HWPL and civil society groups in 117 cities advocate comprehensive cooperation for peace and denounce anti-peace activities

While the global society has been sending an interest and encouragement to the historic decision of the North Korea-US dialogue following the ‘Peace Olympics’ held in South Korea, a Korea-based international peace NGO held an event commemorating “The 2nd Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW)” on March 14. In Seoul, South Korea, on the theme of "A Call for Building a World of Peace and Realizing Justice" was attended by 1,000 participants including representatives of politics, religion, and civic groups at home and abroad.

The host organization, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) affiliated with UN DPI and UN ECOSOC, announced the DPCW on March 14, 2016, to strengthen a solidarity of peace through a comprehensive cooperation of all sectors of society and to establish legally binding international law necessary for peacebuilding. The DPCW with 10 articles and 38 clauses, drafted by international law experts, includes provisions to avoid war-related actions and achieve peace, including respect on international law, ethnic/religious harmony, and a culture of peace.

Mr. Man Hee Lee, Chairman of HWPL, highlighted that every individual in the global society is responsible for constructing global peace. He appealed to the participants by saying, “Rather than waiting to take peace for granted, it is we who should put an end to war to protect humanity and our globe, and leave peace as a legacy for future generations.” “Law of today cannot compensate for the lives sacrificed from war. What we need is an instrument that protects human life, the very law that prevents war,” he added.

“No human being and no animal on planet Earth can survive from weapons (of mass destruction). Even an error or an accident can cause widespread damage to human life and property which cannot be replenished. We all have to work 365 days and 24 hours together for peace as a messenger of peace,” said, Mr. Pravin H. Parekh, President of Confederation of Indian Bar who participated in drafting the DPCW.

“If we want to put an end to war and build peace, let us work together for peace and overcome the boundary of state, ethnicity and religion. We have to think about how to resolve international conflicts through the adoption of the DPCW as a UN resolution. And the international society should provide assistance to facilitate peace education proposed by HWPL,” emphasized Mr. Deok Gyu Lim, former president of the International Law Association Korean Branch.

In the event, HWPL issued the official statement against anti-peace actions that hinder peace and justice with unsubstantiated information and distortion from socio-economic motives and human rights abuses by religious intolerance. In the statement it addressed that HWPL “will no longer tolerate attempts to obstruct the work for peace, putting personal gain over the common good of humanity. We urge all those yearning for peace and justice to take the right path, not the path marked with lies, and join the effort to build peace together.”

The multi-national events for the 2nd Annual Commemoration of the DPCW calling for building a world of peace and realizing justice were organized in 166 cities in 71 countries, including South Korea, the United States, Germany, Ukraine, Britain, and China. 150,000 citizens and leaders of all sectors in the world took part in this global event urging the establishment of international law for the realization of a peaceful, just society and the denunciation of anti-peace activity.

Peaceful coexistence and progress have become a prime development agenda in both Malaysia and Southeast Asian countries. When the multicultural environment with religious and ethnic diversity raises the need for mutual recognition, religious representatives and an international NGO held a conference to discuss the religious contribution to international peace building.

On January 31, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international NGO affiliated with UN ECOSOC, held a "2018 Malaysia Peace Forum" on the theme of "One Malaysia, One Asia, One World" at University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.

“We cannot and should not take peace for granted, we have to work for it, we have to preserve it and keep it for future generation,” emphasized Mr. Ghani Bin Ibrahim, president of HWPL Malaysia and a member of advisory committee of the Prime Minister's Department. “From universities in Malaysia, students will discuss the international law for peace, which will be the basis of advocacy plan from the youth,” he added.

“We are forming a network of women peace committee leaders throughout the country to build awareness through community work and education for a peaceful, united and harmonious society,” said Ms. Woo Sow Pheng, President of Johor Women's League.

The conference on interfaith dialogue as a session was carried out with the topic of “restoration of a peaceful world through commitment and implementation.”

The interfaith dialogue called “World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office Meeting” is one of major peace projects in 126 countries by HWPL with the approach to peace building in religion based on comparative studies on scriptures to find commonality of the spirit of peace in different religions.

The discussion and attention in the WARP Office meeting were given to forced conversion that occurred in South Korea and led to a death of a 25-year-old woman by her parents. According to the report suggested, she was kidnapped and confined in a pension and finally suffocated by her family.
“Just because of not registering under the certain denomination of vested interests, they interrupt the peace works of a religious person. Can we say these kinds of religious people are the ones who promote peace? There are no such sayings in the scripture that we should use violence nor encourage discrimination,” said Sethu Pathy M A Cumarasamy, Hon. Secretary of Sri Mahamariamman Temple. “There are no such teachings from God. They even use violence and kill those who are going to moving to another denomination, and this is happening now, in the 21st century, within the religious world. Religious scriptures, such as the ones discussed during our WARP office meetings, are aimed to be solutions to problems within mankind, to act as a guidance,” he added.

