Lesson_12_Completion_of_Peace_Humanity_has_Long_Awaited by HWPL

Opening Stor y

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

A boy lived in a small single-room with his family since young. Because the place was so small, some members had to get a room somewhere else. Since then, he drew a place for his whole family to live together in his mind and dreamed of his family living happily in that home. Until he became an adult, his drawing changed hundreds of times, and it became more and more specific every time. When his friends went to university, the boy from a poor background started a building cleaning job to make a living. However, he never forgot the dream of building a home for his whole family. Afterward, he managed to land a job and was met with different crises. He seriously thought of quitting the job and giving up on his dream. However, when he thought of his family living together in that dream house, he could overcome even difficult moments. As he came to earn enough money to build the house he wanted, he had a blueprint that could be used to build a home right away. With the blueprint, he built the house and he was finally able to live together with his family in that dream house as he had pictured in his mind. The moment when the whole family moved in was the best moment in his life as his dream became a reality.

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

1. Achieving Peace: Courage is Needed

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Nelson Mandela (Former president of South Africa, 1918-2013)

To Realize Peace, You Need Courage to Act while Overcoming Fear People can be considered courageous if they are willing to endure disadvantages for the sake of doing the right thing for others. Of course, it is natural to have fear even if it is the right thing to do. However, true courage should convert that fear into courage and complete the tasks given. Realizing peace is a goal worth the risk for all humanity.

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

1. The Courage of Gnu Leaders In Africa savanna, animals migrate in a group during the dry season, and when they reach their final destination, they reach a huge river with strong currents. There, they encounter alligators that have been starving for months and waiting for a herd of zebras and wildebeests also known as gnus. Gnus hesitate before going into the water as they see groups of alligators waiting to prey on them. However, soon a gnu from the leading group jumps into the water. If the rest of the herd wait and see, the gnu that jumped in will be killed, but the rest of the herd jump in together, surrounding the first gnu. At that moment, the whole group jumps into the water to cross the river. If it were not for the courage of the leading group, the rest of the gnus would not have been able to cross it.

2. Courageous Deeds of Citizens There are times when a small courageous action of a person brings greater courage, and that courage is powerful enough to even save lives. On August 6th, 2014, there was a man commuting to work on the subway in Perth, Australia. As soon as the train stopped and the door opened, he was trying to enter, but because he was in a hurry, he fell into the gap between the train and the platform. The train driver realized that there was an accident and stopped the train, and the station staff came running to hold onto him so that the situation does not get worse. What happened after was even more surprising. Countless passengers gathered and pushed the train to widen the gap between the platform and the train. Thanks to the help of the people, the man was able to pull his leg out and was able to avoid what could have been a huge accident. If citizens just waited for someone else to help and stood still, could he have been saved? He probably would have been in a serious and critical situation. However, some people expressed their courage, and that spread to others. Instantly, it became the engine for other people to join.

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

The stories of gnu herds and metro train passengers can be applied to the work of peace. Achieving peace is not easy and the process can be difficult as well. There are different interests involved and obstacles and challenges. However, when we take heart instead of becoming spectators despite the challenges, the movement for world peace will sweep across the globe.

Achieving Peace: Courage is Needed

Discussion

Have you shown courage for someone else? If you have experience of being courageous to change or overcome a situation, let’s share that episode. Also, sharing a story about someone else who showed courage for others is good as well.

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

2. Peace-loving Heart

This is what my soul is telling me: be peaceful and love everyone. Malala Yousafzai (Pakistani Nobel Prize Winner, 1997-present)

Where does peace-loving heart come from? Whether you are able to practice courage for peace depends on how determined you are for it. If everyone on earth loves peace, that in itself would be a peaceful world. This heart that loves peace begins with respecting life.

Peace-loving Heart

1. Youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai (Female education activist, Pakistan, 1997-present)

2014 Nobel Peace Prize Honorary Doctorate from the University of King’s College UN Peace Ambassador

Once, the Taliban drove female students out of school at the hometown of Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan’s northwest area and burned down the girl’s school so that they would not be able to attend classes anymore. Ms. Yousafzai denounced such actions of the Taliban and started a human rights movement while voicing that girls also have the right to attend school, and this spread to become an international movement. On 9 October 2012, Yousafzai was riding a bus to school when a male came up to her, asked her name, and shot her. After being shot, she was able to have surgery in the UK and miraculously recovered, but the Taliban continued to threaten her and her father’s life afterward.

