Tirana, Albania – Upon receiving an invitation from President Bujar Nishani of Albania, Chairman Man Hee Lee of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) made the long trip from South Korea to Albania. Albania is located at the center of Balkan Peninsula, also known as the “Powder Keg” of Europe, because of the political and religious conflicts that have long persisted there.
December 8th at 10 a.m., (local time), the ‘25th Anniversary of the Fall of Communism’ was held in Tirana Sheraton Hotel, celebrating the revolution in Central and Eastern Europe that led to the fall of communism in 1990 which was stirred by a youth movement. Hosted by President Nishani, the anniversary, considered the biggest commemoration in Albania, was attended by over 80 leaders in various fields including, former and current political leaders from all over Europe such as President Atifete Jahjaga of Kosovo, Stjepan Mesić, former President of Croatia, and Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey. As a Korean War Veteran at the forefront of leading the unification of the two Koreas, Chairman Lee of HWPL, accompanied by Chairwoman Nam Hee Kim of the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), was invited to deliver a keynote speech.
Chairman Lee said “Korea is a country divided into North and South by political leaders. The North is yet far from being liberated from the Communist party. Dear citizens of Albania, let us become messengers of peace and leave a legacy of peace to future generations by ceasing all wars on this earth. Through urging the implementation of the International Convention on the Renunciation and Cessation of Wars and International Armed Conflicts, let us make a peaceful world where we can also form a strong alliance of religions, moving the heart of individuals in search of peace amid struggles and persistent violence in the world.”
“The systematic process that led to communism’s fall in Albania is very similar to that of democratization in South Korea. The collective wishes for peace and freedom moved all of Albania to transform the government’s structural hurdles and we now see the free Albania of today.” said Chairwoman Kim of the IWPG. She continued in her speech, “With Chairman Lee of HWPL who has practical solutions to achieve world peace and the cessation of all wars, I have been traveling to unite the efforts of all 3.6 billion women on this planet to use their motherly love to make peace a reality, even on this 22nd world peace tour. Korea remains divided by different ideologies. As a representative of the NGO, Chairman Lee has restlessly pursued the peaceful unification of the two Koreas and proclaimed the Declaration of Unification and Declaration of World Peace. All female attendees present in this room, let us become one with the IWPG and establish peace together,” urging both youth and women to speak in one voice for peace.
The 25th Anniversary of the Fall of Communism was broadcasted live through the Albanian regional broadcasting station, News 24. Chairman Lee and his peace delegation are scheduled to have an in-depth studio interview at the Balkan web broadcasting station on December 9th.
Prior to attending the commemorative event, the two chairpersons met with prominent women leaders and women’s organization representatives at the ‘IWPG Women Leaders Seminar.’ All seminar attendees registered as IWPG members, pledging to enhance women’s peace activities in Albania.
The main goal of IWPG is to achieve world peace. All of mankind longs for peace and throughout the history of the world countless sacrifices have been made for peace; however, the world is still in desperate need of peace and unification.
People may define peace in different ways, but we must reach a consensus on how to share and establish peace.
When everyone works together for peace, regardless of how great or small, we can bring about change within ourselves, and even bring forth the power to save lives.
Behind every great world leader there has been a great mother, demonstrating the very nature of all mothers – providing love and healing for their families. Thus, IWPG was created and carries out works with the loving heart of a mother, in hopes of becoming a bridge towards world peace.
The purpose of SHE CAN project is to instill peace in the hearts and minds of everyone across the globe. The programs of SHE CAN are created and organized to bring forth happiness, solicitude, healing and forgiveness. Like the moon that reflects the light from the sun onto the earth, IWPG will shine its light to all the corners of the earth, ultimately working to create a truly peaceful world.
While the world, especially the Middle Eastern nations, is full of grievances and fury due to the armed violence perpetrated by terrorists, a flurry of anticipation filled the Mar Elias Educational Institutions of over 3,000 students and faculty on Wednesday, December 2nd. The institutions were designated, for the first time in history, as the Peace Academies of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL). HWPL is an international non-profit registered under UN Department of Information.