“There is a saying ‘Heaven helps those who help themselves.’ Religious leaders should steel themselves to make this world a better place to live. To put an end to war and establish peace in our globe, everyone is required to be a messenger of peace,” said Mr. Man Hee Lee, Chairman of HWPL.

All the participant representatives from religions in Malaysia including Hinduism, Islam and Christianity signed an agreement on the role of religious leaders in cooperation of peace building and harmony of religions to spread a culture of peace.

A peace campaign seeking both local development and global peacebuilding along with the participation of 3,500 citizens and members of an international NGO was held in Seoul, South Korea.

On October 21st, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international NGO under the UN ECOSOC and DPI, held the “HWPL National Marathon Festival” as a part of its “Legislate Peace Campaign” to advocate for the establishment of an international law for peace. Co-hosted by the Korea Sport For All Federation, a local NGO under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the event served as a venue for local citizens to participate in a marathon and willingly provide voluntary donations for their local communities.

As for individual contributions to peacebuilding, Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL said, “The work of peace is not given to a single individual or company, but rather to everyone around the globe. HWPL, as a peace organization under both the UN DPI and ECOSOC, is seeking to build cooperation with the UN, with a focus on achieving cessation of war and global peace in a way where everyone in our globe can participate in this work of peace with the same heart for peace.”

The participants also wrote their signatures of support for the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), which was drafted by HWPL with 10 articles and 38 clauses to advocate for international cooperation for peacebuilding through peaceful settlement of disputes, respect of international law in conflict prevention, and spreading a culture of peace. The Legislate Peace Campaign, in collaboration with international and local communities around the world, has received over 700,000 signatures of support for the DPCW to be introduced in international organizations and national governments worldwide.

In the participant’s interview, Jae Hee Kim, a university student said “As each signature from citizens like us is collected, we know the DPCW will be realized eventually. I am participating in this peace campaign with my own hands. I believe that this is a shortcut for the world to encounter peace, and it will go beyond not only myself but also my family and even further to my country.”

The participation of citizens in this event will also greatly contribute to furthered community development due to their voluntary donations in the form of crowd funding. Approximately $7,500 (KRW 8,400,000) was donated by the HWPL members and this will now be set up as a local development fund.

- Tunisian youth activists volunteered to spread a culture of peace in their community.

TUNIS, 7 October – A youth empowerment workshop titled “Peace in Children’s Eyes” was held by local youth group members along with an international youth NGO. Thirteen to Sixteen-year-old students were invited to join the discussion on how they can contribute to peacebuilding.

The local host, Peace Excellency Academy members were motivated to take this event in place after participating in the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) Youth Empowerment Workshop held in Seoul on the sideline of the 3^rd Annual Commemoration of the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit.

50 youth group representatives, including members of Peace Excellency Academy, had a discussion on practical ways to implement this global youth empowerment workshop for peace in their respective regions. Participants were from 13 countries such as Tunisia, Morocco, France, Germany, and the United States.

Mr. Yassino Bdiri, one of the Tunisian participants and the organizer of the Peace in Children’s Eyes workshop said, “IPYG workshop gave us hope that peace is possible when I saw the motivation of IPYG members.” After hosting the local workshop, he added, “The children were sensitized to the importance of peace. This makes me more believe in peace. We are planning to do other workshops in many regions with youth. We must be one heart and one voice.”

The curriculum of IPYG Youth Empowerment Workshop consists of 10 different topics under the theme of ‘fundamental rights,’ ‘diversity,’ and ‘co-existence’; all of which help young leaders to reflect upon the qualities of sustainable peace leadership.

Ms. Kate Shin, the coordinator of the empowerment workshop in IPYG Northern Seoul branch said, “We witnessed how the youth’s voices have been changing the society we live in. When it comes to resolving conflicts, we believe it is achievable if youth can gather and spread a culture of peace in each region. So, we are glad to organize this event together with Tunisian youth. We will continue it upon the strong belief that youth can empower each other to be future peace leaders with a sense of ownership.”

IPYG Empowerment Workshops for Peacebuilding are going to be held as well in Poland, Lithuania and Morocco in upcoming months.

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“Peace Education Development Forum for Spreading a Culture of Peace” at the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea

With the idea that a world of peace without conflicts and wars should start from classrooms, experts in education from the world discussed development of peace education on the first day of the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the World Alliance Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit on September 17 by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) under the UN ECOSOC.

