, an action, a life situation, or a reflection. But they all carry the same hope in their hearts: that a more peaceful world will come.</p><h4 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:hsl(0,75%,60%);"><strong>LYNDA LEOGAH FORKWA</strong></span></h4><p style="text-align:justify;">A typical crisis situation reveals a disconnect at all levels. What do I mean by this? Political disconnect (we can see that all over the world), economic disconnect, social disconnect, cultural disconnect, and sadly, spiritual disconnect.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The big question is, how do we encourage the language of peace in our current situation? How do we co-create a regenerative future for all? How do we enable a peaceful coexistence on Earth for all Earth’s citizens? How do we create a global atmosphere where all cultures are respected in their diversity?&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">In my own little way, I encourage the language of peace by tapping from within; tapping into my inner values, tapping into my inner home. What about you? What are the differing levels of contributions to this Earth? How do you intend to make a gesture for others to follow? If you’re unsure about how to go about it, I invite you to join me on the <a href="https://www.homeforhumanity.earth/onehomejourney">One Home Journey</a>, a course that intends to connect cultures, to build a regenerative future for all. We need a new framework for the future, to save the future, save citizens, and shape the future of our children, our children’s children. The time to act is now.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/language_peace2_196e7364d4.jpg"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:hsl(0,75%,60%);"><strong>NOOR BALFAQEEH</strong></span></h4><p style="text-align:justify;">This is the first time I am speaking in a church. Coming from an Islamic background, it’s really an honor, and I can’t describe in words how proud I feel of being here with you today in this Forum.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">I would like to share a quote from a book I read at the beginning of the year, <i>The Secrets of Divine Love</i>. It is written by a Muslim lady, A. Helwa, who tried to redefine Islamic teachings in a very unique way. I’ll share a quote about love, as love is what we’ve been talking about for the last few days.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">“We polish our heart to unveil the interconnectedness of creation, to embrace the places within us where love lives and compassion flourishes. And to see that beneath all outward defenses we all originate from a single seed of divine vibration. When we fully face Allah [and Allah, by the way, is how we call God in Arabic], we become like a holy mirror that contains the entire world within our love. After all, our journey here is not to just connect with the Divine in worship. But once we do this, to return to that creation as a sign of Allah’s unending love on Earth. You are not just a pottery fashioned from dust and water. You were sent to be Allah’s eyes on Earth. You were sent as a reflection of love and compassion for all those with hurting hearts. You were sent to reflect Allah’s mercy upon the entire universe.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">“As the 9th century Persian mystic, Iman Junayd said, ‘A Muslim is like Earth. Even if impurities are thrown on it, it will blossom into a green pasture.’ We are called to be like a date tree so rooted in the love of Allah that when people throw stones at you, you reply with food that tastes sweet.”&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Thank you.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/language_peace3_b95359e1d2.jpg"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:hsl(0,75%,60%);"><strong>MARTIN FRICK</strong></span></h4><p style="text-align:justify;">When I was invited to speak about the language of peace, the first thing I thought about was food because when there is no peace one of the starkest consequences of war is hunger. Today we have 350 million people who are acutely hungry. Despite Covid, despite climate change, the biggest driver of hunger is still war. And hunger is what you get when everything goes belly up with international cooperation. In the end, it’s always the same people going hungry.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">I also want to speak about food because it’s the most essential, human, and connecting thing I can think of. We are in a Christian church, and breaking bread is the most Christian gesture there is. In every single religious tradition food has a special meaning, because food is not a given, it’s a gift we share. If we are conscious about it, it’s actually a way out of many crises.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">For example, food connects to climate change in a very direct way. Every year we are losing three times the size of Switzerland to land degradation. If we work together to restore the barren land for agricultural use, we will improve food security, we will bring communities together, we will bring herders and farmers together, we will bring Christians and Muslims together. It is around food that we can do that.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The most beautiful thing is actually what makes plants grow. The biggest miracle for me is carbon dioxide. Plants take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and use a process called photosynthesis that has been working for 3.5 billion years to bind CO<sub>2</sub> and at the same time produce food.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">So I want to conclude with hope. I’ve been involved with the climate crisis since 2007 when I framed the notion of climate justice. Equitable and fair food production can lead to climate justice. If we get it right, the climate crisis is our common enemy and nothing unites us more than a common enemy. It’s not one human tribe against another human tribe. It’s the human race against an existential threat, and that is my hope.