“Legislate Peace (LP)” Campaign is in progress, beginning on August 27th over 200 cities, including Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Paris, France, Mindanao, Philippines, Suva, Fiji, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Cape Town, South Africa, and more. They will host conferences, forums, supporting signature events as part of the Peace Letter Campaign and various cultural events.
I’ll show you firsthand what’s going on all over the world.
2019. 9.4 / eTurboNews
2019. 9.4 / SPIKED
In Cape Town, the South African branch along with Cabinet Ministers, Speakers of Parliament and women organizations will announce the reply of peace letters and the initiatives of peace education and will show how the DPCW can be used for promoting the end of violence in Africa.
The goal of this movement is establishing a universal standard and international order that can be applied across the globe and enacting an international and legally binding law for peace. It is the DPCW, a comprehensive document that clarifies the role of the members of international society to prevent and resolve conflicts. DPCW is in the process of being introduced to the UN as a draft resolution.
2019 World Peace Summit: 5th Anniversary of the WARP Summit
There are so many useful programs. Everything goes live on YouTube, so I hope we watch it together. Peace is bound to be achieved if each of us makes only a little more effort. Already the whole world is moving, and this huge flow is unstoppable. Together, Peace.
“Legislate Peace” project is a comprehensive cooperation campaign around the globe in support of the DPCW’s introduction to the UN as a draft resolution, and for it to become an international, legally binding document. This project lists all of the support received from 2016 to now from over 180 different countries and includes institutional support from various international organizations and governments, with individual support and activities from political leaders, religious leaders, and community activists. At this year’s event, the projects’ specific cases in individual expert fields will be shared with a discussion for future plans.
So far, more than 1.3 million citizens from 176 countries have agreed that DPCW is a declaration that will serve as the basis for world peace and security, and many civic groups, including religious and educational people, have paid keen attention to the DPCW and support to the LP campaign. Any citizen who wants peace can join the “Legislate Peace” Project in making peace a legacy to future generations. But we can’t say anything without Mr. Man Hee Lee, the Chairman of HWPL, because the center of all this is him. With his strong drive, HWPL will be a huge success again this year. Let’s join in this unstoppable flow. 🙂
Mr. Dragomir G. Marian (President of MasterPeace Romania)
“We, peace teachers will keep moving on for continuous peace education so that it would be deeply rooted in Romania, and also we will stand at the front line for the implementation of DPCW for our future so that our students could live in peace.”
Rev. Tshuma Masimango Katembo, Mr. Jean de Dieu Munyembabazi, Democratic Republic of Congo
“We found the hope from Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) of HWPL.” all the 10 articles were exactly what DRC has needed. we announced the campaign of Peace to more than 100 leaders from different religious background and others stakeholders who held an offline signature ceremony, which was for the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War to be introduced to the United Nations through HWPL of Korea to become an enforceable international law.
All religious leaders promised to inform the Declaration of Peace for Cessation of War to their congregation members, because it was an important cause aiming to stop wars, massacre in Beni, DRC and secure peace in the world. Accompanied by leaders of religions, youths and other volunteers from ODI, we started to go from door to door, church to church, school to school requesting people humbly to support the Declaration of peace and Cessation of Wars through their signatures. As a fruit of patience and courage, they collected 18,500 signatures out of 20.000 signatures needed. This was publicly circulated and announced by different radios in DRC.”
As of August 2019, a book named “True Story of HWPL: Peace and Cessation of War” with the record of peacebuilding efforts by millions of global citizens and social leaders has been displayed in public institutions including libraries, schools, museums in 195 countries.
According to HWPL the publisher, the purpose of this book is to implant the values and spirit of peace that lead “every individual to become a messenger of peace.”
Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL who experienced the war as a war veteran prefaced the book by saying “We have worked together with all our hearts and strengths to achieve world peace and cessation of war transcending all borders of nation, ethnicity, and religion. Let us all become messengers of peace and leave peace as an everlasting legacy for future generations. Our work of peace will shine as an eternal light in history.”
