[IPYG]

[IPYG] IPYG's Friends: Arrow Youth Leadership Council International (AYLCI)

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 affiliate organization: Arrow Youth Leadership Council International (AYLCI)

Introducing IPYG Affiliate Organization – Arrow Youth Leadership Council International (AYLCI)

Arrow Youth Leadership Council International (AYLCI), headquartered in Union City, Georgia, USA, is a youth leadership organization that empowers young people to develop the leadership and career skills needed in the 21st century through mentoring, academic support, and civic engagement. Guided by its four core principles—mind, mouth, heart, and hands—the organization aims to cultivate well-rounded leaders who embody intellectual growth, effective communication, empathy, and practical action.

YEPW in Atlanta, Play4Peace

In 2025, AYLCI partnered with IPYG to establish the Youth Engagement & Peacebuilding Working Group (YEPW) in Atlanta to address issues such as conflict and violence within the community. Through its flagship project, Play4Peace ATL, the group supported young people in designing peace initiatives based on their own experiences with conflict. It also provided training on how to communicate with government officials and how to draft policy proposals. Through these efforts, the initiative created an environment where youth can grow as key actors for peace within their communities.

AYLCI also hosted a “Critical Community Conversation,” bringing together representatives of six cities, youth, and local residents to openly discuss issues of violence, equity, and solidarity. A few months later, the City of South Fulton unanimously endorsed the youth-led Play4Peace project and officially proclaimed June 6–8 as the Weekend of Peace.

DPCW Legislative Proclamation Adoption Ceremony, City of South Fulton

YEPW in Atlanta developed a toolkit to help local governments implement YEPW activities and encouraged municipalities to adopt a peace-building framework. The group also advanced a city-level resolution supporting Article 10 of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) focused on spreading a culture of peace. As a result, five cities and counties—South Fulton, Stonecrest, Fairburn, DeKalb County, and Fulton County—officially adopted a legislative proclamation supporting Article 10 of the DPCW and proclaimed their own “Weekend of Peace.”

These achievements have drawn significant attention to the collaboration between AYLCI and IPYG as a new model of youth peace leadership—one that integrates peace education, civic engagement, and leadership development.

Dr. Maya Taylor, founder and executive officer of AYLCI, who has spent decades helping young people grow into exemplary adults, shared the following message with youth around the world:

“Young people, we know that you’re the age when you want to play, and that’s wonderful. We just want you to understand the value in playing for peace. When we play for peace, we learn how to get along with one another, and we learn how to care for one another. Because indeed we are all on one team, one world, and one team. So let’s play for peace.”

HWPL Official Homepage

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