UNPKFC and IG-SI Join Forces to Cultivate a New Generation of Global Peace Leaders through the Global Peacekeeper Volunteer Initiative (GPVI)
The Global Peacekeeper Volunteer Initiative (GPVI), an international peacekeeping volunteer training program, has been successfully concluded, marking a significant milestone in the development of a new generation of global peace leaders.
Bangkok – On 15 December 2025, the Global Peacekeeper Volunteer Initiative (GPVI), jointly organized by the United Peace Keepers Federal Council (UNPKFC) and the International Governance and Sustainability Institute (IG-SI), concluded with resounding success at the Borpipat Conference Room, Royal Thai Air Force Officers Club, Bangkok.
The GPVI program was designed to empower emerging volunteers with essential skills in international peace and security. It provided practical training on the roles of peacekeepers, leadership in conflict and post-conflict settings, cross-cultural communication, and scenario-based simulations drawn from real-world conflict zones, while emphasizing the integration of peacekeeping operations with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with established UN frameworks.
The program attracted more than 300 participants from Thailand and abroad. Lectures and PowerPoint Presentations by eminent Trainers was followed by a highly engaging group activity, where participants were divided into 10 groups. Each group was assigned a specific SDG, including SDGs 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17. Each group designed and presented Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) that they committed to implementing over the next three months.
The ideas presented were innovative, practical, and community-focused, clearly demonstrating the power of youth, volunteerism, and collective action in turning the SDGs into reality.
Distinguished Speakers and Resource Persons included:
1. Dr. Sultan Azam Temuri
Global Chairperson, United Peace Keepers Federal Council (UNPKFC)
Chief Executive Officer, International Governance and Sustainability Institute (IG-SI)
Retired Inspector General of Police
Former Acting Police Commissioner, African Union–United Nations Hybrid Operation
in Darfur (UNAMID)
2. Dr. Aphinita Chaichana
Global President, United Peace Keepers Federal Council (UNPKFC)
Global Chairperson for Southeast Asia, United Nations Association of the Coachella
Valley (UNA-USA), California, USA
Director of International Affairs, International Governance and Sustainability Institute
(IG-SI)
3. Brigadier General Marines Sandy Latief
Head of the Military Expert Staff, Indonesian Marine Corps
4. Ms. Esin Gulsen
Former United Nations Peacekeeper (UNAMID)
Director of Operations, International Governance and Sustainability Institute (IG-SI)
5. Ms. Rangsima Thongpunchung
Country Director, United Peace Keepers Federal Council (UNPKFC), Thailand (Headquarters)
6. Colonel Marines Dr. (HC) Arief Rahman Hakim, M.TR (OPSLA), M.HAN
Chairman of the IRC and Senior Military Advisor to UNPKFC for Asia
Senior Lecturer, UNPKFC
Science and Technology Specialist Officer, Indonesian Marine Corps
Former United Nations Military Observer in Nepal (UNMIN) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)
7. Group Captain Dr. Teerawat Duangchan
Advisor, United Peace Keepers Federal Council (UNPKFC)
Former Deputy Director, Project and Budget Division, Peace Operations Center, Royal Thai Armed Forces
Former United Nations Military Observer, United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
8. Ms. Maria Delilah Reluya
Former United Nations Peacekeeper (UNAMID)
Dr. Sultan Azam Temuri, Global Chairperson of UNPKFC and CEO of IG-SI, emphasized the importance of international professionalism, stating: “Peacekeeping in the 21st century must go beyond traditional boundaries and evolve into a highly professional approach aligned with United Nations mandates. As sustainability begins with each of us, empowering volunteers enables effective implementation of the SDGs and supports governments in achieving the 2030 Agenda.”
Dr. Aphinita Chaichana, Global President of UNPKFC, stated:
“The GPVI program aims to develop peace leaders with holistic understanding across security, social, and cultural dimensions. Graduates of the program are equipped to play meaningful roles in advancing peaceful, sustainable, and well- governed societies. They are capable of applying their knowledge at community and regional levels while contributing tangibly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
The GPVI training program clearly demonstrates the practical application of Smart Power, integrating security expertise (Hard Power) with communication skills, cultural understanding, leadership, and governance (Soft Power). This holistic approach produces volunteers who possess not only operational capability but also global vision and a genuine commitment to peace. Participants were developed to think strategically, operate through integrated approaches, and respond effectively to the complex challenges of the modern world —fully aligned with United Nations frameworks and the SDGs. As such, GPVI graduates are not merely practitioners, but agents of change, capable of bridging communities, regions, and the international arena.
Ultimately, the GPVI program affirms that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through a single source of power alone. Rather, it emerges from the intelligent integration of knowledge, understanding, and collective cooperation—driving the world toward a future that is peaceful, secure, and grounded in good governance.
Dr.Aphinita Chaichana presented awards to individuals dedicated to peacebuilding,the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and capacity-building through SDG training initiatives.