Regarding the value of this book, Vice mayor of Târgu Mureş in Romania, Dr. Makkai Grigore, told “This book is a model and a call to peace. Readers can find models that are worthwhile to follow and can be stimulated to maintain peace. Through this book, I can come into contact with a lesser-known reality and meet world leaders who have a say about peace. I think this book can be considered a symbol of peace education, a history fragment for the 21st century.”
In this current century, the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) set out key points for harmonious coexistence and development of the global community, including the economy, poverty eradication, education, welfare, equality and justice. The precondition for achieving this goal is the sustainable state of peace without war based on the complete cessation of violent conflicts such as hostile actions and wars throughout the international community.
UN Ukraine / flickr
However, conflicts and actions of war between countries have not ceased, and the possibility of war is further increased by the spread of violent extremism by non-state actors based on religious and ethnic identity. Just as such, today’s conflicts are becoming worsened by the everyday fears that can directly affect individuals, going beyond what affects one’s country.
Therefore, a comprehensive approach of prevention and solution is required to respond to violent forms of disputes, including wars that threaten the lives of mankind. This comprehensive approach is based on the participation of non-governmental organizations and individuals – as well as governments and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) in this current international community – where the response to disputes in non-political areas such as culture, religion, ethnicity, economy, and the environment is required with the cooperation between various actors. This increases the possibility of establishing global peace as a new approach to respond to conflicts by transcending national boundaries with shared, common effort for peace from around the world.
The HWPL Peace Summit sets the source of power to create a world of peace to include every agent of action – from an individual to a country – to become a peace messenger. The 10 articles and 38 clauses of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), drafted by HWPL along with international law experts from around the world, reconfirms the core values included in the existing international documents discussed and drawn in international communities including the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The Declaration also clarifies the role of the members of international society, including civil societies and countries, to ban, prevent, and resolve conflicts. Based on the global support shown through “Legislate Peace” campaign, the 10 articles and 38 clauses of the DPCW should be introduced to the UN as a resolution with the goal of the principles of peace represented in the Declaration should be established as international law for peace which should be protected as a legally binding document in the world today.
HWPL, the host of this event, is an NGO associated with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the UN Department of Global Communications and in Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC. The organizers are the IPYG, an affiliated organization of HWPL, and the IWPG, a UN ECOSOC-affiliated NGO with Special Consultative Status. Mr. Man Hee Lee is the chairman of HWPL. In fact, everything here has nothing to do without him. That’s how important he is.
All of these can be seen as Man Hee Lee’s peace biography. I think it would be nice to read another article because I’ve posted so many posts about who he is. (more info)
1. On 17-19 September 2014, HWPL hosted the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit for world peace and cessation of war. At this event, the world’s political leaders recognized the need for an international legal instrument that ensures peace and promised to cooperate, and religious leaders promised to become one according to the teachings of God and contribute to peace. As a token of their promise, they signed the Agreement to Propose the Enactment of International Law for the Cessation of Wars and World Peace and the World Alliance of Religions Agreement on 18 September 2014 at the 63 Building in Seoul.
2. In 2015, the 1st anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit was held at the World Peace Gate in Seoul Olympic Park. At this event, the HWPL International Law Peace Committee was officially inaugurated, and its members entered the stage of discussing an international legal instrument to settle and prevent armed conflicts.
Then on 14 March 2016, the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), comprising of 10 articles and 38 clauses, was proclaimed. The fundamental spirit of the DPCW is the fair governance based on law, not power. Articles 1 to 7 pertain to the role of States while Articles 8 to 10 aim to empower the participation of global citizens in establishing a global order of peace through politics, religion, media, education, and civil society.
3. At the 2nd Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit of 2016, discussions were held to turn the DPCW into legally binding form. As a result, “Legislate Peace” Project was launched to advocate the DPCW and mobilize support for its implementation globally, and over a million people in 170 countries participated in just one year.
4. In 2017, 2017 Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit was held under the theme, “Establishing Collaborative Governance for Development and Implementation of the DPCW.” Building on the momentum from the adoption of the DPCW by the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), the Summit aimed to increase awareness of the DPCW among intergovernmental organizations including the United Nations.
Furthermore, the agreed standards for determining a trustworthy religious scripture, which is the key of the comparative study of scriptures, were presented and ideas for a global peace media network were developed. Overall, the Summit provided an opportunity to seek ways to establish a cooperative network among international organizations, governments, and civil societies.
