A Brief Description about the WARP Summit

The WARP Summit is an international summit held in Seoul, South Korea on September 2014. The summit consisted of politicians, religious leaders, young adult and women leaders, and the press. The aim of the summit is to unite under the banner of peace through discussing an international law that would end all wars and creating harmony among different religions. Chairman Man Hee Lee mentioned that the religions, which should set an example by keeping peace, have been the cause for majority of conflicts in the history of mankind. Chairman Man Hee Lee started to think about peace, when he served as a soldier in the forefront during the Korean War. As he watched his comrades fall in the battlefield, he experienced in attrocities of war and understood the experience of peace. The mircale of WARP Summit 2014, in which the participants from different backround agreed to the importance of world peace, was continued by numerous World Peace Tours of HWPL in various countries. On September 2015, the WARP Summit celebrated its first anniversary as leaders were invited from all over world to discuss the practical solution towards world peace and unification of religions.

For the first time in human history...

Every day is a new day. Every minute that we spend in our life is a new minute. This is an endless cycle of time that we are all part of. Despite these changes in time we experience daily, we experience the same life style. Although we have many different experiences, we all live in the same world, which has a direct influence in the choice that we make in our lives. Because of war, our lives are influenced by it either directly or indirectly. They may not be in the nations, where wars happen, but they are still influenced by it through the news. In the 21st century, the whole global community is affected by a war or conflict. We have seen many new years, we have celebrated many new years, but we still live in the world, in which wars persist... Until we saw a small light from South Korea that grew into a greater light.

HWPL, a NGO organization registered under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Korea started a new movement which is somehow different from the peace movements that we have seen in the past. In the center of this movement is Chairman Man Hee Lee, who experienced war as a solider of the forefront of the Korean War over 60 years ago. The peace movement that HWPL started under the leadership of Chairman Man Hee Lee became a new wave that slowly became a great tide. The ingredients that he suggested were, of course, people. Although movements are initiated by people, HWPL peace movements targetted specific group of people to initate the work: the youth and the women through IPYG and IWPG. Along with the religious leaders, the politicians, and the media, the youths and the women worked to persuade the whole world, because they were the group mostly influenced by the war. the ideology that combined them was heavenly culture. This is having the mindset of heaven by having the heart to take care of the earth.

Heaven provides earth with light, water, and air. It does not kill, but it strives to help. It was the actualy the earth that polluted itself. The heaven only wished to give life to earth. Just as this, we are the cause for the sufferings and pain. This means we need an ideology that transcends the cultures and the mindset of earth and holds us responsible for the home that we live in. This is heavenly culture, which is to have the heart to take care of this earth. There are many peace workers and environmentalist, who advocate to safeguard the planet. The spirit of heavenly culture unites this into one. This is why we will finally see for the first time in history, a new idea called world peace.

Into a new year of peace...

It has been already 18 days since the new year begun. As we enter a new year, we would go through the same tradition of making new resolutions and goals that we will strive to make the year 2016 more special. Although the result may not be promising... For some reason, I think that the last month that we would spend in the year 2016 may be promising in terms of the current affairs in many nations.

Like always Chairman Man Hee Lee along with Chairwoman Nam Hee Kim has been travelling around the world in many world peace tours to share their ideas of bringing peace into the world. The organization HWPL played a critical role last year in the preparation of implementing an international law. For this reason the two chairs of HWPL and IPYG were invited to the United Nation to give a speech on peace.

It shows that HWPL is now targeting the whole world to create a different world, which is a world that differs from other. They visited the conflicting countries in the middle east to gain more support for peace. The activities that they participate is not for their own authority, but to create a different world. We are able to understand their motives through their action. Whenever the chairman meets an advocate of peace, he greets them with a bow and shakes their hand with his two hands. The humility that he shows represents his hope and passion for peace.

 

Since the WARP Summit in 2014 (and also before the Summit), HWPL has been the center of peace movement in fulfilling world peace that has been a long lost dream to many people. We hope that this year the new resolution that HWPL and Chairman Lee made will come true.

