HWPL Newsletter 2017 August

No. 28

2017.08

Monthly Newsletter of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

HWPL NEWS

˙ Celebration of International Peace Youth Day 2017 in Empowering “Youth Building Peace”

˙ Beyond the Border: Peace Education being Implemented at Burundi Refugee Camp in Belgium

˙ Piece of PEACE, Drawing Peace in Yemen

˙ HWPL Peace Initiatives: Past, Present and Future

˙ PREVIEW of the 3rd Annual Commemoration of September 18th World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Celebration of International Peace Youth Day 2017 in Empowering “Youth Building Peace” In celebration of International Youth Day on 12 August 2017, the UN released a statement that read, “Today’s generation is the largest in history”. According to the UN, approximately 1.8 billion young people are living today.

They pose an amazing opportunity for positive change, but are currently facing some challenges.

International Youth Day was endorsed by the UN General Assembly on 17 December 1999 to give greater support to national youth policies and programmes within states, urging governments to ensure that the perspective of young people was reflected in national policies and programmes.

It also encourages states to recognize the important role that non-governmental youth organizations play in the implementation of various programmes of action at the national and international levels. As global acts of terrorism are now on the rise, the idea of youth being seen as agents of change shifted into much greater focus and plays a more important role in the modern times. As a result, the youth are considered as key constituents in ensuring the success of both peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts.

It is a regrettable fact that global acts of violent extremism and armed conflicts disproportionately afflict the lives of youth and women. According to the statistics, over 600 million young people live in fragile or conflict-affected environments. Many of these young people are often exploited and forced to commit atrocious acts against humanity, so both perpetuators and victims suffer under these global acts of terrorism.

To fight this oppressive system, there needs to be a growing sense of awareness and ownership that young adults can break the vicious cycle of violence and put an end to it once and for all. The growing global movement to empower youth, particularly to fight against global acts of violent extremism, is currently being bought to the attention of the global society.

2 AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS

Celebration of International Peace Youth Day 2017 in Empowering “Youth Building Peace” Non-governmental youth organizations continue their missions abroad in empowering youth to work for change, and bring peace to their communities and beyond. In light of International Youth Day 2017, “Youth Building Peace”, the Alumni Youth Parliament hosted “Dame ho Sustentavel” (“Peace Sustainable”) in Delta Nova, Timor Leste. Living in a country that fought against oppression for a long period of time until it finally earned its hard-won independence, young adults in Timor Leste showed remarkable demonstrations of what it means to stand up for justice and universal values, particularly that of sustainable peace.

In a series of events lasting three days, the organization promoted ways to achieve sustainable peace through seminars, a blood drive and a march for peace. The seminar gathered not only local residents but also youth from around the neighboring regions to celebrate such an occasion. The underlying message of the seminar focused on empowering youth to speak up in a unified voice for peace through peace promoting events and education.

While the blood drive also attracted many volunteers to save lives, the march for peace engaged a much greater number of local residents. On this day, the IPYG local representative participated in this meaningful occasion, marching for peace to encourage the greater participation of youth in peace-building efforts, as well as to express its continued interest in building peace from the grass-root level in the communities in Dili and beyond.

In South Sudan, Junub Open Space sought ways to encourage greater participation of youth in building peace and bringing positive social and economic changes. It is a community-oriented initiative aiming to empower and support innovation among youth. The seminar was geared toward educating how innovation among youth can create a positive impact on peace-building efforts.

Furthermore, in partnership with IPYG affiliates in South Sudan, it aims to serve as a hub for the local communities and non-governmental youth organizations to communicate and collaborate in creating a resilient South Sudanese community, thus creating positive impacts on the communities even beyond South Sudan.

AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS 3

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Beyond the Border:

Peace Education being Implemented at Burundi Refugee Camp in Belgium On 15 July, 2017 the Burundi refugee community in Belgium and HWPL held a peace education session for children. The event was held at the level of a child’s perspective and included peace education on the importance of life through the watching of footage from the youth peace walks, searching for peace treasure and making folding fans.

The parents used Burundian and French, while the children used Burundian and Dutch. Despite the language barriers, the program was successful thanks to the efforts of the staff on site.

“It was a time for children to think about what peace is in their shoes,” said Jean Bosco Kennedy Nshimirimana, President of the Association for Solidarity and Development (ASODEVE). He added, “HWPL’s peace education is based on the accurate perception of peace and we will have good results through this kind of events for children in the future.”

