Ilco Van Der Linde

“We acknowledge that there is always more than one truth. Impartial, we aim to bring opposites together to prevent future conflicts. That is why we encourage dialogue, disarmament, peace education, cultural understanding and other non-violent solutions to armed conflicts”

It is 1 o’clock in the night train from Paris to Madrid. After a successful week with a lot of exciting interviews and good meetings with new partners, I am traveling back home to the south of Spain, together with my almost 91 years old father who can not fly anymore due to
health problems. I am sitting on the ground with my laptop, somewhere in a corner of the gangway and I am working on our new Vision Paper. Some Spanish teenagers gather around me. One asks what I am doing this whole time: ‘’Do you not sleep?”.  “I am working on a
peace project”. “Can I read it?” “Sure, why not?” After reading it: “Phew, you are cool, you!” That’s nice to hear, but I don’t feel cool at all. I feel tired and a bit lonely. I miss my children. But working is a good medicine, especially concentrating on the finishing touch of this ‘MasterPeace Vision & Works 2012 – 2020’. Weighing every word over and over again, because each word should have a meaning, a useful connotation; if it does not, I need to
leave it out. Probably this is the nit-picking part people don’t expect from a cool project. I try to integrate details from feedback given after hundred times of presenting the concept in the last year. Which words worked best? What raised questions? Even here my daughters played a role. Lately for instance my oldest daughter Bloem (who turned 15 years old last week) said: “Daddy, I heard you saying that MasterPeace is neutral, but isn’t that what the Swiss were during World War II? The United States and Holland were neutral at the start of that
war as well and for that reason they were sending back Jews who fled from Germany… So, isn’t neutral a bit cowardly?”. Uh, to be honest, yes, so I must use another word. One week later our potential American Founding Partner Search for Common Ground was very clear on what word I should use: impartial; the right alternative, somewhere between neutral (too passive) and inclusive (too active).

After one hour the kids went to their cabin. I thought I was too boring… but half an hour later they were back again, six of them. “We discussed your project. Can we help you? Maybe our chocolate biscuits will help?” What a nice gesture! 
Clearly they weren’t neutral any longer, but strangely enough they made me think: can one be impartial and give chocolate cookies at the same time? Where does impartiality ends and inclusiveness start? I recalled the meeting I had with Red Cross last week. They provide medicines to fighting parties during a war. I asked them how they see themselves: neutral, impartial or inclusive.
Impartial was the answer. So here we go! We’re not neutral any longer. Impartial it is. Bloem, Search for Common Ground and Spanish young people with chocolate cookies in my night train: thanks a lot for the co-creation! Creating impartiality together…

The Palestinian cab driver parked in front of the brand new, white and prestigious building of the United States Institute for Peace. “Peace. It’s so important for America”, he said and I thought that he was impressed by this building, that tries to reflect the new wind that blows since President Obama. “Peace”, he said again, “it’s pivotal to the American economy.” I was positively surprised; would he have read about this recently published research that proved that each dollar invested in conflict resolution is six times more effective than dollars
invested in new wars and weaponry? Did he express what I often tell to companies: conflict prevention means stability means a better climate for economy? No. “You know, peace, it’s such an intelligent system. First we tell to the whole world somewhere a certain president can’t be trusted. Then we freeze all the money of that country. Then we start to throw bombs on their hats; bombs that created jobs over here. Then we send all those diplomats, who
earn in one month what I do in a year. And finally we get all the contracts to rebuild that country again, bringing us income for the third time. And this we call peace.”

I had to run to my meeting, but how can I enter ‘the holy temple of such a system’? Or
even worse, would I slowly and unconsciously become part of that system? On the
other hand the USA did give him a job and a place to live relatively safely; and he has freedom of speech too. “You know, whatever system rules the world, it’s still made by fellow human beings. So we can also go for another system.
And you must believe me that I constantly meet American people who work for that other truth and another meaning of peace.” “I know, I know; go and run, brother!”

I was in the USA for ten days to involve some first good stakeholders for MasterPeace over here, ‘cause a truly global project wont rock without the States. My visit was taken very seriously. No meeting was canceled, nothing got delayed – everybody was strictly in time - our documents and site were studied thoroughly, sharp questions were raised. What a pleasure to work in a climate with an abundance of professionalism! Founders, CEO’s and sometimes seven officers or like-minded organizations at the same time showed up for my presentations.
Network dinners could get organized within several hours. And along with some good feedback there always was excitement about the concept and about the progress and materials I could show, thanks to two years of preparation.

