Asia Archives - Hyun Jin Preston Moon

Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon Keynote Address at Global Youth Summit 2017

Editor — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 23:50:15 +0000

Global Youth Summit 2017: “Achieving 2030 Sustainable Development Goals through Youth Collaboration, Leadership, and Innovation”

March 3rd, 2017 – SM Mall of Asia Arena, Manila, Philippines

Keynote Address: Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, Global Peace Foundation chairman

Hello Manila! It’s a tremendous honor for me to come speak to a bunch of young people. As you all know, we just completed the 7th Global Peace Convention where I had an opportunity to meet many older people from all around the world. Us older guys represent the present and the past, but you young people represent the future.

So when I was given this opportunity, I jumped at it, because if we can inspire the next generation to dream–not just a small dream, but a big dream–it can change and shape the landscape not only of this nation of the Philippines, not only East Asia, but all Asia. And not only all Asia, but the entire world, because the circumstances today allow such dreams to become a reality.

With young people, the most important thing is passion. You have to be passionate about the future you want to create. If you don’t have passion, you don’t have ownership. If you don’t have ownership, you’re not going to make that dream something that motivates and animates your life.

Many times as I speak to people from around the world, I give a quote–a profound quote–given by a very influential figure in the heartland of Asia. His name was Genghis Khan. He said, “If one person dreams a dream, it is but a dream. But if a thousand people, if all the people of the world dreams the same dream, then that dream becomes a reality.” This is a time in which the 7 billion people of the earth should dream the same dream, a dream to bring peace on Earth through a vision that can unite the human family that has been suffering for millennia. It is a visceral vision that’s rooted in fundamental truths that we can all, regardless of culture, background, ethnicity, or nationality, relate with. And what do you think that dream is? One Family under God!

Imagine if everyone can make that dream their dream. That’s what the Global Peace Foundation is seeking to build because its founding vision is “One Family Under God,” one family at a time.

One of the reasons why I like the Philippines is because you already have a culture that resonates with this vision. You’re a nation that is deeply rooted in faith and understands the importance of the family. The family represents the most important social unit in society. If the family goes awry, society goes awry. You recognize this. Thus, you have the foundation in which you can make this truth your own.

This vision can not only have tremendous impact in this nation of the Philippines but eventually Southeast Asia and the world. Why? Because Southeast Asia is going to be that influential. You have everything here. You have moderate governments. You have an inclusive social and religious environment. This is especially relevant at this time with the global war against terror, which is turning into something that looks very much like inter-religious conflict, which is the worst of conflicts that humanity can engage in.

At the same time, you are at the center of the most dynamic regional trade zone in the world. If the Philippines can build a national model of economic, social and political transformation, the impact the Philippine islands can make to the rest of Asia, especially starting from Southeast Asia, cannot be measured. It will have tremendous impact.

Now although I look at the Philippines as my second home in Asia, I was born in Korea. Is Korea a united nation or a divided nation? Of several nations that were divided after WWII, only Korea remains divided. One thing you have to understand is that this division was not the wish of the Korean people. Korea faced many of the experiences that most of Asia experienced, including the Philippines.

Korea was under the colonial dominion of the Japanese. After World War II, the Korean people had the opportunity to fulfill a 5,000-year-old dream, which was to create an ideal model nation rooted in their founding ideal of Hongik Ingan, which stated that the Korean people had a divine mandate from Heaven to build a nation that can serve all of humanity. As a student of history, who studied all the civilizations that are studied, I know of no ancient civilization that had such high-minded ideals, that believed that they were meant to serve the rest of humanity. Thus, the Korean people, although we are an ancient civilization, never invaded others. Although Korea, being sandwiched between China and Japan, was invaded countless times, the Korean people never invaded our neighbors. We tried to build an ideal nation because of this heavenly mandate, and with the end of WWII, for the first time in our history, we received the freedom to be able to do so. But that dream was taken away as Korea was sucked up into the Cold War geopolitics of that age, and an unnatural division was created, arbitrarily separating the Korean people, the Korean family, and the Korean Dream.

This is a time in which the world is moving from the Atlantic sphere to the Pacific sphere. This is a time when Asian stories should stimulate the hearts and minds of people, not only here in Asia, but around the world. And the Korean story is that Asian story. Korean Unification will represent the end of the colonial era that had plagued Asia. It will also represent the end of the Cold War that had plagued our landscape. It will also mark the beginning of a new era, that represents the era of Asia.