A three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and former Archbishop of the Melkite Catholic Church, Father Elias Chacour is a founder and principal of the schools of the Mar Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI) established in Ibillin, an Arab town in the Northern District of Israel. Fr. Chacour, an active Publicity Ambassador of HWPL, has cooperated to establish the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office in Israel and united the MEEI high school students with HWPL’s youth division, International Peace Youth Group (IPYG).
The MEEI consists of students and faculty from various faiths such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Druze heritage. Fr. Chacour has put forth his effort to build schools to educate children of all ethnic and religious backgrounds in the ways of peace, reconciliation, respect, and justice. His commendable efforts to promote peace among youths have led to the honorable recognition of MEEI becoming the first HWPL Peace Academy.
Mr. Man Hee Lee, a world-renowned peace advocate as well as founder and Chairman of HWPL, and Chairwoman of the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), Ms. Nam Hee Kim met with Fr. Chacour, students of the MEEI, and religious leaders. Chairman Lee will serve as a honorary principal and Chairwoman Kim as a vice-principal of the MEEI. The two chairpersons have tirelessly pursued the work of peace that transcends borders, ethnicities, religions and that empowers a new generation of leaders to be active proponents of world peace.
Chairman Lee emphasized about the importance of education in establishing peace, “Peace is something that blossoms from the hearts of each individual and can be achieved through the changes of perception from proper education. When we accept the word - peace - and when children get closely acquainted with the term above any other through school curricula, the world where every individual can live peacefully will be fulfilled quicker than ever before.”
At the designation ceremony, Chairwoman Kim appealed to the students, “IWPG has dedicated full efforts in providing education about peace and further collaborated with HWPL to ensure this education be incorporated into curriculum in each institute. People in all sectors of the society, NGOs promoting peace along with schools, need to collaborate with HWPL professionally to teach our youth about the work of peace. Please have pride in being part of the first designated HWPL Peace Academy. I sincerely congratulate you."
The establishment of the HWPL Peace Institute through the MEEI in Israel will serve as a comprehensive program which provides an educational framework on interfaith conflict analysis and resolution, interfaith peace dialogue sessions, and alliance of religions through the World Alliance of Religions Peace (WARP) Office. HWPL will work to design programs and courses to enhance the peacemaking capacities of individuals and organizations from various faiths through the WARP Office events and will highlight HWPL’s most recent peacemaking efforts.
On 13 November 2015, the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) hosted the ‘IWPG Peace Forum’ to urge the implementation of the International Convention on the Cessation of War and Achievement of World Peace at Clothworkers’ Hall in London. The Forum mainly discussed the role of women in the implementation of the International Convention and was attended by numerous women leaders.
“Only when we become one in heart and gather our efforts to urge for peace, we can do so much more than we do separately,” said Ms. Nam Hee Kim, Chairwoman of the IWPG. She underlined the integral role youth and women play in achieving peace. “When we raise active awareness on how crucial the implementation of the Convention on the Cessation of Wars is, this initiative will be unstoppable by any forms of authority or wealth. Let us all become messengers of peace and speak up for the implementation of the Convention in one voice.”
The IWPG Peace Forum was followed by a Media Conference where journalists from well-known media organizations, such as BBC Arabic and Arab Telegraph, attended. The conference provided an opportunity to explore peace campaigns and projects that Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) and the IWPG have initiated. Six journalists and four women leaders were appointed as HWPL Publicity Ambassadors, pledging to accurately and widely report on the work of peace.
On 15 November 2015, at the University of Oxford, HWPL Chairman, Mr. Man Hee Lee delivered a closing speech at the Model United Nations (MUN) conference, underling the significant role youth of this generation can play. “If we wish to permanently end all wars and armed conflicts, youth and woman should act as watchmen of each state, overseeing the progress of the International Convention on the Cessation of War to ensure global peace.” This year's Oxford International MUN was the largest and most prestigious conference where key world issues were discussed and participants could listen to illustrious guest speakers from across the globe.
