HWPL newsletter 2018 03

No. 35

2018.03

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

HWPL NEWS

˙ 2nd Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War ˙ Congratulatory Messages From All Around the World

˙ People Have Spoken: “The best thing…that we can give to the future generations is a world without wars”

˙ “A Farewell to Arms”, Possibility for Security Without Weapons

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

2nd Annual Commemoration of

the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War A Call for Building a World of Peace and Realizing Justice

than waiting to take peace for granted, “it Rather is we who should put an end to war to protect humanity and our globe, and leave peace as a legacy for future generations.

Man Hee Lee , HWPL Chairman On 14 March 2018, the 2nd Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) was held in Seoul, South Korea, as well as in other major cities of the world.

This event focused on the achievable outcomes made possible through current and future action plans for implementing the DPCW, which HWPL proclaimed on 14 March 2016 at 3:14 pm as a solution for establishing global peace and resolving conflicts.

Furthermore, the event introduced the results of advocating the DPCW, building a culture of peace, and promoting religious harmony based on the principles contained in the DPCW. Also, HWPL issued an official statement against anti-peace actions, and leaders from different religious groups made a joint

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statement calling for religious freedom and human rights protection.

Violent extremism is now escalating worldwide, contributing greatly to discrimination and intolerance based on differences in belief or ideology, and this is a serious threat to building a world of sustainable peace. Increasingly intensified and diversified aspects of modern conflicts demand a new approach to conflict resolution. In today’s interconnected society, comprehensive cooperation among various sectors of society is essential in building a just, sustainable, and peaceful future.

Building a World of Peace HWPL’s mission is to bring wars not only to a temporary halt but rather to a complete end, as well as to create sustainable peace in the current generation. For this goal, HWPL is working through a global peace network to advocate for the DPCW, promote religious harmony and prevent interfaith conflicts, and spread a culture of peace through education, the press, and civil society, all in accordance with the principles set out in the DPCW.

Realizing Justice Justice is the ultimate ideal of law and the essential condition for peaceful coexistence. Through the DPCW, HWPL aims to establish an international legal instrument that contains provisions concerning international cooperation, respect for international law, freedom of religion, and the spreading of a culture of peace, as the basis for building a world of peace. This is to overcome armed conflicts among nations, violence and discrimination arising from religious and ethnic rivalries, and other disputes caused by unreasonable standards, thus realizing justice, which HWPL defines as a fair social system, equality, and a social consensus achieved according to the given procedures and rules.

human rights under the name of religion, and to strengthen a solidarity of peace among all sectors of society and citizens as a way of realizing justice for global peace. The statement was read at the same time in 166 cities in 71 countries.

Currently, there are fierce challenges and attempts to thwart this work of peace, which an absolute majority of global citizens support and aspire to achieve, through false information and distortion of facts coming from religious, ideological, and socio-economic motives.

Under the slogan, “Together for peace as messengers of peace,” participants will further develop and adjust action plans based on the outcomes achieved for world peace and cessation of war. Also, they will actively encourage increased participation from international and regional NGOs, affiliated organizations and activists, policymakers, political leaders, religious leaders, civil society, including women and youth groups, and the press.

In response, HWPL issued a statement to the whole world to denounce such actions that are violating

In his opening remarks, HWPL Chairman Man Hee Lee said, “Rather than waiting to take peace for granted, it is we who should put an end to war to protect humanity and our globe, and leave peace as a legacy for future generations.” He also added, “Law cannot compensate for the lives sacrificed from war. What we need is an instrument that protects human life, the very law that prevents war.”

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Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Congratulatory Messages From All Around the World The world is filled with the crisis of world war, so it is wonderful for us to unite the peace-loving people of the world to pursue peace, achieve peace and do the work of peace. Therefore, I sincerely hope that all peace-loving people around the world can get together to advocate the cessation of war on earth, so we can live a safe and happy life.

HWPL provides a good platform for our religious people to understand and to learn from each other so as to promote respect, friendship, and harmony among religions and national unity. By doing so, we can better urge for the cessation of war and pacification of conflicts, then we will bring peace to the world.

Mr. Yue Xian Founder of Miaojixiang Buddha Lianshe

I support and advocate for the implementation of the 10 articles and 38 clauses of the DPCW. I also make special reference to and highlight article 8 which is freedom of religion, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that there is freedom of religion in the society, and also encourage individuals not to prohibit others from practicing their own religion.

Also, article 9 which talks about ethnicity, it is also the responsibility of the government to make various ethnic groups to understand the need and importance of living in peace and building peace in the society. And article 10, which talks about spreading peace, it is our collective responsibility as individuals, groups and organizations to spread peace in the society. It is also the responsibility of the government as well to spread peace in the society, and the government should look into the lives of individuals, groups and organizations that take it as their responsibility and work to build peace in the society and encourage them.