I wrote a book recently. It’s called Korean Dream. There, I cite the writings of Tagore, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in literature, where he wrote, “Korea at one time was the lamp-bearer of Asia. And Korea waits for that light to be lit once again for all of Asia and the world”. Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is a time in which that light shall be lit again through all of you dreaming that same dream – a dream to build One Family under God. The greatest impediment to the fulfillment of that dream is peace in the most dynamic region of the world, where the world is now moving towards, which is here in Asia.

The unity of North and South Korea is the civil rights issue of this age. It should not just be the dream of all Koreans, but of all Asians, and most of all, of everyone around the world.

For young people, you need passion and you need dreams. And as I explained, this is a time to dream big, bold, hairy dreams.

Let me explain more in depth the reason why the Philippines was chosen for this year’s Global Peace Convention. Various factors around the world are giving a unique opportunity to this island nation. Just like Korea, the Philippines has a unique role to play. The Philippines is the only other Christian nation in Asia. Korea is a Christian nation in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Philippines is a Christian Nation in the Southern Hemisphere. The history of the Philippines is very tied to the West, unlike Asia proper. It was under Spanish colonial occupation and eventually within the US territorial relationship. So at this time, when there is a shift moving from the Atlantic to the Pacific Rim, these two nations, from the Northern hemisphere and the Southern hemisphere, will play an increasingly important role.

This is where I’m going to inspire you young people here in the Philippines. It is this opportunity that affords you the chance to be leaders in your own right, in whatever capacity, however small or large. But you have to dream. It is dreamers that are able to see opportunities and capture and bring to reality possibilities. It is those who are willing to dream that can make opportunities into substantive reality that brings about transformation in this world. If anything, I’m hoping that this talk will give you the chance to stop and think about whether or not what is motivating me today is really capturing the opportunity that fate has provided, not only to myself, but to this nation, this region, and this world.

We need people who can dream, and who are bold enough to take that dream and make it into something real and profound. We need people of enterprise that can be creative and move issues forward. We need people who can offer new paradigms, new frameworks that can shape and address problems that currently exist in society or in this nation. Those are going to be the movers and shakers of tomorrow.

So young people, be the dreamers that define what this century will be. Be the dreamers that can realize the dreams that have animated humanity ever since our creation. Be willing and bold enough to dream the greatest dream of all – the dream to build One Family under God.

Can you do that, yes or no? Very good. Thank you very much!

Global Youth Summit 2017 – 기조연설문

우리에겐 꿈꾸는 사람이 필요하고, 그 꿈을 꾸고 이뤄나가 뜻깊은 것을 만들어 나가는 용기있는 사람들이 필요합니다. 창의적으로 문제를 대하고 해결책을 찾아나가는 기업가 정신을 가진 사람들이 필요합니다. 이미 사회와 국가에 존재하고 있는 문제들에 재정의하여 새로운 프레임웍과 패러다임을 제시할 수 있는 사람들이 필요합니다. 그런 사람들이 내일을 움직이는 사람들입니다. 젊은 청년 여러분이 이 시대를 정의 하는 꿈꾸는 사람들이 되세요.- Global Youth Summit 2017 –

Posted by Dr.문현진 on Monday, June 5, 2017

See more updates from the 2017 Global Peace Convention in Manila, Philippines here: http://www.hyunjinmoon.com/global-peace-convention-2017/

The post Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon Keynote Address at Global Youth Summit 2017 appeared first on Hyun Jin Preston Moon.

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, The World Is One Family

Main — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 12:09:24 +0000

Western scholars like Max Muller and Paul Brunton have long lauded India for its unparalleled spiritual profundity, unmatched in terms of variety of spiritual expression and practices.

Among the spiritual treasures of the Indian tradition is the crown jewel of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the idea that the world is one family. The phrase is found in the Maha Upanishad:

Only small men discriminate saying: One is a relative; the other is a stranger. For those who live magnanimously the entire world constitutes but a family.

A similar passage in another vedic text, the Hitopadesha, also mentions Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in saying:

‘This is my own relative and that is a stranger’ – is the reasoning of the narrow-minded; for the noble hearts, however, the entire earth is but one family”.

India’s rich expressions of spirituality share an underlying affirmation embodied in the phrase Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is one family.

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam expresses the same ideal that we see in the global vision of One Family Under God. In this and similar formulations we see across the globe – from Tangun’s Hongik Ingan in Korea, Ubuntu in different African traditions, the United States of America’s One Nation Under God and more, we see echoes of the potential to build a global ethical framework for peace and prosperity for all people. To do this effectively, the Global Peace Foundation works with local chapters to articulate an inclusive framework from within its own cultural traditions while building a consensus around shared values.

