Los Angeles Roundtable Calls for Action Beyond International Day of Peace

GLENDALE, CA, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Community, human-rights and civic leaders gathered at The Way to Happiness Foundation International in Glendale on September 21 for a United Nations International Day of Peace roundtable focused on what Los Angeles can do now to reduce division, prevent conflict and build greater peace in its communities.

Victoria Summer, British actress and singer, opened the afternoon with a musical performance, followed by an open roundtable discussion. The discussion came at a time when the public cost of dealing with violence and crime remains substantial. Los Angeles County’s FY 2025–26 budget lists nearly $995.3 million in gross appropriations for Sheriff custody operations alone. While that figure is not the total cost of crime or violence, it shows the scale of resources required once problems have reached the point of incarceration.

“We should not wait until conflict has already happened to start building peace,” said Ludwig Alpers, President of The Way to Happiness Foundation International. “Peace is built when understanding becomes action—and we do it together.”

Alpers opened the afternoon by asking participants to identify practical actions that could be carried back into Los Angeles communities. The roundtable brought together experience in education, youth leadership, humanitarian service, human rights, community work and international diplomacy.

Sir Doctor Col Laurent Khaiat, a humanitarian leader from Beverly Hills, focused on service and personal responsibility. “Peace is built by what we do—here, now, today,” Khaiat said. He challenged participants to connect relationships and resources with people who understand the needs of communities on the ground.

H.E. Ambassador Ireneo Namboka, Former Human Rights Advisor to the United Nations, brought decades of experience in diplomacy, human rights and peacebuilding. After hearing perspectives ranging from international affairs to neighborhood-level action, he brought the discussion back to the Golden Rule and cited the principle: “Try to treat others as you would want them to treat you.”

His observation became one of the defining moments of the afternoon. It connected peacebuilding from the top down with the realities of everyday life from the bottom up: nations, neighborhoods, families and individuals all face the same basic principle of how one person treats another.

Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, Founder and President of Youth for Human Rights International, spoke about growing up under apartheid in South Africa. She recalled that her father, a journalist and attorney, sometimes could not safely tell even his own family what he knew or believed because a child might innocently repeat it and place them at risk. Her story gave personal meaning to the need for human rights, tolerance and education.

Victoria Summer, actress, singer and founder of Next Generation Role Model, spoke about the power of example and the responsibility adults have toward young people. Jerry Perez de Tagle addressed peace through education and practical principles people can use in daily life.

The discussion repeatedly returned to Los Angeles: its schools, neighborhoods, young people, community organizations and the need to build relationships before a crisis occurs.

The Foundation plans to continue the connections made at the roundtable through further community cooperation and a regular calendar of practical activities.

“Peace is not something we attend,” Alpers said in closing. “Peace is something we continue.”

About The Way to Happiness Foundation International
The Way to Happiness Foundation International works with educators, community organizations, civic leaders and individuals using The Way to Happiness, a common-sense guide to better living, penned by humanitarian, L. Ron Hubbard, which encompasses 21 practical precepts addressing responsibility, trust, respect in the treatment of others.

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