Snow on Mt. Baekdu located on the borders of North Korea and China Credit: Farm

The prospect of Korean Reunification and the building of a vision of a unified Korea points to the need for an exploration of what it actually means to be Korean.

The experience of Koreans in Japan makes for a particularly interesting study of this. Having lived apart from the Korean homeland for years or even generations, the many communities of “Zainichi” Koreans living in Japan have struggled to define for themselves a sense of identity. There are even sharp distinctions between those who perceive themselves to be North Korean rather than South Korean. Others have maintained their sense of Koreanness while taking on the Japanese language and culture by refusing Japanese citizenship. But clearly what one is not does not take the place of identity provided by certainty in that which one is.

Even beyond Japan, the Korean Diaspora is now recognized as one of the most widely distributed, yet in some sense, cohesive Diasporas in the world. But what does it mean to be Korean when one does not fulfill many, most or any of the usual requirements for membership in an “imagined community” in a shared language, lineage, history or space? Ideas about Korean identity are discussed in some detail in this article in the Asan Forum, but ends without clear conclusions.

Amid this confusion, there is also a valuable opportunity to consider what it means to be Korean.

Korean traditional dancers Credit: SJ Yang

Koreans have been, essentially, as one family for thousands of years as the descendants of one acknowledged Korean ancestor, Tan’gun Wanggun of the legendary Gojoseon Dynasty. Perhaps due to, or in spite of, a long history of so many invasions and occupations by foreign powers, Koreans have held fast to a consciousness of being as one people. Lines of identity blur when it comes to political ideology, nationality or even race and ethnicity but family is, as they say, forever.

Yet, it becomes important to view “Koreanness” as not some immutable trait or characteristic that would invariably create social stratifications and hierarchies based on some constructed notion of identity. Rather, perhaps Koreans need to engage in building a common identity as a spiritual people committed to an ideal of the way the world could be in the principles of Hongik Ingan. For these descendants of the Korean Dream, living in the Fatherland or abroad, what will define our identity and destiny?

We can see this consciousness challenged by over 65 years of a political, economic and ideological division of the Korean peninsula and in the reluctance of some to support active reunification. Yet the sense of identity rooted in Tan’gun and his principles continues on both sides of the 38th parallel. The North Koreans have laid claim to Tan’gun’s legacy and the South Korean government has taken the principles of Hongik Ingan to guide the educational curriculum of its citizens.

We would do well to understand this sense of common descent and heritage to guide us forward as we imagine a Korea united.

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“As I reflect on the memories of my father, I think of the Korean people, who, like the salmon, need to return to their original hometown, the place of their birth to begin the next cycle of life. That place begins with our founding mythology of Dangun and is expressed throughout the history of our people in the principles of Hong-ik Ingan. It finds purpose and meaning in the Korean Dream to be a unique, united and independent sovereign nation that can realize our providential destiny to serve and “benefit all of humanity.”

-Hyun Jin Preston Moon – Korean Dream: A Vision for a Unified Korea

Map of Korean Diaspora – credit: EstebanF

Conversations about Korean identity become considerably complex and interesting when taking in account of the Korean Diaspora. Estimated at over 7 million, large and small groups of Koreans have settled across all seven continents and hundreds of countries around the world. Some have worked to retain the Korean language, culture and familial systems while others have acclimated to those of their host country. Some left generations ago, others a few months or years ago and for a myriad of different reasons and circumstances. Some have prospered and others have suffered.

One can imagine that, in traveling hundreds, thousands or even only a few miles outside of the familiar, one might find one’s self more clearly because of the difference. When something as seemingly mundane as the weather also shifts norms in terms of available food, preferred attire, etc, it might make that of the home country all the more distinctive. We can only imagine how it might affect self-understanding in other ways. The rise of Korean Studies at universities from Oxford, the Center for Korea Research at Columbia University and institutes, such as the East Rock Institute in New Haven, CT and many, many others are testaments to this idea.

The Korean Diaspora has had much to offer the peninsula in the past century and a half. The Korean independence movement during the Japanese colonial period was greatly affected and informed by those Koreans living outside of the country. Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Point Declaration, in spite of actual U.S. foreign policy towards Korea itself, inspired a group of young Korean expat visionaries to bring freedom and self-determination to the Korean fatherland. In the 1970s and 80s, the Korean Diaspora also played a role in encouraging the burgeoning pro-democracy movement.

In reflecting on these, one is inclined to invite this same group to contribute then to a vision of a reunified Korea. In some sense, perhaps it is in interacting with the diversity of the world that people of the Korean Diaspora might understand Korea in a way apart from those who have never left. Efforts to retain the best of one’s home culture can be separated out from less helpful aspects that are easier to ascertain in new contexts.

One might hope that in engaging both domestic and expat Korean communities across the globe, we can rediscover our own distinctive identity, history, principles and values to reclaim the Korean destiny and bring “benefit to all humanity.”