Quote: Chairwoman Nam Hee Kim

"An era of end of war and world peace, which is something the mankind desired for many years, has finally arrived. Beginning with the Declaration of World Peace made by Chairman Lee in front of the Peace Gate in South Korea, the wave of world peace has reached all over the earth to bear the fruit of peace finally today. Chairman Lee has visited various placed over the globe only for peace and I was able to witness the miracle of peace most clearly. This moment is also being shown on live to the whole world and everyone's eyes and ears are focused on this place. What is the peace that you dream of? Could we say world peace is a peace only for your religion or nation? True world of peace is filled with life, where tears, pains, and death do not exist. This is the peace that the Creator wants to give."

The question of the Chairwoman asks us our world of peace. The question brings us back to reality. We all dream of a peaceful world. However, this is only a dream that is created by our subjective nature. It rotates around us. For example, a person, who is not wealthy may think of this peaceful world as a place, where everything is free. A peace is kept between the buyer and seller. We all may have our own version of a peaceful world or an utopia as a place that fills in what we lack. But let us think from the perspective of a Creator, who built this world. The Creator created this world according to his opinion. What if the world becomes unbalanced with his first version of the world? Due to the wars and conflict around the world, the original world becomes corrupted with its nature suffering from these corruption. What would the Creator want? Above all, he would want balance in nature and the return to the original world. This is what Chairman Man Hee Lee is doing. He understood the will of the Creator, who created the world in his vision. But the world was walking towards destruction.

When I was young, I used play with legos and using multiple pieces, I created my own world. When a piece is not in right place or when something becomes broken, naturally I would want to fix it and restore it back to its original place. This applies to the Creator, who created the world. However, we have to become the ones, who fulfill his will, because we are not the same as the lego piece. We are different, because there is life inside us.

Essay: Let the world be peaceful

I sometimes wondered about the influence that The Beatles had in modern pop music. What made their music extraordinary, in which their songs are loved by the people even until today? Although the group disbanded only after eight years, their songs are still remembered as a legacy through the artists of the next generations, who both received inspiration of the musical style and played a remake version. I think the key element to their success with many hits is its lyrics which stands out with their enjoyable melody.

Their lyrics carry a meaning that could inspire its listeners. For example, "Let it be" from the album "Get Back" carries a message that can be interpreted as searching for hope. The lyrics of the song shares many similarities with the peace activities of HWPL. Perhaps the theme of the song could have been wishing for a better day, a better world. In the beginning of the song, Mother Mary appears to speak the words of wisdom. I first thought that this was Mary, the Mother of Jesus. However, I also found that Mary was the mother of Paul McCartney. The mothers play role for their sons and daughters and lead their children with wisdom. Even though our society is run by patriarchs, the mothers play a great role in the lives of their children. In the case of Paul McCartney, he mentions his mother in the times of trouble to give him the correct words of wisdom. In the visions outlined by Chairman Man Hee Lee, he strongly believes that the mothers must lead their sons from war with the mother's heart. Women are the ones who are mother to their sons, who fight wars. If the mothers speak up their voice, they will be also able to lead their sons away from war with their wisdom.

The song, "Let it be" speaks of hope, in which an answer will exist for all the broken-hearted people. It continues on by raising up the waiting chance. We still have a chance to avoid from leading ourselves into destruction. We are able to achieve that answer of peace through this chance. So let's "let it be." Let's let the world become what it used to be. I do not wish to imagine that the world was always filled with war. I would like to imagine a world, where harmony exists. So let it be. And after this long night, we may be able to see the light that will shine unto all of us. We will all be able to experience the grace that heaven provides to all of us. We only need to stop creating the fire that will cover the sun. Although the context may be completely different in the original lyrics, I hope that we all may sing "Here comes the sun" together after the smokes of the firearms that we created are clear.

