Messengers of Peace Hero Award 2013 Acceptance Speech in Saudi Arabia

Messengers of Peace Hero Award Acceptance Speech by Nelson Ochieng Opany at the Saudi Arabian National Day Celebrations 2013 23rd September 2013, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia

“Your Royal Highnesses Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah, Minister for Education and Chief Scout of Saudi Arabian Scouts Association and Prince Mushari Bin Mohammed, the Governor of Al Baha Region, Mr. Siegfried Weiser, World Scout Foundation Board Chairman, Mr. John Geoghegan, Director, World Scout Foundation, Mr. Peter Illig, WOSM Global Projects Coordinator, distinguished guests, fellow Messengers of Peace, ladies and gentlemen!

It is indeed with great honour and humility that I stand before you today on this wonderful occasion of the Messengers of Peace Heroes Award ceremony. I must confess, that I didn’t see it coming-­‐it caught me by surprise. However, I am all the same delighted to accept this great recognition. For me it is a testimony of what it means to do something out of passion without expecting any reward for it, but because it is the right thing to do.

Ralph Bunche, an American political scientist, diplomat and winner of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize once said “We must fight as a race for everything that makes for a better country and a better world. We are dreaming idiots and trusting fools to do anything less.”

Our world today needs men and women who can champion multiculturalism, mutual tolerance, and concern for harmonious coexistence between humans beings and their environment, human beings and themselves and human beings and other human beings. For it is only when there is harmony that peace prevails. I congratulate you all for choosing the path of peace, for even the Holy Bible says that, "Happy are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God." So we are blessed.

When I began my work with MoP in Kenya last year the country was going through tough times of national reconciliation and healing. Together with the rest of my team of Rover Scouts at Kenya Scouts Association, we tried in our own little ways to contribute to that process through various action across the country.

Through peace caravans, peace forums, community service projects, partners events and online campaigns we were able to contribute to the peaceful elections we had in March. We are now focusing on how we could address some key challenges we face as Kenyan youth through intertwining peace building with empowerment initiatives.

One great lesson I have learned from Messengers of Peace is as Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." MoP is an initiative to help take us back to that fundamental realization; that though different we are all human, and we belong to each other. This is reinforced by the words of the great Nelson Mandela when he said that "to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that enhances the freedom of others"

Life teaches us so much only if we care enough to listen to our experiences. Messengers of Peace is one such experience. I hereby humbly accept this award of Messengers of Peace Hero. If we look at all the conflicts in the world today as a pot boiling on a fire fuelled by the 7 billion people on this planet; I am convinced that by being Messengers of Peace each of us is pulling out of that fire our own piece of log that would otherwise keep it burning.

My message of encouragement to all us to continue to inspire many others to join us and answer to that unending call to be true Messengers of Peace in our own little ways. And together we shall surely make the world a better place. I am proud to be a Messenger of Peace! God bless us all! God bless Scouting! Thank you!

[[NELSON O. OPANY//Messenger of Peace 2572//Kenya//nelson.opany@kenyascouts.org ]]