"Perpetual Peace, a philosopical sketch"

Immanuel Kant: On Peace
1. A state of Peace among men who live side by side with each other, is not the natural state. The state of Nature is rather a state of War; for although it may not always present the outbreak of hostilities, it is nevertheless continually threatened with them. The state of Peace must, therefore, be established; for the mere cessation of hostilities furnishes no security against their recurrence.

2. The notion of a Right to go to war, cannot be properly conceived as an element in the Right of Nations. [...] If such a Right be conceivable at all it would amount, in fact, to this: that in the case of men who are so disposed it is quite right for them to destroy and devour each other, and thus to find Perpetual Peace only in the wide grave.

3. A State is not to be regarded as a property or patrimony, like the soil on which it may be settled. It is a society of men, over which no one but itself has the right to rule or to dispone. Like the stem of a tree it has its own root, and to incorporate it as a graft in another State, is to destroy its existence as a moral Person.

4. For of the three powers known in the State as the Power of the Army, the Power of external Alliance and the Power of Money, the money-power might well become the most reliable instrument of war, did not the difficulty of determining its real force stand in the way of its employment.

5. A war of extermination, in which the process of annihilation would strike at both parties, and likewise at all Right at the same time, would reach Perpetual Peace only on the final Golgotha of the human race. Such a war, therefore, as well as the use of such means as might lead to it, must be absolutely unallowable.

6. This Right of Hospitality as vested in strangers arriving in another State, does not extend further than the conditions of the possibility of entering into social intercourse with the inhabitants of the country. In this way distant continents may enter into peaceful relations with each other. These may at last become publicly regulated by law, and thus the human race may be always brought nearer to a Cosmo-political Constitution.

7. The social relations between the various Peoples of the world, in narrower or wider circles, have now advanced everywhere so far that a violation of Right in one place of the earth, is felt all over it.

8. That 'kings will philosophise or philosophers become kings,' is not to be expected. Nor indeed is it to be desired, because the possession of power inevitably corrupts the free judgment of reason. But kings or king-like nations, who govern themselves according to laws of equality, should not allow the philosophers as a class to disappear, or to be silenced; rather should they be allowed to speak forth their maxims publicly. Nay, this is even indispensable to both for the mutual enlightenment of their functions.

9. Reason would drive [states] to give up their savage lawless freedom, to accommodate themselves to public coercive laws, and thus to form an ever-growing State of Nations, such as would at last embrace all the Nations of the Earth. But as the Nations, according to their ideas of international Right, will not have such a positive rational system, and consequently reject in fact (in thesi) what is right in theory (in hypothesi), it cannot be realised in this pure form. Hence, instead of the positive idea of a Universal Republic-if all is not to be lost-we shall have as result only the negative surrogate of a Federation of the States averting war, subsisting in an external union, and always extending itself over the world.

10. [Standing armies] constantly threaten other nations with war by giving the appearance that they are prepared for it, which goads nations into competing with one another in the number of men under arms, and this practice knows no bounds. And since the costs related to maintaining peace will in this way finally become greater than those of a short war, standing armies are the cause of wars of aggression that are intended to end burdensome expenditures. Moreover, paying men to kill or be killed appears to use them as mere machines and tools in the hands of another (the nation), which is inconsistent with the rights of humanity.

The Spirit of a Peaceful World

"I am. We are. That is enough. Now we have to start."

What does this first introductory sentence of a significant philosophical work in the early 20th century? "The Spirit of Utopia" by Ernst Bloch is definitely an attempt to find an answer to nihilism, as Bloch was influenced greatly by Hegel and Schopenhauer. The first part of the book is about self-encounter. Does this not represent the first two words of the introductory sentence, "I am"? An utopia first requires, self-discovery and one has to understand his or her being. Then, this moves onto others. One is now included in a community called, "we". It moves on from an individual to community. And as individuals identify themselves as a community, this is enough to start. What does it mean to start? This is an initiative to build an utopia. What is the meaning of an utopia? Wouldn't that be a peaceful world? Through the book, Bloch is laying a foundation of what are necessary steps that need to taken towards a peaceful world. Every individual identify themselves affiliated with a specific group. I am a Christian or I am a Buddhist. I am a doctor or I am a lawyer. I am a democrat or I am a republican. Shouldn't this concept transcend to a new level, where we will be able to identify ourselves as one? We are...? How would you finish and complete the sentence?

I would like to say, "We are peace advocates. We are a global family". This statement is just enough for us to start building a new world. Although the intention of Bloch for this opening statement may be different, I would like to think that it is a statement of peace. As we compared the writings of different philosophers and figures, we can see that our approach towards peace is similar. There are many things in the world that we disagree on, but on how to achieve a peaceful world and what consists of a peaceful world, everyone had a similar idea. Then, if everyone had a similar idea, why was it not possible? Some may say, one has not found peace yet, or did not encounter oneself. However, it could be, because we were not able to identify, "we are". When did all the people came together as a global family wished for the common thing? This happened in the WARP Summit, when all different leaders from different nations came together under the idea of peace in South Korea. HWPL may have the answer to what is "we are". Wouldn't that be why that we are actually starting to build the world of peace? It is now time to think what is truly the spirit or the mentality of one who belongs to an utopia, or a world of peace.

