[HWPL]

[HWPL] HWPL's International Human Rights Webinar

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 International Human Rights Webinar :)

HWPL Hosts International Human Rights Webinar and Global Peace Media Fellowship to Mark International Day Against Nuclear Tests

International journalists discuss human dignity and the role of the media, from the records of nuclear testing to today’s human rights issues

 

 

On August 29, in observance of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, HWPL hosted an International Human Rights Webinar and Global Peace Media Fellowship online. Held under the theme “Remembering the Nuclear Legacy, Advancing Human Rights,” the event brought together international journalists and media professionals to examine the historical legacy of nuclear testing, explore human rights issues of today, and discuss the role of the media in reporting on them.

Journalists and media professionals from the Marshall Islands, Zambia, Malawi, Germany, Belgium, and other countries participated in the event, exchanging views on forced displacement and the loss of communities caused by nuclear testing, the rights of socially vulnerable groups, the dignity of older people, and the media’s responsibility in covering human rights issues.

 

 

“We Want to Go Home”: The Story of Bikini Islanders Continuing for 80 Years

Chewy Lin, a photojournalist from the Marshall Islands and director of Marshall Islands Media, noted that this year marks 80 years since the people of Bikini Atoll were displaced from their homeland due to nuclear testing.

Drawing on his interviews with elders of the Bikini community, he recalled hearing the same words repeatedly: “We want to go home.” He explained that losing one’s homeland means far more than losing a house or land. It also means losing a way of life, culture, identity, connection to history and ancestors.

 

Photo by Chewy C. Lin

 

Lin also emphasized that photographs, interviews, documentaries, and other forms of documentation do more than preserve the past; they can serve as historical records passed down to future generations. “Remembering the nuclear legacy is not about remaining in the past, but about protecting the future,” he said, stressing the need to view the legacy of nuclear testing as an ongoing human rights issue.

 

Human Rights Challenges Facing Vulnerable Groups Today

Ousman Kaliati, a journalist with Times Group Malawi, highlighted cases in which schoolgirls miss classes during menstruation because they lack access to adequate sanitation facilities and private spaces. He noted that these conditions can affect not only girls’ participation in education but also their mental health, emphasizing the need for appropriate facilities and greater public awareness.

 

 

Andy Vermaut, a Belgian journalist and founder of Fundamental Rights of PostVersa, then introduced an article he had written concerning the detention and legal proceedings of a 95-year-old religious leader, using the case to discuss the responsibilities of the media when reporting on human rights issues. He emphasized that journalists should clearly distinguish between allegations and verdicts, as well as between criticism and evidence. In cases involving elderly defendants, he added, the media should also examine whether detention is necessary, whether alternative measures are available, and whether the principles of the presumption of innocence and due process are being upheld.

 

Different Perspectives, but Reporting Grounded in Facts

The event also addressed the importance of viewing issues from multiple perspectives, recognizing that the same incident may be understood differently depending on the perspective and context from which it is viewed.

Andreas Klamm, a German journalist and representative of lovepeacepeople.org, emphasized the need to pay particular attention to people whose voices are often not adequately heard in society. He highlighted the media’s role in bringing attention to conveying the stories of people who may find it difficult to speak for themselves, including persons with disabilities and older people.

Participants agreed that while it is important to consider a range of perspectives, reporting should remain grounded in fact-checking and accurate information, listen carefully to the voices of those directly affected, and place human dignity at the center.

Shedding light on human rights issues from different contexts—from the 80-year displacement of Bikini Islanders to the educational rights of schoolgirls in Malawi and due process for elderly defendants—the event reaffirmed the media’s responsibility to document these issues and bring them to the attention of the wider world.

HWPL Official Homepage

https://www.hwpl.kr/language/en