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/language_peace4_5922e467dc.jpg"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:hsl(0,75%,60%);"><strong>LUNGELWA MAKGOBA</strong></span></h4><p style="text-align:justify;">I greet you all in the language of peace and love. I am immensely blessed to be here in this community where I have felt welcomed and experienced love. I would like to share a prayer from my faith tradition in my mother tongue, Xhosa, a language spoken by the majority in the southern part of Southern Africa, the tip of our continent. The language of peace is love, and that’s the language we speak here.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">As I say these words, and offer you this prayer, it’s a reminder to myself that we stand on holy ground. It is all holy ground, you are holy ground; you are made of the Earth yourselves. We will all go out into the world to feed the hungry spirits and be the love that our world needs. The language of peace is love. If we get the love right, we’ll get the peacemaking right.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/language_peace5_4c36c0a725.jpg"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:hsl(0,75%,60%);"><strong>LISA REEFKE</strong></span></h4><p style="text-align:justify;">Hello everyone. I have been asked many times over the past three days, “Who are you?” I’m Lisa, an international civil servant. I’ve been on a journey of inspiration and humility. I so wish I could take you all on this journey and see the incredible moments I’ve lived while traveling and serving in different conflicts across continents, talking to presidents, ministers, political opposition leaders, community elders, women, and young people. I feel deeply privileged for this opportunity. I’ve chosen two examples – one at the very onset of my career, twenty years ago, and a more recent example.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Shortly after the independence of Timor-Leste, I traveled there to see what it would be like to build a country, to work with the people. I was invited to a meeting with the President of this newly born country. You imagine presidents living in big palaces, but he did not; he was working from a palace of ashes, a burnt down building. He worked from there for years. He would sleep with the people in the park. He was the President. He was a former fighter for the country’s independence. He wanted to be close to his people. What a humbling experience.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Now I’m working in Afghanistan, and I’ve been there for a number of years. I talk to the Taliban and it’s hard. I think the place has really taken me to my limits. I feel at times frustrated, and sometimes angry, but who am I to be angry? I have spoken with some amazing women, and one of these brave young women told me, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Over the years, these and many other experiences, day-to-day, have humbled me, have made me believe in our common humanity.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;">As I have continued my journey, I have often asked myself, “Who am I to judge?” I keep in mind what a beloved poet, very well known in Afghanistan, said centuries ago, “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing there is a field. I will meet you there.” Thank you.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/language_peace6_e6c691cd08.jpg"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:hsl(0,75%,60%);"><strong>ILA&nbsp;MALHOTRA GREGORY</strong></span>&nbsp;</h4><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:hsl(0,0%,0%);"><strong>An Invitation to Mirror/Mirrors</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:black;">we are both portals and mirrors</span><br><span style="color:black;">windows to where we could go</span><br><span style="color:black;">and</span><br><span style="color:black;">reflections of where we are</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:black;">smooth, honest, jagged, shattered</span><br><span style="color:black;">the truth of this mirror</span><br><span style="color:black;">dependent</span><br><span style="color:black;">on our hearts</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:black;">to mirror asks us to live in our heart</span><br><span style="color:black;">in the nia that abides in each one</span><br><span style="color:black;">residing in the makeen, expansive and gracious</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:black;">recognizing all as empty and full</span><br><span style="color:black;">the paradox of this complex life</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:black;">can we hold this?</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:black;">can we come as we are and reflect from</span><br><span style="color:black;">a place of pure love?</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:black;">can we dance with the shards?</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:black;">united in deep devotion for creation</span><br><span style="color:black;">let us be both one and many</span><br><span style="color:black;">loosening our grip on the distinctions</span><br><span style="color:black;">they may dissolve</span><br><span style="color:black;">we may flourish</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:black;">our beings rest in bhakti</span><br><span style="color:black;">our mirroring is devotion</span><br><span style="color:black;">in service</span><br><span style="color:black;">of the world we long to see</span><br><span style="color:black;">of the beings we long to be</span></p>