We got to have peace

Curtis Mayfield was more than a song writer and an artist. His eyes were open to the current issues of the world and he used his musical talents to send his own message to the world. The song, "We got to have peace" is one example about Mayfield's philosophy of music. In the song he addresses the world that peace is inevitable, if we are to live in this world. 

The song includes various themes that are similar to what HWPL is doing. We are raising up our voice, so that our children and future generation are able to experience this beautiful planet that were given to us. And peace is necessary, in order to keep this earth alive. And Mayfield suggests that "what if one of the soldiers, who bravely fought for his country, is able to come back from the dead? What would he say?" We, who never participated in a war and experienced the horror of the battlefield, where we would see people die, except in action films that we take pleasure from, are not able to understand as much as the soldiers, who experienced this. What did they truly fight for? Was it a fight that would bring them any gain? It was for their country that they were able to make that priceless sacrifice. But, truly what does it bring? A war will lead to another war. 

The only thing we have to do is to raise up our voices as one global family. We have to use our voice to tell the world that if we do not resolve this conflict, there is no turning back. We need to first find the reason we want peace personally and start acting to create peace in our small community, which will then branch off to bigger community. As many philosophers said in their writing, peace begins with one person's vision and person by person will join this vision. This is how HWPL came to be. Like many of the movements in the human history, it started with Chairman Man Hee Lee's vision and hope after experiencing an actual war and battlefield. And after hearing his messages, people renewed their hope and wish for peace. At this time, we are raising our voices in different places and method on peace.

If Curtis Mayfield was able to see what is happening at this decade, I wonder what his response will be?

We Got to have Peace by Curtis Mayfield

We got have peace

To keep the world alive

And war to cease.

We got to have joy,

True in our hearts

With strength we can't destroy.

People please hear us (people please hear us)

Through our voice the world knows

There's no choice.

We're begging save the children

The little ones

Who just don't understand

Give them a chance

To breed their young

And help purify the land

People please hear us (people please hear us)

Through our voice the world knows

There's no choice.

And the people in the neighbourhood,

Who would if they only could,

Meet and shake the other's hand,

Work together for the good of the land.

Give us all an equal chance,

It could be such a sweet romance.

And the soldiers who are dead and gone,

If only we could bring back one,

He'd say "We've got to have peace"

To keep the world alive

And war to cease

We got to have joy

Ture in our hearts

With strength we can't destroy

People please hear us (people please hear us)

Through our voice the world knows

There's no choice

And the people in the neighbourhood

Who would if they only could

Meet and shake the other's hand

Work together for the good of the land

Peace, peace, peace

Aah - hah, we got to have peace

People please hear us (people please hear us)

Through our voice the world knows

There's no choice

Save the children

Reflection: Jiddu Krishnamurti

Are we responsible for the war, even though we are not directly involved with it? Is one still considered good, when he or she only becomes a bystander to an unmoral event?

"You and I can see what creates wars, and if we are interested in stopping wars, then we can begin to transform ourselves, who are the causes of war."

We cannot stop war with another war. It will require more physical arms and weapons. And this would result another war. More blood and sacrifice will be required from it. However, what we can do is to prevent war. Jiddu Krishnamurti's thoughts on peace takes somewhat different approach. Although it reaches the same conclusion, he first suggests there must be an individual transformation. He says that "To bring about peace in the world, to stop all wars, there must be a revolution in the individual". We, ourselves, must be transformed into a new person. And then, we must investigate what causes war. Just like Mr. Lee, Jiddu Krishnamurti points out that the peace conferences so far, were useless and pointless. But the WARP Summit is different. There are people changing in the world. There are people still dedicated to work for peace, until peace is finally resolved. And Mr. Man Hee Lee has his vision on what causes the war and what ingredients are needed to create a product called peace.

The WARP Summit and the following peace conferences hosted by HWPL and its co-operating members show that people are finally ready to accept peace. They long for peace and we are able to clearly see that in people's reaction of the Summit.

About peace by Jiddu Krishnamurti (2)

Q-How can we solve our present political chaos and the crisis in the world? Is there anything an individual can do to stop the impending war?

Krishnamurti: War is the spectacular and bloody projection of our everyday life, is it not?

War is merely an outward expression of our inward state, an enlargement of our daily action. It is more spectacular, more bloody, more destructive, but it is the collective result of our individual activities. Therefore, you and I are responsible for war and what can we do to stop it? Obviously the ever-impending war cannot be stopped by you and me, because it is already in movement; it is already taking place, though at present chiefly on the psychological level. As it is already in movement, it cannot be stopped- the issues are too many, too great, and are already committed. But you and I, seeing that the house is on fire, can understand the causes of that fire, can go away from it and build in a new place with different materials that are not combustible, that will not produce other wars. That is all that we can do. You and I can see what creates wars, and if we are interested in stopping wars, then we can begin to transform ourselves, who are the causes of war.

