Global citizens lead peace activities in Virtual Conference

The Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) 8th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace was held online on May 25, 2021 and attended by around 3,000 people from 150 countries around the world.

This event is held annually by an international peace NGO named Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) in association with its affiliated groups, International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG).

With several cases of international partnership for peacebuilding projects endorsed by youth and women organizations categorized by each region – Africa, Europe, and Asia, this year’s event aimed to discuss a citizen-led peace movement and cooperation to promote coexistence and harmony in the global community, and to overcome global challenges that stem from hatred, conflicts, misunderstanding, and lack of communication in this current pandemic era.

The event commemorated the Declaration of World Peace, proclaimed on May 25^th in 2013, which contains not only the cooperation of each state to establish international law for peace and the role of the media in contribution to sharing information of peace but also the active peace movement of youth and women who seek to transform themselves from the greatest victims of war to the greatest actors for peace.

From this peace initiative, HWPL says that millions of global citizens for 8 years have participated in promoting peace projects locally fitted to creating a favorable environment of peace, including education, relief, and forums to offer public policies to meet the needs of the community.

Chairwoman Pascale IshoWardaof Hammurabi Human Rights Organization(HHRO) in Iraq, who was appointed as Minister of Migration and Displacementby the UN from 2004 to 2005, introduced a legislation project of law that prevents violence against women and children in cooperation with IWPG.

Regarding the importance of peace activities through education, she said, “We need to learn the mechanismof guiding everyone to becomea tool of peace,strengthening from daily life, andsometimes throughout the simplest matter of life,starting with personal peace with oneself,in the family, and with others.”

Ven. AshinHtavara, General Secretary of All Burmese Monks Representative Committee in Norway, who went through the Saffron Revolution in 2007, stated that 3 HWPL Peace Libraries were established in Payapon, Myanmar and that a fourth library is currently being prepared.

“There are too few libraries for children in Myanmar. I wanted to give hope to these little children. In the future, the library will conduct peace education, peace activities, and peace campaigns, and we will do everything that can help achieve peace,” he said.

The event also advocated global participation in peace activities such as the peace tree planting campaign that began in Ukraine with 1,000 participants from 21 countries and peace policy proposal dialogue between citizens and policy experts in Mali where the recent coup triggered social unrest.

“It is we in this day who have to do all the necessary things to make peace and prevent our globe from being destroyed. War does not end with words, but it comes to an end with our practical actions. I believe that this can be achieved since no one in our global village is not willing to see peace,” highlighted Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL.