Ozuem Esiri (2026)

07/06/2026

From Australia to the World: Peace Begins at Home

Thank You!

The 2026 Peace Begins at Home – International Mega Meeting brought together peace advocates, families, community and faith leaders, multicultural associations, Rotary leaders and members, civil society organisations, and global changemakers from across Australia and around the world.

I extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who honoured my invitation, participated in this important conversation, and helped amplify the message of peace by featuring the event in newsletters, websites, and community publications.

Special thanks to organisations including the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Sydney, the Sydney Peace Foundation, Rotary clubs and districts across Australia, Europe, and North America, and many other partners who shared and supported this initiative.

Click the links below to read and learn more about the event:

Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Sydney, Australia

https://www.economicsandpeace.org/event/2026-peace-begins-at-home-international-mega-meeting/
Rotary Club of Melbourne, Australia

https://rotaryclubofmelbourne.org.au/bulletin-this-week-item/63184/2026-special-invitation-2026

peace-begins-at-home-international-mega-meeting-the-rotary-mega-meeting/?type_fr=1583
Rotary District 5340, USA

https://rotary5340.org/stories/2026-peace-begins-at-home-%E2%80%93-international-mega-meeting
Sydney Peace Foundation, Australia

https://sydneypeacefoundation.org.au/event/peace-begins-and-home-international-mega-meeting/
Rotary Club of Caloundra, Australia

https://www.rotaryclubcaloundra.com.au/stories/peace-begins-at-home
Rotary District 2202, Spain

https://rotary2202.es/es/content/news/show/2328?ce=1
Wilmette Rotary, USA

https://wilmetterotary.org/stories/rotary-peace-begins-at-home
Rotary District 7910, USA

https://rotary7910.org/stories/together-for-peace-rotary-at-121
Rotary District 2202, Spain

https://rotary2202.es/es/content/news/show/2435
Rotary Club of St George, Australia

https://www.stgeorgerotary.org/bulletin/View/fe622694-7ea7-4b99-bd6f-3c6858ad34bf
Wilmette Rotary Bulletin, USA

https://wilmetterotary.org/bulletin/View/8b940823-c0bd-4058-929d-a4fae47d121f

This International Mega Meeting featured distinguished global peace leaders, Rotary leaders, community representatives, and changemakers committed to advancing peace through practical action and collaboration.

The meeting reinforced a simple but powerful truth: sustainable global peace begins at home. It is built through our daily actions, shared values, strong relationships, and commitment to one another.

Today, rising conflicts, violence, family abuse, youth gang activity, and community tensions across many parts of the world highlight the urgent need to strengthen social cohesion, youth belonging, and family-centred prevention efforts.

While policing, security measures, and government interventions remain important, lasting peace and safety require preventive, community-led approaches that foster inclusion, resilience, positive identity, and a sense of belonging—particularly among young people and families most vulnerable to alienation and violence.

Moments like these remind us that peace cannot be taken for granted. Building peaceful communities cannot be left to governments, agencies, or elected representatives alone. We all have a role to play and a responsibility to contribute.

This is a call to renew our commitment to grassroots peacebuilding—starting within our homes, families, schools, workplaces, faith communities, and neighbourhoods—where values are shaped, relationships are strengthened, and a culture of peace can flourish.

Together, we can build a more peaceful, inclusive, and compassionate world—one home, one family, and one community at a time.

Ozuem Esiri Onyebolise

President, Soccer for Peace Foundation International

Founder Host and Convener, Online International Mega Meeting

Founder Host and Convener, Peace Begins at Home – International Mega Meeting Australia

06/05/2026

Safe Steps 2026 Candlelight Vigil

Activating my advocacy to support families and individuals to be safe everywhere.

For National Family Violence Remembrance Day during Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, I joined the Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre 2026 Candlelight Vigil held on Wednesday, 6 May 2026 at the Parliament in Victoria.