To learn more, visit: Korean Dream

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Crossing the Line

We stood on the observatory looking across the 38th parallel. Beyond the barbed wire I could see bald hills rolling from one side of the horizon to the other.

It had taken us 50 km to bike from Seoul to Imjinkak. It was our simple act for Korean Unification.

In Korea there is a term, “jung sung,” which roughly means “act of sincerity.” It is said that an act of true sincerity can move heaven. The bike ride was our attempt to offer “jung sung” and coax Unification to come even one day sooner.

And that day, I think I came one step closer to Unification in my heart. “Suzy” stood next to me on the observatory. “Suzy” is originally from the other side of the line. She was part of the team that had made it through the 50 km journey.  I think it might have been her first time since leaving that she could gaze at her homeland.

She bit her trembling lower lip and squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears that were already seeping out to stay back. But they didn’t listen. Her knuckles were white from the strain on her fingers as she gripped the barricade and stared across the empty grassland. Somewhere, beyond those hills were her parents, her siblings, her aunts, uncles, grandparents –her family.

What was she doing here so far from them? Why couldn’t she run across that field to find them and live with them again?

What was this line decorated with wire? Why was it keeping her from her family?

The Demilitarized Zone is not just a physical division on which either side soldiers stand guard against… against who? Cousins? Brothers? Children? Parents? The DMZ is a line drawn across the hearts of every Korean, dividing families, relatives, a people torn in two for almost 60 years.

During that same summer, I joined the “Everyday Unification Movement.”  We did donation drives on buses, even passing through Gangnam, asking people to donate money to support a bakery in North Korea that would feed the village children. We visited housing projects for defectors, spending time laughing, exchanging stories and eating sweets with them. And we biked 50 km, a gesture to say, “We are ready to have this line come down.”When I reflect on that summer, I realize that as I asked people to support the “Everyday Unification Movement” the line inside of me came down. And in essence, that is what the movement is asking every Korean to do – contribute to a movement that melts the line that has stood in every heart, family, neighborhood, and our people.

It can start small, like consciously confronting the wall that we raise when we hear the sharp Northern accent, or consciously crossing the line when we open our wallets in order to feed the children across the border.That summer, the line that stood between me and “Suzy” came down, she is no longer a “Northern defector” to me; she is my sister.

I go back sometimes, to that day on the observatory to stand next to Suzy and imagine that we walk across that field together. I image that we meet her parents and I get to know a new part of me. Maybe we’ll bring some of her favorite snacks. I hear Choco-Pies are pretty popular.

When I come back from that dream, I remember that I have a mind, two hands, a mouth and feet that can take action in my everyday life to wear away that line that stands between Suzy and her family.

Won’t you join me?

~This piece is based off of a testimony of a youth volunteer who participated in a summer leadership exchange program in Korea.

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“For any real discussion of unification to begin, we, as the Korean people, must identify a common platform through which we can all converge not as a divided people but as Koreans.

Before we are to talk about political and economic systems as well as institutions of governance, a real discussion should arise around the dream or aspirations of unification and the principles and values upon which a new nation will be built.”

Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Korean Dream

At the close 2014, the Civil Society Organization of Korea conferred the “NGO Collaboration Award” to the Global Peace Foundation-Korea. GPF-Korea’s Southern Seoul branch received the “Best NGO” award. GPF-Korea has been instrumental in Action for Korea United, a coalition of over 300 NGOs committed to advancing Korean reunification.

The Global Peace Foundation – Korea, represented by President In Taek Seo,
was recognized with this year’s Grand Prize, the NGO Collaboration Award

In his acceptance speech, GPF-Korea’s president, Mr. In Taek Seo said that a successful movement for unification can’t be inspired by economic or political reasoning, it will rise from a vision based on the ancient Korean philosophy of Hongik Ingan and touch the hearts of all Korean people.

According to the Global Peace Foundation report, more than 300 representative from multiple political parties, civil society and government institutions were present including parliamentarians Kim Moo-Sung , Won Hye Young, Won Yoo Chul, Yoon Sang Hyun , Ahn Hyo Dae, Kim Jong Hoon, Park Dae Chool , Lee Lee Jeh , Yang Chang Young, Seo Young Kyo, and Yoo Jung Bok, the Incheon city mayor.

Dr. Moon writes in his best-selling book, “Korean Dream,” that only a vision that transcends the divisions of political parties, ideology, geography, and even history can break the deadlock between North and South. Only such a vision can spark an awakening in the souls of people around the world to their shared destiny as a people appointed to live for the sake of humanity.

Action for Korea United has initiated an “Everyday Korean Movement” that asks Koreans to make unification a part of their daily lives. Whether it is donating 1,000₩ a month for a bread factory in North Korea, or volunteering at a Korean Unification School, or coming up with their own creative way to contribute to reunification, the movement is asking every Korean to become a part of building unification.