As a part of “establishing collaborative governance for development and implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) drafted by HWPL in 2016 to advocate international cooperation with participation of civil society in peacebuilding efforts, the forum with education specialists as participants diagnosed the current issues of education in countries and discussed introduction and application of peace education inspired by HWPL.

Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL emphasized comprehensive application of peace education by saying, “We need peace education specifically for today. We ourselves should be the reality of peace education. Without the spirit of peace in himself, how can he possibly educate peace to students? To do this, peace education must start from family, so that the family becomes peaceful with the spirit of peace.”

Regarding the purpose and importance of peace education, “What role does education have in the diffusion of the culture of peace?” We are contributing in the promotion of the culture of peace in the world. We would help the citizens of tomorrow be more tolerant of each other and that a dialogue or discussion is the way to accept their differences and solve their conflicts,” emphasized Hon. Maria Eugenia Barrios Robles de Mejía, Vice Minister of Ministry of Education in Guatemala.

Participants discussed ways to enhance communication and network for inventing methodology and curriculum of peace education for future generations and to raise awareness of the need for teachers’ understanding the value of peace with detailed educational contents. “When we as teachers take up the responsibility to speak to our students, and be the necessary role models concerning how we speak, relationships and the adherence to order within society, we will start seeing the results in our students.” said Nancy Roussopoulos, Former Principal of Camps Bay Preparatory School in Cape Town.

Prof. Juan Carlos Torres at Don Bosco University shared his teaching experience of peace education by saying “When I applied the focus of ‘conflict resolution’ value of HWPL, with children 5-9 years old (considered problem children for the college), the result was surprising. The change in attitude in their faces and joy was drawn on the paper like in this image. This education will change and form these values within their hearts as a permanent change.”

As an action plan to develop peace education discussed at the high-level meeting with education specialists last year at the summit, HWPL has established HWPL Peace Academies with 127 education institutions in 9 countries including India, Israel, Kosovo, and the Philippines.

A Culture of Peace was envisioned at a Peace Festival at the 3^rd Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit

South Korea, 18 September - A global peace festival celebrating the 3^rd Annual Commemoration of the Alliance of Religions' Peace (WARP) Summit was held. Along with 1,100 international guests participating at the main venue, Hwaseong Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, 200,000 people in 30 countries including USA, South Africa, United Kingdom, China, and the Philippines participated in the summit by watching through live broadcasting in respective regions.

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a global NGO under the UN ECOSOC, showed colorful parade and performances to raise awareness of peacebuilding at the second day of the summit. Despite the increased tension caused by a series of North Korea’s nuclear tests, the summit has sought ways to implement peacebuilding based on the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) advocating conflict resolution and development of peace as a culture. The card section performance prepared by volunteers of the summit appealed to participants with images regarding a peaceful world achieved by global cooperation.

Mr. Man Hee Lee, Chairman of HWPL, urged the active participation for the implementation of the DPCW by saying, “This precious and indispensable gift was bestowed upon the human race as a legacy from heaven. Who must protect our world? It is us, the family of the global village. Neither wealth nor power can be passed down as a heritage if we fail to stop wars. Mankind and our Earth will share a fatal destiny.”

Ms. Nam Hee Kim, Chairwoman of International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), said “We already know the solution, the answer, to achieve peace, but if we do not act upon it, what will happen to the fate of this world? The choices we make can change the world. We must unite and show the world the strong influence that peace can make.”

In his congratulatory message, H.E. Dr. Moncef Marzouki, Former President of Tunisia, delivered, “Today we are closer to each other than to people sharing with us the same nationality but not the same values, the first being the protection and promotion of peace in the world. In these conditions of fragile peace and terrible wars, the permanent effort for peace must be continuous and mobilize all goodwill in the world.”

H.E. Adrien Houngbedji, President of the National Assembly of Benin, mentioned the value and future development of the DPCW, explaining that “It (the DPCW) is a praiseworthy effort which needs to be saluted. However, the different principles of this declaration must still be operationalized through a course of action, so that our countries as well as the international community can look for the possibility of implementing these measures in their national laws and treaties, agreements and international conventions.”

Plaques recognizing dedication to peacebuilding were given to the HWPL’s International Law Peace Committee for the members’ contribution to drafting the DPCW. At the end of the event, the participants held each other's hands and marched together, symbolizing a commitment of individuals transcending borders, races, and religions to work for peace.

“Peace Education Development Forum for Spreading a Culture of Peace” is held in Seoul, Republic of Korea on September 17^th

Under the current global environment shaded by long-term violence around the world including terrorism and interethnic conflicts, the international society is seeking a conflict resolution through a long-term approach to peacebuilding – education.