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

Due to this assassination attempt, support for Malala increased in and out of Pakistan. In particular, Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, submitted a UN petition saying all children across the globe should be able to attend schools by end of 2015 in Yousafzai’s name, and this became a trigger to ratify the first right to education law in Pakistan. On 12 July 2013, Malala gave a speech at the UN HQ regarding accessibility to education, and at age 17, she became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner (in 2015) on 10 October 2014 for her contribution in struggling against the suppression of children and for children’s right to education. Through her father who was her teacher, Malala was taught to fight against injustice, and with the courage she did. The difference between knowing and acting is whether “change” has occurred. Even if you know, if you do not act, nothing changes. If we hope for the world to change, we must have the courage to act. This also applies to realize peace.

One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world

Peace-loving Heart

2. Irena Sendler who Saved 2,500 Children

Irena Sendler (oland, Nurse, 1910-2008)

Saved the lives of 2,500 Jewish children from Nazis 2nd Oskar Schindler Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award

In 1939 when WWII was going on, Nazi invaded Poland. Irena Sendler, who was a 29-year-old nurse at the time, started saving Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto with the help of same-minded people. She would hide children in trash bags, coffins, wooden cradles to carry bricks, and even among dead bodies to bring them out, and she rescued more than 2,500 children. She would hide glass jars carrying children’s information so that they would be able to find their families once the war ends. However, in 1943, she was arrested. Despite the brutal tortures, she would not tell them what they wanted to hear, so she was sentenced to death, but before the execution, she was able to miraculously escape with the help of her colleagues. Afterward, she hid her identity and continued to help those in need. When the war finally ceased, she found the glass jars with children’s

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

information and sent them to a Jewish organization. It was in 2007 that her heroic actions were made known to the world. She was nominated to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, but she passed away the following year at the age of 98. When she was asked how could she rescue 2,500 children, she answered, “My parents taught me, that if a man is drowning, it is irrelevant what is his religion or nationality. One must help him.” For us to work for peace, we must have the heart that loves peace, and this stems from cherishing life. We are well aware of what is right, and what we need to be courageous for. Let’s think about what would bring peace on earth, and for what we need to muster up courage even if small. Let us practice and put into action the personality of peace we have learned from the peace education thus far. The courage to do this will spread the love for peace to others as well.

My parents taught me, that if a man is drowning, it is irrelevant what is his religion or nationality. One must help him.

Peace-loving Heart

Discussion

From the cases of Malala Yousafzai and Irena Sendler, let’s discuss the relation between peace-loving heart and courage.

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

3. I as a Messenger of Peace

What kind of world do you look forward to? Isn’t Earth a beautiful place? Be is mankind or animals or plants, we all live thanks to heaven’s light, rain, and air. As we have received such grace, shouldn’t we share the grace to many around us like light, rain, and air? Man Hee Lee (Chairman of HWPL, South Korea, 1931-prsent)

How can Peace be Realized? From the peace-loving heart comes peace. A person who loves life longs for peace to protect this Earth which is a habitat for life. A person who loves peace can pioneer the effort to achieve peace, and change the world with courage. Such a person can be a messenger of peace. Peace is established through the messengers of peace.

I as a Messenger of Peace

1. Rachel Carson who Sparked the Environment Protection Movement In the 1950s, the US used various types of pesticides to enhance the productivity of agricultural products. The government recommended the use of pesticides and even had helicopters spray them above children running around in the streets and near rivers. However, as time passed, flowers on the streets died and groups of fish and birds were found dead. Afterward, voices urging for a ban on the use of pesticides increased, but with the rationale that it cannot be backed up with scientific evidence, they were ignored. Newspapers had articles making known the dangers of pesticides, but they were rejected saying they may cause unnecessary concerns. Rachel Carson, who studied marine biology in university and was working at the US Fish and

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

Wildlife Service, studied a massive number of birds that died and severely polluted the ocean and found out that there is a serious problem in the ecosystem. Despite many obstacles, she published a book titled, “Silent Spring,” in 1962 based on her on-site research and diverse materials making known the threats of pesticides. “Can anyone believe it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for all life? They should not be called ‘insecticides’ but ‘biocides.’” Prior to the book being published, chemical companies that heard of the news quickly took action. A legal counsel from a chemical company called Velsicol Chemical Co. claimed that she is working with a communist conspiracy to destroy the food supply of the US and threatened the publishing company even before the book was released to sue them. Some said that Carson’s not a professional scientist so her contents cannot be trusted while others condemned her claiming she is hysterical as an unwed woman despite her age, or that she’s obsessed with a mysticism that worships harmony of nature.