The original report appears on www.globalpeace.org

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“Where can peace be found? Can you legislate it? Can you build it through economics, politics, or diplomacy? No. You have to change the hearts of men.

When we live for the sake of others, we are building a new cultural paradigm and breaking down barriers, not with words, but through action. In the process of breaking down those barriers, we transform ourselves, our families, our neighborhoods, our nation, and eventually the world. This is how you find peace.” 

Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, 2002, Service for Peace Rally, Washington, D.C.

This week the Global Peace Foundation announced that their Mongolia chapter’s online volunteer community, “My Club,” was recognized for “Best Voluntary Activity of 2014” by the Network of Voluntary Organizations at a special program hosted at the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme of Mongolia on International Volunteer Day.

International Volunteer Day is an official United Nations International Day designated to recognize central role of volunteer efforts in securing peace and development.

As the quote above points out, volunteering is not just about tackling a shared social or economic issue, it is about a transformation of the heart. Service is an act that affirms humanity’s connection to each other and taps into a divine ability to put others before oneself.

The Global Peace Foundation-Mongolia has engaged young university students from all parts of the nation in creative projects to address literacy, environmental sustainability, and elder and family care.

Local university student volunteer reads to kindergarten students before naptime in Mongolia.

The eye-catching photo on the report is from the “Desk Book” project. It depicts a university student reading to local kindergarten children right before nap time.

According to the Service for Peace approach, the short time the university student invests is not only about increasing the children’s literacy, but about acknowledging the kinship between she and the children. The simple act of reading to children she barely knows says, “I may not know you, but I care about you, because we are all family.” For the children, it is an affirmation of the larger national and global community that is concerned for them.

Take a moment, 10 minutes, to serve, and reflect on the transformation that occurs, the small piece of peace that emerges as one puts the good of humanity first.

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A Vision for a Unified Korea. Dr. Hyun Jin Moon’s newest book in Korean.

“There are many arguments about the methodology for unification, but this book talks about the vision of unification, the underlying, unseen, philosophy and idea of unification.” Seoul National University Honorary Professor, Park Sae Il, about Korean Dream: Vision for a Unified Korea

In December, Seoul Newspaper published a review of Dr. Moon’s latest book, Korean Dream. Below is the unofficial translation of the article which originally appears in Korea.

For the original Korea visit here.

“We must share a vision for unification before we talk about methodology.”

Dr. Hyun Jin Moon focuses more on a vision for a unified country, rather than a methodology for unification in his recent book “Korean Dream” (publisher:소담). Dr. Hyun Jin Moon founded the Global Peace Foundation in 2009, which has expanded into an international peace movement.

The book goes beyond the pain of division and suggests what we need to prepare to achieve the dream of unification are the values and vision of unity.

Dr. Moon said, “This book is not about the process and policies of unification. Unification should be preceded by clarifying a vision that can act as a compass. In other words, we should consider and ignite a passion for our shared history, common identity and destiny as a Korean people.

Instead of just the physical integration of the South and North, Dr. Moon insists on unification based on the vision of Hongik ingan. The term “Korean Dream” is based on founding spirit of hongik ingan. Korean Dream is about the Korean peninsula, Northeast Asia, and building a nation that contributes to the development of humanity humanity’s future and global peace.

Seoul National University Honorary Professor, Park Sae Il, commented, “There are many arguments about the methodology for unification, but this book talks about the vision of unification, the underlying, unseeing philosophy and idea of unification.”

– The book is 354 pages and sells for ₩ 18,000

Purchase a copy today: http://www.kyobobook.co.kr/

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In many respects, 2014 was a challenging and troubling year. There seemed to be no end to the violence, religious extremism, ideological division, identity-based conflict, natural and health disasters, poverty and threats to basic human rights. Every corner of the world, from the Middle East to Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas, was or continues to be challenged.

And yet, times of challenge and change are defining moments in history. When we are tried and tested to our limits, we also have the opportunity to dig deep and rediscover the universal principles that undergird all of life and reality.

These principles, affirmed in the wisdom of the spiritual and religious traditions of the ages, point a way forward in the vision of “One Family Under God”.

This vision has contributed to a number of significant areas such as

• The reunification of the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asian security
• Bringing together faith and religious leaders in Nigeria, Ireland, India and the United States to address identity-based conflict
• Charting a roadmap for national transformation in the Americas, particularly in Paraguay.

The timeliness of the vision of “One Family Under God” is illustrated by these milestones and the ever expanding network of global leaders.

Reunification of the Korean Peninsula

Faith leaders, politicians from conservative and liberal parties, civil society activists, and international scholars convened in Seoul in late September to discuss a “vision for a unified Korea.”

A Vision for a Unified Korea. Dr. Hyun Jin Moon’s newest book in Korean.

