[HWPL]

[HWPL] 8th Anniversary of HWPL World Peace Summit - Global Leaders in Public and Private Sectors Call for United Voice for Peace as an Institution

On September 18th, the 8th Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit was held online with the theme of ‘Peace as an Institution: A Foundation for Sustainable Development’. This event held across the world in 146 countries, with 5,000 participants aired online to reaffirm the importance of the sustainable development guaranteed by institutionalizing peace while the global community has yet to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and faces another threats caused by the Russian-Ukraine conflict.

Since September 18th in 2014 when the peace summit was held for the first time, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace NGO under the UN ECOSOC, has called for solidarity for peacebuilding at the global level through collective actions with various actors including heads of state, ministers, law makers, religious leaders, educators, youth and women leaders, and reporters. This annual summit shares peace activities and achievements in cooperation with governments and civil society around the world every year. 

Regarding the cause of peacebuilding at the global level, Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL said, “The global village has suffered from the unexpected COVID-19 that has hit every country. People are not alone in the midst of difficulties. We live in the same global village, and we are neighbors and families. Each one of us is the one who are obliged to make our world a better place to live. And shouldn't we pass on our good world to our descendants?”

H.E. Marinus Bee, the chairperson of the National Assembly of Suriname, expressed his willingness to establish peace at the legislative level by saying, “The role of parliaments in building peace and preventing conflict is crucial.” He added, “In collaboration with HWPL the National Assembly would like to establish a framework of cooperation in achieving cessation of war and spread a culture of peace through activities to raise awareness of peace and encourage policies and programs regarding peace education.”

Octavia Alfred, Octavia Alfred, Minister for Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and Nation Excellence of Dominica, said that HWPL’s peace education was introduced to the national school curriculum in Dominica as it was “integrated into Social Studies, and also as a stand-alone.”  For the reason to develop the educational source into the civics curriculum in the country, she said that the HWPL peace curriculum is helpful “in addressing the challenges of … not just students, but even what they take home to their friends and their parents, and also out teachers.”

Mahendra Das, the Temple President of Sri Sri Radha Madhava Mandir of the Philippines, presented an institutional approach to interreligious dialogue in terms of the role of religion in contributing to peace. He suggested that regularizing international exchanges and programs to prevent conflicts based on religious misunderstanding can be a starting point for a foundation of peace.

Mr. Chung Young-min, General Director of the IPYG emphasized the role of youth as the main player of international action for peace by saying that education programs for 1,500 global youth in 59 countries are hosted to “protect the basic rights of youth around the world so that everyone can live a happy life without being left behind.”

The main goal of peace as an institution that HWPL suggested is to weave the values of peace into our social fabric, allowing mutual respect, harmony, cooperation, and co-prosperity to become part of our institutions as the norms and cultures of each society, domestic law, and international law. The principle of peace is contained in the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), which was drafted with the participation of international law experts from 15 countries and proclaimed by HWPL in 2016.

The 10 articles and 38 clauses of the DPCW underscore conflict prevention and resolution, gradual reduction of armament and the transition to instruments for daily lives, mutual respect and conflict resolution of religious and ethnic groups, and spreading a culture of peace. The DPCW urges all actors in the global community including international organizations, governments, non-governmental organizations, and civic groups to play respective roles in institutionalizing peace.

Peace!

 [HWPL]

[HWPL] 8th Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit  – Peace as an Institution: A Foundation for Sustainable Development

1. Introduction

The 8th Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit will be held on 18 September 2022. The event commemorates the promises made for peace on 18 September 2014 by leaders in politics, religions, women's groups, youth groups, and journalism committed to working for world peace. Since then, annual commemorations are held every 18 September, where all parties share peace initiative plans, progress, and results. 

2. Background

Adding to violent conflicts, which have been a constant threat to safety for humanity, the pandemic has exacerbated the uncertainty for humanity's future.

The global community has yet to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and still faces various threats such as the Russian-Ukraine conflict, increasing economic instability from supply chain disruptions and inflation, and unsuccessful attempts to address climate change. The situation poses a significant challenge to our chances for coexistence.

