No. 15
HWPL NEWS Monthly Newsletter of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light
2016
07
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light
Contents
2 JULY 2016 HWPL NEWS
"Mahatma Gandhi Prize for Nonviolent Peace" Awarded to HWPL Chairman
p.4-5
Northeast Asian Leaders to Cooperate for Alliance of Religions and Peace: A Korea-China-Japan Trilateral Religious Leaders’ Peace Conference
p.6-9
World Alliance of Religions’ Peace Summit (WARP)
p.10-13
- WARP SUMMIT 2014, Declares the beginning of the era of peace - 1st Annual Commemoration of WARP SUMMIT 2015, Advocates legal mechanism for cessation of war and achievement of peace - 2nd Annual Commemoration of WARP SUMMIT 2016, Seeks one more step forward to the way to peace
DPCW Article IV - State boundaries
p.14-15
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Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light
"Mahatma Gandhi Prize for Nonviolent Peace" Awarded to HWPL Chairman
Chairman Man Hee Lee was honored with the “Mahatma Gandhi Prize for Non-Violent Peace” on Tuesday, July 19th at the Peace Palace in Gyeonggi, Korea. Dr. Prasanna Kumar Patasani, Chairman of Mahatma M.K. Gandhi Foundation for Nonviolent Peace and Secretary-General Dr. Jyoti Mohapatra came to Korea for the prize award ceremony. Chairman Patasani is also a Parliament member of the 16th Lok Sabha (House of the People) of India. Mahatma Gandhi Prize for Nonviolent Peace, officially registered as an international award on the Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict, has had many renowned laureates including Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, S D Sharma etc. Along with Chairman Lee, Chairwoman Nam Hee Kim of the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) and Dr. Alexander Kim, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Sakha, Republic of the Russian Federation received the Gandhi Prize.
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“The greatest peace prize is peace on Earth and this is the legacy that we should leave to our future generations. This will become the peace prize that will pave the way to the peaceful lives of humanity. I would like to accept this prize as a lesson that keeps me going for the work of peace,” said Chairman Lee during his acceptance speech. Chairwoman Kim said, “Mahatma Gandhi was not only a leader of India but also a peace activist who awakened the whole world. I would like to extend my word of gratitude to the foundation named after him for bestowing this prestigious award. I would like to share my joy of receiving this meaningful award with the IWPG members and 3.6 billion women of the world. When the light of HWPL and the light of the Gandhi foundation meet, I believe that we will be able to overcome any obstacles before our goal.”
Two Chairpersons were recognized for their great contributions to the reconstruction of human society and world peace by spreading the noble spirits of “Non-Violence, Universal Brotherhood, Service, and Unity of all Religions & Excellence in the field of all related peace work.”
Chairman Patasani of Gandhi foundation gave a congratulatory message: “I would like to welcome the laureates to this ceremony, which is held to honor the laureates for their outstanding contributions in the field of peace work. On behalf of Mahatma M.K. Gandhi Foundation for Nonviolent Peace, I salute and honor the greatest peace lovers, Mr. Man Hee Lee and Ms. Nam Hee Kim, for their achievement following Gandhi’s philosophy and knowledge to promote world peace and development of humanity.”
Dr. Hong-Ki Kim stated at his opening remarks, "Chairman Man Hee Lee has devoted his entire life to spread the Peace Gospel across the world in the last some 30 years, recently culminating in the adoption and proclamation of the International Peace Law drafted by a host of more than 50 world-renowned jurists, lawyers and legal scholars, to be submitted to the UN for its ratification and adoption as International Law.”
As a preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India, Mahatma Gandhi inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Chairman Lee and HWPL’s initiatives for peace have been comprehensively expanding Gandhi’s vision for nonviolence through peace law campaigns and alliance of religions meetings, thus bringing forth world peace and the cessation of war. The organization has pioneered various peace activities with IWPG and International Peace Youth Group (IPYG).
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Northeast Asian Leaders to Cooperate for Alliance of Religions and Peace: HWPL holds a Korea-China-Japan Trilateral Religious Leaders’ Peace Conference
On 27 June 2016, A Korea- China- Japan Trilateral Religious Leaders’ Peace Conference was held in Gyeonggi, Korea with the goal of putting religious boundaries aside to achieve peace together. 120 Northeast Asian religious leaders were invited to attend this interfaith peace talk. Trilateral Religious Leaders’ Peace Conference is warmly welcomed by the guests in the time of “the reality where tensions are arising in Asia, centered on Korea, China and Japan,” said Hyegeo, Abbot of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Geumgang Seonwon. He added, “It is my hope to pursue in achieving world peace. I believe HWPL holding conference like this will lay foundations for prosperity and peace in Asia.”