A study on pesticide’s concentration in food chains

Rachel Carson (American Biologist, 1907-1964)

I as a Messenger of Peace

Despite controversial statements surrounding her, Carson gained the trust of the public by showing her confidence before them and created a new consensus on environmental issues. Her courageous arguments brought about the result of banning the use of 9 pesticides including DDT in the US in 1970. From political and institution aspects, her efforts led to the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Also, the movement spread globally, and it also led to the 1992 Rio Summit (UN Conference on Environment & Development; UNCED). Some may consider Rachel Carson like Jeanne d’Arc as she sparked the modern movement for the environment. However, she was a small figure with sweet tones. She liked to observe birds, and crabs while walking on beaches. She would play with kittens and enjoyed the beauty of nature together with her cousins. She was an ordinary person just like us. It is not that only people with supreme power and authority can serve as messengers of peace. Just as Carson’s love for life and the heart to protect it made her write her book, we can become “messengers of peace,” staying where we are as long as we have the heart to love and protect the peace.

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

2. Courageous Efforts for Peace It is not that peace is achieved instantly; the efforts of many peace activists have expedited the progress for us to have peace within our sight. They were ordinary citizens, just like we are. No one is born a peace activist.

There are two days in the year that we can not do anything, yesterday and tomorrow. Mahatma Gandhi (India, 1869-1948)

It is always impossible until it is done. Nelson Mandela (South Africa, 1918-2013)

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King (US, 1929-1968)

I as a Messenger of Peace

3. Peace that Starts from Me Peace is not something distant, nor is it an impossible task. Wouldn’t you agree? The culture of peace can begin from family, friends, school, and the community I belong to. First, we ourselves need to change to embody personalities of peace and then spread it to others around me. However, one thing to keep in mind is that we must put it into action even if it may seem minimal. When we do not act, nothing changes. The small actions accumulate to ultimately bring about peace in the world.

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

Application

Let’s look into what I can do to establish peace, and continue to put it into action with a plan even if it may seem minimal.

I as a Messenger of Peace

Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited Conclusion

It is not that peace is achieved on its own when we merely dream of it. Just as all families hope for the happiness of their family members, global citizens want peace for all. No one wants people to die in a battleground. However, to realize peace, we should not stay on the sidelines and think that someone else will do it. Rather, we need the courageous determination and the willingness to put words into action with the mindset that I will be the pioneer. The world becoming a place of peace depends not on someone else but on me. If everyone takes part in peace work with such a mindset, peace will certainly be established. Wherever we are, whatever we do, we are messengers of peace.

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

Science has developed and is able to kill or save lives. If we turn weapons into instruments for daily lives, humanity will be better off. Should countries with size conquer and seize smaller ones out of greed? This is how wars break out. They should not steal smaller countries but rather help them. We need to maintain order and put away with emotions and greed. As the number of people and population increases, we need order even more. Man Hee Lee (Chairman of HWPL, South Korea, 1931-present)

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

Image source p.12 https://thistime.ca/archives/13584 p.14 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler p.19 left https://m.blog.naver.com/lemoncelo/220019293353 right https://ko.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%A0%88%EC%9D%B4%EC%B2%A0_%EC%B9%B 4%EC%8A%A8

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

Data source Source of the image on rescuing a metro train passenger in Australia http://www.itrailnews. co.kr/news/article.html?no=13740 Source of the image on DDT concentration https://m.blog.naver.com/PostView. nhn?blogId=lemoncelo&logNo=220019293353&proxyReferer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google. com%2F Malala Yousafzai https://www.malala.org/malalas-story Irena Sendler https://www.biography.com/activist/irena-sendler Rachel Carson http://www.rachelcarson.org/

Lesson 12 Completion of Peace Humanity Has Long-awaited

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ISBN 979-11-969337-9-1 44060 ISBN 979-11-969284-7-6 ( S e t )