Beginning in 2014 with peace initiatives on global cooperation in international law for peace and religious harmony, the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit has been hosted annually by HWPL to advocate participation of people from all levels of society in peacebuilding. Among its projects, followed by the high-level meeting with education specialists in 2016, detailed action plans in peace education for students and citizens will be introduced this year.

“Peace Education Development Forum for Spreading a Culture of Peace” will be held by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international NGO under the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) on September 17^th at Seoul, Republic of Korea. In the forum under the 3^rd Annual Commemoration of the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit, 70 global experts in education including ministers of education, presidents of universities, professors, principals and teachers from 21 countries will participate. According to HWPL, this forum will address in-depth discussions in “the establishment of a network for global educators to co-develop education contents and spreading a culture of peace through peace education”.

“I have a high expectation of this very venue to discuss peace education for educators with different cultures and nationalities to make peace a reality,” emphasized Mrs. Shailaja Adhikary, Principal of Euro School, Nepal.

Juan Carlos Torres, Professor of Don Bosco University, said, “I want the upcoming generation to be able to have conflict resolution instead of thinking that the person with more guns will win. It is important to teach them how to resolve conflict with a peaceful way and have a peaceful mind. I will attend the education session in the WARP Summit and share about the peace education El Salvador needs with the teachers throughout the world.”

HWPL has formed a partnership with 117 education institutions globally to endorse and implement peace education by designating them as “HWPL Peace Academy” respectively, which includes India, Israel, Kosovo, and the Philippines. As promoted in the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) proclaimed by HWPL for global peacebuilding, HWPL has been building a cooperation with education specialists around the globe to provide opportunities of education to establish a culture of peace.

Along with this forum at the WARP summit, sessions for peacebuilding by global experts will be discussed, including 2017 Conference for the Implementation of the DPCW, 3rd International Religious Leaders’ Conference, Region-Specific Discussion for the Implementation of the DPCW, 5th HWPL International Law Peace Committee Forum, Conference for Global Peace Media Network, and 2017 IWPG Network Forum.

12 civil organizations and college students from diverse ethnic groups in Johor called out for youth empowerment to lead a harmonious society.

JOHOR BAHRU, 19 May– Celebrating a global youth networking event for peace-building, ‘Youth Leaders, Driving the Future Force!’ was held in Cosmopoint College of Johor Bahru city. Participated were about 90 youth leaders from 12 national and international organizations as well as college and secondary school students from diverse ethnic and religious groups in Johor.

As mutual understanding between diverse ethnic groups has been one of the major concerns both in a global and national level, the Johor division of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community of Malaysia (JPW: Jabatan Pembangunan Wanita) hosted this event in collaboration with various international NGOs and local organizations from diverse ethnicities.

As a part of the 4^th annual commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), and Johor Peace Committee (JPC) which works actively in the region as HWPL Peace Advocacy Committee co-hosted this event with the local community including Cosmopoint College Johor Bahru and AIESEC Johor Bahru.

Ms. Amy Kim, an International Press Department manager of HWPL North Seoul branch said, “It is inspiring to see how we youth can empower each other through an event like this, to realize that mutual understanding and interactive communication are much needed for future leaders. Through this value and ability, we youth can realize peace and harmony in the society.”

Ms. Amirah Dayana Azlan, the vice chairperson of GEMA Johor said “It was satisfying to address the sensitive issue of differences in races and religions particularly in Malaysia, because it has always been an issue that is used to disrupt harmony here in our country. It was great to voice out how we feel and which attitude we should adopt in terms of diversity to the younger generation. May it be an eye opener to me and to every Malaysian.”

After taking part in interactive speech sessions and games, participants decorated the map of Malaysia with post-it cards on which they wrote their wishes for peace. During the VIP congratulatory speech, Mr. Muhammad bin Haziq Zakaria, a founder of Inspire Mind Academy who was the former member of the Youth Parliament of Malaysia emphasized that this kind of opportunity is necessary for the future leaders, youths because their mindset and perspective would be made continuously based on their experiences.

To found a peace-based education project, HWPL is developing a ‘Global Peace Leadership Program,’ a long-term mentoring program in Malaysia where students can have mentoring from professionals of various fields, on peace-building leadership in various occupations. The program is being developed in cooperation with student council associations to be applied from primary school to college.

Meanwhile, the 4^th anniversary of the Declaration of World Peace is to be commemorated continuously in 44 countries in the following week. The Declaration is calling on ‘all youth to unite in an effort to stop wars and pursue the restoration of peace.’

