World Summit 2022 & Leadership Conference

Written by UPF-Africa

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – International leaders reaffirm their support for global peacebuilding at the 2022 Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Summit and Leadership Conference, pledging world peace for all mankind, especially the Korean Peninsula. They discussed how to achieve it. Sessions also referred to the universal right to religious freedom and called for more education for young people in Africa, which is emerging as a global power.

Held from August 11-15, 2022, the conference was  attended by nearly 1,000 world leaders from 157 countries with diplomatic relations with North or South Korea, in person or online in order to discuss on the theme: Towards Peace on the Korean Peninsula: Towards World Cultures. peace. "

 In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Thomas G. Walsh as UPF President said his focus and vision for peace on the Korean Peninsula had broadened, saying, "A divided world will become one humanity, and peace of one world culture will come." He expressed hope that a settlement would be reached.

The leaders not only called for peace, but also expressed deep condolences over the passing of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. UPF provided videos and flowers. Sheikh Mansour Diouf of the Murid Brotherhood of Senegal made an important statement shared by many religious leaders. Sharing an anecdote he said “We are supposed to be brothers. … My grandfather said that the only thing people cannot live without is peace.” 

The Koreans' reconciliation was an important topic and due to the passion of the UPF's co-founder, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han, who was born in the North part of the Korean Peninsula. In 1991, Reverend Moon as an anti-communist  traveled to Pyongyang to meet communist North Korean leader of that time, Kim Il-sung. The two embraced each other like brothers and agreed to start various friendship projects together. For the UPF International President Michael Jenkins, this unity underscores the hope of bringing peace to the over 80 million people of the Korean Peninsula despite decades of division.

Still, there are signs of discouragement. For Stephen Harper, former Prime Minister of Canada, With the different launch of missiles, North Korea is showing no interest at all in talking with Washington. That attitiude threatened to end-up Trump-era moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests.

In a video annotation, former U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration was working to "keep us out of war" and then seek a breakthrough. It led to a strategy of applying the "severest pressure" and providing the country with "unprecedented reach and commitment".

Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, co-founder of the UPF said, “Today, many righteous people around the world are working for a peaceful world. Unfortunately, neither superpowers nor small nations own the world. God is the owner, and there can be no lasting peace without serving God as the true owner.”

 In addition to the summit, UPF International organized a fact-finding mission for peace on the Korean Peninsula with US officials and South Korean leaders, with participation from The Washington Times. One of the themes of discussion is "a bold plan to bring North Korea closer," said U.S. Ambassador Joseph DeTrani.

Ambassador Harry Harris, an army admiral who served in Korea as US ambassador for 4 years, shared his vision that “idealism must be anchored in realism”, adding that “military availability must follow the dialogue”. “I am very optimistic," he added, seeing that South Korean President Suk-yeol Yoon intends "to make the U.S.-North Korea alliance the centerpiece of his foreign policy," as that means getting closer to Japan and being prepared.

According to the retired Gen. Walter Sharp, all elements of power such as diplomacy, intelligence, military, economic are needed to lead Korea to a preaceful reunifrication. Dr. Alexandre Mansurov, an assistant professor at Georgetown University in the U.S., said North Korea's silence concerning dialogue was " troubling," but he praised our alliances with regional forces as "rock solid."

Speaking on behalf of the Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea in Nepal, Dr. Subash Kaji Shrestha, in his capacity as deputy secretary general, said that North Korea seeks a peaceful reunification but based on universal humanism and "without the intrusion of foreign powers."

Dr. Shrestha recalled that despite the 2018 Panmunjon Agreement, the current relationship between the two Koreas has been reduced to the period before that agreement. He called on all participants to make efforts to truly understand the situation.

The summit, held August 11-15, was based on the Seoul Resolution 2022, which was signed in February at the UPF Global Summit 2022 by Ban Ki-moon, former UN secretary general and chairman of UPF Think Tank 2022, and Samdech Hun Sen, prime minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The resolution calls for Korea to be formed as a two-state nation, which is " one peninsula, one people and one culture.”

