[HWPL]

[HWPL] HWPL Hosts International Religious Peace Academy

Chairman ManHee Lee is the head representative of the global peace organization HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light), which is striving for the enactment and implementation of the international peace law 'Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW)'. The DPCW is a legal instrument comprised of 10 articles and 38 clauses that can end wars and hostilities throughout the world. HWPL is also spreading a culture of peace and implementing peace education.

Chairman ManHee Lee experienced the cruelty and tragedy of war as a veteran of the Korean War. This is one of the reasons why he founded a global peace campaign as the head of HWPL. He has traveled the globe more than 35 times to meet and persuade politicians, legal experts, journalists, professors, peace activists, civil organization leaders, heads of tribes and others to unite them for the work of peace. The significant fruits borne out of his hard work are the World Alliance of Religions' Peace (WARP) Summit and HWPL Peace Committee. The DPCW was drafted and finalised by the HWPL Peace Committee.

How, you may wonder, do I know this? About 10 years ago, when I had just been discharged from military service, I came to know HWPL and Chairman ManHee Lee while researching the topic of civil conflicts to satisfy my curiosity in ongoing global issues. At that time, the island of Mindanao in the Philippines was suffering from a major civil conflict that lasted more than 40 years, and Chairman ManHee Lee and HWPL resolved this conflict through non-violent means.

Chairman Lee brought an end to the conflict in Mindanao by holding a peace talk between the warring Catholic and Islamic groups. Before the talk, HWPL and Chairman ManHee Lee held a Peace Walk to spread the culture of peace in Mindanao with the many locals who had gathered out of a desire for peace.

Chairman ManHee Lee's pressing appeal today is that humanity unites for sustainable peace in order to pass on the legacy of peace to future generations worldwide. He doesn't just talk peace, but has worked tirelessly for it through practical peace campaigns for over a decade.

I decided to become a supporter of HWPL and Chairman ManHee Lee's peace initiatives because I also desire a world of peace for all posterity.

Today I'd like to introduce an article from HWPL official homepage regarding HWPL International Religious Peace Academy :)

HWPL International Religious Peace Academy (IRPA)

As part of the newly launched HWPL International Religious Peace Academy (IRPA), online lectures were held over four Saturdays from July 8^th to 29^th, 2023. The IRPA showcased lectures delivered by prominent religious leaders from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism, based on their respective religious scriptures. A total of 1,388 religious leaders from 108 countries attended the lecture series.

Since 2014, HWPL has operated the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Offices for inter-religious comparative scriptural discussions, Religious Youth Peace Camps for religious and cultural exchange, and Open Dialogues with Religious Leaders for intra-faith discussions around the world. To expand on the work for peace among religions, HWPL has initiated the HWPL International Religious Peace Academy (IRPA) platform where people can explore beyond a basic understanding of each religion through scripture-based lectures by various religious leaders.

Prominent religious leaders are invited to present lectures on various topics in the Religious Peace Academy, and participating religious leaders can choose and attend lectures on scriptures from religions other than their own.

Last July, 15-minute long religious lectures on the same topics were presented in the first and second weeks of the RPA lecture series. This was followed by hour-long in-depth lectures in the third and fourth weeks, where participants chose the religious lectures of their choice.

The first week of the RPA was held with the topic of ‘Prophecy and Fulfillment’, and the second week under the theme of ‘Signs of the End Times and a New Era’. Detailed information about the lectures may be found at the official website (http://rpa.hwpl.kr/), such as introductions to the lecturers and lecture videos.

Religious leaders who have attended the inaugural HWPL IRPA in July have shared their thoughts as shown below:

“Before attending RPA, my mind was filled with many questions. At the same time, this interesting question also came to mind. ‘Where will RPA lead me?’, ‘What will RPA give me?’, and ‘What’s good about attending RPA?’, etc. After attending RPA, RPA answered some questions I wanted to know. And RPA has awakened respect for people of other faiths.

Moreover, I saw religious leaders trying to achieve peace in various ways with their own scriptures. I learned that I also have a responsibility for a peaceful world. Because I am one of the peacemakers.”

– Nanavamsa, Student of Gautam Buddha University

“Many religious leaders, representatives of different faiths and participants from various denominations have enrolled in the Religious Peace Academy of HWPL, and are connecting, participating, and listening to each other’s voices in harmony. With this, positive attitude has increased within individuals and inter-religious conflicts have declined. The positive effects are intense and tremendous.

Therefore, it is the duty of ours—religious individuals—to listen to others and to the teachings of other religions with tolerance, without getting too attached to our own views or religion, to learn more by connecting those teachings with our own faiths, and to spread this knowledge further.”

– Enkhbuyan Jargalsaikha, Monk of Sain Nomuun Buddhist Monastery of Mongolia

HWPL will continue to organize and operate the International Religious Peace Academy lectures so that religion may reclaim its original role and purpose of love and understanding, and not be used as a tool for conflict.

peacebreeze

Sunday, October 29, 2023