An American lady came to see me a couple of years ago, during the war. She said she had lost her son in Italy and that she had another son aged sixteen whom she wanted to save; so we talked the thing over. I suggested to her that to save her son she had to cease to be an American; she had to cease to be greedy, cease piling up wealth, seeking power, domination, and be morally simple ? not merely simple in clothes, in outward things, but simple in her thoughts and feelings, in her relationships. She said,” That is too much. You are asking far too much. I cannot do it, because circumstances are too powerful for me to alter.” Therefore she was responsible for the destruction of her son.

Circumstances can be controlled by us, because we have created the circumstances. Society is the product of relationship, society changes; merely to rely on legislation, on compulsion, for the transformation of outward society, while remaining inwardly corrupt, while continuing inwardly to seek power, position, domination, is to destroy the outward, however carefully and scientifically built. That which is inward is always overcoming the outward.

What causes war ? religious, political or economic? Obviously belief, either in nationalism, in an ideology, or in a particular dogma. If we had no belief but goodwill, love and consideration between us, then there would be no wars. But we are fed on beliefs, ideas and dogmas and therefore we breed discontent. The present crisis is of an exceptional nature and we as human beings must either pursue the path of constant conflict and continuous wars, which are the result of our everyday action, or else see the causes of war and turn our back upon them.

Obviously what causes war is the desire for power, position, prestige, money; also the disease called nationalism, the worship of a flag; and the disease of organized religion, the worship of a dogma. All these are the causes of war; if you as an individual belong to any of the organized religions, if you are greedy for power, if you are envious, you are bound to produce a society which will result in destruction. So again it depends upon you and not on the leaders ? not on so-called statesmen and all the rest of them. It depends upon you and me but we do not seem to realize that. If once we really felt the responsibility of our own actions, how quickly we could bring to an end all these wars, this appalling misery! But you see, we are indifferent. We have three meals a day, we have our jobs, we have our bank account, big or little, and we say, “For God’s sake, don’t disturb us, leave us alone”. The higher up we are, the more we want security, permanency, tranquility, the more we want to be left alone, to maintain things fixed as they are; but they cannot be maintained as they are, because there is nothing to maintain. Everything is disintegrating. We do not want to face these things, we do not want to face the fact that you and I are responsible for wars. You and I may talk about peace, have conferences, sit round a table and discuss, but inwardly, psychologically, we want power, position, we are bound by beliefs, by dogmas, for which we are willing to die and destroy each other. Do you think such men, you and I, can have peace in the world? To have peace, we must be peaceful; to live peacefully means not to create antagonism. Peace is not an ideal. To me, an ideal is merely an escape, an avoidance of what is, a contradiction of what is. An ideal prevents direct action upon what is - which we will go into presently, in another talk. [not on this website] But to have peace, we will have to love, we will have to begin, not to live an ideal life, but to see things as they are and act upon them, transform them. As long as each one of us is seeking psychological security, the physiological security we need ? food, clothing and shelter ? is destroyed. We are seeking psychological security, which does not exist; and we seek it, if we can, through power, through position, through titles, names ? all of which is destroying physical security. This is an obvious fact, if you look at it.

To bring about peace in the world, to stop all wars, there must be a revolution in the individual, in you and me. Economic revolution without this inward revolution is meaningless, for hunger is the result of the maladjustment of economic conditions produced by our psychological states ? greed, envy, ill-will and possessiveness. To put an end to sorrow, to hunger, to war, there must be a psychological revolution and few of us are willing to face that. We will discuss peace, plan legislation, create new leagues, the United Nations and so on and on; but we will not win peace because we will not give up our position, our authority, our money, our properties, our stupid lives. To rely on others is utterly futile; others cannot bring us peace. No leader is going to give us peace, no government, no army, no country. What will bring peace is inward transformation which will lead to outward action. Inward transformation is not isolation, is not a withdrawal from outward action. On the contrary, there can be right action only when there is right thinking and there is no right thinking when there is no self-knowledge. Without knowing yourself, there is no peace.

To put an end to outward war, you must begin to put an end to war in yourself. Some of you will nod your heads and say, “ I agree”, and go outside and do exactly the same as you have been doing for the last ten or twenty years. Your agreement is merely verbal and has no significance, for the world miseries and wars are not going to be stopped by your casual assent. They will be stopped only when you realize the danger, when you realize your responsibility, when you do not leave it to somebody else. If you realize the suffering, if you see the urgency of immediate action and do not postpone, then you will transform yourself; peace will come only when you yourself are peaceful, when you yourself are at peace with your neighbour.

About peace by Jiddu Krishnamurti

Only when you are directly in touch with the problem, when you see that without peace today you cannot have peace tomorrow, when you have no reason for peace but actually see the truth that without peace life is not possible, creation is not possible, that without peace there can be no sense of happiness - only when you see the truth of that, will you have peace. Then you will have peace without any organizations for peace. Sir, for that you must be so vulnerable, you must demand peace with all your heart, you must find the truth of it for yourself, not through organizations, through propaganda, through clever arguments for peace and against war. Peace is not the denial of war. Peace is a state of being in which all conflicts and all problems have ceased; it is not a theory, not an ideal to be achieved after ten incarnations, ten years or ten days. As long as the mind has not understood its own activity, it will create more misery; and the understanding of the mind is the beginning of peace.