In India, throughout his time in office, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has looked to Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam as a touchstone from which to guide his nation in its domestic and foreign policies. The challenge is certainly to do this – to translate abstract ideals into strategic plans and policies. And in this important work, we need to look to interfaith leaders and moral authorities to help guide this process. This is one major reason interfaith leadership is such a vital aspect of the Global Peace Foundation’s work around the globe.

In this series, we make an attempt to explore the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and its potential for practical application in the Indian context. First, we seek to know the historical trajectory of the Indian way of life, culture and its unbecoming. Then we will seek to explore the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and its implications in conflict mitigation and peacebuilding. Finally, we articulate the need for a global ethical framework in bringing about a “minimal fundamental consensus on binding values and moral attitudes” in a polarized world.

The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, which promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God. GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peace building models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

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A Common Vision for a Unified Korea

Main — Thu, 19 May 2016 21:42:14 +0000

The following remarks were delivered at the Civil Society forum on Korean Reunification on October 8^th in Seoul, Korea by Mr. Michael Marshall, editor of Dr. Hyun Jin Moon’s book, Korean Dream: A Vision for Unified Korea.

Thank you Dr. Ryu for that very flattering introduction. First of all, let me say, while I have done a lot of research, I am not a scholar as such. So, what I’m going to talk about is not scholarly research in the narrowest sense.

My background is in journalism and publishing. So, my remarks are going to present a rather broad picture of the role that vision and principles have in the life of a nation. Particularly relating that to Korea and the idea of hongik ingan.

I will say that my wife is both Korean and a scholar and teaches at Georgetown University in Washington on Korean thought and religion. So, I learned a great deal from her. I’ve learned even more from Dr. Moon. I worked closely with him on research and preparation with him for his book, the Korean Dream, and in the course of that I learned a great deal about the importance of a vision and principles in the life of a nation and how hongik ingan serves that role in Korea.

The Case for A National Vision

For pragmatic politicians, and so called realists, the idea of a national vision seems insubstantial, rather like Marx’s concept of superstructure, things that are merely a product of more fundamental material forces. I contend on the contrary that for any nation or socio-cultural group, vision is fundamental and ever present. It’s like a guiding DNA. At times of peace and little challenge, there is often little discussion of vision, it operates on a subconscious level. But at times of transformative change, a strong sense of national vision and purpose is necessary for a country to successfully navigate the future.

This idea was strongly expressed by Dr. Henry Kissinger, who is usually thought of as an arch-realist, in a speech to the Asan Institute in 2010, where he said that questions about world order–that in considering them, “the issue always comes down to, does there exist a vision of the future and does there exist the ability and commitment to achieve it. Societies cannot simply live by consuming what they have already done. In today’s world, so many changes are taking place simultaneously that only those societies that can develop a vision for the future are going to be able to handle them.”

The many changes Dr. Kissinger referred to have been well documented and widely discussed. In the Northeast Asia context, they include developing a regional order for peace and security to replace the dissolved Cold War alliance system.

A Shared Korean Identity

Within this context, Korea needs to develop a vision for the future that addresses two major challenges. One is the unification of the divided Korean people, and the other is the reaffirmation of Korean identity. That identity is today under siege because of the social and cultural impact of the incredible economic growth that South Korea has experienced in the past 50 years, unparalleled in human history. And we can see in various social indicators related to birth rate, divorce, suicide, the social and cultural impact of that tremendous pressure that has arisen with the speed of that growth.

Changes in cultural values don’t exists in some independent moral or spiritual realm. They have practical consequences. So, a growing number of Korean old people are living and dying alone. The low birth rate is creating labor shortage, which is a problem in itself. Which then adds to the problem of how you are going to pay, with a shrinking labor force, for the welfare of a growing retired population.

All of these changes are eroding the traditional sense of a Korean identity. But nothing well-defined is replacing it. And this creates feelings of deep unease, that an incident like the Sewol ferry tragedy caused to burst out into national soul-searching. Such moments cause Koreans to look in the mirror and ask, “What sort of people are we? What is our Korean identity?”

The two challenges of reunification and Korean identity are intimately interlinked. Once we understand that unification is not just a matter of politics and economics, but is the coming together of a separated people, then it becomes clear that a strong sense of Korean identity is an essential component for unification to take place.

That identity has been fashioned through a long history of independence and stability that lasted almost a thousand years from the start of the Koryo dynasty until the beginning of the twentieth century.

