The 1st Annual Commemoration of September 18th WARP Summit

The 1st Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit was hosted in Seoul, South Korea by a non-profit peace organization called HWPL. As we already know, HWPL has been making progressive impact around the world since the WARP Summit of last year. We also have been seeing more peace activities around the world even in the midst of various civil wars and conflicts.

Following the grand opening ceremony in the World Peace Gate, multiple conferences were held the next day to discuss the steps towards cessation of war and achievement of world peace. In the meeting, the participants signed a statement to urge for the implementation of an international convention on the cessation of war and achievement of world peace. Although it may be just a piece of paper with a signature that one may use for all purpose to represent himself or herself, when they are gathered together to create a pile to a bigger pile and to multiple piles, this statement with multiple signatures will become a powerful tool to express the voice of the people who live in the world. It is not only just one group of people, who want peace, but multiple and different groups from different backgrounds supporting peace. Although HWPL does not have the equal power as The United Nations or even one country, the organization has the power to gather different people and it has the power to bring and unify them under one. And their cause is not for one person's benefit, it is the benefit for all, regardless of what background they may come from, the thought they have inside and the action that they show reflect their identity. It is based on the his or her action that one person must be judged by, not by what people say.

We see the vision and the action of Mr. Man Hee Lee, Chairwoman Nam Hee Kim, and the members of the HWPL through what they have done in the past year. They made effort to bring religions together into harmony. This recent event became a checkpoint for the organization HWPL and for the rest of us on where we are right now in respect to achieving world peace. It has reconfirmed our passion and enthusiasm to resolve these problems we had for hundreds of years that we let it pass for our own personal greed.

In the generation of this new millennium, I hope that we will be able to see a change compared to the past. It has only been 15 years. Compared to the last millennium, I think we are doing better, but I think we can accomplish more. I hope the HWPL movement becomes the spark that lights up the world.

2015 Peace Walk (2nd Anniversary of Peace Walk)

Second Anniversary of Peace Walk

Over 200,000 young adults around the world joined in the annual walk for peace. This peace walk started two years, in hopes to raise more awareness in the world regarding its peace. In every war, youths were sacrificed as soldiers, even thought they received no benefit from the war that they sacrificed their lives for. Under the leadership of Chairman Man Hee Lee, the youths gathered to express their support for peace. They did not only gather for a cause that would benefit their future, but also for the welfare of the future generation. Year after year, the youths gathered in Seoul and also around the world to participate in the peace walk. Every year, their numbers grew. This obviously shows that everyone hopes for peace.

On the other hand, Chairman Lee visited Mindanao at the same day. Mindanao was a special island for the Chairman. The 40 years conflict between two religions was resolved after the visit of the Chairman last year. He showed the leaders of both religions that conflict and war is not the answer and it does not benefit anyone. This successful resolution of the Chairman brought the attention of the world on the practical method of the Chairman, in regards to peace.

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.