I first posited a vision for unification three years ago while preparing for the Global Peace Convention 2011 in Seoul.  I was told that unification was not a “hot topic” and that I should consider domestic issues like “social welfare.”  Hon. Lee Ki Taek was one of the few people willing to entertain the dreams of this idealistic, Korean-American. Three years later, the tide has turned. Starting with President Park’s declaration that Unification was a “jackpot” at the beginning of the year, leaders from the highest levels of government to the grassroots civil society, both conservatives and liberals have begun to consider unification as the only viable solution to the longstanding division of our homeland.

The publication of my book, The Korean Dream, has changed the conversation surrounding unification. I believe, more than ever, we are called to our higher selves, to the Korean identity that we find at our very beginnings in the Hongik Ingan ideals. Our highest aspirations and dreams as one Korean people can serve as the foundation for a united nation that brings “broad benefit” to the whole world.

The Global Peace Leadership Conference in Seoul on September 9-10 launched the book and was also a catalyst for broad-based national and international engagement. The Conference launched a series of subsequent forums in the U.S. as well as in Korea on this vision for a unified Korea. I hope to see more of the same around the world between those of the Korean diaspora as well as the wider global community.

A unified Korea has so much more to offer the world and I hope to work towards fulfilling my own father’s lifelong dream of one Korea as a model of One Family Under God.

Roadmap to National Transformation

Dr. Moon sitting down to a meal provided by a family in Alto Paraguay. “It’s amazing how people with so little, can give so much.”

 When we held the first Global Peace Festival in Paraguay six years ago, I was moved  by the Paraguayan people’s earthy humility and generosity. Every time I return, I am reminded of the humble meal I shared in Maria Auxiliadora. I was touched by how people with so little could give so much. It was a living testament to Paraguay’s greatest asset, its people.

This year we came full circle to return to Paraguay for the Global Peace Convention 2014 to what I believe has become a very different country. Although the people are the same – valuing God, family and community – there has been a tremendous awakening in consciousness.

When a society begins to realize the inherent dignity and spiritual identity of all its citizens as One Family Under God, policy and economic changes have to follow. This is at the heart of what is happening in Paraguay.

We saw this on a certain level in terms of individual human rights with the civil rights and independence movements in India, South Africa and the United States but we still have a long way to go.  Yet, I think we are on the right track.

In Paraguay, this awakening has affected the political and economic institutions in ways that can propel Paraguay forward as the “womb” of a Latin American renewal based on universal, spiritual principles and values that the region so clearly needs.

Fourteen former presidents of Latin America convened at the Global Peace Convention 2014 under the theme “Roadmap for National Transformation.”

The world came to Paraguay during the convention — some delegates traveling four days to study Paraguay’s model towards “national transformation.” While there has been quite a bit of excitement about the new economic possibilities of the Korea-Paraguay railway feasibility project, it is absolutely essential to point out that these economic developments are the results of social change that in turn impacted political stability and economic development, not the other way around. I hope Paraguay’s example can be studied and applied to emerging nations.

Interfaith Cooperation to Address Identity-Based Conflict

In the past 20 years there has been so much talk of “competing moral worldviews”, a “clash of civilizations”, globalization, identity-based conflict and the need for a global ethic. The year in news around the world has emphasized perils of not having a clear set of ethical guidelines to mitigate violence and encourage cooperation; the rise of ISIS, rising violence in Ukraine, the Ebola crisis across West Africa, racial tension and protests in the United States have been some of the most prevalent.

The vision of “One Family Under God” has become a platform for cooperation in a number of regions that have been struggling with identity-based conflict.

Nigeria

Participant showing support towards the One Family under God campaign.

In Nigeria the “One Family Under God” has become rallying cry for religious and faith leaders to work together to address continued Boko Haram attacks, the ongoing #BringBackOurGirls controversy and the ever present threat of religious and tribal conflicts that simmer amid growing tensions related to the presidential elections in 2015.

Following on the launch of the One Family Under God campaign during the Global Peace Leadership Conference in 2013, the Global Peace Foundation in Nigeria has been working on a Kaduna State pilot program to substantialize the growing consciousness that we are “One Family Under God”.

Local religious and government leaders have worked side by side to educate and create cross-community engagement and peacebuilding programs. A number of these programs have gained national recognition such as the recent Christmas get-together hosted by GPF-Nigeria and H.E. Fatima Yero, wife of the governor of Kaduna State where Muslim and Christian leaders of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) have pledged to work together to resist the use of violence in the upcoming elections. Other projects include a joint community bridge building project and the upgrading of a local community hospital’s security system. Significantly, all direct outgrowth of our programs in Nigeria.

In October, we also held a Global Peace Leadership Conference in Northern Ireland, bringing an important delegation of traditional and religious leaders from Kaduna State to Northern Ireland. GPF’s global partner, Cooperation Ireland shared some of its best practices and the lessons learned from over 30 years of cross-community peacebuilding and engagement programs.  Both groups were able to reflect on the substantial progress made in both communities as well as ongoing struggles to go beyond racial and religious lines of identity.