The language of peace

JFK was the 35th President of the United States from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was President at the height of the Cold War, and was an inspiration to many due to his courageous oratory, humor, charm, and youth. He was a Pulitzer Prize winner, and was instrumental in establishing the Peace Corp, the Alliance for Progress with Latin America, and the Apollo Program.

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John F. Kennedy

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Rhythms of the universe

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Lift people up

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John Muir

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John Quincy Adams

Inspire others to dream

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Never forgotten

<p>Jon<span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(32,33,34);"> is an American professor emeritus of medicine and the creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He was a student of Zen Buddhist teachers Philip Kapleau, Thich That Hang, and Seung Sahn and a founding member of the Cambridge Zen Center. He teaches Mindfulness and his stress reduction program, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness-based_stress_reduction">mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)</a><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(32,33,34);">, is offered by medical centers, hospitals, and health maintenance organizations around the world.</span></p>

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Jon Kabat-Zinn

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Connectivity

Jonas Jödicke, aka JoJoesArt, hails from Berlin, Germany. He has been creating and imagining fantastic worlds ever since he can remember. In 2010 he started uploading some of his artworks on the Internet and growing more and more of a fan-base. What started as a hobby has now become his profession. His works are appreciated and purchased all around the globe and have been featured on countless well-known blogs, websites, magazines and book covers.

