[HWPL]

[HWPL] South African Girls' High School Awards ‘Certificate of Gratitude and Recognition' to HWPL for “Spreading a Culture of Peace”

A plaque of appreciation delivered to Chairman Lee from Holy Cross (Girls) High School, in recognition of HWPL's contribution to peace education

The peace education of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), which is spreading a new culture of peace, is taking root in South African schools as an eternal legacy for future generations. Moved by HWPL's sincerity for peace, schools have signed an MOU and are conducting peace education on a trial basis.

One such school is Holy Cross (Girls) High School in Aitland, Cape Town, South Africa. On August 13, 2018, Principal at Holy Cross Michael Fouché delivered a plaque of appreciation to Chairman Man-hee Lee, in person, at the 'African Leaders of Peace Summit: Achieving Peace in Our Lifetime'.

Principal at Holy Cross (Girls') High School Michael Fouché signs an MOU with HWPL, appoints Chairman Lee as Honorary Principal, and delivers Chairman Lee a 'Certificate of Gratitude and Recognition' on August 13, 2018

Principal Fouché wrote on the Certificate of Gratitude and Recognition, “In gratitude for his outstanding contribution to creating peace value education”, and he also delivered this appreciation plaque to Chairman Lee, whom he appointed the school's Honorary Principal.

On that day, 11 South African schools, including Holy Cross (Girls') High School, signed an MOU with HWPL for peace education. In addition to Holy Cross School, other representatives in attendance were from Grosvenor Primary School, Lasersdal, Rosewood Primary School, Lizback, Boundary Primary School, Mimosa Primary School, and Arcadia Elementary School, Bontle Primary School, and Modderdam High School.

At the event, Chairman Lee delivered a speech and said, “Even in this world, empty and dark as night without love or peace, and all kinds of conflict, we believe that we can transform and make it into a world of peace through education. It would be great if we could create a new world with life-giving light, truth, and peace with thorough and beautiful education.”

“The teacher becomes a parent who has the child born again by instilling sound knowledge in his or her mind,” he said.

This message encapsulates the basic direction of peace education promoted by HWPL, transcending creed, race, ideology and border in order to establish a culture of peace for future generations. As of December 2020, 214 educational institutions in 34 countries have signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with HWPL for Peace Education, and it is being implemented.

HWPL Chairman Man-hee Lee (pictured above) delivers a keynote speech during the ‘African Leaders of Peace Summit: Achieving Peace in Our Lifetime' at The Westin Cape Town, South Africa, on August 13, 2018

Holy Cross (Girls') High School has been working steadily with HWPL since 2017, one year after Principal Fouché took office.

In May 2017, Principal Fouché conducted an HWPL pilot program on campus and authorised the appointment of a peace coordinator. He also arranged a staff meeting for the HWPL Peace Education team to present their vision and peace education curriculum to all staff on campus. Ms. Michelle Arendse, who was appointed as a peace educator, enabled the implementation of HWPL peace education in class.

Principal Fouché secured the participation of school peace educators at the WARP Summit in Seoul, Korea, in September 2017. In 2018, the following year, the HWPL Peace Education Team participated in a faculty development seminar and was invited to conduct a workshop on ways to implement peace education within the curriculum.

In addition, a “special peace week” was designated, focused on ways students can share and live out peace based on its values.

Furthermore, in celebration of the 5th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace held in Cape Town, South Africa, 30 students from the school participated and a banner was prepared. Then, in August, when the HWPL peace delegation visited South Africa on their 29th peace tour, Principal Fouché and peace educator Michelle Arendse held peace discussions with HWPL and proposed delivering a letter of appreciation to Chairman Lee.

A commemorative photo is taken of teachers and students of Holy Cross (Girls') High School after the 5th Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit on September 10, 2019, in Cape Town, South Africa

A culture of peace was thereafter spread in the school under Principal Fouché's full support for HWPL.

In March 2019, an HWPL pilot peace education program was held in the school, and teachers and students later participated in the May 25th commemorative event in May that year, in which one student read out a peace letter to the audience at the beginning of the event. Moreover, 116 school students wrote and sent peace letters to President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, urging him to support the DPCW. Students participated in the IWPG Loving-Peace Art Contest held in July and received a special commendation in the final.

The school has created and nurtured a special peace garden on the school grounds. In September 2018, teachers including Michelle Arendse attended the 9.18 WARP Summit held in South Africa. The event was also broadcast live on the same day as the main event held in Korea.

Students express their support for the enactment of HWPL's DPCW as international law by handwriting letters to the president urging for his support. The DPCW aims to end war and spread a culture of peace.

In January 2020, before the school closed due to COVID-19, teachers conducted a course on peace education at the school. In June and August, educator Michelle Arendse and two staff members participated as panelists at an online webinar hosted by HWPL. In September, three faculty members attended the online event 'Peace Messengers: The Unceasing Way Forward for Sustainable Peace', hosted by HWPL South Africa. 

In February of this year, Michelle Arendse attended the Youth Empowerment Peace Workshop (YEPW) hosted by IPYG, and presented a case study on HWPL Peace Values in Africa.

Emblem of Holy Cross (Girls') High School

Peace!