HWPL has proposed peace as an institution to resolve the above global threats. The main goal is to weave the values of peace into our social fabric, allowing mutual respect, harmony, cooperation, and co-prosperity to become part of our institutions as the norms and cultures of each society, domestic law, and international law. The principle of peace that enables this institutional peace is contained in the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW).

The DPCW lays the foundation for the institutionalization of peace, a process of establishing peace within a community. The 10 articles and 38 clauses of the DPCW underscore conflict prevention and resolution, gradual reduction of armament and the transition to instruments for daily lives, mutual respect and conflict resolution of religious and ethnic groups, and spreading a culture of peace. The DPCW not only unambiguously states "what" needs to be done for peace as an institution but also "who" needs to do it. From international organizations to central and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and civic groups, all actors in the global community are set as the main players in the run for institutionalizing peace.

HWPL's vision for peace as an institution goes beyond temporary measures to cease conflict actions and pursues peace incorporated into laws, values, and cultures, which serve as a mode of behavior for all

individuals and groups. The world is witnessing daily lives being uprooted due to disease, war, climate, and poverty, which, in turn, undermine human dignity and expose many people to an environment where basic rights are not guaranteed. In response to this, HWPL conducted a campaign last year to build a foundation for human dignity in the foreground, in effect promoting human rights. The event will present HWPL projects on universal human rights and their achievements.

3. Details and Results

HWPL has been working with governments and civil society globally for the past year to promote sustainable development and institutionalization of peace in various fields.

HWPL has carried out multiple projects in areas such as promoting human rights, protecting the weak, resolving conflicts peacefully, and spreading a culture of peace in order to establish a sustainable system that will maintain a common will for peace despite the crisis and changes in the global community. The event will cover the following topics.

• MOUs and MOAs with governments and IGOs for peace as an institution.

• Expansion of international discussions for judicial settlement of disputes and maintenance of peace

• Human rights webinars and media activities to highlight conflict and violence phenomena and raise public awareness of universal human rights

• Establishment of global religious scripture comparison discussions to prevent conflicts and promote mutual understanding among religions

• Improvement of access to education to promote universal rights

• Establishment of collaborative platforms for global youth and women, enabling them to play a greater role in conflict resolution and peace-building efforts

• Expansion of local region-based activities to promote coexistence and harmony and spread a culture of peace

The current global community must find answers to various problems, many of which are unprecedented for humankind. Searching for solutions to such challenges is beyond the scope of individual nations and can only be done through international cooperation. With that understanding, HWPL proposes civil society's participation and cooperation, not only that of nations, as a viable and promising path to finding solutions. HWPL is creating a wide-range peace community by inviting solidarity and unity with various actors in the global community, including governments and civil society. This will be a key contributor to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the blueprint for a new future for humankind.

Peace!

[HWPL] HWPL Peace Tours of Man-hee Lee (3-3): Local media's 'high interest'...“His name is ‘Light’”

 [HWPL]

HWPL Peace Tours of Man-hee Lee (3-3): Local media's 'high interest'...“His name is ‘Light’”

Interview following the Berlin Open Bible seminar

“A groundbreaking Bible seminar.” “It has opened the way for everyone who wants to know the Bible to understand the Bible.” “It is no surprise that people continue to find comfort in his messages.”

As the first Peace Tour of Chairman Man-hee Lee took place before the establishment of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), he conducted the tour in his capacity as Chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji). In particular, the Bible seminar he delivered as speaker met critical acclaim in Germany, where Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism) accounts for more than 60% of the population. Various German media outlets, including the broadcasters RheinMainTV, Leipzig Fernsehen, JeetTV, and the weekly newspaper Der Nordberliner, continued their coverage with requests for interview flooding in.

RheinMainTV, located in the State of Hessen, carried out in-depth coverage of the 'Open Bible Seminar' held for 20 pastors at Frankfurter PresseClub and conducted a subsequent interview with Chairman Lee.