5. Through the 4th Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit that convened with the theme of Collaboration for Peace Development: Building a Peace Community through the DPCW in 2018, the following topics were discussed: 1) Plans of action to support the DPCW to be introduced as UN resolution as a national and regional level; 2) Plans of action to establish and expand peace networks with various fields in the core including politics, religion, education, media, youth, women, etc.
With the youths’ Peace Letter activities that urged for a peaceful unification on the Korean Peninsula in 2018, the Peace Letter campaign expanded during March to May in 2019 for the citizens and leaders from around the world in various sectors to urge support for the DPCW. As a result of this campaign, peace letters were written and sent to the heads of state from 192 countries.
The theme of the 2019 World Peace Summit: 5th Anniversary of the WARP Summit is “Legislate Peace”– Implementation of the DPCW for Sustainable Development. This year the outcomes from the previous year’s work – in which various fields focused on solidifying peace networks – will be shared, along with a more detailed direction for the advancement of actualizing world peace. For this purpose, there will be events held in 200 cities in 110 countries with 300,000 citizens with the goal of establishing a universal order and standard that is applicable internationally, and to establish an international, legally binding document for peace.
Do you think this world is peaceful? Or are you too busy making a living in front of us to think about? Everyone lives in their own world. The size of the world is only different. Of course, I know that unless it’s God, I can’t count everything. It could be hypocrisy. Nevertheless, there are those who risk their lives and do the work of peace. Who are they?
First of all, I’m going to see if it’s peaceful.
Ongoing Conflicts (2018-2019)
Ongoing armed conflicts have caused at least 181,000 fatalities(2018-2019). It included only battle-related death or intentionally targeted civilian casualties. Overall damage would be magnitudes greater if injuries and lasting aftermath from conflicts are considered.
Communal conflicts in Nigeria (1998~) : 3,162 (total 17,156)
Iraqi conflict (2003~) : 5,750(total 288,000)
Boko Haram insurgency (2009~) : 2,457(total 51,567)
South Sudanese Civil War (2011~) : 1,685(total 383,000-400,000)
Libyan Civil War (2014~) : 1,727(total 29,859–42,253)
In two years, so many people died. Fatalities are over 181,000. This number is not a small. Can you handle the grief of their family or friends? We can’t feel anything, because we’re far from psychological. The closer you get to them, the more you will live a life of helplessness, sad and unable to do anything. If you’ve had a similar experience, you know it.
But we can’t just sit still and do nothing. Now, we’re trying to find out who’s risking their lives for peace. They are HWPL.
HWPL, DPCW.. and Man Hee Lee
2018 HWPL World Peace Summit: 4th Anniversary of the WARP Summit
HWPL is an NGO associated with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the UN Department of Global Communications and in Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC. The organizers are the IPYG, an affiliated organization of HWPL, and the IWPG, a UN ECOSOC-affiliated NGO with Special Consultative Status.
HWPL is considered by experts and foreign media to be the most accomplished peace organization in a short period of time. Among them, the key role is DPCW, the answer to peace.
What is the problem of existing international law? It is not legally binding and it partially allows war. S0, the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) was drafted by prominent international law experts from 15 different countries.
The 10 articles and 38 clauses of the DPCW is a comprehensive documentation of the principles of peace that are required in this current era through an inclusive approach to ban, prevent, and resolve conflicts. Based on the DPCW, the common global yearning to achieve world peace and cessation of war can be accomplished with the core principles of peace.
It can be established in the form of international law, not just for individual societies, but in relationships between countries and in the entire globe as a universal standard and value. To achieve this goal, the DPCW needs to become a resolution at the United Nations – which represents the international community – and become an internationally binding legal document for every country and citizen to abide by it.
H.E. Viktor Yushchhenko, Former President of Ukraine
“I am deeply grateful to be able to implement the cause of peace in a specific way. This is truly a worthy cause. I was deeply impressed to see the DPCW with its refined and profound wisdom. I think it is worth the support from all leaders of the world. This is because the DPCW is a perfectly balanced document that was drafted through the great effort of international legal experts and is of fundamental value.”