And together with it was a strong unity and resistance to the periodic invasions that Korea faced. The seed for a vision for the future can also be found in Korean history, in the ideal of hongik ingan that is deeply embedded in the story of Geojeoseon’s founding a thousand years ago.

Living for the Benefit of Humanity

The hongik ingan ideal is also important within South Korea as well. It can offer a national vision that rises above the narrow divisions of party politics or regional rivalries by presenting a higher purpose to unite around and work for.

Hongik ingan, living for the benefit of the greater humanity, has been a guiding principle in Korean history. Together with its related ideas, hongik ingan is an expression of universal principles that is remarkable for the early origin of its global perspective.

Hongik ingan was an especially powerful motivating idea for the independence movement under Japanese colonialism and for the founders of the Republic of Korea in 1948. Kim Gu, the independence movement leader in Shanghai expressed it in this way when he wrote, “I wish my nation would be a nation that doesn’t just imitate others, but rather, be a nation that is the source of a new and higher culture. And thus true world peace would come from our nation. I wish peace would be achieved in our nation and from there to the world. I believe this is the hongik ingan ideal of our national ancestor Dangun.”

This principle, hongik ingan, has the potential to connect Koreans today with their past and provide a unifying bridge into the future with a clear purpose and direction for the nation.

Because of its historical roots, it can be an idea that transcends the ideological division that has set the two Koreas against each other. That division is, after all, only seventy years old. The hongik ingan ideal and the common history and culture of Koreans goes back a thousand years.

In the subsequent period, South Korea built itself up to resist any further attacks from the North and to develop itself economically. Because economy was a focus again, there was little time for reflection about questions of identity and national vision beyond creating just a strong economy. Now, today is a serious time to reflect on these issues when growth is no longer an end in itself, but is raising serious questions among South Koreans about what it has cost.

One issue that must be addressed as Korea goes forward, and if hongik ingan is to serve as a central principle for a national vision is history education in high schools and colleges. I hear from Korean educators that young Koreans are woefully ignorant of their history. And this has all sorts of complicated reasons such as lack of agreement on a curriculum or that it is not compulsory. In the United States there are serious debates over what should be in the history curriculum, but everyone agrees that young Americans should learn American history. Young Koreans need to learn their own history.

A Model for the World

Let me conclude with one further thought, an idea, perhaps the greatest threat to peace and prosperity in the world today is identity-based conflict. Such conflicts have sprung up globally in the wake of the Cold War. And particularly threatening are those that are fueled by extreme religious ideologies which recognize no political boundaries and give their form of moral sanction to violence. Ultimately, the antidote to such groups must be a transcendent vision of humanity as One Family united under a common roof of universal principles and shared values that are shared by all the great spiritual and ethical traditions.

That vision in turn must give rise to a global ethic, which is not just a matter of discussion among theologians and philosophers, but is expressed in the moral practice of families in communities, societies, nations and in relations between nations.

I want to suggest that Korea can make a major practical contribution to the emergence of such a global ethic if it creates a national vision based on hongik ingan, and on that basis reunites the Korean people of the North and the South.

Such an achievement would resolve a major obstacle to peace and prosperous development in Northeast Asia with positive implications for the rest of the world.

To conclude, in the story of Dangun, hongik ingan is linked closely with the principle of jae sea i hwa, or governing the world by law. This is not laws enacted by state, but universal laws that reflect universal principles.

We can understand the two concepts, hongik ingan and jae sae i hwa, taken together, as an exhortation to govern the world through laws that reflect universal principles in order to form citizens who can act in a way that can benefit all humanity. This is indeed a noble aspiration and one that Koreans should feel proud to own and to make a reality in a restored homeland. That is a future that I hope at least some of us can see.

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Interview with Nepal Earthquake Survivor Bambie Panta

Main — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 00:41:54 +0000

Bambie Panta was at home having lunch with her husband, Global Peace Foundation – Nepal President Ram Panta and their two children when the massive earthquake hit Kathamndu and surrounding areas in April 2015. Her husband grabbed the children and made for the door. “I don’t remember getting out of the flat,” said Bambie.

Their three story apartment building survived the earthquake, but the tremors continued through the next few days. To be safe, Bambie and her family camped outside, going in when they dared to get clothes, food and blankets. The nightmarish three days are a blur to Bambie.

“I kept thinking, I’m going to die, but even so, I thought, even if I die, I’ll be okay because I’m with my family.”

