Thirty student leaders and student council members from University Budi Luhur in Jakarta, Indonesia learned that to live for others and serve society are the first principles of true leadership. The university students were attending the 10th Global Peace Volunteer Camp on November 21-22, 2011. A project of Global Peace Festival Indonesia Foundation, the camp was organized by University Budi Luhur, which took initiative and responsibility for hosting the program.
The Global Peace Volunteer Camp aims to stimulate the heart and character of young leaders by inspiring a vision of One Family under God. The program emphasized that personal character, willingness to sacrifice, and honesty and integrity are characteristics of true love, which are important in building not only an enduring marriage but a nation of prosperity.
Participants were touched the video of “Ryan’s Well,” which presents the story of a seven-year-old Canadian boy who took action when he learned in school that people walked for hours in Africa just to get water, and often fell sick and died from contaminated water. The first-grader started speaking to service clubs and school classes to raise money for a well for a Primary School in Uganda. From that child’s class project would grow the Ryan’s Well Foundation.
Camp members developed close personal bonds during the evening session, Heart to Heart. Although coming from different economic and religious backgrounds, they shared freely with each other, developing trust and a more firm understanding that despite external differences we are one human family.
The next day, participants were sent out to nearby communities, to learn that service is not only a “project” but a lifestyle. Service is not just cleaning or providing material assistance, but actions like smiling, caring, chatting, and listening—being available with a sincere heart.
Young men and women learned that volunteer service can be an inspiration to others and catalyst for peace, a path that transcends boundaries of race, nationality, and religion.