Eight years ago on 14th Mar., Chairman Lee Man Hee of HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light; a global peace NGO) declared the DPCW (Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War) in Seoul, Korea. The document suggests strict rules to prevent all wars with 10 articles and 38 clauses. This was created by 21 international law experts from all over the world according to the spirit of peace of HWPL. The final destination of this declaration is the UN. This was designed to be submitted to the UN to be a new international peace law. Since then, HWPL has commemorated the day every year to realize this law and world peace.
The 8th Annual Commemoration of the DPCW was held on 14th Mar. 2024. Many important figures worldwide visited Korea to celebrate and reassure the necessity of the DPCW.
Today, I brought the congratulatory messages and remarks of the distinguished guest and Chairman Lee Man Hee of HWPL.
Three guests from outside Korea sent the video messages:
Ana Maria De Oliviera, Ambassador of Angola’s representative to UNESCO congratulated the 8th anniversary of the declaration of the DPCW, quoting the UNESCO constitution: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.”
Otelio Ote, the chairperson of the Press Council of Timor-Leste, sent the congratulatory message. He also delivered the message that the Press Council signed the MOU with HWPL in collaboration to achieve peace, promising to support HWPL’s effort for the sustainable development of institutional peace based on intercultural dialogue and understanding.
Vidura Wickramanayaka, the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, gave a warm congratulatory speech.
Then, the distinguished guests gave remarks for the event.
Monk Beobsan, Chief Monk of Oryongsa Temple in the head of the Jogye Order of the Daegak Buddhism in Korea, delivered a remark.
The theme of his remark was the development of cultural conversation through learning interfaith religious scriptures.
Opening the remark, he quoted the Christian Bible Job 8:7, “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be,” to describe HWPL’s history, especially about the WARP office project (World Alliance of Religious Peace – a platform to interchange among religions for religious harmony to achieve peace). Monk Beobsan recalled the first encounter with HWPL. It was nine years ago, and the managers from HWPL Gangneung branch visited his temple. Since then, he participated in HWPL’s projects, such as attending the WARP office event as a representative panel of Buddhism and participating in comparing the religious scriptures of various religions. He said that as the WARP office events proceeded, he realized that the roots of the religions are the same. He then said that HWPL’s religious peace academy, especially the Bible interchange academy allowed learning his and other religions. He shared his thoughts that he was incredibly touched because he could learn the parable and its reality in the Bible. He then quoted Rev 22:18-19 of the Christian Bible, saying adding or taking away from Revelation will make you end up in hell, and through that (verse), he now knows that religious leaders shouldn’t rashly interpret religious scriptures. Closing his words, he assured that he will pour his effort into peace until the DPCW is presented to the UN and becomes the foundation of world peace. “We are one!” he shouted.
Mohagher M. Iqbal, Minister of BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao)’s Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education in the Philippines, gave a remark. His theme was about global cooperation for the institutionalization of peace education.
In the remark, he mentioned that this year is the 10th year since signing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) of the Bangsamoro. He emphasized that signing the CAB is the signpost of peace and a great event to see their fate. The agreement was signed on 27th Mar. 2014, and the agreement was established based on the important agreements they signed before. The CAB played an important role in the process of building peace. Introducing it, he said that the path of peace is a journey of perseverance and resilience, and our commitment to peace sustains. Peace and justice are the cornerstone of BARMM’s sustainable development and prosperity. The Bangsamoro government is teaching peace education, which is described in the Bangsamoro’s education law, localizing the content to make it suitable to Bangsamoro’s environment. He promised that he will pour more effort and devote to providing quality education and building other important peace, through the guideline from the peace process between GPH (government of the Philippines) and MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Frontline).
(Writer’s comment: Mohagher introduced the peace education and peace agreement because the signing of a peace agreement was from the encouragement of Chairman Lee Man Hee of HWPL, who visited Mindanao, where a 40-year-old conflict was ongoing. He showed the real citizens’ yearning for peace to both leaders from the disputed territory. Since then, Mindanao and the Philippines actively built and tried their best to settle peace. Peace education (teaching the spirit of peace to bring and settle peace in the community) is one way they adapted, and teaching peace is practicing the 10th article, “Spreading a Culture of Peace”, of the DPCW.
Next, the three chairpersons of HWPL and affiliated organizations gave commemorative addresses.
Jeong Youngmin, Director of IPYG gave an address first.
He shared the current status of the DPCW (and Legislate Peace project), that many national leaders support the DPCW and they are trying to get more support internationally. He explained that peace is achieved through education and culture, introducing the cases of France and Ethiopia. Then, he introduced the case of Mindanao, the Philippines. It’s the place where peace is being settled since signing a peace agreement, through peace education and spreading the culture of peace. Since it was a land where a religious conflict took place, around 100 young religious figures gathered there and discussed religious harmony and understanding. Then, they performed a peace walk to spread the culture of peace. What’s more, in the largest national high school in the Philippines, the students voluntarily fundraised to build a peace monument (peace monuments are built all over the Philippines, to remind them that they must work together to build peace in the country).
Director Jeong reminded the audience of the DPCW and its value and encouraged them to participate in building peace every day.
Next, Yoon Hyeonsuk, Chairperson of IWPG, gave an address.
She explained that wars and conflicts lead to discrimination against women, and women and children are the weakest people when a war occurs. She emphasized that the brilliant answer to end wars is the DPCW. In the address, she explained that the articles are for the prevention and resolution of wars. She said that first, the wars have to be ended, then, all conflicts and disputes in the structural and cultural aspects. Then, sustainable peace comes. She introduced IPWG’s activities of urging national leaders worldwide to support the DPCW with women all over the world. She also introduced that IWPG got to hold a national side event of Cote d’Ivoire, one of the countries that signed MOAs with HWPL, in UN CSW this year. In the event, IWPG will present the core contents of the DPCW and introduce the case of Mindanao, which practices the core contents of the DPCW.
Lastly, Lee Man Hee, Chairman of HWPL gave a commemorative address.
He introduced himself as a war veteran who survived the frontline of the Korean War. He was so thankful that he prayed to God every evening, and he experienced the fulfillment of Revelation, then, he became a believer (he was just a farmer and a war veteran before). He said, “All religions need conversations. Therefore, I think it’d be nice if they compare their scriptures and become one.” He explained the background of the beginning of the WARP office and closed the address by assuring the audience to become one.
The 8th annual commemoration of the DPCW was briefly done, but we could hear about the current status of Mindanao, (I would say, the most developed region in the aspect of peace) and the peacebuilding process of other countries. Like how Monk Beobsan quoted, it was a humble beginning, but it’s so prosperous in the future if I look back on HWPL’s history. I bet the 9th anniversary must be more abundant in the result.
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