Each year, the vigil brings together community members, sector leaders, and key stakeholders to honour and remember loved ones, share stories of resilience, and ignite hope.

I was honoured to stand with courageous survivors and passionate advocates, adding my voice in support of ending family and individual violence in all its forms.

The candlelight vigil unites Victoria in a powerful tribute and encourages anyone experiencing violence to seek support when they can.

For almost two decades, I have dedicated my time, talent, and resources to active community service—supporting initiatives and championing peace, reconciliation, justice, and human rights for countless communities, individuals, and groups.

This is who I am: my purpose and lifelong commitment across generations.

Despite a busy work schedule, I felt strongly compelled to join this meaningful cause—to honour lives, support survivors, and promote hope.

A chance to rebuild. It should never have happened.

Tonight is not just about remembering, but also about taking responsibility for ensuring everyone feels safe.

As the candle continues to burn, let it remind us to take responsibility.

It is the smallest action that makes the biggest impact.You too can be a changemaker.

Join me. Join us. Be an inspiration.

Help spread the word to end family violence everywhere, in every form.

06/05/2026

From working at night to serving and volunteering in the daytime — the life of me.

Supporting children and the community through volunteer service and engagement is not just what I do — it’s who I am.

What a meaningful morning again serving at the Breakfast Club at Wyndham Park Primary School, alongside friends from Rotary Club of Werribee.

Sadly, many children arrive at school without having had anything to eat. For years, Rotary and friends of the club have visited the school each morning to provide nourishment before classes begin.

Known as the Breakfast Club, the menu is simple—toast and fruit—but the impact is profound. The kids love it.

The school community is deeply grateful. Before the Breakfast Club, some children struggled with concentration and displayed antisocial behaviour in class. Now, they are more attentive, engaged, and ready to learn—making the teachers’ work more effective and the classroom environment more positive.

Social work, community service, and volunteering have always been an integral part of my life.

It’s not an activity. It’s a lifestyle.

It gives me fulfillment. It gives me purpose.

04/04/2026

Thank God It’s Good Friday!

There’s no better way to spend the Good Friday holiday than serving and supporting the community through volunteering.

Today, I had the privilege of supporting Vision Australia at the Easter Egg Hunt in Bendigo, helping raise funds for local services that support children and individuals who are blind or have low vision to live the life they choose.

An exciting search for 100,000 Easter eggs took place at the beautiful Rosalind Park, where more than 4,500 children joined the fun throughout the day in well-organized age groups and time slots.

As always, “The GuardMan with the pen and paper,” I was entrusted with the responsibility of managing where the 100,000 Easter eggs were kept and ensuring every box was accounted for.

A responsibility and trust I never take for granted.

Seeing the joy on children’s faces as they filled their bags with chocolate, and meeting Seeing Eye Dogs Australia teams who joined the celebration, made the day even more special.

You too can make a difference in your community and around the world through service.

Happy Good Friday.

29/03/2026

🌍 ART FOR PEACE – Australia International 2026

“Inspiring Young Peace Builders Art Project”

From one generation to another, let’s keep taking action for peace. Peace is possible!

As I continue to bring together leaders, peace builders, humanitarians, and change-makers from across Australia and around the world, our shared goal remains clear:

To take meaningful action for peace and to demonstrate how each and every one of us can play a role in building a culture of peace, respect for cultural diversity, and unity within our communities.

I have always had our leaders of tomorrow in mind.
We must not forget to prepare our young people—our children and youth—today for the challenges of tomorrow.

We must prepare the leaders of tomorrow—TODAY!

During this special period, as we celebrate Harmony Week, which promotes multiculturalism, inclusion, and the message “Everyone Belongs”, and in alignment with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, through my Peace Begins at Home Platform, I am proud to launch:

🎨 ART FOR PEACE – Australia International 2026

An Art and Painting Competition for Primary School Students (Grades 5 & 6) in Australia and internationally

🎯 Purpose of the Project
The Art for Peace Project empowers children to become young peace builders by expressing their understanding of peace, unity, and harmony through creative art.