4 AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS

Piece of PEACE, Drawing Peace in Yemen On July 23, the “Piece of PEACE” event was held at the Basement Cultural Foundation building in Sanaa, the capital city of Yemen, in the managerial hall. In the midst of sufferings and tragic situations in Yemen due to rampant hunger and poverty from the ensuing war, as well as the recent outbreak of Cholera, this event brought a little hope to the community members.

In this event, organized by HWPL and hosted by the Basement Cultural Foundation, a non-governmental organization in Yemen, 25 members of the Foundation attended the seminar to learn more about the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) and also drew pieces of paintings. Participants discussed the applicable provisions of the DPCW by applying them directly to their community.

The pictures of the DPCW articles drawn by the participants will be portrayed as murals in various villages and communities in Yemen. The event was widely reported in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, as well as in Yemen, through coverage by both local and international reporters.

AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS 5

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

What We Expect from the WARP Summit 2017 Mr. Borin HY Editor in Cheif of Kampuchea Thmey Daily, Cambodia

“It was my first time for the 2nd Annual commemoration of the September 18th WARP Summit last year. I am so surprised with all the amazing preparation and crews who joined this event. Everything was well prepared and organized. It was the [biggest] event that I joined since I was born. Everyone who organized the event was very cheerful and friendly. They are truly trying to help for people to work together for peace.

For 3rd annual commemoration this year, I expect an effective action plan especially to promote peace to the youth through workshop, debate, capacity building, and charity. To achieving the peace, cooperation between each region, country and even citizen is very essential.

I strongly support the theme and goal of the 3rd summit which is “Establishing Collaborative Governance for Peace”. Join with us to give a world with a smile and keep this peaceful world as your legacy for your next generation.”

Grand Ayatollah, Seyed Reza Hosseini Nassab Present Grand Ayatollah of Canada

“[This year] I hope to follow up and develop what was agreed in last summit and to implement the result of all the sessions.

I think in order to make this aim (‘Establishing Collaborative Governance for Peace’ – the main theme of the upcoming Summit) more practical, we need to cooperate with the following groups of decision makers in the world. Number one, the politicians. Number two, religious leaders. Number three, the strategies of the different civilizations.

Number four, the youth and student leaders. Number five, the women organizations for peace. Number six, peace keeping groups. They also have a big role in Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War. HWPL is a NGO which can be embodiment for international peace coalition. I think all people and religious leaders and politicians should cooperate with this worldwide organization to maintain peace, tranquility and safety for all countries in the world.”

6 AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS

What We Expect from the WARP Summit 2017 Dr. Dammang S. Bantala President of Cotabato City State Polytechnic College, Philippines

“My greeting in Islam assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, may the blessing of thy Lord be upon us today…This is very strategic in terms of collaborative endeavor in working together to resolve war and conflict throughout the world. With the leadership of HWPL in addressing peace and development throughout the world, hopefully the world leader, the academics leaders, including community leaders can work together, can work in tandem with one another so that we can address the war and conflict through Peace Education. This is my first time indeed to attend in WARP Summit, my expectation on this summit hopefully we can resolve the issue of war and conflict throughout the world.”

Mrs. Otilia Radu Teacher of Technical College Elie Radu, Romania

“The special day was the day of [the] peace celebration in the presence of more than 100,000 people. It was a great show with music, movies, dance…totally dedicated to peace. During the show, you can only think of kindness, work, love, people, and peace. For all that time, I had the ideas for peace, friends, picture and desire to be part of [the] peace movement in the world. I'm convinced that through the steps we are making and through the peace academy…we will achieve the peace in the world. I'm so excited for [the] coming Summit.”

Mr. Mridul Upadhyay Asia Coordinator at United Network of Young Peace builders, India

“Coming together for peace is the requirement and this is what I expect most from this event. I expect this summit to increase cross cultural and interfaith understanding and dialogue. From my personal experiences, I know that having just one friend in a country makes you more sensitive about peace in that country. So, let’s have more and more friends. Why not? After all, fraternity is the key… As I said, Peace is not possible in isolation, I, as Asia Coordinator of UNOY Peacebuilders, holding one hand with HWPL, extend my other hand towards you to join us and support this initiative of HWPL for a peaceful world.”

AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS 7

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

HWPL Peace Initiatives: Past, Present and Future In this month’s Newsletter, we will look back on the main initiatives, both current and future, carried out by HWPL to spread a culture of peace and select the ones that will be most intensively covered in the upcoming WARP Summit.

2014

May

HWPL Day Designation of HWPL Day to commemorate the tight collaboration with HWPL for peace work

September

(HWPL/IPYG) Peace Walk

World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit

Peace Walk project in partnership with youth and civil society groups

2015 March

September

Peace Monuments / Peace Parks Collaboration among national and local governments to raise awareness for peace and spread a culture of peace

2016 January Peace Museums Promoted the importance of spreading a culture of peace and various action plans through HWPL peace initiatives

8 AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS

Signing ceremony for the ‘Agreement to Propose the Enactment of International Law’ and ‘the World Alliance of Religions Agreement’

1st Annual Commemoration of the September 18th WARP Summit Inauguration of the ‘HWPL International Law Peace Committee’ and Progress Report on the outcomes of the 1st Annual Commemoration of the September 18th WARP Summit

Laid out the groundwork for the ‘Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War’

March

September

Proclamation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War

2nd Annual Commemoration of the September 18th WARP Summit

Laid out concrete legal groundwork for the cessation of war and peace

‘Implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War’ and discussion regarding the action plans to present the legal document inspired by the principles of the DPCW to the UN for its adoption

*

October

*

WARP Office Religious leaders discuss ways of fundamentally resolving religious conflicts through dialogue and discussion

December

HWPL Peace Academy Peace Academies designated to provide education based on the core principles of the culture of peace

A diagram laying out HWPL’s initiative for spreading a culture of peace

HWPL’s Collaborative Governance and the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the September 18th WARP Summit HWPL aims to establish collaborative global governance based on its past experiences of acting as a facilitator of peace work between governments and civil societies. HWPL has also laid out the groundwork for ongoing and future peace initiatives based on the DPCW. It aims to establish collaborative governance based on mutual agreement and the unified voice for peace from all around the world.

The 3rd Annual Commemoration of the September 18th WARP Summit will provide a platform to discuss the main peace initiatives carried out from the past as well as the future initiatives that are still currently under development. Also, it will reaffirm participants’ solidarity in giving pan-national cooperation for the implementation of universal peace policies.

* HWPL Religious Youth Peace Camp The camp not only promotes the role of religious individuals in bringing peace but also teaches participants a proper understanding of other faiths through interfaith dialogue and experience learning. The camp aims to expand the horizon for peace initiatives that would go beyond the traditional labels and boundaries of religions. * Peace Mural Paintings Project In collaboration with local residents, HWPL expresses the spirit of peace on the wall in a way that people can easily relate to, reminding them of the value of peace.

AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS 9

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

PREVIEW of the

01

Press Conference for the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the September 18th WARP Summit Journalists abroad will receive updates on HWPL peace work and attend a Q&A session on ‘Establishing Collaborative Governance for Sustainable Development and Implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War’, the underlying theme of the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the September 18th WARP Summit.

03

5th HWPL International Law Peace Committee Meeting: Legislate Peace Together

02

After giving updates on the development of the DPCW, 8 panelists will discuss the ways of implementing the DPCW for peace in both the present and the future. The first half will be dedicated to discussing ways of promoting collaboration between the government and civil society to construct peace governance, and the ways of solidifying HWPL peace education to spread a culture of peace. The second half will be dedicated to the development of the DPCW for legislation and strategies to implement inter-governmental agreement.

Development and implementation of the DPCW through the establishment of peace governance

04

2017 Conference for the Implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War:

There will be many inspiring speeches that complement the theme this year, ‘Establishing Peace Governance for the Implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War’. As the largest conference within this summit, all participants will come together and unite for the one goal of peace and cessation of war, as proclaimed in the DPCW. Each sector within society has a specific role in the peacebuilding process, and only when all fulfill their roles can the goal be achieved. This conference will show all participants how they can get involved in the peacebuilding process, as well as the necessity of collaborative governance and the implementation of the DPCW for the success of that movement. At the end of the session, HWPL Peace Award will be awarded to individuals in each sector who have shown remarkable commitment toward bringing peace.