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Jonas Jödicke

<h3 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#c28515;">AN ART ESSAY</span></h3><h4><span style="color:#c28515;">JONAS JÖDICKE</span> has been creating and imagining fantastic worlds ever since he can remember. What started as a hobby has now become his profession. Here he shares with us what art means to him, and offers a poem associated with each work of art.</h4><p style="text-align:justify;">Art has always been a crucial part of who I am. It’s as though art chose me, not the other way round. Pablo Picasso once said, “Painting is stronger than me, it makes me do its bidding.” I can only attest to that. The urge to let my inner feelings and thoughts become reality has always been very strong, especially growing up in a creative family with six siblings, two of which are also full-time artists.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">When I turned 14, I stumbled upon a video on YouTube of someone painting on their PC. I was immediately hooked and asked my parents to gift me a graphic tablet and a student version of Adobe Photoshop for my birthday. Digital Art quickly became my favorite medium.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">After finishing high school I decided to go on a two-year missionary trip with my church, which was a crucial time of self-discovery and spiritual growth. I think the spiritual dimension I added to my fantasy art after that journey really struck a chord with many people, and within a year I was able to fully sustain myself as an artist.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">I choose animals as the subject of most of my pieces because, weird as it may sound, I feel it is easier for us to relate to the depiction of animals on an emotional level than it is to relate to the depiction of humans. Unconsciously we tend to judge people by their looks, skin color, proportions, gender, and so on, which can prevent us from focusing on the essentials. I give my animals slightly human traits such as deep, emotional eyes, and it almost makes the viewer feel as though they are looking into a mirror. It makes them realize that they themselves are divine beings.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">I am especially fascinated by the interconnectedness of light and dark, portraying the bipolar relationship between the forces that govern our universe: cold and warmth, day and night, good and evil, body and spirit. Portraying both sides of the spectrum in one piece of art creates a tension that the viewers can feel inside of them.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">In my ‘Symbols of Life’ series, these two poles, represented by animals, are actually bound together in a mix of affection, love, necessity, and also pain. My belief is that each of them cannot exist without the other: stars could never shine without the dark of the night. The same applies to relationships between humans. We may be as different as day and night, but still we can and ought to be bound together in love.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Many of my pieces also evolve around the theme of guardians, those heavenly beings who watch over us. I believe in God, and through my art I try to express what His presence feels like to me.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Art is more than a hobby or a profession to me. It is a means of giving voice to the thoughts, feelings and truths I carry inside, which can’t be expressed any other way. It helps me access the peaceful space of divinity inside myself and all around me. When I create, I feel as though everything but me and the piece I am working on disappears for a while, almost like during meditation.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">I believe we were all made to create in one way or another. Whether it is through art, music, cooking, writing or photography, being creative connects us to our deeper consciousness and to our fellow human beings. It brings the unconscious to the surface and teaches us a lot about ourselves.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Many of my pieces have helped me better understand certain issues I was having at the time I was working on them. They contained messages that were meant for me. But when others looked at them, they saw something totally different and interpreted them in their unique, personal way. That is the magic of art – one and the same piece can tell a million different stories to a million different people.</p><h3 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#c28515;">Brotherhood</span></h3><h5 style="text-align:center;">We may be as day and night,<br>as different as black and white,<br>yet there is no reason here<br>to fight a war because of fear.</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;">Cause you’re just you and I am me,<br>come, open up your eyes and see,<br>that no matter how different,<br>it’s love that binds us in the end.</h5><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/symbols_of_life2_bbaab83652.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T06:34:43.273Z" alt=""></p><hr><h3 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#c28515;">Yin and Yang</span></h3><h5 style="text-align:center;">Balance is a state of opposition,<br>a state of two forces facing each other.</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;">There is no light without darkness,<br>no peace without pain.</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;">It is our choice which way we face<br>and in the end that choice</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;">…determines our eternal destiny.</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/symbols_of_life3_438cd5346d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T06:35:52.980Z" alt=""></h5><hr><h3 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#c28515;">Eternal Bond</span></h3><h5 style="text-align:center;">We live, we die,<br>we laugh, we cry,<br>we’re low, then high,<br>we fail and try.</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;">We hope, we doubt,<br>we breathe, we shout,<br>we’re soft, then loud,<br>we’re meek and proud.</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;">Eternity is meant to be<br>a never ending harmony<br>of dusk and dawn,<br>nor split nor torn,</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;">for as we die,<br>we’ll be reborn.</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/symbols_of_life4_20857089d4.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T06:36:59.995Z" alt=""></h5><hr><h3 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#c28515;">Circle of Life</span></h3><h5 style="text-align:center;">In life we face both low and peek,<br>we fail and sometimes we succeed<br>to gain fulfillment, joy and peace,<br>until we find that missing piece:</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;">Someone to hold, someone to feel,<br>someone, who makes our joy so real,<br>a lover, friend, a child, our God,<br>someone we can truly love.</h5><p><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/symbols_of_life5_b2c04a7c8f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T06:38:05.112Z" alt=""></p><hr><h3 style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#c28515;">Peace</span></h3><h5 style="text-align:center;">Is war the answer,<br>is hate the way?<br>Is life just a game<br>of predator and prey?</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;">Give me your hand,<br>feel my heart beat,<br>put down your weapons<br>and let us make peace.</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;">For we both know,<br>we can’t hide,<br>we might die together,<br>if we chose to fight.</h5><h5 style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/symbols_of_life6_b08cb2cb69.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T06:39:37.750Z" alt=""></h5><p><span style="color:#c28515;">https://www.instagram.com/jojoesart/</span><br><span style="color:#c28515;">https://www.facebook.com/JojoesArt/?ref=settings</span><br><span style="color:#c28515;">https://www.youtube.com/user/PeeGeeArts</span></p><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Art, poetry and article by JONAS JÖDICKE</h4><hr>

Symbols of life

Joseph Campbell

Be who you are

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