This project aims to:
🌍 Promote inclusiveness, respect, and cultural diversity
🕊️ Encourage children to embrace the message: “Everyone Belongs”
🎨 Provide a platform for students to express their ideas, feelings, and values about peace
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Reinforce that peace begins at home, within families and communities
🌱 Inspire awareness of environmental responsibility as part of building a peaceful world

Through art, students are given a voice to:
Build understanding across cultures
Develop empathy and kindness
Contribute positively to their schools and communities

This project seeks to nurture a generation that is creative, conscious, compassionate, and committed to peace.

🏆 Art Competition Categories

🥇 Best Peace Artwork and Painting
Focus: Unity, harmony, and the message “Everyone Belongs”Recognises the student who best expresses peace and inclusiveness

🌍 Best Environment Artwork and Painting
Focus: Caring for the planet, sustainability, and responsibility
Connecting peace with protecting our world

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Best Family & Community Artwork and Painting
Focus: Love, respect, and support within family and community
Highlighting that peace begins at home

🏅 What Each Winner Receives

For each category winner:

🥇 Award Certificate (Young Peace Builder Award)
🎨 Art Gift Pack
🖼️ Specially framed version of their artwork
🌟 Recognition (announcement, public display, community centre exhibition, or event presentation)

🤝 Join the Movement

Join me in this extraordinary project as we inspire and empower the next generation of peace builders through creativity, unity, and action.

Together, let us continue to build a culture where peace is lived, shared, and sustained—from one generation to another.

Peace is possible.

26/02/2026

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Peace Begins at Home – International Online Mega Meeting

Distinguished Rotarians, Peace Advocates, Community Leaders, Human Rights Defenders, Friends and Partners from across Australia and around the world — good evening.
It is with deep humility and profound gratitude that I welcome you to the Peace Begins at Home – International Online Mega Meeting.

Tonight is more than a meeting.It is a platform.It is a responsibility.And it is a call to action.
The vision for Peace Begins at Home was born from reflection — reflection during difficult times, reflection in moments of pain, and reflection on the reality that lasting peace cannot simply be legislated… it must be cultivated.

Following tragic acts of violence that shook our communities, I asked myself a simple yet powerful question:

Where does true peace begin?
The answer was clear — peace begins at home.
It begins in our families.It begins in how we speak to one another.It begins in how we raise our children.It begins in how we respond to disagreement.It begins in our daily choices, our values, and our actions.
If we cannot nurture peace within our homes, we cannot expect to see it flourish in our streets, our nations, or our world.

This platform was created to mobilise grassroots peacebuilding — to bring together Rotary leaders, multicultural communities, civil society organisations, humanitarian partners, families, and changemakers who believe that sustainable peace requires collective responsibility.

We must continue to work together.We must stand together for peace.Together, we can achieve and sustain peace.What seems impossible becomes possible when we unite in purpose — building a world where every person can live in dignity and harmony.

Tonight is a moment to renew our commitment to peacebuilding — beginning in our homes, our families, our groups, and our communities — where values are shaped and a sense of belonging is nurtured.

The Peace Begins at Home – International Mega Meeting seeks to complement government efforts and contribute meaningfully to building a strong culture of peace in Australia and globally.
We are not here merely to discuss peace.We are here to activate it.We are here to model it.We are here to live it.

Through dialogue, partnership, and shared commitment, we strengthen peace at its foundation — the family and community level — supporting the broader work of institutions and governments.

As we connect across continents tonight, we are reminded that peace is not passive.
Peace is intentional.Peace is courageous.Peace is built — one home, one family, one community at a time.

I thank each of you for answering this call.
Together, let us reaffirm that peace truly begins at home — and from there, it transforms the world.

Welcome, and thank you for being part of this global initiative.