What is the core of HWPL?
HWPL is said to have brought together the voices of citizens from all over the world. What is the driving force that makes things possible that no one else has done? It is the Mr. Man Hee Lee, who is supported by 1.8 billion young people around the world. He is also a veteran of the Korean War and is working harder for peace than a young man, despite his age.
His life-threatening moves touched many young people. What is surprising is that many people have seen the light from him. He is also called the president of the world. If you listen to his speech, you will find out why. The whole family in the world follows him, because he has a clear answer and leadership.
H.E. Emil Constantinescu, the former president of Romania
Q. What do you think of Chairman Lee?
A. “I believe Chairman Lee is a leader in the true sense of the word, which is easy to see in the way he wins the hearts and the minds of the younger generation, in particular because of his destiny: a man who fought in the Korean War which, like all wars, pits man against man; but what is even more striking is that, in the case of the Korean war, it was pitting brother against brother.
When youth and women’s associations were established, I think Man Hee Lee astutely picked up on the fact that herein lay the key, as youths are sent to die in wars by populist and ultranationalist leaders with dictatorial tendencies while women during war are not only victims but also suffer for their parents, children and brothers. We must never forget that while 20.000.000 soldiers died in World War II, 40.000.000 civilians, mostly women, children and the elderly, perished in that conflict as well.”
Romanian Parliament House / 31st HWPL World Peace Tour
2019 World Peace Summit: 5th Anniversary of the WARP Summit
The 2019 HWPL World Peace Summit: 5th Annual Commemoration of the September 18th WARP Summit will be held over three days, from 17 to 19 September 2019, in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The Summit has been held annually since 2014, providing a platform for leaders in politics, religion, youth and women’s groups, journalism, and civil society around the world to discuss the ideas and practices required to achieve peace, a common goal of the global community.
Outcomes from the past year – in which various fields focused on solidifying peace networks – will be shared this year, along with a more detailed direction of the advancement for actualizing world peace. Peace Festival will be held at not only Korea, but also 110 countries and 200 cities worldwide. Peace is the timeless, invaluable asset for humanity. Your presence and support will be sure to make this event even more meaningful.
1) Expanding support at international level for introducing the DPCW to the UN General Assembly as a draft resolution 2) Spreading a culture of interfaith understanding and dialogue based on religious scriptures 3) Strengthening the ability of youth and women’s peace network 4) Implementing peace education for building the character of global citizens with peace values 5) expanding a global peace media network: changing the public’s awareness of peace
Actually, DPCW has been consistently supported by the world. It already has national supports such as Seychelles, Eswatini, and Comoros. In 2017,the central american parliament (PARLACEN)passed a resolution in support of the DPCW. Also, the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), which represents all citizens of 55 countries of the African Continent, the International Centre for Black Sea-Baltic Studies and Consensus Practices (Centre BBS), which consisted of former European Presidents, and 145 United Nations officialsalso supported the DPCW.
What is #LP Campaign?
The support of citizens is also continuing constantly. Already, 734,098 signatures from 176 countries are collected. What is LP Campaign? “Legislate Peace” project is a comprehensive cooperation campaign around the globe in support of the DPCW’s introduction to the UN as a draft resolution, and for it to become an international, legally binding document.
This project lists all of the support received from 2016 to now from over 180 different countries and includes institutional support from various international organizations and governments, with individual support and activities from political leaders, religious leaders, and community activists. At this year’s event, the projects’ specific cases in individual expert fields will be shared with a discussion for future plans. Young people are also moving to achieve faster.
IPYG all over the world is urging presidents from around the world to sign the DPCW. In less than a year, 165,782 Peace Letters were collected. On March 14, 2019, citizens from all over the world wrote letters of peace and sent them to the Presidents of 192 countries and Prime ministers to urge the need for DPCW. It is a part of the “Legislate Peace” Project. What a great thing! You can join online right now. There are not many opportunities to work for peace. Together, Peace.
I’ve been a fan of HWPL. When I heard that the true story book was coming out, I expected a lot and I really wanted to see it. In fact, I looked at it all at once, but I didn’t know the time was passing.
Numerous photos and the names of world leaders have convinced us that peace can be achieved. When I read their words one by one, I think that those who are not with HWPL in this work of peace want war. Short-term achievements will be unrivaled.
This book is not about what has passed, but it is about the present reality and not just a picture book. This book contains the work of peace the seven peace messengers (HWPL, IWPG, IPYG) have done throughout the world.
The purpose of the work recorded in this book is to cease all wars and leave an eternal legacy of peace to future generations. This book has been distributed to 195 countries. It is placed in major institutions such as national and public libraries, national assembly libraries, national museums, and universities. The work of the messengers of peace and this book will be an eternal light in history.
Parliamentary Library of Romania, National Library of Greece
In this book, you will see some of the people that they have met, what work they did, what the results were, and what they will be doing. You will also see how politicians, members of society, and religious people responded to their work. Additionally, you will see what the possibilities of peace, cessation of war, and alliance of religions are, how each school in each country reacted, and what the media reports are.
It will also show the activities of the messengers of peace and how each nation is accepting it. I would like to ask those who read this book: if you experience certain feelings, needs, or feel that there are some things you want to change, please send them an e-mail. If you would like to see video footages of some of the things our peace messengers are doing, please contact us by e-mail as well.
The June 16 1976 Uprising that began in Soweto and spread countrywide profoundly changed the socio-political landscape in South Africa. It is estimated that 20,000 black students took part in the protests. Deaths are 176 (~700) who are killed by police. So, 16 June is now a public holiday in South Africa, named Youth Day.
What was the reason? Policies of the Apartheid government are the problem. Finally it resulted in the introduction of the Bantu Education Act in 1953. Despite the inequality and oppression caused by apartheid, many heroes were born. Who are they? The “Youth of 1976” played a really important role in fighting.
One photo shocked the world
This photo by Sam Nzima is displayed on Hector’s memorial outside the Hector Pieterson Museum in Orlando West, Soweto. Mbuyisa Makhubo is carrying the dying Hector and Hector’s sister, Antoinette, is running beside him. / Hector Pieterson / flickr
During the fracas the 12-year-old Hector Pieterson was shot by the police. He was covered in blood. Pieterson was rushed to a local clinic and declared dead on arrival. This photo became an icon of the Soweto uprising.
“The uprising means different things for different people,” says Khwezi Gule, chief curator of the Hector Pieterson museum and memorial in Soweto. “There are different generations and varying constituencies. Even those who were there in 1976 were affected differently: parents, students, leaders, people just caught in the crossfire.”
Nelson Mandela said “The events of that day reverberated in every town and townships of South Africa. The uprising triggered riots and violence across the country. Mass funerals for the victims of state violence became national rallying points.
Suddenly the young people of South Africa were fired with the spirit of protest and rebellion. Students boycotted schools all across the country. Bantu education had come back to haunt its creators, for these angry and audacious young people were its progeny.”
South Africa’s Youth Discusses NDP 2030 on Youth Day
Commemorating the heroes of Soweto from June 1976 young, South Africans were challenged to chart their own solutions for dealing with the struggles the youth face today. So, the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) is collaborated with the Gauteng Province, the City of Johannesburg Library and Information Services, South African Council of NGO’s, Green Peace Africa, IWPG, Save the Children and HWPL.
Also, the Specialized Agency of the African Union and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) helped these passionate young peace activits. IPYG was established in 2013 with 805 affiliate organisations in 110 countries. What is their purpose? It is the “National Development Plan (NDP).”
NDP 2030: Youth CAN do it!
The NDP aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030. According to the plan, South Africa can realise these goals by drawing on the energies of its people, growing an inclusive economy, building capabilities, enhancing the capacity of the state, and promoting leadership and partnerships throughout society. Lets all work together to make the National Development Plan (NDP) a success and build a better South Africa for all, it is up to each one of us.
In dealing with International and Regional Peace and Security, Editor of Zimbabwe Digital News brought about the need to create a culture of peace and referenced the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) as an instrument that the President of South African to put an end to armed conflict. (What is DPCW?)
Because Africa has great potential, countless young people can surely achieve peace with IPYG. At IPYG Peace Letter Campaign, more than 200,000 young people from each country have sent handwritten letters to the heads of 193 countries of the United Nations. We Are One!