(left to right) Mr. Peter Sheridan, the CEO of Cooperation Ireland, Dr. Garry Mason of the Methodist Church Belfast, Bishop Sunday Onouha Executive Director of the Nigeria Inter-faith Action Association (NIFA) at the Global Peace Leadership Forum in Belfast, Ireland.

India

In India, over 300 faith and religious leaders, academics and renown interfaith activists convened for a Global Peace Leadership Conference in New Delhi from December 9-10, 2014 that culminated with the Declaration for a Vision and Global Framework for One Family Under God. Its preamble begins:

 The world today faces a spiritual crisis, as evidenced by the continuous rise of identity-based conflicts. These conflicts over nationality, ethnicity, religion and tribal affiliations threaten social relations on every level, especially with globalization expanding the significance and reach of previously localized challenges. While tremendous advances have been achieved in every sector of human society, they have failed to keep apace with our moral and ethical capacities – to the detriment of all life on earth. It is thus imperative that moral and spiritual leaders of the world work together to articulate universal ethical principles and values that can form the basis for social cohesion, shared agreements and lasting peace.

Participants  signed a 14-point declaration to pursue the vision, principles and partnerships so necessary to lasting peace and development. India has long been acknowledged as the birthplace of so many of the world’s wisdom and religious traditions and so it is natural that it would lead a global conversation on renewed efforts to establish a vision and framework for peace. I look forward to the coming year and the advances these efforts might bring.

Interfaith leaders lighting the candle at the commencement of the Global Peace Leadership Conference in New Delhi, India.

United States of America

Amidst ongoing political partisanship, a rapidly altering political landscape and the waning global influence of the United States, the Global Peace Foundation – USA hosted a leadership conference entitled “America at a Crossroads: Leading Our Nation to Live Up to Its Founding Ideals”.

The conference participants sought a way out of the partisan gridlock and moral confusion that has divided the nation by harkening back to the nation’s founding. As I mention in my book, I believe that the secret to the United States’ successes is not in its political or economic systems but rather the principles and ideals upon which it was founded.

These principles are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence: that “all men are created equal” and “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”  These spiritual principles defined the political and then economic systems that flourished and brought the United States prosperity and a leading place in global politics today.  For the United States to meet the global challenges of today, it must reclaim its moral authority by returning to these founding ideals.

Delegates to the Global Peace Leadership Conference – USA from around the nation pose in front of the US Capitol.

In the opening chapter of my book, the Korean Dream, I mention three examples  to illustrate the power of a dream in changing the course of human history: the birth of Korea based on the principles of Hongik Ingan, Ghenghis Khan and the creation of the Mongol Empire driven by the desire to establish one people under Heaven, and the founding of the United States on the principles that to establish one nation under God.  At this turning point in history, it is my hope that we renew our commitment to the dreams and ideals that inspired our historic predecessors.

This year the vision of “One Family Under God” has inspired individuals to begin a model of national transformation in Paraguay, to pioneer new ways of interfaith cooperation in India, Nigeria, Ireland and the United States, and open the promise of reunification on a peninsula that only three years ago was thought to remain divided.

2014 has been a tremendous year. We have made monumental strides thanks to God and the incredible network of partners working together to realize the vision of “One Family under God”.

I am deeply grateful to each and every person who has put forward their name, their assets, and their efforts to make every milestone possible.

I look forward to deepening our bond as we work together in the coming year.

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Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, Founder of Global Peace Foundation, gave closing remarks for the Global Peace Convention 2014 held at the Bourbon Conmebol Assunção Convention Hotel in Asunción, Paraguay.

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Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, founder of the Global Peace Foundation, delivers closing remarks, “Why Paraguay? Because I fell in love.”

I want to congratulate everyone for a successful conclusion of the sixth convention of the Global Peace Foundation – give yourself a round of applause.

Since President Jim Flynn went through the entire syllabus of the content of this conference and Thomas Field, the regional president, congratulated everyone who needs to be congratulated – I don’t know what I should say.

I‘m going to share a testimony of why this nation of Paraguay was chosen for this conference.

It was six years ago when I came into Paraguay that was in a crisis. And yet somehow during that time, that short visit that I was here, I saw what truly Paraguay embodied when I met their people.

I was moved by their earthy humility, their honesty and their spirit of hospitality. This character of the people was expressed in a real, palpable way.

I took the top youth of the country on a cattle drive, moving 250 cattle 150 km from one city to another, north in Alto Paraguay. Many of them, although they had lived here most of their lives, never visited that region. Some of them had land in that region but had never seen it. This was the first time for some of them to go there.

On that cattle drive, I remember every evening after working hard pushing cattle we would sit around the campfire and I asked them, “What is your dream?”

