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Seoul, South Korea – Global leaders attending the 9th Anniversary of the September 18th Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) today 18 September 2023 have highlighted initiatives aimed at promoting peace and harmony in different countries around the world.
Setting the tone for the meeting during a press conference ahead of the official opening of the global summit, HWPL Chairman Lee Man Hee put great emphasis on the importance of peace in the past, at present, and in the future.
He said political and religious leaders as well as ordinary people all want peace. A world of peace without war is important for everyone. Peace begins in the family and extends to schools and societies. Women play a role in promoting and advancing the culture of peace.
Mr Lee said education empowers citizens to disseminate a culture of peace. He highlighted the need for all people, including women, to establish institutions and culture for peace so as to lead to the cessation of war and realisation of peace.
To do this, women worldwide should be supported through action plans for peace in order to create harmony. He said civil society should encourage leaders to make decisions that promote a culture of peace. This can be achieved through youth and women peace workshops as well as global conferences for leaders on peace.
Addressing delegates during the summit, Mrs. Nataliia Kutsenko, the President of the Specialized Medical and Pharmaceutical College of the Poltava State Medical University in Ukraine said it is important to institutionalize peace through education.
She expressed gratitude to the Korean people, state bodies, and non-governmental organizations, as well as the entire world community for supporting Ukraine in a difficult time.
She thanked members of HWPL for their cooperation and support. She said Ukraine, which broke free from the shackles of the totalitarian regime, sought to assert itself and develop on the principles of democracy and the rule of law, equality, and human rights, where the highest values are justice, peace, and freedom.
“Throughout its historical development, the Ukrainian nation demonstrated its peace-loving and consistent commitment to universal humanistic values. But the hostile intentions of the aggressor – the Russian Federation – have mutilated our lives, taking away a happy childhood from our children, forcing millions of Ukrainians to leave their homes, and destroying millions of destinies and lives.
“The “HWPL Peace Education” project came to the Poltava State Medical University to the sounds of howling sirens and the buzzing of Shaheds and ballistic missiles. Peace education in the conditions of war, can it be irrelevant? After all, in such moments, the value of peace is especially keenly felt, not only as a form of safe existence of a person, society, and humanity but also as a condition that ensures the realization of our social, cultural, and existential needs,” she said
She added that cooperation with HWPL has become an important step for Ukraine on the way to promoting peace and forming a deep global understanding of the value of peace among young people.
“Taking into account the professional direction of our educational institution, we should note that “lessons of peace” have become the quintessence of all humanitarian disciplines taught at the college. At the same time, they had an innovative character not only for students but also for teachers, becoming an educational challenge for them.”
The Venerable Dr. Nergui Sainbuyan, the Great Supreme Abbot of the Sain Nomuun Monastery of Mongolia, making a presentation titled “Religious Alliance for Peace: The Path with HWPL – Efforts and Activities to Build Religious Solidarity in Mongolia” emphasised the need for religious tolerance and freedom in the pursuit of peace.
He alluded to Chinggis Khan’s Mongol Law stipulated that “no one shall be disturbed or harassed for reasons of religion” and “everyone shall enjoy the freedom to freely confess what they think is best.” Mongolia was a country with such religious tolerance and developed based on that foundation.
Sain Nomuun Monastery was established in the Nafaikh District in 1990. It’s already been 30 years. Now the Monastery is expanding and as a result, it has become a religious complex center. They are organizing various religious activities as well as paying attention to the education of monks. It founded the religious secondary school called “Chand mani Erdene” and obtained support from the monks of Saint Nomu un Monastery in 1998.
In the past years, they worked with the aim of Sain Nomuun Monastery becoming a religious complex center that combined the traditional Buddhist religion of Mongolia with the present. There are 4 basic sections of activities at Sain Nomu un Monastery complex consisting of religious customs and religious ministration; secondary schooling and religious education; meditation, yoga, and psychology training; and humanities, creative arts, etc.
Sain Nomuun is also carrying out practical activities for inter-religious harmony and communication by inheriting advanced religious culture.
“A representative activity is attending HWPL’s World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office. Monk Tserendorj Ninjkhorol, who is the Vice Khamba Lama at the Monastery, has attended the WARP Office for about 7 years from 2016 to the present, sharing various opinions and communicating with other religions based on scriptures. Also, this June, we signed an MOU with HWPL for closer collaboration,” he said.
Dr. Gamal Suliman Abdelrhman Hagabdellah, the Assistant Professor and Designated Dean of the Culture of Peace Institute at the Sudan University of Science and Technology in Sudan said HWPL is playing a key role in calling for a peaceful resolution of the Sudan Conflict.
“When I witnessed HWPL members working, it touched me deeply, leading me to join this noble journey. The HWPL team has conducted a ‘Peace Advocates Workshop’ in Darfur, where tribe leaders, women peace activists, politicians, and youth gathered together to discuss what project would be proper to promote peace in Sudan.
“As Darfur has a history of long-term conflict among different ethnic groups, all attending leaders shared a common desire for peace, which gives us hope that peace can be achieved if such meetings continue. One of the leaders said, “Neither the government nor the U N has organized such an event, so I’m grateful that an organization like HWPL is working for peace in Sudan,” he said
Currently, the Sudan conflict has lasted over 150 days since it broke out in April. About 2 million people have fled, causing massive internal displacement. There are thousands of innocent civilian deaths, critical health and hunger crises, and more.
“Dear HWPL family, the ongoing Sudan conflict enables us to realize the importance of DPCW in Sudan and also, across the globe. One of the HWPL members, a medical student, has been providing medicaI services for the injured since this war broke out. She states, “I strongly believe that DPCW is crucial for Sudan. Weapons should no longer be used against innocent civilians. I think that can be possible through the adoption of DPCW as an international law to guarantee disarmament and prevention of genocide.
“Respected leaders around the world, please remember you are uniquely well-placed to encourage a culture of peace. So, I urge you to support DPCW at the national level. The current world needs a comprehensive international law that can put an end to wars. We should remember that we are not eternal owners of this earth, but will have to pass down this earth to our descendants,” he added.