14/02/2026

Operation Ranaudo 🇦🇺

With my boots on the ground, safety gear secured, and our minds focused on the mission, we stepped forward to support communities across Victoria affected by the devastating bushfires.

When the call came, we answered.
The bushfires that swept through parts of Victoria in January were declared an emergency. Families and communities were left facing deep loss and hardship — and also many families lost everything. In times like this, service is not optional — it is a responsibility.

It is a great privilege to be part of Disaster Relief Australia – Operation Ranaudo, supporting families and communities as they begin the long journey of recovery.

Operation Ranaudo is named in honour of an Australian soldier who was killed in Afghanistan — a reminder that the heroism and sacrifice of our servicemen and women can never be forgotten. Their legacy of courage and service lives on through missions like this.

Taking time off my paid employment for many days was not an easy decision, but it has been one of the most fulfilling and meaningful choices I have made. Serving my community, especially in moments of deep need, brings a level of purpose that cannot be measured.

As a volunteer for Disaster Relief Australia — a veteran-led organisation that unites the skills and experience of veterans and dedicated volunteers to help communities prepare for and recover from disasters — has been more than fulfilling. It has been one of the most impactful experiences of my life.

Since February 11, we have continued marching forward on Operation Ranaudo — clearing debris, supporting clean-up efforts, restoring hope, and standing side by side with families as they rebuild.

Service. Sacrifice. Community. Hope.

As I march on — side by side with our communities, for our people, and for our country — the best country in the world. 💪🇦🇺 Team Alpha.

30/01/2026

Dear Peace Advocate,

Yesterday, as Australia celebrated Australia Day, our Prime Minister delivered a strong and timely message calling for unity.
As reported by 9News, Our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reminded us that Australia Day should be a moment to reflect on why Australia is the “best country on earth.”

You may view the post here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DT9Gg6DEy5S/...

For me reflecting on this message of unity on Australia Day 2026, I would also like to emphasise that in this country we now call home, there is far more that unites us than what divides us.

We must continue to celebrate our rich multicultural diversity, unite for good , put aside our differences, and work together to build lasting and sustainable peace within our families, groups, communities, and across Australia.

In this spirit, I specially invite you as a Special Guest to the upcoming 2026 Peace Begins at Home – International Mega Meeting (Australia).

Date: Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Time: 9:30 PM (AEST)
Registration: https://forms.gle/MHTV83qsom4HJo4BA

Recent incidents of public violence in Australia and around the world—including the tragic attack in Bondi in December 2025—alongside growing concerns about youth gang-related violence and serious youth offending globally, highlight the urgent need for collective and coordinated action for Peace and Unity.

These realities call on all of us to complement government efforts by promoting grassroots peacebuilding, strengthening social cohesion, fostering youth belonging, and advancing family-level prevention through Rotary-led, community-driven programs, hybrid peace events, and collaborative networks.

While policing and security responses remain essential, long-term peace and safety depend on preventive, community-led approaches that build positive identity, inclusion, resilience, and belonging—particularly among young people and families most vulnerable to alienation and peer-driven violence.

Moments like these remind us that peace cannot be taken for granted. They call on us to renew our commitment to peacebuilding, beginning in our homes, families, groups, and communities.

21/04/2025

Welcome to My Official page!

I’m Ozuem O. Esiri (AmbP – JP) — Global Peace Ambassador, Peace and Human Rights Advocate, Social Worker, and President of the Soccer for Peace Foundation.

This page is a space for connection, inspiration, and collaboration. Here, I’ll be sharing my journey in peacebuilding, humanitarian efforts, and impactful community projects—both through sports and through powerful global initiatives like the Rotary International Mega Meeting.

Together, we can create a ripple effect of unity, understanding, and positive change across borders. Thank you for being here—I invite you to follow, engage, and join me on this mission to build a more peaceful world.

Peace begins with us. Let’s make it count.

Ozuem Esiri

07/06/2026

06/05/2026

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29/03/2026

26/02/2026

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