Many of them were western educated, studied in the United States, but they were frustrated that although they saw opportunity in the rest of the world somehow their nation was held back.

There around the campfire, with the youth of Paraguay, we talked about the future vision for Paraguay.

I remember as I would help guide that discussion, how so many of them resonated with the message I gave to them about the importance of principles values, about the importance of changing oneself within to bring changes around us.

Most of all I shared with them the greatest dream of all, the dream that I have been sharing for many years, the dream to build one family under God.

But the most moving moment, one which could move the nation and stimulate a dream that resonated in their own hearts, was when we came to the town of Maria Auxiliadora. I still remember that to this day. The young people came to greet all these strange looking people in interesting attire who came into their town.

A cattle drive through the Chaco region in Alto Paraguay in 2008.

Upon seeing those children, because I am a father of many children as you know, I started to take my lunch and passing it out. There were candies in it; then I passed out my sandwich. And as I did that, the other people got off their horse and started passing their candy and sandwiches.

Just as a joke – growing up in the US we joke a lot – I said, “Since we gave you our lunch, can you feed us?” One of the mothers heard this and said, “Please come.”

Their house didn’t even have four walls; it had two. And around it, they had about four chickens walking around. That family slaughtered two chickens to feed us.

As we sat around that table with all the privileged young people of this nation, I looked in their eyes and said “It is amazing how those who have so little are willing to give so much. What are you willing to do for them in return?”

That’s when I fell in love with Paraguay. It’s not about the resources here – it’s about the people.

When someone in the public setting in the U.S. talks about God, it is an awkward thing. It is refreshing to come to a nation where it is expected for a public leader to give reference to God, and it is expected to recognize the importance of the family.

My wife touched upon the example of every Sunday where Paraguayans coming together with extended families to eat asado. What better way to deal with social problems than in that context?

There is something to be said that goes beyond economics, beyond the political changes we see here, that goes beyond development. There is something special here in the people of this nation.

My hope is that they can be truly the owners of the dream to build one family under God. That they can be owners of that dream that can uplift human dignity and fundamental freedoms. I hope, for the sake of those people, that the political and economic leaders can make the necessary transformation in their hearts that can bring about political and economic development that and can bring the burgeoning of economic and political transformation in the heart of Latin America.

I believe that this is the hub of an awakening of Latin American.

Jesus said that the meek shall inherit the earth. Those who are willing to live for the sake of others, and give to others, shall lead.

Alto Paraguay has a rich biodiversity ranging from the Pantanal to the Chaco.

When people say, why Paraguay – I say, “I fell in love with the people.” It has been a six year journey since I first came to today.

I want to give a round of applause to all the international participants. I had a chance to meet with many of them, and they told me some of them it took them four days to get here for a three-day conference. I believe that everyone who gathered here today from around the world; some who traveled four days to come to a conference, many people gathered in this room from the international contingency did just that –because they believe in this vision. They are the owners of this vision.

What happened here in Paraguay can happen anywhere else.

I mentioned in my speech; the first area that GPF focuses on was social activities. At the end of the day we are all people, you can talk about political and economic systems but what makes those systems work are people and people are moved by principles and values.

Social engagement led to that level of consciousness that led to political change. Now that there is a level of political stability, it has opened the door for economic development.

When nations engage in issues of transforming a nation in poverty, they do everything in reverse. They start with the economic, then interfere with political, then catch up to the social side as an afterthought. The GPF model has done the exact opposite – it started with the social side. The importance of civic and NGO engagement to create national transformation is critical. It starts with social engagement that builds reformation and transformation, building the foundation for economic development.

Closing Plenary at the Global Peace Convention 2014

I hope this model can be looked at very objectively and can be studied. What I see happening in Paraguay can be a case study of how the developed world thinks of the development of the developing world.

To the leaders in Latin America, this is an amazing opportune time to really take ownership over the destiny not only of this nation but of this region. And I want to commend the work of the Latin American presidents because I know you are going to be the champions of all the core issue that have to be addressed to create a new continent that can offer the world clear models for development.

With that said – I want to thank all of you for your amazing commitment and ownership – and you’re desire and your heart to really serve our human family – to build the dream of one family under God.

 

 

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(left to right): Dr. Victor Cha, Korea Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Ambassador Bulgaa Altengerel, Ambassador of Mongolia to the United States, Dr. Tsedendamba Batbayar, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mongolia, Ambassador Mark C. Minton, President, The Korea Society.

A forum co-hosted by the Global Peace Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies examined Mongolia’s possible role in cultivating relations on the Korean peninsula. Dr. Victor Cha, the Korea Chair at CSIS, said, “We don’t usually think of Mongolia in the context of peninsular diplomacy.”  Yet, Dr. Cha added, diplomatic attempts through the Six-Party talks have begun to sound like the same record, playing over the same issues without progress. In light of indicators like the speech made by President Elbegdorj of Mongolia at Kim Il Sung University last October promoting fundamental human rights and freedoms, Dr. Cha expressed that perhaps it is timely to explore the potential of Mongolian engagement.