France is the first country in the world to have a civil revolution. The French Revolution (1789-1799) is one of the most important events in human history. On August 26, 1789, it introduced the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, proclaiming liberty, equality, the inviolability of property, and the right to resist oppression. It is Influenced by the doctrine of “natural right”; the rights of man are held to be valid at all times and in every place. And this document inspired in large part the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
French Peace Walk “We Are One!”
On May 24th, about 200 youths gathered in front of the Ibis Hotel in Paris, and the Eiffel Tower, France’s representative landmark, in commemoration of the 6th anniversary of the Declaration of World Peace. HWPL hosted this event. Also it was supported by renowned international organizations such as, AIESEC in France and Regards de Paix.
The event started with congratulatory videos of Anna Bossman, the UNESCO Ambassador of Ghana, Oumar Keita, the UNESCO Ambassador of Mali, and also continued with congratulatory addresses of Gaura Bhakta, the Guru of ISKCON, and André Lokisso, the head of the Assistance To The Integration Of Demobilized Child Soldiers, which is one of the UNESCO affiliated organizations with the country of Africa.
“I really liked to feel the power of youths who are longing for peace and I never knew that there were so many youths who wanted to have peace like this.”
one participant
DPCW & Peace Letter Campaign
The DPCW is a phenomenal declaration that has the answer to cease all wars, and is soon to be submitted to the UN as a resolution. Everyone around the world is urging the heads of state to support the DPCW through the Peace Letter Campaign. (more info about DPCW)
Today, millions of peace letters have been sent to a number of national leaders. Young people around the world are writing these peace letters with a longing heart for peace. It is expected to stimulate the heads of state to make a peaceful world free of wars.
Especially, a graduate student of Sciences po Paris recited her letter to President Emmanuel Macron. All the participants were inspired by her letter and gave her a big round of applause.
At end of the event, the HWPL Peace Walk took place. About 200 youths shouted, “We want peace! We are one!” This France HWPL Peace Walk will have a great influence in France and Europe. Why? Because France is where the history of the global civil revolution began.
On 11st of July, more than 25 Caribbean ambassadors and heads of states, including former Prime Minister of Belize the Honorable Mr. Said Musa, gathered in Washington D.C. Why did they gather? These incredibly famous people don’t move for no reason. They want to support the implementation of international peace legislation, the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). Where? “Within their each countries.”
DPCW has global support, especially for young people and women. There were well over a million supporters and the DPCW has already been enacted as a National Declaration in several countries around the world, including Antigua and Barbuda.
Mr. Said Musa, Prime Minister of Belize, said “I want to pledge my support for adoption of the DPCW which I find to be the most comprehensive legal framework that will serve to spread a zone of peace within the Caribbean region and across the world.” Caribbean Peace Movement is growing so rapidly.
Among the event, delegates committed to advance the passing of the DPCW through theCARICOM and the Coalition of Caribbean Leaders for Peace (CCLP). The CARICOM is an organisation of fifteen Caribbean nations and dependencies having primary objectives to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members. It is home to approximately sixteen million citizens, 60% of whom are under the age of 30. Caribbean countries have tremendous potential.
Their Headquarter is on Georgetown, Guyana. Guyana’s CARICOM Youth Ambassador and Regional Director for the United Nations Caribbean Global Peace Initiative, Ms. Samantha Sheoprashad, also gave remarks. According to a report from the Borgen Project, roughly 43 percent of Guyana’s population lives below the poverty line, the youth unemployment rate is over 30 percent but the current estimates are closer to 40 percent.
Mr. Musa, a founding member of the CCLP, urged other Caribbean leaders to participate and serve as a “beacon to guide the important work of the [CCLP] to spread the message of peace not only in our region but globally as well.” After all, they know it’s the DPCW that can solve all of this. This is the answer to peace. It is currently being presented to pass as law through the United Nations. Let’s have one voice! We Are One!
On 29 May 2019, the 6th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace and the Peace Walk took place at Ecole Fondamentale Lafia De Kalaban-Koro in Bamako, Mali. The event was hosted by the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and supported by a peace advocate group called Peace One Day. Leaders from various sectors, including government and NGO and more than 300 youth, participated in the event.