The weekly newspaper Der Nordberliner (May 17, 2012) reports on the Open Bible Seminar of Chairman Man-hee Lee

RheinMainTV introduced the conference as “a groundbreaking Bible seminar” and commended it highly, saying, “This new teaching on the Book of Revelation has opened the way for everyone who wants to know the Bible to understand the Bible.” During an interview with RheinMainTV, Chairman Lee said, “There is only one Bible (in this world), but there are so many interpretations and doctrines. Shincheonji is now testifying to the fact that the Bible has been fulfilled.”

The Berlin Open Bible Seminar hosted by Chairman Lee received further media attention. The German broadcaster Leipzig Fernsehen covered the Berlin seminar, interviewed Chairman Lee and aired it on the news. In particular, it explained the meaning of Chairman Lee's name as 'light' and 'illuminate', shedding light on the role of Chairman Lee as 'the light of the East'.

The program's news anchor said, “Man-hee Lee, a Korean, is not an ordinary Christian. Chairman Lee spoke of his mission being to inform the world that the Book of Revelation has been fulfilled as it is written in the Bible.” He continued, “The name ‘Hee’ means ‘light’ or ‘to illuminate’”. The broadcast concluded with the words, “It is not surprising that many people are looking for answers through their faith.”

Interview with the weekly newspaper Der Nordberliner

These video interviews were broadcast locally on two consecutive days. On the first day, it aired once an hour from 6pm - 11pm, and on the second day, it was broadcast twice more from 8am - 10am and 10pm - 11pm. Following its broadcasting, the popularity of the program grew and the video of the sermon was edited and uploaded on YouTube.

JeetTV, a private online broadcaster, livestreamed the conference worldwide. In addition, the weekly newspaper Der Nordberliner conducted an interview with Chairman Lee and published a special write-up about the conference and Chairman Lee in time for Ascension Day. This newspaper has devoted about half a page to reporting on the contents of Chairman Lee's seminar in depth.

Interview with RheinMainTV in the State of Hessen, Germany

Peace!

 [HWPL]

[HWPL] HWPL Peace Tours of Man-hee Lee (3-2): Meeting between Chairman Man-hee Lee and Abbot Columban Luser, “Unprecedented Access into the Monastery”

Chairman Man-hee Lee is engaged in in-depth discussion on the monastery and the Bible with Abbot Columban Luser OSB in the drawing room of Stift Göttweig (Göttweig Abbey) in Austria on May 14th, 2012

On May 14th, 2012, the penultimate day of their peace tour, Chairman Man-hee Lee and his peace delegation visited Stift Göttweig (Göttweig Abbey) in Austria. The visit to Stift Göttweig, which concluded an intense schedule, was sufficient for gaining an understanding of the past religious climate in Europe where the gospel had been preached. This is because the Abbey, which dates back to the Middle Ages when the evangelical movement was most active, has maintained its medieval character.

Posing Baroque architecture, Stift Göttweig boasts in splendor and blends in with the beautiful, scenic hills of Wachau Valley located 449 metres above sea level. The inside of the Abbey was the meeting point for Chairman Lee and Abbot Columban Luser OSB. When Chairman Lee and his delegation arrived at the Abbey, they were informed by monastic officials that they were being granted "unprecedented access into the inside of the monastery and rare introduction of the Abbot to the press". The visit by Chairman Lee and his peace delegation is expected to be recorded in the annals of the monastery. This is because the delegation was granted entry into the chapel, likened to the 'sanctuary' of the Old Testament and the 'Most Holy Place' that only the priests of that era could enter.

An interior view of the chapel with altar in Stift Göttweig (Göttweig Abbey)

The delegation was also granted access to a library that boasts a history spanning over 100 years. It is said that up until then, no woman had been permitted access into the library. But on that day, it was no holds barred. The library, which resembles a museum, contains numerous rare books which, according to a library official, are still used by monks to this day.

During a brief meeting with Abbot Luser, Chairman Lee introduced himself in detail and explained the purpose of his visit to Europe. Chairman Lee emphasized, “God and His Word (Bible) are the standard for what is right and what is not". Chairman Lee added, “Since I have received and eaten (taken in) God's book, which is the Bible, it cannot be taken away from me; and because it contains the very words of God, I, and us all, can become the embodiment of a walking Bible.”