The forum  on “Mongolia’s Diplomacy with the Two Koreas” on December 3 drew experts from the United States and Mongolia, including the current Ambassador of Mongolia to the United States, Ambassador Bulgaa Altengerel, Dr. Tsedendamba Batbayar from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia and Ambassador Mark C. Minton, President of The Korea Society. Dr. Cha moderated the proceedings.

The Global Peace Foundation has been a long-time advocate for the inclusion of Mongolia as an essential player in securing Northeast Asian Peace, particularly the with the situation on the Korean peninsula. In the summer of 2011, prior to the Global Peace Convention held at the end of the year in Seoul that focused on issue of Korean unification, Dr. Moon visited Mongolia for a Global Peace Leadership Conference and the celebration of the Hun people.

In his opening remarks Dr. Moon made a case for Mongolia’s involvement:

Mongolia’s role is crucial. Unlike the participants of the Six Party Talks which have been polarized with vested historic, ideological, and strategic interests, Mongolia is a friend to all those participants with no vested interests besides the desire to broker good will, dialogue and cooperation. In addition, it has diplomatic relations and open contacts with both Koreas. Thus, given the current impasse and possibility of future disagreements down the road, Mongolia can play a unique role that countries like the United States, Japan, China and Russia could not fulfill. It is well-suited for an emerging role in developing innovative initiatives and best practices for reconciliation and development in the region, because of its historical background and geopolitical position as well as its own recent experiences.

The Mongolian people have a rich and proud history, a strong spiritual heritage, and deep family traditions. Mongolia is now poised to play a unique role as a leader for global peace.”

Ambassador Altengerel mentioned regional peacemaking efforts spearheaded by Mongolia such as the Mongolian president’s Ulaanbaatar Dialogue on Northeast Asian Security, a diplomatic initiative that pulls scholars and researchers together, and a conference on regional security was held last June in the Mongolian capital on the theme “Energy, Infrastructure, and Regional Connectivity.”

The forums are a series co-organized by the Global Peace Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The next one is scheduled for February examining the impact of humanitarian aid in North-South Korean relations.

Read the comprehensive report, MONGOLIA-ROK COOPERATION URGED ON NORTH KOREA ENGAGEMENT, here at Global Peace Foundation.

Find Dr. Moon’s full address delivered at the Global Peace Leadership Conference in Ulanbatuur, Mongolia in 2011 here.

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The following is the address delivered by Dr. Jun Sook Moon, Chairwoman of Global Peace Women, in front of 1,000 women leaders form across Latin America who convened for a special women’s plenary during the Global Peace Convention 2014. “Peace beings in the home” she told the women, uplifting the unique and sacred role of women in the family as mothers, wives, sisters and daughters.

Venue: Bourbon Conmebol Assunção Convention Hotel

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Good Morning, ladies and the few gentlemen – Thank you so much for coming here to this event, the women’s session. And I’m especially delighted to see also the gentlemen also attending this session. Can I see a raise of hands for the men gathering here this morning? Gentlemen? Thank you very much. We women always feel so much more energy when we feel like the men are there to support us. So thank you very much. I am honored to be among such beautiful and accomplished women from around the world. [Repeated in Spanish] Each time my husband and I come here to Paraguay we truly feel that we have come back to our second home.

To all the leaders here from our host nation Paraguay and from across the Latin American region, “Buenos dias y bienvenidos!” And to all our distinguished leaders from around the world, welcome to Paraguay and the 2014 Global Peace Convention.

I would like to especially recognize the former President of Costa Rica, Her Excellency Laura Chinchilla. We also have together with us, the Honorable Senator Lilian Samaniego and Dr. Haehoon Lee, the former Congresswoman of the Republic of Korea.

I would also like to recognize Governor Marlene Ocampos of Alto Paraguay, the government ministers of Paraguay, and Ana Maria Ortiz, President of the Association of Businesswomen of Paraguay, who have joined us today.

Please warmly welcome from Europe, Dr. Eva Latham, where is she? She’s the President of Human Rights Teaching International.

From the United States, Collete Caprara, editor on family issues at the Heritage Foundation, Ms. Diann Dawson, president and CEO of DDA & Associates, and Donna Schuller, where are you? She’s from our Global Peace Women advisory board. Thank you so much for coming this morning.

I would like to especially appreciate the directors of Area Mujer for all the work they are doing here in Paraguay and for hosting this great program today. The theme of this convention is, “Roadmap for National Transformation” and here in this women’s session we are discussing the theme “National Transformation – Women’s Leadership and Contributions toward Social Models That Promote Development and Wellness for All.” This topic is very close to my heart because I believe women play a critical role in the process of national transformation.