Having encountered the harsh realities of war crimes against youth first hand, Chairman Lee strongly appealed to the audience and all individuals - “Even before their precious lives fully blossom and receive proper education, should youth ever be forcibly taken away from their mothers and be trained and used as tools to satisfy the greed of others? We must compensate for the lives lost in the midst of all conflicts by providing access to education, especially regarding various peace initiatives to those who are still forced to carry out non-peaceful activities in the world.”
Prior to the events above, Chairman Lee and the HWPL Peace Delegation met with HWPL International Law Peace Committee members and renowned international law scholars to discuss the 2nd draft of the International Convention on the Cessation of War and International Armed Conflicts, the core initiative of HWPL.
Chairman Lee calls on youth, women, and religious leaders to give the future direction in establishing peace at the Global Peace Leadership Conference
The 70th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 70) opened at UN Headquarters on Tuesday, 15 September 2015. The General Debate of the 70th Session of the UNGA commenced on the 28 September. On the first day of the General Debate, as President Park delivered a keynote speech at the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015, the Chairman of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), Mr. Man Hee Lee, also hosted The ‘Global Peace Leadership: Women, Youth, and Interfaith Dialogue.’
The participants were eager to hear about the progressive work of HWPL. Mr. Lee spoke at length regarding the role of the UN and the international community. He reflected upon The World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit in Seoul, South Korea in 2014. It was a summit of an unprecedented scale, where all participants came together and made commitments of peace that laid the foundation for world peace. Notably, thousands showed their determination to achieve world peace by signing the Agreement to Propose the Enactment of International Law for the Cessation of Wars and World Peace and the Unity of Religions Agreement, respectively.
During the 1st Annual Commemoration of September 18th World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit last week, International law experts pledged to work together for the implementation of an International Convention on the Renunciation and Cessation of War and International Armed Conflicts to bring fruition to the works initiated last year. Twelve specialists were appointed as members of the HWPL International Law Peace Committee. Chairman Man Hee Lee urged international law experts engaged in the Convention on the Renunciation and Cessation of War and International Armed Conflicts. It was drafted by members of HWPL Peace Advisory Council. Through discussion and modification by the HWPL International Law Peace Committee, the draft will be revised into a pragmatic international convention. Furthermore, HWPL aims to send the final convention to heads of states for ratification, and undergo the deliberative process of the UN to be fully adopted, implemented, and overseen by the relevant UN bodies.
While in New York, Chairman Lee and Chairwoman Kim of the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) addressed the media, women, and youth involvement on the importance of the Implementation of an International Convention on the Cessation of War and Achievement of World Peace. Upon hearing the summation of the event in Seoul, peace conscious journalists, New Yorkers and the UN community were reminded again of the crucial role they play in propagating positive messages and the hope of peace through responsible and accurate reporting.
Following this event, the two global peace leaders met with heads of state and UN officials. They also participated in high-level events as well as met religious leaders from all groups to foster the dialogue that can move the people of all faiths one step closer to peace.
They also said as of yet, there are no reports of any civilians being killed or injured.
How can we have peace in this world? What would take for people to live peaceful? HWPL and Chairman Man Hee Lee have an answer to achieve peace and bring end to the war.
A flurry of anticipation filled the room of over 350 student and community leaders who convened at the Cerritos Center for Performing Arts last Saturday, November 7th for “Advancing the Light of Peace: HWPL Peace Event,” a forum to discuss peace initiatives in the sectors of religion, education, city government and women in the Southern California region.
The forum, hosted by Heavenly Culture, World Peace and Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international non-profit registered under the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs with two wings, the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and the International Women Peace Group (IWPG) also included an honored welcome for the Chairman of HWPL, Mr. Man Hee Lee and Chairwoman of IWPG, Ms. Kim Nam Hee who traveled from South Korea to Cerritos, California to meet the community leaders and listen to the good news.