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“Religious leaders from all life of faith came here not just for the sake of gathering people from diverse backgrounds,” said HWPL Chairman Lee. Instead of just focusing on symbolic significance of gathering religious leaders, he kindly asked the participants to “become one in heart in achieving the same purpose.” He added, “Let us share and teach one another what we understand, so that we can grasp better understandings from listening to each other.” Leaders representing Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Cheondoism, Taoism, and Confucianism gathered to discuss the roles of spiritual leaders and the concept of peace based on each respective religious texts.
Mr. Man Hee Lee Chairman of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light
In early part of his speech, Chairman Lee underlined the role of religious leaders in achieving peace. “Religious leaders have a crucial role in constantly studying and determining which religious scripture is the most believable to achieve peace.” He continued in a rather solemn and confident tone. “Leaders are responsible for their congregations to know that differences in religions must not hinder the progress of peace and harmony in the interfaith world because conflict is not the will of the Creator nor that of any divine beings.”
Chairwoman Nam Hee Kim of the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) added to explain the duty of every religious leader, “The religious world is imperative for it directly deals with the salvation of humanity. I believe every leader present today has a greater sense of duty to understand each other’s religious teachings to achieve alliance of religions for peace.”
Ms. Nam Hee Kim Chairwoman of the International Women’s Peace Group
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Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light
To achieve peace in our generations, HWPL Chairman Lee urged the participants. “We must first be acknowledged properly in the eyes of heaven,” reflecting ourselves whether we are living according to the will of heaven. In doing so, it takes continuous efforts. “No matter how much you wish to live in a new generation of peace, it will remain our wildest dream without dedicating our efforts.” In order to provide same standards based on discussions with mutual understanding among different faiths, 17 questions were drawn and distributed to speakers in advance. Some of these questions include:
▶ Does your religion contain prophecies and [an explanation of] the fulfillment of those prophecies? If it does, what are they?
▶ What is the natural order of the creation of the heaven, earth, all things, and people? And through what were they created?
▶ What are God’s purpose, the hope of believers, and the promised world? The background of this peace conference is HWPL’s World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office Meetings, a series of the worldwide interfaith peace dialogues solely based on scriptures aimed at establishing alliance of religions and preventing causes of conflicts which involve religious misunderstandings. Currently, 179 WARP Office Meetings are actively being held in 88 countries.
CIS Europe
5 countries 6 institutes
24 countries 30 institutes Middle East 9 countries 10 institutes
Asia 19 countries 75 institutes
Africa
Oceania
19 countries 26 institutes
3 countries 7 institutes
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America 9 countries 25 institutes
Ba Ding Duo Jie, Buddhist Abbot of the Shiva Temple, a member of the WARP Office in China said, “We need to think about how to bring unification among ourselves. Through participating HWPL’s WARP Office Meetings, I realized that the lack of communication among religious leaders was the reason why conflicts arise. I have witnessed that leaders, who have different backgrounds and knowledge, could be united under peace through the peace dialogue.” Some note that the need of interfaith dialogue is closely related to preservation of humanity. “Through this kind of platform for all religions to meet together and reflect on the roles and history of religions, we are able to realize the cessation of war which intertwines the preservation of the lives of humanity.” stated Jeong Seok Lee, Teacher of Myeongnyun Institutes. He added, emphasizing that further development of the conference is necessary in the form of action for peace. “If it were only voices demanding for peace in the past, now it is a time to bring actions to those voices. HWPL is working for a great cause for mankind through this innovative approach to peace.” When asked about his future plan during the interview, Fu Cheng Dao, Director at Rongshan Academy of Taoism said, “When I go back to China, I will dedicate my efforts to widespread the concept of achieving world peace in collaboration with heaven and earth. I plan to pursue several peace activities such as comparison meeting of religious scriptures. I will publicize the work of HWPL and Chairman Lee and spread the culture of peace.” The Korea-China-Japan Trilateral Religious Leaders’ Peace Conference sought for constructive dialogue among leaders of religions to better understand the principles of religious teachings based on mutual respect and recognition of differences, thus contributing to an atmosphere of peace in the Northeast Asia.
Media which covered June 27 Conference
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10 JULY 2016 HWPL NEWS
W
orld Alliance of Religions' Peace (WARP) derives from the WARP Summit 2014 held by HWPL in Seoul, South Korea. The Annual Commemoration of the Summit unites world leaders,
youth, women, and media under the sole purpose of establishing and implementing practical solution to peace. Its 2nd Anniversary conference will be held in this coming September.