What do we mean when we speak of national transformation? What type of nations do we aspire to build? History teaches us that the strongest nations with the longest and lasting experience of peace were those built upon spiritual principles and values that gave them a higher sense of purpose to serve a greater good. We have examples from as far back as the Pax Mongolia that grew out of the Mongol empire’s aspiration to create One World under One Heaven and encouraged exchange amongst the cultures, faiths, and regions of the empire. A more recent example is the United States, the oldest and most stable democratic society, built upon the dream of forming One Nation under God. In such a nation, people of every race and land could come to enjoy equal rights and freedom of worship.

What we learn from these examples is that vibrant and enduring nations need a guiding vision and a foundation of spiritual principles and values. How is such a nation formed? It is through the moral virtues of the nation’s citizens, who embody these spiritual principles and values in their lives.

Left to right: H.E. Laura Chincilla, former president of Costa Rica, Dr. Jun Sook Moon, Chairwoman of Global Peace Women, Hon. Lilian Samaniego, national senator of Paraguay.

Where do people learn these principles and values? Where do they become the “habits of the heart” of a people, where acting morally becomes as natural as breathing. I believe it is in the home and in the family. Strong nations must be built upon strong, healthy families. This makes the central role every mother plays in her family an essential component of national transformation. That is why my husband and I recently coined the Global Peace Women motto, “Peace Starts with the Home.” Can we all say that with me? “Peace Starts with the Home,” thank you.

In the home, peace is more than a concept or an ideal. It is visible, it is substantial, and can be felt emotionally, physically, spiritually. As such, it becomes a lived daily reality.

A child experiences love and learns the value of life through the unconditional embrace and untiring investment of a mother from the moment of their birth. A mother plants the seed of a lifestyle of self-sacrifice, and living for others by her example, as she teaches the child to share with siblings, and think about the happiness of the family as a whole. Most of all, through exemplifying spiritual principles and values, parents form the roots of faith, love for God, and for their fellow human beings in their children.

The extended family model is especially suited to nurture virtuous men and women who can lay the foundations for a culture of peace in their nations and, ultimately, the world. In an extended family, a child grows up surrounded by the richness of diverse relationships with so many different relatives. Through them they learn how to respect and honor elders while cherishing and investing in those younger than them. This is the basis of the social norms to be practiced in the wider society. Through the multitude of family interactions, a person naturally experiences the benefits of teamwork, cooperation, and harmony. Moreover, they learn how to resolve conflicts, forgive, and truly live in peace. The extended family prepares a person to relate to the diversity of the human family and live for the benefit of the whole. A beautiful example of this extended family can be found right here in a Paraguayan home. I heard that every Sunday, in a Paraguayan home, families gather around with their parents and they share asado, and talk about soccer, and have a beautiful meeting every Sunday. I think it’s such a beautiful tradition you have in Paraguay.

The inescapable conclusion is that the family is not just a private realm, set apart from the broader society but rather is an essential element of national transformation. This is what Global Peace Women champions. We must uplift the contribution of women in national transformation and emphasize the role of families, especially mothers, in forming the foundation of an ethical, prosperous society.

Once we understand that principles and values are preserved and passed on within families, then it is natural that a nation aspiring to model such principles and values should create policies and infrastructure to strengthen the family. Communities, schools, businesses, and governments, both local and national, should invest in programs that support the family unit and find innovative ways to empower the family and encourage the work of raising ethical, global citizens. This could come in the form of couple counseling benefits or parenting support programs that tackle the issues that have led to the family decline we are experiencing in so many countries today. Micro-financing initiatives like the Grameen Bank or Kiva could provide much-needed financial support to launch a family business and incentivize active participation, especially of women, in a growing economy. Failure to invest in the family is the same as doing nothing to prevent family breakdown and the high social costs that come with it. We are all too aware of the growing global trend of divorce, out-of-wedlock births, and the loss of moral standards of our youth.

Let us put our hearts and minds together to find ways to counter that global trend and protect and uplift the sanctity of family and the essential role of women in the home first and foremost, and as an extension the important contributions women make in the greater community, nation, and in our world today. I feel there is no better place to have this women’s conference than here in Paraguay. I know how active the women of GPF have been in Paraguay, supporting educational initiatives, and forums on good governance and leadership. They have also provided access to medical and dental health, food and clothing, and education and jobs to the most remote villages. This nation has great women leaders who have championed the fight against corruption and engaged government ministries in providing services to the poorest and most remote regions of Paraguay.

Here in the heart of Latin America, or as my husband calls it, the “womb” of Latin America, I believe that our work as women, through the models it creates, will bring about a sweeping spiritual awakening here in Paraguay, in Latin America, and throughout the hemisphere.

Ladies and Gentlemen, “La Paz Comienza desde el Hogar.” “Peace Begins with the Home.” Muchas gracias. May God bless you, thank you very much.

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