Our Mission
The Initiative for Governance, Reconciliation, Agriculture and Coexistence - Grace Initiative Global - promotes holistic peace-building through transformative processes: fostering gender empowerment; upholding fundamental freedoms; enabling opportunity; and, valuing civility and human dignity. It integrates local understanding with global agendas, taking into account the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including elimination of hunger, gender empowerment, climate, and peaceful and just societies.
The Initiative’s distinctive focus embraces a holistic and multifaceted approach, through targeted engagement, specific research and evidence-based capacity building. In carrying out its programs, Grace Initiative Global collaborates with academic institutions, think tanks and non-profit organizations, humanitarian organizations, private sector and public international organizations to achieve mutual purposes for inclusive governance, reconciliation, agriculture and coexistence.
Thematic Focus
Governance, Reconciliation, Agriculture and Coexistence are interdependent and sustain each component for inclusive, economically and political vibrant and resilient societies. Through governance, coexistence may emerge before reconciliation; reconciliation encourages an integrated and sustainable coexistence, which serves to preclude conflict and violence. Through sustainable agriculture strategies and practices, individuals find both spiritual and practical reward, encouraging peaceful coexistence and resilience.
Our mission supports and promotes 2030 Agenda for Development, especially Sustainable Goals: 1 (no hunger); 2 (zero hunger); 3 (good health); 5 (gender equality); 7 (affordable energy); (10) reduced inequalities; (12) responsible consumption; (13) climate action; (16+) for peace, justice, inclusive and strong institutions; and, (17) partnerships for furthering the goals.
Governance is central to stability, sustainability and reliability. It relates to a government’s inclusive responsiveness to the needs of all people and delivery of services. It also relates to the mechanisms by which the leaders and state authorities are held to account. In terms of governance, we focus on democratic governance and promoting a culture of democratic governance. This takes into account not only the reliability of responsive, accountable and transparent institutions and decision making, it embraces a notion that the people of a country, state, community are prepared to support the system of governance. Therefore, a culture of democratic governance includes peaceful mechanisms for discourse and difference of opinions, equal access to governance, justice and participation in governance and politics. It requires a vibrant civil society and freedom in the media and speech, taking into account notions of respect and civility. To this end, we include governance as an important component for inclusive, holistic and transformative peace-building, underscored in SDG 16.
Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq to promote Inter-faith Dialogue and Reconciliation
Reconciliation
We envisage reconciliation as a process and an outcome, which brings about a healing of the invisible wounds of past, from inter alia discrimination, violations or conflict through a trauma centered healing and a path toward a more peaceful future. To this end, reconciliation is a transformative process of breaking cycles of distrust and to bring about peaceful coexistence. In moving toward reconciliation, it is critical that parties mutually accept: acknowledgement of the other’s humanity and development of a common moral basis for peace. To create the conditions for reconciliation, it is necessary to move beyond a peace anchored entirely in pragmatic considerations to a peace based on justice and fairness. Reconciliation strategies support SDG goals: 3 - good health and well-being; 5 -gender equality; 8 -decent work and well being; 9 - reduced inequalities ; and 16, just, peaceful and inclusive societies.
Agriculture
In terms of agriculture, the Initiative sees promotion of agriculture, as an important component for human security, healing and sustainability. In this area, the Initiative analyzes strategies and convenes stakeholders, toward eliminating hunger, livelihood security, gender equality, healing and reconciliation, and peaceful and inclusive communities. The Initiative envisages agricultural development as a mechanism for transcending trauma of war, violence, including violent extremism. To this end, our strategies underscore the visions for the 2030 Agenda goals, including: 1- eradication of poverty; 2 - eradication of hunger; 5- gender equality; 12- responsible consumption; 13 - climate action; life on land - 15; and, 16+ - just, peaceful and inclusive societies.
Further, the Initiative considers innovative entrepreneurial strategies for enhanced value crops, such as medicinal plants, urban farming, small-scale apiaries for production of locally sourced honey. The Initiative finds that appropriate agricultural development offers a path to transformation and empowerment, fostering sustainability, community trust and resilience.
Co-Existence
In terms of coexistence, it creates programs and fosters mentoring, which emphasize a general culture of respect and consequently one less prone to violence. In this regard, coexistence may be characterized by degrees of tolerance and mutual respect in a society.
Coexistence integrates notions of human rights and respect for fundamental freedoms and protections, regardless of: gender; race; ethnicities; age; religion; and or, beliefs. To this end, we aim toward the implementation of projects and events leading to inclusive, sustainable peace with respect for the human person. This takes into account inter alia: the 2030 Agenda for Development; the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions; Human Rights Laws, Humanitarian Principles; and, Climate Justice.