Read this letter in German. The UN voted to upgrade Palestine to be a non-member observer state. Rather than allowing this change to spark controversy, all parties should use this shift as fuel to push for a new peace accord. In the fall of 1994 in Jericho something extraordinary happened. Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister …
Category Archive: Middle East
A Lifetime Chasing Osama: Implications and Possibilities for Our Generation
By Chris Cote I have never fought in a war, but for the majority of my memorable life my country, the United States, has been in one. The United States emerged triumphant in the Cold War shortly after I was born and throughout the 1990s exerted its military power in a number of small affairs …
And If the Mountain Cannot Be Conquered: What Do We Have Left after the 11th of September, February, and March?
By Akio Matsumura “Well George, we knocked the bastard off.” These were Sir Edmund Hillary’s first words to a friend after descending from the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Time Magazine named him and his companion Tenzing Norgay, the first two to summit Mount Everest, two of the most influential people of the 20th …
When Money Can’t Buy You Love: Toward a New Inclusivity in the Middle East
By Akio Matsumura Looking back through my last article, “Uprising in Egypt”, it seems that it was written in a different era. So much has changed in the last month. News from the Arab world has grown and Japan unfortunately joins it in dominating the screens and the papers. We continue to pray for …
Uprising in Egypt: Why Not Let the Young People Decide Their Own Future?
By Akio Matsumura For 18 riveting days the world watched the extraordinary drama taking place in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. Tens of thousands of men and women, young and old, were chanting “Mubarak must go,” as they peacefully demonstrated their anger with the government. Their protests, and those in Tunisia, have started a new …
False Dichotomy: We Are the Third Way
By Chris Cote When I was in college, the president of the university was gracious enough to meet with me in his office. There was an agenda, but when we finished with that he asked me to stick around and talk. How was I doing? What was going on in my life? He was and …
Young Business Leaders: The Missing Link in World Peace
By Rinaldo Brutoco, Founding President of the World Business Academy Youth have a unique ability to serve as peacekeepers between Muslim and Western communities, but the missing link among youth has been their recognition of the possibility of creating an improved human condition for both Muslim and Western nations through increased commerce. Young people …
Search for Common Ground – “The Bridge”
“The Bridge” is a video available from the Search for Common Ground that explores the cultural differences between two Americans and two Egyptians. By finding common ground, differences can be overcome and relationships can move forward… Continue reading
Peace as Process: Religious Interpretation and Political Compromise
By Akio Matsumura At the Kremlin in Moscow in 1990 I learned a life changing lesson, watching those Jewish in attendance, all prominent leaders, pray to attend during the Sabbath. For those who are not familiar with Jewish tradition, the Sabbath is a weekly day of rest, lasting from Friday to Saturday evening, with the …
America Sets Sail: Crossing the Border toward Peace and Hope
By Akio MatsumuraIn December 1995 the World Assembly on Reconciliation was to be held at Jericho, hosted by Prime Minister Rabin and Chairman Arafat. A steering committee meeting I attended was held at Jericho in June, 1995. During our lunch break we went to see the Dead… Continue reading
What Others Say
President Gorbachev
“A spiritual beginning must be the basis of any initiative. Akio has always faithfully acted upon this conviction. His devotion to it has made it possible for him not only to overcome numerous obstacles and problems but also help others.”
John C. Whitehead, Deputy Sec. of State & Co-Chair, Goldman Sachs
“He is the most completely selfless, dedicated person I have ever known. Failure is a word he does not know. It is only for him a challenge to move forward again.”
Anuradha Vittachi, Co-Founder OneWorld Network
Akio's modesty is key to his achievements. He does not try to control the outcome of his conferences: the delegates are genuinely free to discuss what they want, and how. This openness is, I believe, the key to his success.
Ambassador Stephen Bosworth, Dean of the Fletcher School
Akio Matsumura is in the truest sense of the phrase “a citizen of the world”. He has no ideological agenda beyond the betterment of the human condition. A remarkable and admirable person.
Jim Paredes, Musician
Akio Matsumura was one of the first global citizens I met many years back in a forum in Moscow. His genuine concern and compassion for all people inspired me to see my own connection to the rest of humanity. Evolution will move forward for the better because of people like him.
Glenn Olds, US Ambassador to UN
“He has the spirit of a saint, the skill of a mediator, the mind of one inspired by an awesome Creator, and Cosmic friend, and the imaginative courage of a genuine, one of a kind, historic initiator. His sense of urgency is grounded in the dramatic and traumatic struggle of our time which is as much spiritual as it is political.”
Brad Morse, UNDP Administrator
“I have a powerful position of the UN, a staff of 4,000 and a huge office, but Akio does not have any of this. However he can bring President Gorbachev and Mother Teresa together at a meeting, which I cannot do.”
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