HWPL Newsletter January 2018

No. 33

2018.01

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

HWPL NEWS

˙ Welcoming the New Year of 2018 with New Aspirations for a World of Peace

˙ The Light of Peace that has Extended to the Indian Ocean, the Island of Peace: Sri Lanka

˙ A Festival for World Peace in Zambia

˙ Saying “Adieu” to War in the Hope of Bringing Peace to Yemen

˙ Educational Conference for Youth Empowerment

˙ Interview with Special Figures on HWPL’s New Year Feature

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

At this time of year, as we celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in HWPL. Thanks to your support, HWPL successfully hosted the 1st Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War, and the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the September 18th World Alliance of Religions' Peace Summit. To achieve the building of sustainable peace, HWPL will collaborate with governments and civil societies.

In the year 2018, let us join our hearts, minds, and efforts to bring peace to the world. I look forward to your continued support, and may peace and happiness be with you and your family in the New Year.

Man Hee Lee, Chairman Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

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Welcoming the New Year of 2018 with New Aspirations for a World of Peace

We, the peoples of the world are now journeying to become one, as part of a single human race, through the convergence of many different paths, and we are getting steadily closer to that long-expressed desire for the world to become one. However, we are coming from thousands of separate, distinct and distinguishable positions, each with its own history and world-view, and its own traditions, culture and religion. The points of contradiction are countless, each becoming a potential source of conflict and war. Yet, we cannot give up and must keep moving forward.

H.E. Samuel Hinds Former President and Former Prime Minister of Guyana

Wishing you all a prosperous and happy new year. The reason for this greeting is primarily to thank you for all the effort and commitment you have shown in working for peace among the peoples and nations and to encourage you to continue forward, not growing faint, but to be motivated towards even greater achievements.

The Most Rev. Enrique Jose Albornoz Cano Archbishop of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Venezuela

The year 2017 witnessed moments of joy and peace, but also some of the greatest threats to global peace and security. In the circumstances of our troubled world, organizations like HWPL, deserve to be commended for reaching out to all humanity as a voice of moderation, reason and peace.

It is my fervent hope that HWPL would continue to grow with even greater strength in 2018 and beyond. It is also my earnest prayer that the message of peace, which it proclaims, will be sustained for many generations to come.

Ambassador (Dr.) Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi Former President of The United Nations Human Rights Council JANUARY 2018 HWPL NEWS   3

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Educational Conference for Youth Empowerment for the Construction of a Sustainable Peace Society The 15th IAVE Asia Pacific Regional Volunteer Conference & Youth Volunteer Conference was held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, one of the most famous venues in Malaysia, on 22 November 2017. Under the title of 'The Power of Volunteering: What Have You Changed?', the conference was hosted by Yayasan Salam Malaysia, the biggest volunteer NGO in the area, and attended by 610 people from 32 countries for a duration of 5 days from the 22nd to the 26th of November.

The Youth Conference was inspired by the Region-Specific Discussion for the Implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) held 2 months earlier in September at the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit.

At that time, nine Malaysian delegation members discussed various action plans to demand the implementation of a peace education policy in Malaysia under the theme of "Establishing Collaborative Governance for Peace". Based on these ideas, the IAVE AP 2017 Youth Conference was held.

The International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), which co-organized the event with Yayasan Salam Malaysia, is an international NGO founded in 1970 for the purpose of promoting volunteerism. IAVE advocates interaction between the governments of each country and civil society to form a culture of volunteering, as well as to discuss the improvement of current policies and the implementation of new policies related to international social issues through the biannual continental conference.

Peace Education: Starting from the Spirit of Ownership for the Benefit of Humankind As an international peace organization, HWPL delivered a keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the IAVE Asia Pacific Youth Volunteer Conference 2017. After the opening ceremony, the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) featured various programs in the subsequent breakout sessions.

These included the “Human Library” session in which designated personnel became live books in order to tell their stories; the “Movie Talk Concert” where people could discover environmental issues and solutions for a sustainable earth through movies; the "Company School" whch bring together the efforts and commitments of problem-solvers that are creating innovative education programs that provide fundamental solutions; the “IPYG Youth Empowerment Game” which allowed youth to become decision-makers and leaders with the task of building a peaceful society; the “Social Media Session” that engaged youth in peacebuilding and showed their role in the era of mass media. These various programs motivated many youth and other participants to establish their solidarity for peace.

