[IPYG]

[IPYG] IPYG's Peace Work with YEPW in the Philippines

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 regarding HWPL's affiliate youth group, IPYG's peace work in the Philippines :)

Expanding the Youth Engagement & Peacebuilding Working Group (YEPW) Activities across the IPYG Philippines branch

Young people are actively spreading a culture of peace throughout the Philippines. Since the signing of the Mindanao Peace Agreement on January 24, 2014, the IPYG Philippines branch has operated the Youth Engagement & Peacebuilding Working Group (YEPW), centered on young people, to facilitate broad youth participation in peacebuilding activities.

YEPW has been launched in four regions—Manila, Mindanao, Hinigaran, and Kawit, Cavite—to implement various peace projects. To date, over 8,900 young people have taken part.

1. Manila YEPW: Spreading a Culture of Peace through Art

▲ Jan. 19, 2024, Unveiling ceremony of peace monument at Signal Village National High School, Manila YEPW

Manila YEPW commenced full activities to mark the 9th Anniversary of the HWPL World Peace Summit on September 18, 2023. The Indayaw Dance Company of Signal Village National High School (SVNHS) raised funds for a peace monument through its “Dance for Cause” performance and unveiled the HWPL Peace Monument on January 19, 2024.

To promote peace culture locally, Manila YEPW regularly hosts dance competitions. In 2025, it will partner with youth organizations at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasig—a public university in Pasig—to launch a joint peace campaign.

2. Mindanao YEPW: Environmental Stewardship through Religious Harmony

▲ Mindanao YEPW in 2024, Youth Religious Peace Camp

Mindanao YEPW continues its regular peacebuilding activities under the slogan “Let’s leave peace as a legacy for future generations,” centered on the Kutawato Greenland Initiatives (KGI). Christian and Muslim youth use peace camps to foster mutual cultural understanding and unity in their shared identity as young people.

Viewing environmental stewardship as fundamental to sustaining peace, Mindanao YEPW conducts regular “peace tree planting” events to protect mangrove ecosystems and “plogging” volunteer drives to pick up trash along rivers and coastlines.

3. Hinigaran YEPW: Peace Sports Competitions in Every Barangay

▲ In April 2025, Hinigaran YEPW hosts peace sports basketball and volleyball tournaments

Launched in late 2024, Hinigaran YEPW collaborates with the government-affiliated Sangguniang Kabataan (SK Federation) to organize activities in each barangay. Under the slogan “Peace in my heart leads to peace for all,” youth regularly hold peace basketball and volleyball tournaments, upholding mutual respect and harmony.

4. Kawit, Cavite YEPW: HWPL Peace Education Alumni in Action

▲ A group of region YEPW representatives, Philippine Youth Peace Committee

On January 24, 2025, in celebration of HWPL Peace Day, Peace Clubs were established at 13 schools in Kawit, Cavite. These clubs provide a platform for HWPL peace education graduates to translate their peace values into practical action. Meeting quarterly, they undertake joint projects both on and off campus.

YEPW in Kawit, Cavite, collaborates with these Peace Clubs to ensure that alumni continue peace initiatives within their communities after graduation.

The IPYG Philippines branch has also formed the HWPL Peace Committee, comprising key figures, with the Youth Peace Committee under its wing to drive national-level peace activities. Local YEPW representatives serve as committee members, and monthly meetings explore cooperation with regional youth groups, the operation of IPYG’s Youth Empowerment Peace Class (YEPC), and joint activity planning—maximizing synergy across youth working groups.

These initiatives have strengthened young people’s commitment and capacity for peacebuilding. IPYG plans to further expand YEPW’s global network and activities, fostering youth solidarity and cementing peace as an enduring legacy.

HWPL Official Homepage

https://www.hwpl.kr/language/en/home-hwpl-_en/