10 AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS

Peace Education Development Forum for Spreading a Culture of Peace After Hon. Maria Eugenia Barrios Robles de Mejia, Current Deputy Minister of the Education Department of Guatemala delivers her presentation on ‘the Significance of Education and Schooling for Spreading a Culture of Peace’, the participants will examine important features that peace education offers based on the case study of HWPL’s peace education.

They will also look for ways to improve its development and implementation.

PREVIEW of the

05

Conference for Global Peace Media Network: Freedom of the Press and International Peace Media Community Initiative 100 renowned journalists will discuss the outcomes of peace projects and the exemplary cases as well as find ways to secure freedom of expression in journalism and establish a global peace media network. Also, a web space called ‘Special Focus’ to offer in-depth news reports on contemporary issues of peace-building that require special attention from the global community will be introduced.

06

3rd International Religious Leaders’ Conference: Cooperation for the Realization of Religious Peace 300 religious leaders and representatives of various faiths will gather to discuss better management of WARP offices and the standards of trustworthy scriptures with the overarching theme of ‘the role of religious leaders to achieve interfaith harmony’. Ven. Sumiththa Thero will deliver his keynote speech on ‘Trustworthy Scripture and the task of Religious Leaders’, Rev. Acharya Prem Shankaranand Tirth will deliver his on ‘Necessity of Discussions for True Harmony’, and last but not least, HWPL Chairman Man Hee Lee will deliver his speech on ‘Alliance of Religions in Truth and the World of Peace.’

07

Region-Specific Discussion for the Implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War To establish ‘Collaborative Governance for Sustainable Development and Implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War’, government officials and civil actors will gather according to their countries and continents to form a network and discuss ways of the implementation of the DPCW in those regions.

08

2017 IWPG Network Forum Under the theme of ‘The Role of 3.6 Billion Women in Realizing Peace and Cessation of War through International Law’, 400 women leaders will discuss the ways to support peace work as well as the HWPL peace law initiative by sharing real-life examples.

Women leaders such as Mervat Tallawy, President of Arab Women Organization, Hannah Kim, Founder of Remember 727 and Woo Sow Pheng, President of Johor Women’s League will deliver keynote speeches during the session.

AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS 11

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

The Peace Festival of the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the September 18th WARP Summit will be held at the Seoul Jamsil Olympic Stadium. Around 100,000 people, all of whom are committed to peace, will pledge their active cooperation and action for peace. The grand outdoor peace parade will deliver outstanding moments that all citizens of the globe are able to enjoy, expressing the never-ending forward movement of peace. It will also give the message of the urgent necessity of world peace to the entire international society.

01 Entrance ceremony of the Peace Messengers: Holding children's hands at the entrance ceremony symbolizes that the peace messengers have gathered from all walks of life around the world and are making a strong effort to leave peace as a legacy to future generations in their respective areas.

12   AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS

02

Marching for Peace: The theme of the parade is simple: to cease all wars and realize world peace based on the 10 Articles and 38 Clauses of the DPCW. Peace education, transforming weapons of war into tools beneficial to humanity, and harmony and reconciliation among religions are the goals everyone is marching towards.

Things You Don’t Want to Miss

03 IPYG Card Stunt Performance: In conjunction with the parade, IPYG members will cheerfully support the message of peace with a card performance and showcase various other performances as well.

Inspiring Messages: Prominent speakers, including the Chairman of HWPL, will deliver inspiring messages live-streamed all over the world to share their heart for peace and urge others to work together towards the realization of world peace.

05 Peace Festival: A concert will be held to convey peace and deliver hope to the hearts of people all over the world. At this time everyone will come together and remember these moments of joy and delight.

04

The memories of peace and tranquility will last forever in the hearts of all…

AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS 13

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

HWPL Social Media Relay Campaign This is the WARP Summit 2017 supporting message relay!

Wish the best and pass this “Peace Messengers. Together.”

Relay on to 3 others

14 AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS

FACEBOOK Discover worldwide peace news simply with a single click - http://www.facebook.com/hwpl.kr - http://www.facebook.com/legislatepeace TWITTER Simultaneously share your heart longing for peace with other peace messengers - https://twitter.com/hwpl_kr INSTAGRAM Sink into the beautiful scenes of peace - https://www.instagram.com/hwpl YOUTUBE Watch interesting, inspiring and lively videos - https://www.youtube.com/c/hwpl

“Peace Messengers.

Together.”

AUGUST 2017 HWPL NEWS 15

2017.08

Monthly Newsletter of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

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