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DPCW: a Catalyst for Peace Development Wafa Aimi, a student of law at USIM, shared her comments after attending this event. "The invention of a legal framework and all these initiatives will give a big impact in order to foster peace at both national and international levels. The DPCW would be a plausible check and balance instrument to limit the inherent rights for a state to resort to a war consonant with other considerations. These are the catalysts of positive changes and it will eventually show its path for developing peace processes in our world.

The international community needs a wide-ranging legal approach that can guide and help the citizens, irrespective of their ethnicities, nationalities and religions. Although challenges are inevitable in the form of ethnic hatred and religious conflict…but as quoted from HWPL Chairman’s speech at the Peace Festival, “This precious and indispensable gift was bestowed upon the human race as a legacy from heaven. Who must protect our world? It is us, the family of the global village. Neither wealth nor power can be passed down as a heritage if we fail to stop wars. Mankind and our Earth will share a fatal destiny.”

HWPL, which provided a demonstration of the various peace education contents at the 15th IAVE Asia Pacific Youth Volunteer Conference, plans to pursue the policy-making processes regarding peace education through a variety of programs and initiatives. HWPL, together with Yayasan Salam Malaysia, is organizing NGO forums that can continuously advocate the necessity of the enactment of policies by NGOs regarding peace education and the presentation of such policies to the Malaysian government. This would be made possible through the formation of a network of NGOs in Malaysia created on the basis of the outcomes of the IAVE conference. There are also plans to have diverse peace education activities that can be advocated for within youth and women organizations, which are the main groups working at the civil society level.

JANUARY 2018 HWPL NEWS 5

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Placing the Last Piece of the Puzzle for the Year 2017:

A Festival for World Peace in Zambia Meeting with Honorable Given Lubinda, the Minister of Justice in Zambia

Dedicated to establishing an education foundation with his great interest in peace education, Minister Given Lubinda emphasized that the culture of peace is the main value and power for future generations.

To implement this ideal, he proposed that States must actively promote and realize Article 10 of the DPCW, which calls for the establishment of a sustainable culture of peace through education, freedom of press, and participation by the people, through the creation of HWPL peace academies and educational programs.

Peace for You, For Me and For Us Together :Peace Walk to Exhibit DPCW Posters In Kamulanga ward of Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, elementary, middle, and high school students participated in the Drawing Posters of Peace event and subsequent peace walk with the hope of achieving the sustainable implementation of the culture of peace through peace education in Zambia. They eagerly shared their drawings which portrayed their passion and love toward peace.

The peace walk represented the desire for the end of war all around the world and the implementation of Article 10 of the DPCW, spreading a culture of peace, in not only Zambia, but throughout the entire African continent. The event was attended by 360 participants to propagate this core value of the Declaration, and the national broadcasting network in Zambia covered the peace walk and released the news across the country.

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Platform for Religious Harmony, the Religious Youth Peace Camp in Zambia: Seeking the Role of Religious Leaders for Peace Article 8 of the Declaration contains the protection and promotion of freedom of religion and religious diversity.

The Religious Youth Peace Camp was initiated to remind all people of the role and responsibility of religious leaders, and the religious community as a whole, to practice the value embedded in this Article.

Citizens in Zambia, coming from diverse religious backgrounds including Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, took part in the camp to transcend these differences and turn previously held misunderstandings and boundaries into understanding and harmony.

In their speeches, each religious representative mentioned the duty of the religious community in this current era as stated below.

Swami Devpryananda, representative of Hinduism “Going back to the religious history, religion has always been misemployed to take advantage in territorial disputes or for gaining authority.

Mr. Samuel Sikalongo, representative of Islam “Religion should pursue its original will and purpose and achieve peaceful harmony through understanding and tolerance.”

Pastor Patrick Mwale, representative of Christianity “Religious people must not pursue any forms of violence under the name of religion. Because God is peace, believers should follow it as well.”