Film: We were Soldiers

The title of the film, "We were soldiers" seems to be a reflective statement. The title is written past tense. The film is set during the war in Vietnam and the Americans attempts a new method of utilizing helicopters to bring the soldiers in and out from the battlefield. The leader of this new cavalry is Lt. Colonel Hal Moore (Mel Gibson). One of the lines that I found remarkable in this film was the statement made by the colonel of the Vietnamese Army, which suffered a great loss.

"Such a tragedy. They will think this was their victory. So this will become an American war. And the end will be the same, except for the numbers who will die before we get there."

The colonel, who had just been in the battlefield, calls it a tragedy. And although this will eventually be noted as an American war, he says the end will be the same. Why? Because death and suffering will result from wars no matter what the results are. It is true. It does not matter who won or lost, the numbers of casualty will be high. It does not matter, in whose history book one war becomes recorded in, it matters on who suffered lost. War does not only bring suffering and death to the soldiers, but it extends its limit, as we enter the modern era, to the families and people. This is why war is a tragedy. Although he was only a character in film, the Lt. Colonel leaves a great legacy behind through the last lines he gave.

The lines of the Lt. Colonel reflects the message the chairman speaks in regards to peace. The chairman is a veteran of the Korean War and lived in the period of history, when the most physical and deadly wars happened. And he speaks, no one really benefits from war. War does not bring any benefit to the people. And just like Carl von Clausewitz writes in one of his famous aphorism, "war is a continuation of politics by other means." It is only a tool to political gains and economical gains. And the same time, its heavy support cost lowers the fund for something else that could be beneficial. If we could only focus on living and working together as one under one Creator, then there is no need for war. This is why HWPL's method is so simple, yet impacting. It extends its focus groups to politicians, religious leaders, youth leaders, women leaders, and press in order to have representation from different groups that contribute to building peace. We hope that more groups will work with HWPL and the chairman, so that peace can be fulfilled quicker.

The film ends with monologue of reflection. If this film focused on the strong pride of the soldiers and the importance of winning, it would label its title as "We are Soldiers". Instead it writes it title as past tense. I do not wish to underestimate the courage and the bravery that the soldiers, who fought in the war for their nations, but perhaps we must start thinking what did we gain from the war, other than win or lose? Perhaps, the title of the film is labeled in such way after some kind of transformation of the soldiers in the last monologue.

Film: Disney's Tarzan

A Reflection on Disney's Tarzan
Now, you may be wondering what does Tarzan have to do with peace. I was able to watch Disney's Tarzan (1999) accidentally and as I was watching the film, one of the lines stood out to me. The scene was right after Tarzan almost had his gorilla family killed, when he accidentally appeared in front of few elephants, who thought he was a piranha. Tarzan, to some gorillas, was an outcast, because he was not one of them. And in order to prove himself, he took on the challenge that almost killed the others. The line belongs to Tarzan's mother.

C "Tarzan, what are you doing?"
T "Why am I so different?"
C "Because you are covered with mud, that's why."
T "No, Kerchak said I didn't belong in the..."
C "Close your mouth."
T "Kerchak said I didn't belong in the family."
C "Never mind what Kerchak said. Now, hold still."
T "Look at me."
C "I am, Tarzan. And do you know what I see? I see two eyes. Like mine. And a nose. Somewhere, ah! Here! Two ears. And let's see, what else?"
T "Two hands?"
C "That's right. Close your eyes. And now forget what you see. What do you feel?"
T "My heart."
C "Come here. Your heart. See, they are exactly the same."

The animation film, Tarzan is about a boy who grew up with gorillas and has difficulty fitting in, because of his appearance. Now how does this fit in with peace? We fight and argue because of how different we are. We have conflicts from the different flag colors we have or different religion we have. However, in the end, we are all the same. We are same humans, who live in the same planet provided by one Creator. Instead of noticing how different we are, just as Tarzan and his mother did, we need to start looking for the common things that we share. In the end, we are more similar to each other than different. We are able to see that through our love and hope for peace. The WARP Summit testifies that love and hope.

Another importance of this scene is the role of Tarzan's mother. She was able to guide Tarzan to think positively and to show him a different way to fit him. Through this scene, she changed him. And after the conversation, Tarzan begins to change himself. This is the role of mothers. And that is why HWPL has a sub-organization called IWPG, for all women in the world to gather under one banner to represent their role as mothers. Their duty is to protect and educate their children into a correct decision. Although I am not diminishing the paternal role, mothers have their own unique role and influence in their children. Tarzan's mother was able to convince Tarzan to see things in a different way. And we believe that along with the power of the youth, power of all mothers in the world will change the world into a world of peace.

What a Wonderful World

"What a Wonderful World" is a beloved song that has been remade by countless numbers of artists in the world. It seems to gain its fame, because of the lyrics and how it inspired many people's hope and wish for peace. Louis Armstrong may have sung this song too, as he was in awe of the world that he lived in. Ironically, he lived in an era when many wars happened. It has been almost a half century since this song was first recorded, but we need to ask ourselves, do we live in a wonderful world? Did we see any improvement?

