HWPL Presents Practical Peace for the End of War and Conflict in Mindanao, Philippines
This year marks the 72nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. A terrible war, which is on the scale of the world war, devastated the country and caused millions of casualties. The war has forced Korean Peninsula to spend decades in confrontation and tension up until now. In the peninsula, which is divided in two, young people are still holding guns and aiming at each other. Moreover, as the recent war in Ukraine has had a big impact on the daily lives of the Republic of Korea, which is on the other side of the globe, people are once again feeling the need for peace.
Analysis of past Israeli-Palestinian and northeastern African conflicts mentions in many cases that knowing the cause of the conflict is a very important factor, and that the approach of ethnic-religious elements is inevitable for conflict resolution and sustainable peace. Also, the need for a peaceful process has been further raised as Russia's recent blockade of grain exports has been criticized as a criminal act that incites food shortages in countries such as Africa and the Middle East.
In a statement by the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, "I call on political, religious and community leaders to reject violence and speak up against those who try to inflame the situation. We must all work toward restoring hope and the prospect of a political resolution to this conflict." As mentioned, the voices of leaders play an important role in achieving peace. As can be seen in the Eritrean-Ethiopian case, international organizations such as the African Union provide a better opportunity to mediate the peace process in conflict zone, and the leader's decision could lead to the end of the war.
In this reality, there is an international peace organization in Korea that leads the change so that the global village may be imbued with a culture of peace, named Heavenly Culture, World Peace, and Restoration of Light (HWPL). As a veteran, HWPL Chairman Man Hee Lee witnessed the horrors of the Korean War and presented answers for peace and life in the world of conflict and death. Urging everyone in the world to become one in peace, he always shouts 'We Are One!'. The representative achievement of the peace steps he and HWPL have made is the fruit of contributing to peace in Mindanao, the Philippines, ending its 50-year history of conflict.
Mindanao was a region of the largest armed conflict in Southeast Asia. The Mindanao conflict clearly shows the crisis, faced by the global community, of rampant conflicts based on ethnic, religious identity that emerged in the 21st century. Mindanao's peace was a matter of direct connection to global security issues beyond the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
Efforts were made to resolve the dispute after it caused massive casualties. It’s the Mindanao peace agreement. International private organizations, along with the governments of Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Kingdom, supported the peace agreement, including Malaysia, the mediator of the official peace agreement between the government and the MILF. In addition to the official process, international organizations such as the European Union, Organization of the Islamic Cooperation and various private organizations have begun to establish peace by supporting it and providing humanitarian aid. Nonetheless, the signing of a peace treaty never ended the conflict. Mindanao's peace demonstrated the need for a fundamental and long-term approach across politics, economy, society, and culture to prevent a recurrence of war. Hence, HWPL, based in South Korea, began a journey of peace to Mindanao which is directly linked to world peace. The civic peace agreement mediated by the HWPL was Mindanao's declaration of permanent peace. Since then, HWPL and all involved, including local politics, religion, and civil society, have been cooperating for peace.
Regarding the achievements made in Mindanao since 2013, when the civil-level peace agreement was signed, Man Hee Lee, Chairman of HWPL, consistently says, "It’s what God did" and "God accompanied us," not personal achievements. With mysterious and miraculous powers leading to the cooperation of the global community, he always emphasizes, "Let all the global community become advocates of peace and leave peace as a legacy of future generations." The possibility of peace emphasized by the HWPL will come as a reality when people of the world decide to join and become one in peace. Global family members of peace wish this process will pave a way for the world to become a global village filled with news of peace rather than war, as “We are One” resonates around the world.
Press-release of the HWPL
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On the 13th of April 2023, Heavenly Culture, World Peace and Restoration of Light (HWPL) and Volunteer Hub with International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) hosted an intergenerational dialogue about Gender-Based Violence (GBV) at Cresta Presidential Hotel in Gaborone. More than 40 people gathered to attend this event, which showed the heart that Botswana has for peace.
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Olerato Mathodi, the founder of Volunteer Hub and spokesperson had this to say “This campaign was able to raise awareness on GBV issues, but also educate more people on the issues around GBV. However, many people are already aware of how bad GBV is in Botswana, the problem is they do not feel the current systems are working. The YEPC is one area that can offer a solution to this problem.”
Addressing the reason for the gathering and the efforts that are being placed by the HWPL, guest speaker Malcolm Coetzee had this to share, “Article 10 of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), which is the document you have all been asked to support today, speaks about spreading a culture of peace. It places a responsibility on states to ensure that they are working with individuals and civil society on activities that promote peace within the communities.”
HWPL is a non-government organization with the main aim of establishing sustainable peace by putting an end to armed conflict and promoting a culture of peace through various methodologies which include, Peace Education, dialogues, and advocating an international law known as the ‘Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War’ DPCW.
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Under the theme of “Institutional Peace: Strengthening Communication to Build Trust”, an international peace NGO, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light(HWPL), holds its 7th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War(DPCW) from March 14th to 19th in 41 countries from Africa, Europe, North America and Asia.