Participants of this 2-day long Religious Youth Peace Camp expressed their enthusiasm to participate in more interfaith activities for peace. Also pointing out the importance of interfaith dialogue, voicing their support for finding a trustworthy scripture through the WARP Office meetings.

JANUARY 2018 HWPL NEWS 7

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

The Light of Peace that has Extended to the Indian Ocean,

the Island of Peace: Sri Lanka

The religious population of

Sri Lanka Buddhist (70.2%)

Kandy

Hinduism (12.6%) Islam (9.7%)

Roman Catholic (6.1%) other forms of Christianity (1.3%)

On November 21, 2017 the “WARP Mini Summit” was held in the Kandy region of Sri Lanka by religious leaders for the purpose of interfaith harmony. Religious leaders from Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism and Hinduism attended the event in order to find ways to resolve conflicts between religions and maintain peace and security.

Sri Lanka is a traditionally Buddhist nation and 70.2% of the population identify as Buddhist. Other religions include Hinduism, which composes 12.6% of the population, Islam with 9.7%, Roman Catholic with 6.1% and other forms of Christianity with 1.3%.

This diversity of religions allowed the youth in participation, at the WARP Mini Summit in Sri Lanka, to also share a meaningful time with other religions. As the religious leaders gave presentations regarding the reasons why the issue of peace should be given greater attention today, and based on the contents of these presentations, a program was also conducted to quiz the youth in attendance.

These young people who participated in the program were able to feel the importance of both religion and peace through the quizzes. They were also able to freely discuss what types of actions can be

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taken to achieve peace and had time to think about the relationship between peace and themselves on a personal level.

Through this event, religious leaders promised to form a Peace Committee, in the Kandy region, to plan and operate peace activities in the name of HWPL every month. Through active activities of the Peace Committee, it is expected that more religious leaders and political leaders will participate in HWPL peace activities.

The participants also agreed at this meeting that HWPL Peace Education is necessary for the correct understanding and implementation of the values of peace in society.

Sri Lanka has emerged in the Indian Ocean as the starting point for the light of peace to shine through the religious leaders who love peace and the citizens, as well as through the youth who are the future leaders to join in the peace work of HWPL.

JANUARY 2018 HWPL NEWS 9

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Interview with Special Figures on HWPL’s New Year Feature The HWPL PR Team has published the peace news of HWPL that is happening all over the world within a single, small book every month. This interview was held with a type of hopeful curiosity of being able to find the value of Article 10 of the DPCW, “Spreading a Culture of Peace”, within the work of the team. Let’s meet those who are exemplifying a daily life of peace by doing this work of clearly sharing the news of peace with a level of authenticity that is truly touching.

Ven. Bup-ryun - Chief Monk, Keumdang Temple, Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism - Former Chairman of the Social Welfare Foundation of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism

Q

The entire international community has been able to feel the security crisis that resulted from North Korea's continued provocations in 2017. How do you view the prospects for these issues with the start of the new year?

Ven. Bup-ryun: The world is now paying close attention to North Korea. We are the closest to North Korea, yet we are not able to interact directly with North Korea in the reality of this divided nation. I think that the role of civil society, especially in Korea, is the key that will become the starting point of peaceful exchanges. Although there are problems such as disputes and terrors caused by religious intolerance among people, it is worthy to note that there is religion in North Korea. I see this as a possible point of communication if we start inter-Korean private exchanges in the field of religion. Therefore, the government should actively support and implement such inter-Korean exchanges.

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Suk Bok Lee: The 38th parallel was originally a line intended to restrict the Soviet army's southward movement for the dismantlement of Japanese troops on the Korean Peninsula, but it has now become a line of division on the Korean peninsula. North Korea has never abandoned its own strategy of reunification through communism since the Korean War, which began with Soviet assistance to communize the Korean peninsula prior to US intervention. North Korea has not ceased its provocations through nuclear tests, even though millions of its citizens are starving while the world continues to increase sanctions.

Although 2018 may be a difficult and tough time for East Asian security, including the ROK-US alliance, I think that the solution to overcome it depends on the consciousness of the Korean people.