Chairman Lee’s visit to the United States marks his 21st World Tour to meet international heads of states, religious leaders, media and youth to speak on the urgency of united global commitment for HWPL’s two initiatives: an international law for the cessation of war and an alliance of religions through its WARP Peace Offices. On September 17-18, 2015, HWPL commemorated the 1st Anniversary of its World Alliance of Religions for Peace Summit in Seoul, South Korea which finalized the 1st draft of the law by the HWPL Law Committee.
To a pensive audience, Chairman Lee posed the question, “How sad it is that the young people are the ones sent to war, without having a chance for their lives to fully blossom. Isn’t this our responsibility to change? If not us, who will?”
As a representative of the religious sector, Bhai Satpal Singh Khalsa spoke on his experiences with HWPL’s WARP Offices that facilitate the discussion of religious scriptures for understanding. "I find a ray of hope in Chairman Lee as I feel God himself has sent him as a messenger of peace to us. In a relatively short time, HWPL and Mr. Lee have inspired, guided and motivated many across the world including youth, women, heads of states and world religious leaders.”
Professor Mutombo Nkulu-N’Sengha of the California State University of Northridge joined by professors from USC, CSULB and University of the West presented as the representative of education on the importance of including religious dialogue into school curriculum, expressing his commitment to work with HWPL to incorporate HWPL peacebuilding into his university classroom and the Bumuntu Peace Institute in Congo, Africa.
France has declared a national state of emergency and tightened borders after at least 120 people were killed in a night of gun and bomb attacks in Paris.
Eighty people were reported killed after gunmen burst into the Bataclan concert hall and took hostages before security forces stormed the hall.
People were shot dead at restaurants and bars at five other sites in Paris. Eight attackers are reported killed.
The attack on the 1,500-seat Bataclan hall was by far the deadliest of Friday night's attacks. Gunmen opened fire on concert-goers watching US rock group Eagles of Death Metal. The event had been sold out. Within an hour, security forces had stormed the concert hall and all four attackers there were dead. Three had blown themselves up and a fourth was shot dead by police. Not far from the Place de la Republique and the Place de la Bastille, three busy restaurants and a bar were targeted by gunmen armed with Kalashnikovs.
The other target was the Stade de France, on the northern fringe of Paris, where President Hollande and 80,000 other spectators were watching a friendly international between France and Germany, with a TV audience of millions more.
The president was whisked to safety after the first of at least two explosions just outside the venue to convene an emergency cabinet meeting. Three attackers were reportedly killed there.
As the extent of the bloodshed became clear, Mr Hollande went on national TV to announce a state of emergency for the first time in France since 2005. The decree enables the authorities to close public places and impose curfews and restrictions on the movement of traffic and people.
Police believed all of the gunmen were dead - seven killed themselves with explosives vests and one was shot dead by the security forces - but it was unclear if any accomplices were still on the run.
Around 40 people were killed as customers were singled out at venues including a pizza restaurant and a Cambodian restaurant, Le Petit Cambodge.
I pray for the souls of dead people and their loved one.
[2015 HWPL International Conference: Presentation of the Convention on the Renunciation and Cessation of War and International Armed Conflicts]
On the second day of the 1st Annual Commemora¬tion of September 18th World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit, HWPL presented the Con¬vention on the Renunciation and Cessation of War and International Armed Conflicts at 2015 Interna¬tional Conference. The convention stresses the need to strengthen the provisions for renouncing war and other international armed conflicts and further calls on states to abide by those provisions. HWPL initi¬ated this project with the intent to settle armed con¬flicts only by peaceful means. The convention, upon its presentation at the conference, garnered support from not only legal professionals but also youth, women, and journalists who were in attendance.