UPF President Thomas G. Walsh said, "The Seoul resolution is laying the groundwork for a further global agreement for 'one humanity, one planet and one global culture of peace.

Dr. Sifana Sok, director of the Asia Vision Institute, a Cambodian think-tank striving to push forward the Seoul Resolution.  He said he with few people, had drawn up a universal peace charter based on basic principles of Non-interference and peaceful resolution of disputes, unity, tolerance and mutual respect. Dr. Sok read a congratulatory message from Prime Minister Hun Sen who was calling on UPF members to "resolutely continue their mission for peace." The Nigerian President, H.E. Muhammad Buhari also sent a letter to Dr. Rev Moon and he thanked the participants and encouraged them to work for peace.

Taiwan's former vice president, Lu Xiulian, called on world leaders to "perform another miracle" and help Taiwan remain "a distant relative and a close neighbor. And prevent the People's Republic of China from realizing its "One China" vision.

Additional highlights from the 2022 Summit & Leadership Conference:

―40th Anniversary of The Washington Times. The representative team of President Thomas P. McDevitt, President and Editor-in-Chief Christopher Dolan and Opinion Editor Charles Hurt; spoke about the Times' influence and commitment to news accuracy and the ideals of faith, freedom and family. According to Mr. Dolan, The Washington Times will never make fun of you or your beliefs as a "guest in your home."

―The 60th anniversary of the little angels. The world well-known Korean Children's Folk Ballet Company, founded by Rev. and Mrs. Moon, gave a wonderful special performance to the pleasure of the conference participants. Co-founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, known as Mother of Peace, was present and offered words of gratitude and love towards the children and world leaders.

– Honorary Doctorate. In honor of his lifelong commitment to building a world of sustainable peace, UPF's co-founder was awarded an honorary doctorate by President Francisco Rojas Aravena of the University of Peace in Costa Rica. The University of Peace was created by the United Nations under the leadership of the former head of state of Costa Rica H.E. Rodrigo Carazo, who was a good friend of the Founders and a very active Peace Ambassador of UPF. President Carazo was a founding member of the Latin American Unity Association for the Unity of LAtin AMerica (AULA) and the World Peace Summit Council.

- Sessions defending religious freedom around the world.

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said in a video commentary that religious freedom is "the very  first freedom" because it is "the basis of true national greatness."

 Religious freedom is "the single most important issue on earth," said former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich. He said it assumed the existence of God, declared that human rights are given by God, not by humans, and formed the basis of freedom.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (2018 to 2021) has said that religious freedom is a major security concern, which is why he used to leave the Bible open on his desk for inspiration. Also  "Countries that threaten other countries, like China and Iran," can "kill" religious freedom, he said.

Lawyer Norimige Kondo of the Japanese Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) spoke about the current surreal situation in which the Japanese state media is shifting the responsibility for the assassination of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from the gunmen to the FFWPU. He stated that the same FFWPU opponents who fuel this media view have perpetrated human rights abuses against more than 4,000 of the FFWPU's members through forced removal, detention, and proselytizing . In 2014, this history of abuse was brought to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which called on the government of Japan to take action to stop it. He ends by saying that there is in fact a significant religious freedom crisis in our country. "

Toru Goto, a member of the FFWPU, was imprisoned by his family for 12 years and was hospitalized for 50 days for malnutrition after his release. He filed criminal charges against the kidnappers, but no arrests or investigations were made. He then filed a civil suit and won a big prize. Recent media attacks on the FFWPU suggest that despite Japan's constitutional guarantees of "fundamental human rights" and "freedom of religion," "the poisonous drugs of kidnapping, imprisonment and forced conversion may reappear." There is,” heightens his concern.

 While 84% of the world's population declares religious affiliation, 79% live in countries with "high or very high barriers to religious freedom," says the European Union's Religious Freedom Advocate, Special Envoy (2016-2019) Yann Fige said.

Persecution, intolerance and discrimination are the three outcomes of religious prejudice creates for Massimo Introvigne from Italy, Executive Director of the Center for the Study of New Religions.