The song contains a simple description of the world. It is somewhat obvious that trees are green and roses red. The lyric of the song is rather simple and ordinary. What is the meaning behind the lyric? Maybe, the era that the song writer and Louis Armstrong lived in did not have green tress or red roses, because of countless numbers of war. Something so ordinary as green trees, red roses, and blue skies did not exist in their era, because of war. The song becomes a hope and an imagination for the writer, singer, and the listeners. Everyone who sings this song becomes a believer of such utopia that is not extraordinary, but ordinary. Only they were not even allowed to experience the ordinary things.

We need to ask ourselves, are we taking care of the world that we call home? Although we are able to see these things more in our era, there are many parts of the world, where these are still not allowed. And if the origin of war is not resolved, everyone in the world would not be able to experience this wonderful world that Armstrong sings and describes as simple and ordinary.

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white

The bright blessed the day, the dark sacred night

And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces of people going by

I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do

But they're really saying is I love you.

I hear baby's crying and I watched them grow

They'll learn much more than I'll ever know

And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

Yes, I think to myself what a wonderful world.

Reflection: "The Power of Peace"

Peace is a concept that visits us in a similar form regardless of religion and ethnicity. In terms of reaching peace, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche writes that resolution of our inner-peace is important. First, we must have peace within ourselves. This is what most religion teaches through its doctrines. It gives set of guidelines to follow and live a moral life. Ironically, it is from these religions that devotes to fulfilling peace that also cause war. This is why we must learn tolerance, so that we may learn to understand and love someone, who is different than us. The Rinpoche suggests few things that will let one reach inner peace. One is patience. We have to first learn to wait. And in terms of building peace, we should not be forceful towards someone to join our work, but also learn to wait. We have to make multiple visits patiently until a person's heart is completely open. As we took our steps forward, now it is our turn to wait for others to take their steps forward in this global reconciliation. As the chairman and the members of HWPL are travelling around the world and preaching the message of peace, we, as the followers of HWPL and peace must wait and also continue to devote our time to reach our own inner peace. On one side, the chairman and HWPL works on achieving global peace, and on the other side, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche writes about the achieving our personal peace.

As I was reading the writing of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, I imagined, what would happen if the Rinpoche met with Chairman Man Hee Lee. Both of these men seemed to share a fascinating view on world peace, in their own taste. But, in the end, it is the same peace. It is like a destination with multiple routes and direction. No matter where we start in terms of our religious and ethnical background, if we have peace as our final destination, we will end up there. In the writing, the power of peace seemed to question the power of one person, who achieved inner-peace and how much effect that this one person is capable of bringing to his or her world.

The Power of Peace, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

It is my wish that the spiritual power of peace will touch very person on this earth, radiating from a deep peace within our own minds, across political and religious barriers, across the barriers of ego and self-righteousness. Our first task as peacemakers is to clear away our internal conflicts caused by ignorance, anger, grasping, jealousy, and pride. With the guidance of a spiritual teacher, this purification of our own minds can teach us the very essence of peacemaking. We should seek an inner peace so pure, so stable, that we cannot be moved to anger by those who live and profit by war, or to self-grasping and fear by those who confront us with contempt and hatred.

Extraordinary patience is necessary to work toward world peace, and the source of that patience is inner peace. Such peace enables us to see clearly that war and suffering are outer reflections of the mind's poisons. The essential difference between peacemakers and those who wage war is that peacemakers have discipline and control over egotistical anger, grasping, jealousy, and pride, whereas warmakers, out of ignorance, cause these poisons to manifest in the world. If you truly understand this, you will never allow yourself to be defeated from within or without.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the peacock is a symbol for the bodhisattva, the awakened warrior who works for the enlightenment of all beings. A peacock is said to eat poisonous plants, but to transform the poison into the gorgeous colors of its feathers. It does not poison itself. In the same way, we who advocate world peace must not poison ourselves with anger. Regard with equanimity the powerful, worldly men who control the war machines. Do your best to convince them of the necessity of peace, but be constantly aware of your state of mind. If you become angry, pull back. If you are able to act without anger, perhaps you will penetrate the terrible delusion that perpetrates war and its hellish suffering.

From the clear space of your own inner peace, your compassion must expand to include all who are involved in war, both the soldiers—whose intention is to benefit but who instead cause suffering and death and thus are caught by the terrible karma of killing—and the civilians who are wounded, killed, or forced into exile as refugees. True compassion is aroused by suffering of every sort, by the suffering of every being; it is not tied to right or wrong, attachment or aversion. The work of peace is a spiritual path in itself, a means to develop the perfect qualities of mind and to test them against urgent necessity, extreme suffering, and death. Do not be afraid to give it your time, energy, and support.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

The song, "Somewhere over the rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole is a medley of two classic songs, "Over the Rainbow" from the film, Wizard of Oz and "What a wonderful world" by Louis Armstrong. Although the original purpose of the song, "Somewhere over the rainbow" was written to express the main protagonist, Dorothy's hope to find a new place after finding some disagreement with her uncle and aunt. But, I find it ironic that the film was created in end of 1930s, in the middle of World War II. I think that this song could have been the hope for many soldiers, who were fighting out of their homeland to wish for a new place. In the same way, this song sends a strong message to the people, who live in this era. Especially, added with Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's soft and soothing voice, the song brings out a different sensation in each individual.

What kind of a place did the original writer of this song imagine? Or, what did Kamakawiwo'ole imagined as he was singing this song? What kind of a place do we imagine as we read the lyrics of this song? Our emotion would be slightly different than what Dorothy felt as she was singing this song in the film. But, mutually, we all were hoping for a dream to come true. What kind of world do you dream of? At this time, I think the world that we truly need is a peaceful world. A world where there is no war and a world where we are able to share with others. This world of peace has been in our dream for centuries, but it was never fulfilled in front of our eyes.

As the divine being once showed the rainbow to a man as a sign of covenant or promise, we hope that the world can once see its true beauty through its nature and inhabitant after a flood of war. And truly, Mr. Man Hee Lee and the work of HWPL has made the world of peace come closer into our reality. We hope that as more people join and participate in the work of peace with HWPL, our dream would come true.

Somewhere over the rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high

And the dreams that you dreamed of

Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow

Blue birds fly

And the dreams that you dreamed of

Dreams really do come true ooh oh

Someday I'll wish upon a star

Wake up where the clouds are far behind me

Where trouble melts like lemon drops

High above the chimney tops

That's where you'll find me

Oh, somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly

And the dream that you dare to,

Oh why, oh why can't I?

Pope Francis to Address the United Nations

Pope Francis I, the leader of the world's largest Christian denomination, is in the spotlight as the Pope of Peace, because of his message regarding peace and justice. And last month, it was announced that he will be visiting the United States, in order to address the Congress of United Nations this upcoming September. I am curious to hear what topics he will discuss in his address. Some of the sources tell me that he will be speaking about peace, in response to recent violent activities in the Middle East.

As the Secretary-General of the United Nation, Ban Ki-moon, is also Korean, could there be a possibility that Mr. Ban would introduce Mr. Man Hee Lee to Pope Francis? If these two progressive leaders of peace meet, I think the result will be outrageous. With the large and specific connection (in terms of difference religion and ethnicity) that Mr. Lee has through HWPL and his recent activities, I believe that the Pope will be able to reach more people, who are non-Catholic. It is not about who represent what, or how one identifies him or herself as, but it is what we hope for, and this I believe is peace. I hope that as the Chairman said that we would be able to unite under the banner of peace.

This would also allow the United Nations to achieve its purpose: to mediate peace in the world.

Quote: Chairman Man Hee Lee

"Could there be a person, who hates peace? Everyone says that they love peace. But, just because one shouts, "Peace, peace" repeatedly thousand times, it does not mean peace will be fulfilled."

What kind of voices were there in the history of mankind that wished for peace? Many people from variety of religions and ethnicity preached over peace and worked to achieve peace. And the society agrees that peace is necessary for the well-being of their family and community. But, out of those who agree peace, who actually works for peace? Do we see people working for peace in their given time? Although it is important, it is also ignored equally as well. In some way it is similar to diamond-water paradox in Economics. Although water is essential to life, its value is lower than diamond, which is not an necessity to our life. In a similar way, peace is essential to the survival of mankind, but it is taken for granted just as water in its paradox.

Symbolism of the World Peace Gate

World Peace Gate is one of the architecture that represented the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics. The gate became more meaningful when HWPL Peace walk was held in 2013. The peace gate obviously embeds the meaning and the hope for peace. However, it is somewhat surprising at the same time. The beginning of the Republic of Korea started with a war that took away the lives of many Korean citizens by their own kin. And still in the 80s, Republic of Korea was recovering from the war and in the process of modernization. Despite these circumstances, choosing peace as a symbol in the Olympics was wonderful and at the same time, it displayed the true essence of Olympics. The theme song of the 1988 Summer Olympics, "Hand in Hand" is regarded as the best Olympics theme song of all times, because it focused on the aspect of coming together and competing with a good heart. In the time, when Korea could have wished for its own prosperity, it hoped for world peace after learning from the disastrous war. I think this is why the involvement and the participation of the Korean people is huge, because they are one step away from achieving world peace with HWPL and Chairman Lee. And with the peace walk held in South Korea, with everyone rejoining the Korean citizens with hand in hand annually since 2013, is an affirmation that world of peace has started to arose. I look forward to the peace walk this year in May, in front of the World Peace Gate. In a peninsula, where two divided countries exist, this World Peace Gate became a symbol in the world that serves as a gate towards peace.

Mother Teresa: Reflects on Working Toward Peace

The fruit of silence is prayer; the fruit of prayer is faith; the fruit of faith is love; the fruit of love is service; the fruit of service is peace.

Let us not use bombs and guns to overcome the world. Let us use love and compassion. Peace begins with a smile. Smile five times a day at someone you don't really want to smile at; do it for peace. Let us radiate the peace of God and so light His light and extinguish in the world and in the hearts of all men all hatred and love for power. Today, if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other-that man, that woman, that child is my brother or my sister. If everyone could see the image of God in his neighbor, do you think we would still need tanks and generals?

Peace and war begin at home. If we truly want peace in the world, let us begin by loving one another in our own families. If we want to spread joy, we need for every family to have joy.

