By Byron Mutingwende
The leaders of the Zimbabwe chapter of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) have said it is critical to strengthen families to restore the original plan of God regarding marriage.
Speaking during the launch on Sunday 15 April 2018 at the Rainbow Towers in Harare, Archbishop Johannes Ndanga, the FFWPU Zimbabwe Chairman, said marriage is the foundation of the entire humankind and social fabric.
“When God created Man (Adam and Eve) his purpose was for mankind to live according to God’s plan. When Adam and Eve failed to live according to God’s plan, they were chased out of the Garden of Eden. That became the foundation of conflict and war,” Archbishop Ndanga said.
According to Genesis 1:27, there are three stages of humankind. Firstly, God created Man in His Own image. God created man and woman and declared them husband and wife. Then he blessed them and gave them dominion over everything.
“What that means is that when we fail to meet our needs, it is because we will be acting outside God’s declaration. Nowadays, may don’t understand what marriage entails. If one has this knowledge, one can access God’s declaration, that is, as husband and wife. The Bible declares that we should be fruitful and multiply,” Archbishop Ndanga said.
The Man of God hinted that the breakdown of families had clandestinely eroded the sound foundations of society.
“The breakdown of families derails the efforts to establish peace and development, thereby impeding sound social and economic development. In this sense dysfunctional families is the most serious obstacle to achieving peace and sustainable development.
“The fight against corruption of the family institution has now become an international issue, and the search for ways to tackle this malaise has resulted in many initiatives being taken on a global level.”
The core mission of FFWPU is to strengthen marriage and families centered on God in order to create “One Human Family under God”. Currently, FFWPU is contributing in the spiritual renewal as well as the alleviation of poverty around the world. It is in this spirit that you have been called upon on a mission to strengthen marriages to lead the way in securing God’s blessings upon the nation.
People from different religious, ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds were urged to work together with mutual respect and shared commitment in championing the ideals that promote the values that make for strong and healthy families.
Married couples were encouraged to practice fidelity while parents were urged to love and care for their children, protecting them and educating them to uphold the highest moral and seeks to build a “culture of heart and peace” by supporting interreligious and international cooperation around universal values.
A peace prize for journalists was also launched at the event. Every quarter, the best peace journalist would walk away with $4 500, the first runner-up pockets $2 500 while the second runner-up would get $1 500.
Miriam Chikukwa, the Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province was conferred as the Ambassador of Peace in Zimbabwe. In her acceptance remarks, she said peace moves hand in glove with development and FFWPU’s drive was in sync with President Mnangagwa’s call for harmony and stability.
“I was happy when I attended one of FFWPU meetings in Senegal when they indicated to me that apart from agriculture, they would promote education, agriculture and youth development. All people should come together to drive peace and work together regardless of their diverse backgrounds,” Minister Chikukwa said.
Reverend Bakary Camara, the FWWPU Africa Regional Group Chairman said the family is the first institution created by God that should promote peace.
“For peace to abound, spouses should respect and trust each other in pursuit of fostering peace within the family. The peace in the family will then cascade to all spheres of society,” Reverend Camara said.
Bishop Sylvanus Nandwa Ngota, the Founder of United Clergy of Africa Foundation of Kenya, in his solidarity remarks said there is need to spread the message of peace and reconciliation. He said even politicians should work together in harmony despite belonging to different political parties.
In Kenya, there are youths’ and women’s federations for peace so as to foster development, he said. He called for peace in the family, in the community, districts, nation and the world at large.
Bishop David Musonda Masupa, the Chairman of Independent Churches of Zambia corroborated his message and said FFWPU was a vehicle for ideal families that would cascade into the promotion of peace globally.
To show commitment for promoting peace and reconciliation, the Government of Zimbabwe has set aside the organ on national healing, peace and reconciliation under the purview of Vice President Kembo Mohadi.
The launch was attended by religious leaders, government ministers, members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional leaders, business leaders, civil society organisations and other invited local and international guests.
Currently, FFWPU is contributing to the spiritual renewal as well as the alleviation of poverty around the world. Hundreds of thousands of marriages are being strengthened and religious leaders are being guided to lead the way in securing God’s blessings upon their nations. FFWPU believes that strong and healthy families are the foundation for a strong and prosperous nation.
The FFWPU was founded by Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon in the United States of America in July 1996. The International headquarters is currently in South Korea with chapters in over 194 countries across the world.
Promoting inter-religious dialogue and harmony leads to one ideal world of peace, which is God’s purpose of creation and the common ideal of humankind. The world’s religious traditions respect each other and keep in check any inter-religious conflicts and wars.