Mr. Igweolisa Sunday Nebeolisa-Igwe President of The Integrity Organization

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It is not possible for religions, which profess peace, reconciliation, love, justice for humanity, to be manipulated to justify the shedding of human blood. We need the governments of the world to officially adhere to the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), so that among the 10 articles and 38 clauses contained in this document, we can help promote, especially the last three articles: respect for religious beliefs of others, the promotion of religious freedom, the promotion of fraternal coexistence between ethnic groups and religions, and the dissemination of a culture of peace.

Rabbi Richard Gamboa Ben-Eleazar Secretary-General of Interfaith Council of Colombia

On March 14th 2016, HWPL proclaimed the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) in Seoul, South Korea. I was happy to take part in this event which was very important for international relations and supporting peace in the world.

The peoples and States have had problems political, economic, ethnical, religious and other ones for many centuries. The peoples and States should find a peaceful way as the solution of any problem. Articles 8, 9 and 10 of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War are devoted exactly to these issues.

Prof. Leonid Tymchenko International Law Professor, University of State Fiscal Service, in Ukraine

This DPCW which has 10 articles and 38 clauses has the power to stop war and also a practical method to make peace in the world. Specifically, articles number 8 and number 9 are about fostering religious peace and peaceful coexistence. Article 10 is about spreading the culture of peace. These articles are really needed for all of people to live in harmony and peace so everyone should join together.

Bishop Jean Claude Rubuguza Bishop of Evangelical Rock Spiritual Church

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Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

People Have Spoken:

“The best thing…that we can give to the future generations is a world without wars” The participants of the March 14th event and messengers of peace from all over the world are quite diverse as they come from different sectors of society and views, but one thing they share in common is that they all recognize the critical need to jumpstart the process of peacebuilding for the generations to come. They proclaim, “The best thing…that we can give to the future generations is a world without wars”.

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H.E. Raúl Silvero, Ambassador of the Republic of Paraguay to the Republic of Korea

We need no more people in poverty, no more tanks, no more weapons. The best thing and most important fact that we must give to the future generations is “no war,” and “a world without wars”.

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Ms. Anna Cervenakova, Member of the Czech Republic Human Rights Center

Regardless of the countries, races, economic, social or cultural origins we are from, we all are living in one world. It is a world that belongs to all human beings globally connected more than ever before in the history of humankind. Let us therefore share this world unified by peace, believing and acting that peace is possible.

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Mr. Avtandil Otinashvili, Editor in Chief of Newsday

We want to have discussions about the role of journalists in peace-building for conflicts to be solved.

H.E. Iakoba Taeia Italeli, Governor-General of Tuvalu

The DPCW itself drives its point on education. It is the only option that we can pursue for world peace.

Elizabeth Cachin, PTV Producer and Writer

The DPCW is a clear answer that enables people of the world to achieve sustainable peace hand in hand.

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Kwang-hee Park, Director of Jeonbuk Kumkang News

I also strongly resonate with the message that every word that journalists speak to deliver stories and news carries a tremendous amount of weight.

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Amita Balaram Das, Representative of Seoul Hindu Temple

We also want to bring peace into this world. Our intention is the same. That’s why we are supporting each other.

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Mr. Pravin H. Parekh, President of the Confederation of Indian Bar

No human being and no animal on planet Earth can survive from weapons (of mass destruction).

Even an error or an accident can cause widespread, irreparable damage to human life and property.

We all have to work 365 days and 24 hours together for peace as messengers of peace.

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Ki-chul Lee, Chairman of Korea Freedom Federation Interreligious special committee

Suppressing one’s religion or belief is clearly an issue of human rights violation and is not the nature of religion. When religionists take the lead, stop the war and struggle, and move on to reconciliation, world peace will be put forth.

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Mr. Ghani Bin Ibrahim, Chairperson of the HWPL Malaysia branch

We cannot and should not take peace for granted, we have to work for it, we have to preserve it and keep it for the future generations.

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Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

“A Farewell to Arms”,

Possibility for Security Without Weapons Ernest Hemingway’s novel “A Farewell to Arms” depicts in detail the atrocity and futility of war, which is symbolized by the tragic love affair of a man and woman during World War I – the era of the emergence of mass destruction.

(Photo by National Library of Scotland, C.2494)

Can weapons protect us?

In the afternoon of February 24th, the sound of gunshots at a high school in one of the safest cities in Florida swept across the entire United States. 17 students lost their lives in that single instance. Testimonies poured out of the lips of their fellow classmates, saying “I still remember the moment I was escaping through the blood-filled corridor,” “I’m afraid of even looking at school buildings”, and “I lost two best friends”.

Recognizing that anyone can become the next victim, a high school student in New York State initiated the “#MeNext?” campaign. Through the campaign, the voice calling for gun control gained voluntary participation from thousands of students who shared the

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same feeling. It harshly criticized the reality that the limitations and restrictions in the sales of AR-15 rifles are lower than the ones in the sale of alcohol.