Chairman Lee of HWPL addressed that the Imple¬mentation of an International Convention on the Cessation of War is a brilliant work in the histo¬ry of the achievement of the cessation of war and world peace and will be remembered for eternity. Chairwoman Kim of the IWPG stated that the 1st Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit is the platform provided for the implementation of the international convention which is the core business of HWPL.
The conference was attended by over 300 people in¬cluding international law experts as well as political, youth, women, and religious leaders from around the world. Among the attendees were Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, the chairman of the Moro Islamic Liber¬ation Front, who signed a peace agreement with the Philippines government, Dr. Fathi Kemicha, former member of the UN International Law Commission, and Dr. Kamal Hossain, the vice-chair of the Inter¬national Law Association. Also, former and current heads of state and many UN officials joined them in the work for peace, supporting the presentation of the first draft of the convention which is an unprec¬edented work that drew a stroke in the history of peace.
Jane Addams (September 6, 1860 – May 21, 1935) was a pioneer American settlement activist/reformer, social worker, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in women's suffrageand world peace. She created the first Hull House. In an era when presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson identified themselves as reformers and social activists, Addams was one of the most prominent reformers of the Progressive Era. She helped turn America to issues of concern to mothers, such as the needs of children, local public health, and world peace. She said that if women were to be responsible for cleaning up their communities and making them better places to live, they needed to be able to vote to do so effectively. Addams became a role model for middle-class women who volunteered to uplift their communities. She is increasingly being recognized as a member of the American pragmatist school of philosophy. In 1889 she co-founded Hull House, and in 1920 she was a co-founder for the ACLU. In 1931 she became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and is recognized as the founder of the social work profession in the United States.
In 1898 Addams joined the Anti-Imperialist League, in opposition to the U.S. annexation of thePhilippines. A staunch supporter of the 'Progressive' Party, she nominated Theodore Roosevelt for the Presidency during the Party Convention, held in Chicago in August 1912. She signed up on the party platform, even though it called for building more battleships. She went on to speak and campaign extensively for Roosevelt's 1912 presidential campaign.
In January 1915 she became involved in the Woman's Peace Party and was elected national chairman.Addams was invited by European women peace activists to preside over theInternational Congress of Women in The Hague, 28–30 April 1915, and was chosen to head the commission to find an end to the war. This included meeting ten leaders in neutral countries as well as those at war to discuss mediation. This was the first significant international effort against the war.
Addams damned war as a cataclysm that undermined human kindness, solidarity, civic friendship, and caused families across the world to struggle. In turn her views were denounced by patriotic groups and newspapers during World War I (1917–18). Oswald Garrison Villard came to her defense when she suggested that armies gave liquor to soldiers just before major ground attacks. "Take the case of Jane Addams for one. With what abuse did not the [New York] Times cover her, one of the noblest of our women, because she told the simple truth that the Allied troops were often given liquor or drugs before charging across No Man's Land. Yet when the facts came out at the hands of Sir Philip Gibbs and others not one word of apology was ever forthcoming." Even after the war the WILPF's program of peace and disarmament was characterized by opponents as radical, Communist-influenced, unpatriotic, and unfeminine. Young veterans in the American Legion, supported by some members of the Daughters of the American Revolution(DAR) and the League of Women Voters, were ill prepared to confront the older, better-educated, more financially secure and nationally famous women of the WILPF. Nevertheless, the DAR could and did expel Addams from membership in their organization.The Legion's efforts to portray the WILPF members as dangerously naive females resonated with working class audiences, but President Calvin Coolidge and the middle classes supported Addams and her WILPF efforts in the 1920s to prohibit poison gas and outlaw war. After 1920, however, she was widely regarded as the greatest woman of the Progressive Era. In 1931 the award of the Nobel Peace prize earned her near-unanimous acclaim.
City of Mount Vernon, NY proclaim the World Alliance of Religions’ Day
Mayor Earnest D. Davis and the citizens of the City of Mount Vernon, New York have recently acknowledged HWPL’s dedication in bringing people of different religions together by officially designating September 18th as the ‘World Alliance of Religions Day’ to commemorate the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit.