World Alliance of Religions Peace Summit

WARP Summit was hosted on September 16th last year with 1000 religious leaders from over 100 nations. In addition to these leaders, 300 IWPG members from 60 nations and 500 youth leaders from 134 nations participated in the event. I personally think that this Summit would be considered as the most influential event of this century later by historians. It is hard to see the effect in our individual daily lives, but the first step was taken towards peace. And slowly the world is going through a change in various places, as the participants are establishing HWPL WARP Offices around the world to discuss about peace and host religious dialogues.

One Lutheran Bishop commented "In the Scripture, it is said that everything about peace will be fulfilled by the inspiration of God. This means that it was by the inspiration of God that Chairman Lee, who hosted this event, was able to prepare for this Summit. The religious unification is the most beautiful evidence."

There have been religious dialogues in the past, but there was none with the participation of leaders from different areas. Although the meetings between religious leaders are important, it is not completely practical to only have religious leaders to meet. It requires numerous people, such as politicians, supreme justices, leaders of youth and women. This makes it more practical as each people are able to work in their area to make one idea called "peace" possible.

IWPG in South Africa

The Monument of Peace in South Africa is astonishing. South Africa. Also it is so great to see all mothers and women working alongside the youths to create a world of peace. Chairman Man Hee Lee does not only exaggerate the importance of the youth's involvement, but also the power of women, especially mothers. They are the ones, who are sending their children to war. And Chairman Lee believes that they play a great role in solving world peace. They are the ones who are able to guide the youths with the mother's heart. I hope that more mothers in the world would recognize the world peace movement and join IWPG's cooperation with HWPL to walk together for peace.

For never was a story of more...

Was Shakespeare a peace advocate? Not necessarily as his play, "Romeo and Juliet" was written as a tragedy. However, we are able to learn lessons from this play and the example that our two lovers displayed by overcoming their family ties. Unfortunately, because of the older generation's dispute, the two youths were sacrificed. Just like Romeo and Juliet, we all have our own personal ties. This could include, our family, religion, beliefs, or nations. Even though their love was romantic, they were able to overcome these boundaries and ties. In the famous 'balcony scene', we are able to learn a lesson from Juliet.

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!

What's in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet.

A name is only a name. And she understands that there is no meaning in a name. This is similar to the example in our world. There is no meaning behind a name, title, or ties that is associated with a person. If this is the case, then we would not be able unite together and we would only quarrel among ourselves. We can always refer to someone, who is different than us, as a different name, in which would bring them closer. Many groups exist in the peace organization HWPL. However, we erased all the associations that we had previously, and we only come together and refer each other as peace advocates and a family in this global community. We all have the same beginning. It is only that we are not able to discover the similarities and come to an agreement. If we are not able to reach to peace, then just like Romeo and Juliet, it would be our next generation, who would be paying the price.

A glooming peace this morning with it brings;

The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:

Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;

Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:

For never was a story of more woe

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

This would not be a scenario that we want. We already sacrificed and lost so many valuable things. We should not make the same mistakes as the two families did in the play and before additional damages are made, we should make peace. I think Shakespeare was considered a great playwright, not because of his tragic plays, but because of the insights that he offered inside the plays. He pointed out problems and seem to teach us a moral lesson through these plays. As he says "All the world's a stage. And all the men and women merely players," and  if we are in our Final Act, we must truly act to resolve peace between each other, so that mistakes in Romeo and Juliet would not be repeated again. And the last line of our play would end with "for never was a story of more joyful than this".

"What is a youth"

It is the law of nature that a rose would bloom and fade. Sadly, because of the mistakes of the adults, the youths were sacrificed, before receiving the chance to bloom. This is what the Chairman agonizes over. He was deeply affected, when he fought in the Korean War, as he saw many young men dying for a cause against other young men, who once they called each other countrymen. It is because of religion and politics that separate even the same race. In order to prevent this, HWPL created IPYG and IWPG, so that youths and women are able to raise their voices to religious and political leaders.

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.