HWPL's 9th Annual Commemoration Promotes Peace as a Culture and Norm
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light’s (HWPL) 9th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace was held online on May 25th, 2022. 3,000 participants from politics, religion, academia, and media joined to discuss the theme of “Institutionalizing Peace: Realizing the Collective Will for Peace”, an international cooperation for sustainable peace ensured by legal instruments.
HWPL proclaimed the Declaration of World Peace in 2013, which developed into the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) to establish international legal instruments for global peace.
Young Min Chung, the General Director of the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), an affiliate group of HWPL, stated, “730,000 citizens from 176 countries have signed in support of the DPCW for the past nine years. Recently, IPYG is running Youth Empowerment Peace Workshops to discuss agendas such as education, human rights, and policy proposals.“ The DPCW’s 10 articles and 38 clauses include conflict prevention, reduction of war potential and resolving religious and ethnic group conflicts.
Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL urged participants to be united as “messengers of peace” “to bring freedom and peace to future generations.” “This time (Russia) invaded Ukraine and started the war. This is why HWPL and families of peace have long called for the establishment of international law to prevent war potentials. So, we gathered experts in international law globally … and made the declaration.”
In India, religious leaders signed MOU’s to promote mutual understanding based on comparative studies on religious scripture. In particular, the partnership between HWPL and the International Organization for Religion and Knowledge at Lampur led to establishing a peace monument conveying peace values to local citizens.
Supalak Ganjanakhundee, Thammasat University’s Pridi Banomyong International College Visiting Fellow in Thailand shared that the foundation of peace is closely related to democracy efforts in Southern Thailand that “[allow] participation of civil society”. “Any peace process that would lead to lasting peace must address the problem at its root cause and must be conducted along the democratization with intensive participation of not only stakeholders but also civil society.”
HWPL has been developing global cooperation for peace both nationally and internationally by garnering civil organizations’ support for the DPCW and working together to reinforce peace efforts as international norms. HWPL peace activities are carried out for the public good to ensure that peace takes root.
Young Min Chung, the General Director of the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), an affiliate group of HWPL, stated, “730,000 citizens from 176 countries have signed in support of the DPCW for the past nine years. Recently, IPYG is running Youth Empowerment Peace Workshops to discuss agendas such as education, human rights, and policy proposals.“ The DPCW’s 10 articles and 38 clauses include conflict prevention, reduction of war potential and resolving religious and ethnic group conflicts.
Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL urged participants to be united as “messengers of peace” “to bring freedom and peace to future generations.” “This time (Russia) invaded Ukraine and started the war. This is why HWPL and families of peace have long called for the establishment of international law to prevent war potentials. So, we gathered experts in international law globally … and made the declaration.”
In India, religious leaders signed MOU’s to promote mutual understanding based on comparative studies on religious scripture. In particular, the partnership between HWPL and the International Organization for Religion and Knowledge at Lampur led to establishing a peace monument conveying peace values to local citizens.
Supalak Ganjanakhundee, Thammasat University’s Pridi Banomyong International College Visiting Fellow in Thailand shared that the foundation of peace is closely related to democracy efforts in Southern Thailand that “[allow] participation of civil society”. “Any peace process that would lead to lasting peace must address the problem at its root cause and must be conducted along the democratization with intensive participation of not only stakeholders but also civil society.”
HWPL has been developing global cooperation for peace both nationally and internationally by garnering civil organizations’ support for the DPCW and working together to reinforce peace efforts as international norms. HWPL peace activities are carried out for the public good to ensure that peace takes root.