In the hip and successful café-stage-restaurant-library ‘Busboys and Poets’ in Washington
founder Andy Shallal listened silently for 20 minutes and then sighed: ‘Wow,  this gives me goose-bumps man!’ He offered me a gorgeous organic hamburger and then explained how people ask him weekly to organize another Peace Ball with some top artists as the one he organized for President Obama in 2008.
‘Constantly I refuse, but now I know the next Peace Ball will be this year, to launch MasterPeace in the USA’. Another memorable compliment was given by our new board member Craig Zelizer, professor on conflict resolution at the Georgetown University: “I work in this field for over 20 years and I hardly ever saw a concept as attractive, innovative and comprehensive as MasterPeace.”

Many of my meetings and network dinners were at inspiring places as the 7th floor of the
Radisson Hotel, overlooking the smashing Times Square with its explosion of lights. I visited a cool campaigning company in Soho, an artist in the heart of multi cultural Queens, the Dance for Peace founder in a funky Village bar and the 70 years old and highly respected founder of Seeds for Peace in her own arty house. And in between the meetings I found break dancers in the subway, rappers on Washington Square or suddenly an eavesdropping millionaire who wanted to learn more about MasterPeace. And hey, is Keith Sweat really
performing around the corner tonight? Let’s go!

Working in New York or Washington is a sort of magic. You can feel and almost touch
Opportunities and Desire in general and for Innovative peace building in particular. During my 25 high level meetings I’ve met above hundred dedicated, intelligent optimists who clearly represent a peaceful America. Getting them on board was literally 24/7 my focus until a cheap flight dropped me at 4AM on Dublin Airport. Here I felt asleep on top of my new iPad in a little corner of the Burger King. Satisfied but tired, dead tired. No magic at all.

“There’s magic in everything. And some loss, to even things out” – Lou Reed

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagine you wish to shout “We Need Dialogue” to all parties in Syria, to Iran and Israel, to North and South Sudan and to all other parties  who seem to forget that there might be more than one truth; how can you be heard? How can you get visibility for your heartfelt message of peace? Now here’s your chance! MasterPeace has launched a new global initiative to let
your voice be heard, thanks to many involved top cartoonists from all continents. See here how Brazilian cartoonist Cau Gomez visualized “We Need Dialogue”.

How does it work? We have this nice animation film available to tell you more: http://goo.gl/Eyvji. Clear, no? Don’t forget to share it with your friends. It’s  so simple that we expect thousands to join. Tweet your message, add #MasterPeace2014 and cartoonists all over the world might get inspired by your text and create a catchy cartoon! If you’re not on Twitter you can also leave your max 140 characters message on www.facebook.com/MasterPeace2014. And if your message turns out to be the source of inspiration for the winning cartoon you win a
flight ticket to the MasterPeace Concert on the International Day of Peace, September 21st in 2014!

I sent in my first two tweets for Your Peace Re-Tweeted: “No one is born with hatred or intolerance. #MasterPeace2014” and the other (inspired by my regular Sunday-soccer afternoon) “Imagine. Israel-Iran 0-0. Sudan-RSS 0-0. No Winners. No losers. No violence. No bombs. Global Zero. #Fairplay #MasterPeace2014”. Let’s see if I might win a flight ticket to my friends in Cairo. But if yours is better I am totally fine! I guess I will go
there anyway…

We developed this campaign ‘Your Peace Re-Tweeted’ with our media partner Cartoon Movement. Find some first cartoons on their website: http://goo.gl/Qel9v. We connect top cartoonists from all over the world to you and provide you with an opportunity to be heard and noticed. Modern, attractive and true global co-creation between artists and people in the street; hardly anything can be more ‘MasterPeace’ than this, don’t you think!

And we’ll publish many of the cartoons in newspapers, magazines and websites. The company Boomerang Free Card helps us to have hundreds of thousands special cards to promote MasterPeace and the International Day of Peace September this year.

And this is just one example of how we gradually grab the attention of the world for the MasterPeace movement. Interviews, TV programs, presentations, social media, virals, events and activities of our clubs in 20 countries, our educational program, tours with artists… and this is just the beginning! The best is still to come! Bottom-up, like a pyramid upside down, we grow towards our expected global tipping point by the International Day of
Peace in 2014. Share your peace Tweet now and make us grow further, OK?