There is a growing support within many major cities around the world for the observance of both the World Alliance of Religions Day and HWPL Day which affirm a vision of our world at peace and foster cooperation between individuals, organizations, and nations regardless of one’s religion.
With enormously diverse population, 68,000 people from over 98 different nationalities residing, the whole community of the City of Mount Vernon is uniting through love and tolerance by accepting HWPL’s philosophy and proclaiming the day of peace.
1st Annual Commemoration of September 18th World Alliance of Religions’ Peace Summit: “If we take action, it will be achieved”
- Chairman Lee’s appeal to the Implementation of an International Convention on the Cessation of War and Achievement of World Peace
- By expanding the number of HWPL WARP Offices established, support for the peace movement will accelerate further
The promise that was made in 2014 for world peace bears fruit in 2015
The World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit 2014 was attended by about 2,000 guests including former and current heads of state, religious leaders, youth, women, and journalists from around the world and its outdoor events (World Peace Walk and Pre-event) by about 30,000 people. It was a summit of an unprecedented scale, where all participants came together and made promises that laid the foundation for world peace. Notably, former and current heads of state and religious leaders showed their determination to realize world peace by signing the Agreement to Propose the Enactment of International Law for the Cessation of Wars and World Peace and the Unity of Religions Agreement respectively.
This year’s 1st Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit was attended by about 300 people. The attendees included not only those in the various fields that had participated in the summit of the previous year but also international law experts. In order to create an institutional framework for the realization of peace, a draft convention on the cessation of war was presented. This presentation was witnessed by the youth, women, and journalists, as each group holds an important role in achieving peace.
Below are the four highlights of the 1st Annual Commemoration of September 18th World Alliance of Religions’ Peace Summit, which took place on 17-19 of September 2015 in Seoul and the outskirts of Seoul, Republic of Korea.
1. Moving forward - International law experts modify the draft convention on the cessation of war To fundamentally resolve international armed conflicts, HWPL invited international law experts, as suggested by Chairman Man Hee Lee, and presented the Convention on the Renunciation and Cessation of War and International Armed Conflicts, which was drafted by members of the HWPL Peace Advisory Council. Through discussion and modification by the HWPL International Law Peace Committee, the draft convention will be improved into a complete and applicable international convention. Furthermore, HWPL aims to send the final convention to heads of state around the world and have it ratified, and to go through the deliberative process of the UN so that the convention will be fully adopted and implemented. Also, it was proposed that UN agencies should monitor and oversee the enforcement of the convention by each state. The convention will include provisions on inter-religious conflict as well.
At the afternoon session of the international law conference, Chairman Lee emphasized that “our future generations can inherit peace only if the international law experts do their part,” and further requested them to “make good laws to make the world a better place.” Moved by Chairman Lee’s earnest appeal, the international law experts suggested setting a specific schedule for drafting and finalizing the convention.
-Launching the HWPL International Law Peace Committee This day, twelve international law experts including Dr. Fathi Kemicha (former member of the UN International Law Commission), Prof. Ibrahim Aljazy (President of the International Law Association, Jordanian Branch, and former Minister of State for Legal Affairs of Jordan), and Prof. Enver Hasani (former President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo) were appointed as members of the HWPL International Law Peace Committee. They pledged to work together for the implementation of an international convention on the cessation of war. As the first step for this purpose, the participants discussed practical ways to draft the most essential provisions based on the draft convention that HWPL prepared in advance.
2. Inter-religious conference for resolving religious conflict During the HWPL World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office Presentation Meeting and Religious Leaders’ Conference, the role that religious people hold in the peace movement and the current state of the religious world were addressed. The HWPL WARP Office is a gathering of religious leaders and scholars where they study religious texts and realize that peace can be achieved in the religious world only through religious unity and the answer to peace is within the Creator who gives life to this earth. To find that answer along with people of all religious backgrounds, HWPL began to hold dialogue sessions at HWPL WARP Offices for comparing religious texts. As of September 11th 2015, 104 offices have been established in 53 countries. This day’s session stressed the role and importance of religious figures in achieving world peace and further instilled in each participant a sense of responsibility and commitment to world peace through the unity of religions.