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World Alliance of Religions’ Peace Summit “Today, the spirits in heaven and people on earth are gathered here to witness this unprecedented event in human history. ... What we need to accomplish today is to bring the wars on earth to an end, achieve world peace, and leave it as a legacy to future generations.” – Opening Address at WARP Summit 2014 by Man Hee Lee, Chairman of HWPL
WARP SUMMIT 2014, Declares the beginning of the era of peace In 2014, World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea. 200,000 supporters and 2,000 world leaders including former heads of state, religious, youth and women leaders from 130 nations participated in the summit. This summit was unprecedented in terms of the fact that the necessity of global cooperation to attain religious harmony and enactment of international law pertaining to cessation of war and peace was highlighted. 12,000 members of IPYG advocated peace with their hopeful message of a better world through the IPYG Card Section performance. (Watch the performance): On 18 September 2014, government officials and social leaders around the globe signed the ‘Proposal to enact international law for the cessation of war’. Also, for the first time in history, 12 leaders from 12 religions agreed to cooperate for global peace by holding their hands together and signing the ‘Unity of Religions Agreement’. http://bit.ly/2adySaq
“It (Card Section Performance) illustrated scenes of war breaking out in a peaceful world, friends and families being sacrificed, houses burning down, and the world turning into a sea of flames. Because of war, poverty came, nations fell into debt, people were held captive and lost their nation. These are the realities of war. It was at this time that the light of peace began to shine. Flowers blossomed and spring came, filling the earth with laughter and joy once again. The Card Section performance was a preview of a peaceful world where everyone celebrates the cessation of war. This was the true purpose of the WARP Summit.” – Memoirs of WARP Summit 2014, Man Hee Lee, Chairman of HWPL
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1st Annual Commemoration of WARP SUMMIT 2015, Advocates legal mechanism for cessation of war and peace nd Annual Commemoration of September
18th
In September 2015, as continual global action for peace, discussions to solidify HWPL’s S E O U L
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initiative of peace for bringing all wars to an end with practical measures were drawn. Through panel discussions of the HWPL International Law Peace Committee, consisting of legal experts around the world, it was agreed that cooperation for detailed articles designating the legitimacy of international legal foundation and proper, successful implementation should be propelled. This resulted in preparing to draft the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). Along with this, action plans for peace at a local level by citizens were presented and advocacy movements were determined in the sessions by youth, women and media. 9·18 종교대통합 만국회의 2주년 타이틀 디자인 _ 내려쓰기 One fundamental, unique approach to peacebuilding proposed by HWPL is religious harmonization. Like the WARP Summit 2014, religious leaders gathered together in 2015 to have in-depth discussion on the role of religion in peacebuilding processes. A great emphasis was laid on the responsibility of religious leaders to inspire the spirit of peace to congregations and become the footstool of world peace. nd Annual Commemoration of September18th nd Annual Commemoration of September18th
2nd Annual Commemoration of WARP SUMMIT 2016, Seeks one more step forward to the way to peace From the WARP Summit 2015, a series of discussions and meetings by the HWPL International Law Peace Committee concluded the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), which was proclaimed on March 14, 2016. With this, the Legislate Peace Campaign, an advocacy movement of the international community to build a legal foundation for peace has been active in many parts of the world. In September 2016, the 2nd Annual Commemoration of WARP Summit will be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Based on the DPCW, this summit is expected to offer a direction to strengthen legislation activities by NGOs, governments and international organizations at both local and international levels. As HWPL’s peace initiatives are based on voluntary participation and actions by global citizens, the development plans for making an enforceable law compatible with DPCW to protect citizens from threats of violence of war will be prepared. At a conference for government officials, procedures for making a law and necessary legal and social agreement at a national level will also be discussed.
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A Closer Look at the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War – Article IV The Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) has been drafted with the intent of promoting the respect of fundamental human rights and international law, and of further involving States in the active protection of those rights. In this month’s newsletter, let us take a closer look at the Article 4 of DPCW.
(The full text of the Declaration and its explanation booklet are also available at www.peacelaw.org)
Article 4 - S tate boundaries
1. In accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2625 (XXV), every State has the duty to refrain in its international relations from military, political, economic, or any other form of coercion aimed against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations. This is without prejudice to instances when such forms of coercion may be lawfully applied, inter alia, to induce states to cease internationally wrongful acts, or when sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council. 2. Every State has the duty to refrain from the threat or use of force to violate the existing internationally recognized boundaries of another State, or as a means of resolving international disputes, including territorial and frontier disputes, in a manner inconsistent with international law. 3. Every state has the duty to refrain from any act of incitement, planning, preparation, initiation or commission of an act of aggression by a state, a group of states, an organization of states or an armed group or by any foreign or external entity, against the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of any State.
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Article IV Explanation [Article 4] Article 4 and Article 5 DCPW regard, respectively, State boundaries and Self-determination, connecting the goals of the DCPW with those affirmed in the UNGA Resolution 2625 (XXV) – the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States –, and expanding what is already introduced by Article 3. Articles 3-5 DCPW, touching upon numerous core norms of international law, affirm the principle of equal rights and self-determination, the prohibition of illegal occupation of the territory of a State resulting from the threat or use of force, the prohibition of aggression (and, in general, of any direct and indirect contribution of a State to the violation of international law on its territory or in the territory of another State), the principle of sovereign equality of States, and the positive role of the mechanisms that promote the peaceful resolution of disputes.
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2016 JULY | No. 15
HWPL NEWS Monthly Newsletter of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light
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