More speakers was present at the session: Reverend Paula White-Cain of Doom City Church, Bishop Don Mears of Evangelical Cathedral and Jung Hee-taek, president of Sekai Ilbo in Seoul.

International speakers attended or sent videos of message such as: H.E. José Manuel Barroso, former President of the European Commission; Hon. Dan Burton, Member of Congress (1983-2013); H.E. Macky Sall President of Senegal; Chairman of Beeland Interests Jim Rogers. H.E. Boris Tadic, President of Serbia (2004-2012); H.E. Johnson Toribion, President of Palau (2009-2013); H.E. Yves Letherme, Prime Minister of Belgium (2008, 2009-2011); Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister of Israel (2006-2009); Hon. Neziha Labidi, Minister of Women, Family and Children of Tunisia (2016-2020); Hon. German Blanco Álvarez, Senator, Colombia; Grigore Novac, Member of Parliament, Moldova. Professor Sunaina Singh Vice Chancellor, Nalanda University, India. Mme. Adi Koila Nailatikau, First Lady of Fiji (2009-2015); Hon. Patricia Terrazas Baca, Member of Parliament, Mexico. Dr. So Anne Higgins, World Dance Congress, Bahamas, President. Hon. Dave Laksono, Member of Parliament, Indonesia. Ross Robertson MP, New Zealand (1987-2014).

Sessions on Africa with Commitments to Peace, Youth Education, and Religious Cooperation

The increasing power of Africa - where the average age is 20 - provides opportunities for education, employability, peacemaking and environmental protection, including desertification. "This is an imperative for us: We need to train our youth to fully take charge of their destiny," said H.E. Brigi Rafini, Executive Secretary of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD).

CEN-SAD has 25 member states, with 650 million people covering about half of the continent, and is one of the eight regional economic communities that make up the African Union, now led by Senegal`s President Macky Sall. Later, at an International Youth Leaders Conference, leaders from Malawi, Nigeria, Eswatini, Cape Verde, Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Niger discussed the importance for African youth of vocational training and character education. This was followed by the signing of an agreement to raise “youth for peace.”

 In a another assembly, organized by the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD), with representatives of all the 54 member nations of the African Union, the issue of African religions and spirituality was discussed. Dr. Imboni. Uzwi-Lezwe Radebe, Founder of Revelation Spiritual Home in South Africa, joined Most Rev. Daniel Okoh, President of the Christian Society of Nigeria.  Issaka Souwema, Minister of Religious Affairs and Customs, Burkina Faso. he. Rev. Nevers Mumba, Founder of the National Christian Union of Zambia. and Dr. Noxora Mundende, National Chair of the African Religious Council in South Africa, discuss resolutions to protect religious freedom in Africa. This decision was consequently signed.

An international academic conference co-sponsored by the Hyojeong Academic Foundation and the International Association of Academicians for Peace  (IAAP) was held with the theme "The Road to Peace and Unification." The co-founders of UPF made special progress particularly toward the Peninsula reunification, family, science, women's activism, education, media and economy.

The 5th THINK TANK 2022 was held on August 15 at the HJ Global Arts Center with Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Executive Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (1997-2009) and Mike Pompeo, former U.S. Secretary of State, General Lim Ho-young, Allied Forces Command (2016-2017).

Resolutions

 Participants in the 2022 summit were asked to sign three resolutions. Resolution establishing the IAPD African Advisory Committee in cooperation with the African Union (to promote interfaith cooperation in Africa); Declaration on the universal value of religious freedom (the absolute right to protect), Resolution for a Universal Peace Charter. In addition, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Community of Sahelian and Saharan Nations (CEN-SAD), UPF, the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYP), and the Sunhak Education Foundation to develop vocational and character education. African youth.

On August 14, another program outside Seoul marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Dr. Sun Myung Moon, a "pioneer of peace and reunification," was described by Dr. Yoon Young-ho, UPF international secretary general. About 86 flowers and many messages were sent by world leaders, including North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong Un. The message from North Korea said, "Reverend Moon worked for world peace... and his achievements and legacy will be remembered forever. ... We wish the Family Federation for World Peace and UPF prosperity and success. "