Today, nations put too much effort and money into defending their borders. They know very little about the poverty and the suffering that exist in the countries where those bordering on destitution live. If they would only defend these defenseless people with food, shelter, and clothing, I think the world would be a happier place.

The poor must know that we love them, that they are wanted. They themselves have nothing to give but love. We are concerned with how to get this message of love and compassion across. We are trying to bring peace to the world through our work. But the work is the gift of God.

I noticed similar thoughts and point of views after reading different writings and songs from important figures from the 20th century and 21st century. They all propose and suggest similar solution for achieving peace. Regardless of their belief and ethnicity, peace approaches and befriends them in the exact same manner. Until now, I have been writing about the figures from the Christianity and their views on peace and from next few posts, I hope to discuss about the thoughts on peace from other religions, so that we may be able to see that peace truly is ecumenical and how it relates to the works of HWPL and Chairman Man Hee Lee. Because it seems that the wave of HWPL is spreading across the globe and it seems to be the organization with the largest activities regarding peace in this decade. 

Imagine... the World of Peace

When I first heard the song "Imagine" by John Lennon, I was somewhat skeptical about the phrase "Imagine there's no heaven". Although at one point of his life, Lennon denied his identity as a Christian, the lyrics denying heaven seemed to decrease my enthusiasm for the song. But, I believe that John Lennon included this with a deeper meaning. In his song, John Lennon suggests his listeners in three stanzas on things to imagine: no heaven, no countries, and no possessions. In someways, these are the things that causes conflict between nation to nation and person to person.

In the first thing to imagine, why did John Lennon mentioned "no heaven"? The question of after-life, either heaven or hell, is a huge controversy among religions and even inside one religion, different proposals exists on how after-life is going to be. In other words, this is a religious conflict. It is a philosophical conflict of after-life that divides people. And instead of arguing about a world that we will eventually meet, Lennon suggests that we must make the world that we live in today a better place first. As the classic poet Horace writes, "Carpe Diem". To some extent, it does not mean John Lennon does not believe in heaven, but the main point of his message is that it is pointless to argue about something that we cannot see, when there are other visible problems that lies ahead of us.

(What kind of world did John Lennon see behind his glasses?)

The second thing to imagine is "no countries". This resolves the problem of political conflict. It is clear that there has been many deaths that arose from political conflicts. And John Lennon sings even after his death, through his lyrics, "Imagine all the people living life in peace." Then, no longer people do not have to die for a cause that will not benefit them in any ways. To the people of this era, dreaming of such utopia, a peaceful world is only considered as a dream in this culture, as John Lennon writes that people may refer to him as a dreamer. This culture seems to be dominated by pop culture, but what would be a more meaningful cause to work for? On the last stanza, Lennon writes, "Imagine all the people sharing all the world...". We are often referred as a global family. I hope to see that the global family can set an example to the smaller families in the world by sharing with one another.

And these three things match with the vision of HWPL. Only difference is that the world is no world is no longer being imagined for some people. It is now being created through reality. Religions are coming to together accepting the fact that we are from one divine Creator. And politicians are becoming one under the banner of peace by working towards enacting an international law on ending all wars, so that no youths need to die. This idea was first proven through what happened in WARP Summit. And this message is what the Chairman preaches all over the world.

Imagine by John Lennon
Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace...

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one

The Road to Peace

Recently, I came across a book called "Road to Peace" and "Peacework" by Henri Nouwen, a priest considered to be one of the greatest figure on spirituality inside the Catholic Church. Although peace work does restrict itself to only religions, the thoughts that Nouwen suggested in his book was ideal and similar to what the Chairman was doing. In "Peacworkd", Nouwen wrote, "For Jesus, there are no countries to be conquered, no ideologies to be imposed, no people to be dominated. There are only children, women and men to be loved." Jesus Christ also taught of peace and to love your neighbors as yourself, in a time where conflicts persist, just as today. In other words, I would like to say, in terms of peace, there are no countries to be conquered, no ideologies to be imposed, no people to be dominated. When everyone is under the banner of peace, nothing matters, in terms of political ideology or religion. There are only children, women and men, who are our neighbors, waiting to be loved. 

Peace does not restrict itself to one type of group. It approaches all people in same way and thought. But, no matter how much the thought of peace visits our minds, if we do not act upon it, will we reach our destination? We have to start walking. We have to start meeting different people, who have different ideals and views about the world. This reflect the actions of the Chairman, who have been travelling around the world, in order to make peace a reality. Peace, in other words, is love and grace. The Chairman addresses, "Dear global family, I know that we have many things to learn from the heaven. The heaven provides human with light through the sun, moon, and stars. This life given to us is grace. And we, who live on earth with this grace of heaven, must also love one another and become the messenger of peace, by showing grace to others, in order to walk the path of prosperity".

In addition to Nouwen's love of our neighbors, the Chairman extends the idea of love and peace, insofar as the origin. He exaggerates the grace that we have received from heaven and how it provided mankind with sunlight, rain, and wind for sustaining life. Likewise, we must also show our love, since we received love from heaven. Nouwen also wrote, "Peacemaking can be a lasting work only when we live and work together [and that] community is indispensable for a faithful and enduring resistance." As we see a common ground in two figures, who are both Christians from different denominations, we can see that the road to peace comes to us in same path. Although our starting points maybe different, because of our different backgrounds, our ending point, which is peace, is same. It does not mean that we will all end in our each destination of peace. It all leads to the same ending, when peace is achieved.