Furthermore, Chairman Lee said, “There was only one place of fulfilment at the first coming of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus will fulfil the New Testament in one place when he returns at his second coming. The promise of the New Testament must be fulfilled in one location and needs to be made known to people who accept the gospel." Meanwhile, Wachau, where Göttweig Abbey is located, is a medieval village designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

A view of Stift Göttweig (Göttweig Abbey) positioned on the hills of Wachau Valley, 449m above sea level

Peace!

 [HWPL]

[HWPL] HWPL Peace Tours of Man-hee Lee (3-1): 1st Meeting between Chairman Man-hee Lee and former East German Chancellor Lothar de Maizière - “Reunification of the Korean Peninsula is Very Important,” “History is made by God”

Chairman Man-hee Lee (right) meets with former East German Chancellor Lothar de Maizière in Potsdam on May 11th, 2012 to hear the past process of German reunification and to discuss the prospects for inter-Korean reunification.

“The reunification of Korea is important to achieve world peace and religious freedom” - Chairman Man-hee Lee 

“Politicians have sometimes provided plans (for reunification) from above, but it is also important that people from the bottom do so” - Former East German Chancellor Lothar de Maizière

During his first Peace Tour, Chairman Man-hee Lee of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) met with former East German Chancellor Lothar de Maizière, who served as the last Prime Minister of East Germany just before German reunification, in Potsdam, Germany, where they discussed the reunification of the Korean Peninsula for about three hours. The meeting, held on May 11, 2012 during the European peace tour of Chairman Lee, who is a Korean War veteran on a mission to “end war and achieve world peace,” was arranged in order to learn about the former Chancellor's experience of reunification. After leading the East German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to victory in the final general election in March 1990, the former Chancellor was able to achieve German reunification through negotiations with West Germany.

Chairman Lee said, “I would like for you to provide much help and guidance for the reunification of our country. Korea must be unified.” In response, former East German Chancellor Lothar de Maizière said, “It is impossible to break apart people of the same nationality for a long time. German reunification was not something expected, either.” He also said, “It seems like history is made by God,” and, “The basis of German reunification came from the peaceful protest of its citizens.” He explained that because the links between East and West Germany were never completely severed, it was possible to send post, make phone calls, and watch West German TV in East Germany. There was constant exchange between the divided countries.

"Germany was in the middle of Europe, and when Germany split, Europe itself was divided," Maizière said. He emphasized the importance of education, saying, "What is important is the education of the Korean youth regarding the need for Korean reunification." He also said, "We must seize the opportunity for reunification when it comes and achieve it as quickly as possible."

In agreement with the former Chancellor, Chairman Lee said, “It is really good to educate students to think about reunification at school or at home. They don't even know that our country was subjected to aggression and oppression." In response, the former Chancellor said, "Korea's reunification depends on how much the North Korean ruling class gives freedom of thought and opinion to the people," and, “It is impossible to break apart people of the same nationality for a long time. I do not think the Korean Peninsula will remain divided for long. Reunification will happen soon.” Chairman Lee argued that reunification cannot be achieved if the Koreas continue to engage in conflict with the other on the grounds of “reunification according to my standard.” Chairman Lee said, “First of all, we need to ask the people what kind of political ideology we should assume after achieving reunification.”

Chairman Lee said, "If Korea has been appealing for world peace, yet itself remains divided, how will other countries view it?" He said, "The reunification of Korea is important to achieve world peace and religious freedom." He continued, “If South Korea works with another nation to form a team for reunification and goes to the North to engage in discussion, and the North also forms such a team with another nation to engage in discussion for reunification, we will be one step closer to reunification.”

Chairman Lee is actively working not only for the reunification of Korea but also for world peace. He said, "Let's become one family that achieves world peace. Let's become one by helping each other like the light, rain and air of the skies. I hope that the world will have a policy to achieve world peace."

Exterior view of Cecilienhof Palace in Potsdam, Germany

Peace!!