With the foundation of “Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW)” as a tool for comprehensive global peacebuilding cooperation, 7,000 people in the fields of politics, legal profession and religion, education, media, women and youth, will join the event where the participants share the cases of conflict prevention, mediation, and resolution to institutionalize peace as a universal culture and norm.
“This declaration, comprised of 10 articles and 38 clauses, aims to restore the spirit that served as the basis for the establishment of the United Nations and to achieve sustainable peace by promoting the universal values of the global community. The DPCW contains the message of no war, peace between nations and societies, friendly relations, prosperity, happiness, this is a simple message and everyone can relate to this message,” said Prof. Dr. Md Nazrul Islam, Chairman of International Law, University of Dhaka who drafted the DPCW, in the event on March 14th.
In his progress report presentation, Pravin Parekh, President of the Confederation of Indian Bar, presented major activities of overcoming disconnection and distrust and the progress for realizing the introduction of the DPCW to the United Nations. “HWPL has been strengthening trust and communication with youth, women, and civil society around the world in solidarity through activities such as Legislate Peace Project, WARP Office, and Peace Education,” he said.
Emphasizing the need for dialogues among religious leaders to facilitate tolerance and understanding, Ven. Myeong An, Vice President of Yeorae Order of Korean Buddhism, said, “Currently, many conflicts, persecutions, and conflicts among religions are taking place in the global village. It's because of intolerance and a lack of communication. However, what if many religious people come to discuss with scriptures? It will only be a matter of time before a world of peace comes.”
In the event, action plans to advocate peace in Ukraine were prepared. Participants from over 100 countries write “Peace Letters” to denounce Russian invasion of Ukraine as a violation of international law and demand Russian President Putin a total withdrawal from the Ukraine territory. “Future generations of Russians will remember you and this war as an indelible and shameful history, and you will be left in history as the one responsible for sacrificing countless innocent lives,” the letter stated. These letters will be collected and sent to Ukraine, where a peace monument will be erected.
During the speech, Chairman Lee Man-hee of HWPL emphasized, “Peace cannot be achieved alone. If everyone can live together as one, there will be no wars or conflicts. As the saying goes, love your neighbor as yourself, war will disappear only when there is love for each other. Current international law cannot prevent war. Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations, waged a war. The DPCW was introduced to renew the inoperative international law to eliminate war. Now is the time to achieve peace. Just as people learn when they have to create (something), peace must be taught at home and at school to create peace. If people's hearts change, a better world will be created. Let everyone in the global village become messengers of peace.”
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On 21 February, amid persisting conflicts and disputes among religions in the globe, HWPL Religious Peace Camp at Sulaimani University in Iraq was held attended by 60 students of the Sulaimani University of Iraq to discuss ways to ease the tension among the religions. They recalled the role of the youth in relieving religious antagonism by listening to speeches by 4 religious leaders from Christianity, Islam, Kakai, Zoroastrianism.
HWPL’s Religious Youth Peace Camp is an initiative to foster youth as key players in peacefully resolving conflicts and enhancing their capacity as such by providing an opportunity to have religious and cultural exchange among youth worldwide, including members of youth organizations.
Based on his experience with HWPL, Dr. Nariman Abdallah Ali, Dean of Humanities and Social Science of Halabja University from Iraq began the event by his congratulatory message saying, “The HWPL organization, which is headquartered in South Korea and has bases in many other nations, has been working hard for peace in Kurdistan, Iraq, and other places. Their efforts in this regard. It has a significant positive impact on the dissemination of the concept of peace in many nations throughout the world. We at Halabja University have participated in various events with HWPL, including symposiums, workshops, seminars, youth peace camps, and peace education.”
Dr. Mahdy Qadir Ahmed, Islamic Sciences College, University of Sulaimani said, “Islam aims to achieve world peace by establishing an alliance of universal tolerance based on brotherhood and enacting a righteous universal law that respects democracy, consultation, and the peaceful transfer of power, criminalizing war and prohibiting weapons of mass destruction including preserving the dignity of human beings, human rights and freedom of belief.”
Head of Human Development of Shnrwe Kakayi Organization, Mr. Asi Faeq Salih stressed a that religion is one thing, “According to Kaka's religion, all religions come from the same source, like a tree with leaves from different branches, but the height and roots of all kinds come from the same place, he has revealed his power to human through nature and the prophets.” Mr. Ibrahim Zrary, a member of High Council of Kurdistan Zoroastrian highlighted that the efforts of all leaders are important to identify and resolve the cause of the inter-religious conflict.
Students discussed the causes of religious discrimination and find ways to solve it. In addition, they vowed to participate in overcoming religious conflicts and achieving peace out of the inspiration from the footage of civilian peace agreement in Mindanao, Philippines, mediated by HWPL.
HWPL has recognized how crucial religious harmony is in building a peaceful world. To realize this, It has been implementing initiatives including the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Offices, Religious Youth Peace Camp, and Open Dialogue with Religious Leaders across the globe to serve as the platform for facilitating harmony among various religious groups.