The Peace Walk event was hosted for the first time in Mali and it filled the hearts of the youth and event participants with an overwhelming sense of hope. Due to the recent breakout of civil war in Mali few months ago, Malian people have been in urgent need of peace. Afterwards, those students had an opportunity to write their own peace letters. A total of 85 hand-written peace letters are to be sent to the president of Mali, together with other hand-written peace letters.
Let’s find out about Peace One Day who helped HWPL.
Peace One Day Press conference with SESG Mary Robinson / flickr CC BY-SA
Peace One Day is a non-profit organisation that was founded in 1999. In 2001 the member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the first ever annual day of “global ceasefire and non-violence” on 21 September – Peace Day. Since 2001, Peace One Day’s objective is making it a day that is “self-sustaining”, an annual day of “global unity”, a day of “intercultural cooperation on an unprecedented scale.”
UN GA Resolution – A/RES/55/282 / Peace One Day
The founder is an actor turned filmmaker Jeremy Gilley. After a carrer as an actor, Jeremy began making films in 1995 and in 1999. And making a movie was a big boost to Peace One Day. In 1998, Gilley began to make the Peace One Day documentary, eventually deciding to aim for a UN resolution formalising the idea. This goal was reached in 2001. In 2004, the Peace One Day documentary premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) and the BBC.
He and his friends, who had nothing at first, recklessly wrote letters. He said “And we wrote to heads of state, their ambassadors, Nobel Peace laureates, NGOs, faiths, various organizations — literally wrote to everybody. And I remember the first letter. One of the first letters was from the Dalai Lama, saying ‘This is an amazing thing. Come and see me. I’d love to talk to you about the first ever day of peace.'”
That’s how it continued to evolve and results began to emerge. In Afghanistan, 70% reduction in violent incidents was recorded by United Nations Department of Safety and Security on Peace Day 2008. In 2016, after several years work with global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, it was estimated that 2.2 billion people had been exposed to the Peace Day message, that 940 million were aware of the day and that 16 million behaved more peacefully as a result. It’s a brilliant idea and has a distinct ripple effect. But there is an international peace NGO that has developed this a little bit.
“The Complete End of War and Eternal Peace”It is the goal of the HWPL. Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) is affiliated with the UN ECOSOC and the UN DGC. And International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) is its youth organization. In order to achieve its goal, HWPL is trying every year, with a higher growth rate than any other peace organization. Experts and journalists evaluate HWPL as a practical and powerful organization.
On May 25th, “6th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace and the Peace Walk” was held at about 126 places in 77 countries around the world including Australia, China, Germany, India, Russia, South Africa, the Philippines, and United States of America. These millions of people gathered to urge Support for the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). It is the HWPL‘s most groundbreaking answer to peace.
Introduction of the DPCW to the UN
What is the problem of existing international law? It is not legally binding and it is allowing war in part. So 21 prominent international law experts from 15 different countries made 10 articles and 38 clauses of the DPCW. DPCW has only been proclaimed for three years, but it’s been a startling development of national and global support for citizens around the world.
It has received formal support from the Pan-African Parliament, the Council of Ministers of the Pacific Islands, the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), and the former presidents of Eastern Europe, as well as MOUs and official documents. Also, when the Chairman Man Hee Lee introduced the DPCW at UN headquarters, delegates from 145 countries gave a standing ovation.
31st HWPL World Peace Tour in Parliament of Romania / HWPL PHOTO
From a civil society perspective, more than 1.3 million citizens around the world support DPCW with signatures and IPYG Peace Letter Campaign. On March 14, citizens from all over the world wrote more than 200,000 letters of peace and sent them to presidents and prime ministers of 192 countries to urge the need for DPCW and support from countries. And the media from around the world reported it extensively, and the world cheered when they heard the news.
In my personal view, every peace organization seems to be absolutely wonderful. Wouldn’t world peace be too easy if all the world’s peace organizations were united, regardless of their own interests? But the core will be needed. I’m sure it’s HWPL that has the power to bring everyone together. We Are One!