CNN reported that the #NeverAgain campaign is standing at the forefront of the arms control issue and that it is changing the social atmosphere as “they’re the most formidable foes the NRA (The National Rifle Association) will face … and it’s because they’re so young”.

Regarding this movement, Jasilyn Charger, a youth activist, said, “Nothing is too big and powerful …

Everything man-made breaks, including our laws and the government.” “Everything has a soft part that can be taken down. Nothing is too strong to overcome as long as you have solidarity with everybody around you,” she continued.

According to CNN’s request for a survey to SSRS (Research. Refined), a major public opinion agency in the US, it was found that 70% out of the 1016 respondents say that strict gun control is needed, which is 28% higher than after the Las Vegas shooting in 2017 and even the highest percentage ever in the past 25 years.

Can we guarantee safety without weapons?

Despite the tension on the Korean peninsula that persisted and the increased concern in the international society, the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games that attracted the highest number of participation of athletes from 92 countries came to an end peacefully.

None of the participants attributes “the peace Olympics” to weapons in the first place. Rather, they focused on the spirit and effort of each individual volunteer called the Passion Crew.

Toronto Star, a Canadian news agency, reported that “the problem with PyeongChang is … there aren’t any problems.” Comparing it to the last Olympic games in Sochi, USA Today highly rates the event as an “amazingly safer Olympics” by saying, “South Korean gun laws make a mass shooting nearly unfathomable.”

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Possibility for “Security Without Weapons”?

At the HWPL International Conference on the Convention on the Renunciation and Cessation of War and International Armed Conflicts held during the 1st Commemoration of the WARP Summit, global legal experts discussed the establishment of an international law to put an end to violent actions with the use of weapons of mass destruction. As for practical approaches to the achievement of global peace, Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL emphasized, “Weapons that kill lives must be wiped out in the dictionary and the factories closed. Legal foundation should be the first step, and states take actions. To do this, advocacy of such actions from the civil society represented by women and youth should also be accompanied.”

He further appealed to them by saying, “What I would like to ask you is to make a certain law that no one can make excuses for not keeping.” Six months later, on March 4 2016, this content was included as Article 2 of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation

of War (DPCW), stipulating the “gradual reduction of production of weapons and repurposing them into daily beneficial tools.”

The public debate on weapons will pave the way to restore the value of life and find solutions to peace.

In order to set standards in law and put them into practice in everyday life, as Chairman Lee suggests, HWPL “commits itself to ask people to work together as messengers of peace with the same heart.” Regarding the social debate on weapons around the world, the DPCW presents a fundamental approach to peacebuilding with two bases – the “international law for peace” and a “person with the spirit of peace”.

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CNN ( http://cnn.it/2poF9tG )

USA Today ( https://usat.ly/2FmQAsS )

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Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Legislate Peace Campaign Gallery

Myanmar

Representatives of the Happy Healthy Helping Society held a signing ceremony to present the necessity of peace in Myanmar and to support and advocate for the DPCW with the Chairman of HWPL, along with the Minister of Social Affairs of Yangon, members of parliament and lawyers in attendance.

India

High-ranking officials, senior lawyers, civic leaders, journalists and other experts from various fields discussed how to utilize the DPCW to further strengthen peace and security under the Indian constitution.

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India

The DPCW was introduced at the international law conference attended by Supreme Court justices, lawyers and law students in India, and the Supreme Court's library was furnished with the DPCW through the active participation and support of the attendees.

Fiji

The HWPL Fiji Peace Steering Committee was launched to bring together a group of Fijians from religious communities, youth organizations, and civil society to actively promote peace activities in Fiji.

Malaysia

Malaysian youth discussed a plan to promote the peace activities of IPYG through Social Media, thus becoming a press corps of peace.

Thailand

Through the introduction of IPYG, the leader of YEDO, an organization in Thailand, made young people aware of the importance of peace, and the youth in attendance became interested in IPYG's peace activities.

Thailand

Students from Songkla University of Thailand raised awareness and increased interest in peace through discussions and presentations about the role of the youth in peace building.

Swaziland

Youth leaders from various parts of Swaziland gathered to share about the peace activities in each region and pledged to build peace in Swaziland.

Philippines

About 4,000 students from Mindanao State University in the Philippines hoped to put an end to current, and prevent future, ideologies of extremism and violence through the Peace Walk.

Nigeria

Students from Comprehensive Secondary School, Amakohia, Owerri, Imo State of Nigeria said they learned about the actions necessary for peace through the time given where they created drawings of peace and war and talked about their feelings.

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2018.03

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

Tel +82 (0)2 514 1963 Fax +82 (0)2 514 1961 Email hwpl@hwpl.kr Website www.hwpl.kr