Interview with Special Figures on HWPL’s New Year Feature

"

It is first necessary for the Korean people to recognize the value of the DPCW.

"

Suk Bok Lee - Chief Director of the Korea Institute for Cultural Security - Former Deputy Commander of the ROK-US Com bined Forces Command (CFC) and Chief Delegate of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC)

Q

What do you think about the legislation of the legally binding document based on the articles of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), which contain contents such as dispute resolution and spreading a culture peace? What steps should be taken after the DPCW is proposed as a UN resolution? What does this mean to Korea?

Ven. Bup-ryun: It would be hard to accept such changes right away considering the political reality of the Republic of Korea. HWPL must find a solution that will allow all of the politicians to recognize the need for the DPCW. Since earning a person's heart and trust is not something that happens overnight, HWPL should persuade sincerely so that everyone understands this work with the clear perception of peace and future unification. After the UN resolution is passed, it is necessary to promote it through the media worldwide. Also, HWPL should lay the foundation for the active participation of countries around the world. I think that it is necessary to create various events and meetings to advocate and promote peace with the support of the regional units in Korea.

Suk Bok Lee: It is first necessary for the Korean people to recognize the value of the DPCW. Every year in September, HWPL’s peace festival shows the power of culture to impress people, but they are challenged by forces that continue to oppose peace. As a chief delegate of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC), I once visited four countries, including Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Poland, and expressed sincere appreciation for their sacrifices that were made for peace on the Korean peninsula. In this way, a country that recognizes the need for peace following the resolution of the United Nations, will also recognize the need for the core principles of the DPCW. This should have the power to influence the attitude and mindset of the Korean people through the process of global public debate.

JANUARY 2018 HWPL NEWS 11

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Saying “Adieu (farewell)” to War in the Hope of Bringing Peace to Yemen On New Year’s Eve, people embraced their loved ones, saying adieu to the year that was soon to pass by. New Year’s Day was then greeted with a sky embroidered by colorful fireworks, wishing all people happiness for the year 2018. Yet, the other side of the world continued to see the death tolls and injuries rising, even on the first day of the new year. Yemen, once called “the jewel at the Gulf of Aden”, is now left with completely collapsed infrastructure for public health and is ranked 4th according to Fragile States Index (FSI) by Fund for Peace.

The total number of air-raids reported, according to the Yemen Data Project (YDP), is approximately 15,489 occurrences. Currently 70 million malnourished citizens (UNICEF), 50,000 injuries from air-raids and 10,600 deaths (UN) from armed conflicts make up the tragic statistics in the country. Due to the ongoing conflicts and poor public assistance, there are now 180 million people in desperate need of food aid, and out of 10 million suspected cases of cholera, 2,200 died in November 2017 alone.

By early 2017, over 3 million refugees were relocated due to this long-lasting war. The water supply and sewage systems, not to mention the medical and social infrastructures, were also severely damaged, leaving the children of Yemen vulnerable to a variety of communicable diseases. According to UNICEF, one child in Yemen dies every 10 minutes. Many citizens had to leave everything behind in their hometowns and take refuge at temporary shelters on the street.

In the past, Yemen had gone through 130 years of colonial occupation prior to the Cold War and were once divided into North and South Yemen. In 1990, the two countries reached an agreement to reunite as a single country; however, clashes in ideologies triggered the North to absorb the South through the use of armed force merely 4 years after the agreement was reached. The situation for the Yemenis did

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not improve even after the democratic process was implemented and used to elect the president because his dictatorship pushed them further into the extreme depths of poverty.

This dire situation worsened beyond belief as unexpected violent encounters during the Arab Spring (Arab revolutions) divided Yemen and its people into North and South once again. Religious and ethnic confrontations as well as the intervention of neighboring countries into such disputes, and the supply of armaments by the world powers (Amnesty, SIPRI), created Yemen into an international battleground between the regional powers all promoting different ideologies. (One such tragedy was an air-raid on 26 December 2017 that killed 68 innocent civilians – UN Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick in Yemen). The dawn of a new year is upon us. When, how, and through whom will the light of peace be able to shine upon Yemen, allowing all of its citizens to say “Adieu” to war?