Moroccan Youth Organization Volunteered to Promote the Value of Peace and Develop Global Communication Skills of Competitors.

AIT MELLOUL, 29 April – A global English spelling competition was held in the cultural complex of Aït Melloul by Moroccan Association of Youth's Access Alumni (MAYA), a committed youth group benefited from the English Access Microscholarship Program by the United States Department of State.

28 student competitors from Agadir, Inezgane and Aït Melloul competed with each other to find correct spelling of around 200 English words such as coexistence, philanthropy as well as extremism, genocide, which are distinctively dedicated to the theme of ‘peace and war.’

Mr. Omar Bourass, the president of Association of Parents and Teachers of Saada High School, addressed “Aït Melloul is a small town and known for its multi-cultural ethnicities such as Amazigh and Sahara people. All these elements make it so far from adopting a foreign culture or language. We don’t see these kinds of contest here in Aït Melloul or in Agadir, despite the fact that we’ve got the brilliant students in the region when it comes to English. I’ll always support MAYA in the making of such events that also support peace” Saada High School and Campus University Aït Melloul supported this event.

Not only contributing to the development of global communication competency of the local students, MAYA provided student competitors and audiences with the opportunity to reflect upon the value of peace in collaboration with its international partner, International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), an international youth organization with whom it shares the same vision of youth engagement in peacebuilding.

Mr. Adnane Abderrahmane, the vice president of MAYA said, “As a young leader in MAYA association, I always proposed the idea of organizing a peace-related event, and the chance finally showed up with the IPYG. The whole vocabulary list related to war and peace was specifically made to encourage youths and teens to engage peacebuilding and also so that they could start reading and analyzing the ways and methods of bringing world peace.”

Before starting the 1^st round of the competition, the congratulatory video from the IPYG was presented and it addressed that the global community should not leave words such as ‘refugee,’ ‘genocide,’ and ‘massacre’ to the future generation, but rather brighten the word ‘peace’ and ‘harmony,’ by working to stop wars and conflicts which are severely violating human rights.

Farah Galil, the third prize winner of the competition said, “When it was time for the IPYG video exhibition, I was already on the stage with the other competitors stressing out. [But] as the video started, I was overwhelmed with a story of a loving and caring mother raising her son for good, only until war came and took it away. The introduction video really got my attention and made me motivated and curious about how can we as a youth to support peace more.”

The prizes were awarded to Mouna Wamra and Imane Majidi of Lbakkali high school, and Farah Galil of Saada high school in order. The next competition will be held on March next year.

MAYA aims to continuously introduce the global youth movement for peace. IPYG with partnered youth associations around the world are spreading a culture of peace through peace movements such as walks, seminars, youth camps and public art projects.

The 1st Johor Peace Carnival was held in the capital city of Johor State with about 650 citizens participating in the festival. Johor Bahru City Council, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) and Johor Peace Committee (JPC) successfully co-hosted the festival to promote the harmonious culture transcending ethnic and religious difference. As a multi-ethnic society, Malaysian government has been encouraging civil activities to maintain the peaceful coexistence between various ethnic groups in the country such as Malays, Chinese, Indians and other groups. In this festival, The Prince Idris Iskandar of Johor State and Tuan Haji A. Rahim bin Haji Nin, the mayor of Johor Bahru City participated in support of the civil movement for promoting peace and ethnic harmony.
In his congratulatory speech, Tuan Haji A. Rahim said, “We must not be intolerant about other people's religions and their cultures. We must reject extremism. The motto of today’s carnival is to raise awareness of its citizens to maintain peace and unity within the community which consists of different races, religions and ethnicities.”
Cultural events have been held such as multi-ethnic music performance, peace drawing award for children and flash-mob performance by college students. In the end of the event, all the participants enjoyed the peace walk with the musical band performance with traditional instruments of Malaysian, Chinese and Indian ethnic groups which showed the harmony of the community. During the event, citizens were introduced the recent global advocacy movement to protect this value of peace and ethnic harmony by establishing an enforceable law compatible with the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). The DPCW is composed of 10 articles 38 clauses through which global communities can prevent differences attributable to religion or ethnicity from becoming a potential threat to sustainable peace. 120 citizens sympathized with the goal of the DPCW signed for the implementation of the international law by the DPCW.
Mr. Mohamad Ali Bin Taib, Chairman of JPC delivered its plan of action that “The future plan of JPC with HWPL is to spread more news and info on the importance of peace through our activities and program with the other agencies in Johor and perhaps other states. At the same time we will try to make sure our program with the youth and young generation will keep on being held from time to time. We also want to make sure the message of the DPCW will be carried out all over Johor.”