3. Establishing roles of the youth and women in the direction of the implementation process of the international convention Chairman Lee addressed the importance of the youth and women in the implementation of the international convention on the cessation of war. He stressed that they should raise their voices to monitor the implementation process of the convention. For this purpose, the IWPG and IPYG presented the Statement to Urge for the Implementation of an International Convention on the Cessation of War, which all participants signed to strengthen their determination. A worldwide online signature campaign will be launched soon as a means of implementing and expanding the project. Ms. Nam Hee Kim, the chairwoman of the IWPG, said in her speech that, “When the ability of international law experts, heavenly wisdom of HWPL, and work of the youth and women come together, all wars on earth will be brought to an end. Along with all women of the world, members of the IWPG will support the work of international law experts.”
4. Discussing the mission of journalists for peace A total of 17 journalists from 13 media organizations in 14 countries attended the 1st Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit. During the press conference on the 17th and HWPL Media Forum on the 18th, they shared the publicity work they have done as HWPL Publicity Ambassadors and discussed the mission of journalists in achieving peace. The journalists in attendance, who swiftly deliver the news of peace to the world, said that issues that the media of each country face should be resolved for such good news to be spread more widely. Also, they brought up the necessity of creating various TV and radio programs to arouse the youth’s interest in peace. Furthermore, they suggested that media coverage on international law that the public can easily understand is needed.
For the 1st Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit, high-tech filming equipment including helicopter cameras were used to broadcast historical moments where prominent leaders discussed world peace, enabling over 30,000 people in 60 countries to watch them live online. On the 19th, the last day of the event, “Inside WARP Summit,” a newsletter that introduces about the programs of the first day, was provided to each participant and delivered the news regarding the opening ceremony and each session. This event was more than just an international peace conference; it was a harmonious combination of culture and technology that took the cultural events to the next level.
There’s been a clear division between North and South Korea ever since the surrendering of Japan August 15, 1945. It was the Allied victory that had ended Japan’s occupation of thirty-five in Korea. February, 1945 Stalin and President Franklin D. Roosevelt agreed for a trusteeship for Korea. The Soviets decided to move into Korea from the north which made the US fearful of the spread of communism and the US did not want the Soviet Union to take over all of the Korean peninsula. Since the Soviets occupied the northern part of the country the US wanted to create a US occupation zone, so the US government officials drew an evenly divided line between north and south while still leaving Seoul under US control. August, 1945 the evenly divided line became official. The Soviet Union and the US agreed to divide Korea at this drawn line, more commonly known as the 38th parallel. Late 1945 Allied foreign ministers met up at a conference in Moscow to set up a trusteeship that lasted five years, to have Korea contain a provisional government so the country would be able to become independent. The ministers decided to form a joint US and Soviet body to help organize the provisional government. The Northern Korean communists at first did not agree to the proposal, but eventually changed their minds and pushed for a national divide.
The Korean War (1950-1953) and its Armistice Agreement left the two Koreas permanently separated by the DMZ—roughly approximate to the 38th Parallel and through which runs the Military Demarcation Line—remaining technically at war through today. North Korea's communist government has presided over a state-controlled economy historically dependent upon massive aid from Russia and China to survive. South Korea, meanwhile, has developed into one of the world's leading economies, employing free enterprise economic policies as well as fostering a democratic government. Since the 1990s, the two Koreas have held two symbolic summit meetings (in 2000 and 2007) and slightly increased economic cooperation. Is there a hope for unification for Korean in near future? I sure believe it so. It has been a long and painful years for both side of families. It is time for peaceful talk and end the sufferings of many people.