On 3 January 2018, Mohammed Abdulah Jubarah, General Manager of Hawa Sana’s (in partnership with

Mohammed Abdulah Jubarah, General Manager of Hawa Sana’s the Yemeni press), gave his insights to the question above at the script interview with HWPL newsletter writers. He stated that “the Yemeni crisis is the accumulation of long conflicts due to the expropriation of power and wealth. But regional intervention exacerbated the conflict.” He finds “the solution in Yemen

Saying “Adieu (farewell)” to War in the Hope of Bringing Peace to Yemen

Adieu to War in the Hope of Bringing Peace to Yemen

air-raids 15,489 occurrences 50,000 injuries

armed conflicts 10,600 deaths

Malnutrition 70 million citizens desperate need of

food aid

180 million citizens

lies in the political dialogue, the renunciation by the opposing forces of arms, the return to the political process, the closure of political files, the compensation of the victims of conflicts and the application of transitional justice to the perpetrators, through the return to the outcomes of the dialogue conference.”

He sees the importance of the role of HWPL in “support[ing] projects that support the promotion of a culture of dialogue ... Organizing meetings, between the leaders of the conflicting forces to develop common perceptions of the solution in Yemen, in addition to organizing training courses and workshops for journalists and activists to confront the culture of hatred and support peace efforts.”

The new year of 2018 is the time when the voice advocating for peace and cessation of war is the strongest, not only in Yemen, but also throughout the world. Just as there is a common saying, “it’s always darkest before the dawn,” we sincerely hope for the day when we put a complete stop to the unending war and see the sunrise of the new era, thus ushering in peace for the citizens of Yemen united in one heart.

10 November 2017, an air-raid strike in the vicinity of Alshaheed Alsamawi school at Sana’s, the capital city of Yemen

JANUARY 2018 HWPL NEWS 13

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light

Legislate Peace Campaign Gallery India Supreme Court Justices and Senators gathered to discuss how to implement the DPCW, as well as how to cooperate for the realization of peace among religions in New Delhi, India.

Iraq The president of the Iraqi University of Diyala, who attended the 3rd Annual WARP Summit, took the time to explain the contents of the DPCW to the students. The participating students promised to cooperate with HWPL for peace.

China The attendees of the peace agreement ceremony in Beijing, China discussed about peace and vowed that everyone in attendance would become a messenger of peace and work together for world peace.

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Ukraine Students of National Pedagogical Dragomanov University shared the true meaning of peace and discussed ways to achieve real, sustainable peace in Ukraine.

South afriTo preserve the Gugulethu Peace Zone in Cape Town, South Africa, Cllr. Mzwakhe Louis Nqavashe, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee: Safety and Social Services of Cape Town City Council, local youths and residents participated in the cleaning activities together.

China An event announcing the accomplishments of peace activities for the past year was held in Nanjing, China. Participants, with a strong desire for peace, watched a colorful performance and promised to cooperate in the peace activities planned for 2018.

Turkey In Turkey, 27 young people attended a group discussion and gave presentations on topics related to peace with themes such as ‘Is it possible to discard nuclear weapons?’. YPIDA, the hosting organization for the event, works for peace and conflict resolution and expressed their expectation of continued cooperation with IPYG for the achievement of peace.

China There was a peace lecture at the Xujiahui Campus of Kings Education in Shanghai, China held by the head teachers of the royal schools as well as the heads of the education support teams from the four universities, including the Principal of the Royal School. All of the participants promised to carry out not only peace education but also various other peace activities.

Philippines IPYG and local peace youth associations in the Philippines held a peace conference for young people in Compostela Valley. The participants pledged to actively participate in future peace activities.

Pakistan At the Educators Al-Karam Campus Official in Pakistan, students learned about the meaning of peace. Those in attendance said that they were happy to learn about what is essentially needed for peace and have high expectations for the next lesson.

Burundi With government approval, the youth from four organizations participated in the discussion on peace activities and wrote a message of peace to remind all youth that they represent the future of the Bugenyuzi Province in Burundi.

JANUARY 2018 HWPL NEWS 15

2018.01

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

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