The sense of community is portrayed through the vision of HWPL by gathering different people from different background. I hope that people can accept the difference, but recognize the love for peace, in order to work together with HWPL and the Chairman.

Quote: Chairman Man Hee Lee

"If one person delivers the message of peace, then the two becomes one in thought and vision. As we all deliver the message of peace, then everyone will become one and pace will be achieved."

Do you want peace? Everyone wants peace. This is the common ground that all people, who are terrified by the war have. If we unite under this vision and disregard every other difference, then peace can be achieved. Does it mean that difference is wrong? Difference means variety. There are different type of people in this world. It does not mean it is wrong, but we must learn to accept the difference and respect the difference. And also use it as an opportunity to learn something new. Because the difference in nation, ethnicity, and religion became the origin of all conflict, if this mindset becomes resolved than anything is possible. The reason I follow the thoughts of Chairman Lee and HWPL is because of this vision. It does not limit to one group, but openly invites everyone to join. And their vision does not only stay in their thoughts, but it is being applied in front of our eyes, as the Chairman reaches to different places on earth. The Summit is one of these example. I hope that the Chairman's message can reach more people on earth.

Speech: The Great Dictator

Charlie Chaplin - Greatest Speech Ever Made

Although I was intrigued by the process of developing a philosopher king in The Republic, I do not agree with dictatorship. It is true that dictatorship can often benefit a nation with a right minded leader. Considering the era that he lived in, Chaplin also lands a satirical attack on fascism and dictatorship by portraying as one specific dictator in an ironic way. But the message does not seem to be intended for future dictator, who might be watching his film in their palace, but he shows the current state of the society and world at his and our time. And the points that he delivers is priceless. 

"I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness - not by each other's misery. We don't to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone."

His messages are similar to the message of the renowned peace advocate, Mr. Man Hee Lee, who have be gathering the attention of the world recently for his works and visions. Chaplin starts by declining the position to power. But, rather he longs to help people, who are different than him. He proposes peace. And states that it is actually human's innate characteristic to help one another. Wars only bring misery to each other. It does not benefit the dominant population. Would it be possible to find pleasure living next to one another? According to Chaplin, greed for wealth and power changed a man. And the achievements that mankind made is notable in the history and it had made a significant impact in our world. But, did our character and respect also increase? We spend countless nights to research for a new discovery, but do we spend countless nights thinking about treating others well? And Chaplin concludes his speech by saying,

"Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance."

He asks the soldiers to fight not with each other, but to free the world and to overcome the barriers and the boundaries that cause such conflicts. Chairman Lee once said, "We must keep the will of living together as one with the people. We must not lean towards evil, trick others or lie." We have to learn how to live with others and tolerance.

Heal the world to make a better place

Heal the World - Michael Jackson

Despite other negative opinions or prejudice against some of his decision, Michael Jackson is truly regarded as the 'King of Pop', but this name does not suite not only because of his musical talents and brilliance, I would like say that because of his characteristic to love and embrace the world. It is easy to become arrogant and fall astray, when one reaches in such recognition like Michael Jackson. But, Jackson also sought for a better a place. He used his fame to guide his musical followers to something meaningful. Through his music, he embraced a powerful idea that was needed at his era.

The chorus of the lyrics, it asks its listeners to take care of the people for themselves and the entire human race and to heal the world. We are not doing this that benefits others, but for ourselves and for the neighbors. Or else, we would see more people dying day by day. The wrong people will face the consequences. For the sake of the human race, we should truly make a better place. Michael Jackson's song fits with the motto and the vision of HWPL, as they work for the human race by working together with others. We hope that more people from different background could join HWPL and the Chairman to heal the world.

Heal the World by Michael Jackson

Heal the world

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race

There are people dying

If you care enough for the living

Make a better place

For you and for me

Quote: Chairman Man Hee Lee

"It is the will of heaven and the hope of mankind that the work of peace is happening at this era. It must be the world of peace, where all youths become one and all women become one to erase all wars on this earth."

Peace is when everyone becomes one. It is when there are no two sides, but only one. The resources that HWPL has is IWPG (International Women's Peace Group) and IPYG (International Peace Youth Group). By gathering the youth and women together, we will be able to prevent one catalyst that begins war. The reason is because the wars are not fought by old generation, but by the youth. However, if the youth gather under one banner in IPYG, then wars cannot be fought. Likewise, IWPG unites all women together, as they are mothers to the youths, who are sacrificed in the wars. When everyone focuses on becoming one, then we would be able to become ultimately one.

In Pope Francis' visit to to South Korea, he commented "Peace is the result of justice." How can we bring justice into our society? Justice, according to one philosopher, whose thoughts became the fundamental foundation of political ideology, is briefly when everyone is doing their job. What is the right job for everyone? What are youths supposed to do? Are they destined to die in wars with each other? The chairman was felt sorrowful for the youth, who died before they could blossom and before they could achieve their dreams. This gave him the inspiration to start this peace movement, in order to allow the new generation to dream such a dream.