Bambie Panta offers much needed supplies to mothers in Nepal.

Five months have passed since that day, and Bambie and her family have done more than survive, they have actively supported “Rise Nepal,” a movement of young Nepali volunteers who have inspired international support to help “Nepal Rise and Shine again.”

The Global Peace Foundation’s communications team caught up with Bambie who was busy coordinating volunteers, gathering donations and distributing much needed aid. Their latest initiative is the “Shelter of Hope” campaign that is building 1,000 temporary housing units for displaced families.

We asked her about what inspires her to keep going, what she has learned about the character of Nepal, and her assessment of the process of rebuilding a nation.

GPF: “Rise Nepal” started almost immediately after the earthquake. How were you able to make the quick switch from shock to action?

Bambie: Actually for the first three days we just stayed out in the open space. Less than fifteen minutes after the earthquake, my husband went back into the flat, grabbed his wallet and phone and went to see his parents. I stayed with the kids in the open space by our flat, just trying to survive. I honestly felt helpless for the first three days.

For three days we had no contact with the world. I would hear from people coming through that the destruction was pretty bad, but we didn’t even have an FM/AM radio. I had no idea until I got on the internet and saw all the people on my Facebook page from all over the world asking “How are you?” I realized how many buildings were destroyed and how many people died.

Founder of the Student Volunteer Army, Sam Johnson and member of APPDSA brings his years experience coordinating student volunteer efforts for disaster relief.

It was on the fourth day after the initial earthquake that we finally got to the GPF office. We actually have no experience with disaster relief, we didn’t know who to contact, where to go or what to do. But [Global Peace Foundation’s Vice President] David Caprara sent Sam Johnson [a disaster relief expert]. Honestly, the first few days were chaos. Sam Johnson helped a lot. He tried to get us on the ground.

Global Peace Youth and Sam Johnson have really led Rise Nepal. I just supported them. I started to help make the connection with the schools that I had begun to work with through CCI (the Character and Creativity Initiative is part of Global Peace Education’s work to transform education). My interns and I began visiting the schools. I wanted to make sure that whatever relief we would be giving them was actually meeting their needs. Right now they need lights and shelters. Our team is doing a great job. We have tried to reach as many places as they can, with whatever materials that we had.

(Sam Johnson is an advisor of the Asian-Pacific Peace and Development Service Alliance that had just convened its South Asian consultation in Nepal just a few weeks before the earthquake. He is founder of the Student Volunteer Corps in Christchurch New Zealand that has effectively engaged youth in the clean-up and rebuilding on Christchurch after a series of earthquakes in 2010).

Bambie Panta with her two sons.

GPF: How have your kids and other children been coping with the earthquake? One of the children in the United States saw some Rise Nepal photos and wondered what has helped the children smile despite the devastation?

Bambie: Kids are very resilient. My youngest son told me “I’m not afraid.” My oldest understood more, so he was more worried. After the earthquake, he told me to make sure we took him out of the house if he was sleeping during another earthquake.

I reassured him, “You are here with us, you’ll be safe, as long as you are with your mom and dad, don’t worry.”

Family is really important. And just love, really, to just love my kids. To talk to them, make them feel safe, hug them. It helps surrounding them with people who love them.

GPF: When things get difficult, what keeps you going?

Bambie: I really think God has given me a second chance to live. I really thought that I was really going to die. At that time, it felt like the end of the world. I have to make use of my life, for the purpose of my life, to make use of it properly and try to help people as much as I can.

“Shleter of Hope” Campaign volunteers and beneficiaries

So I try to reach out and help people who are in need. Also seeing people coming as well from other countries, and trying to help us, has inspired us all. We realize we also have to do something for our country; we can’t just depend on them. We’re really thankful— thankful for having survived and thankful for all the help from around the world.

The Global Peace Foundation – Nepal is currently trying to meet the “Shelter of Hope” campaign goal of providing 1,000 shelters for displaced families. Donate today.

Original article: www.globalpeace.org

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International Youth Exchange Programs Share Agenda at Korea Unification Events

Main — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 00:43:02 +0000

Aspiring young leaders from Philippines, Malaysia, Mongolia, Panama and the United States participated in joint program organized by the Global Peace Youth Exchange and the Global Peace Leadership Exchange, convening in Seoul, South Korea from October 6-10, 2015 on the theme “Building a Global Family of Peace Builders.”

Experts speak at the Asia-Pacific Peace and Development Service Alliance Forum

The Global Peace Youth Exchange is a program that emphasizes universal principles and values that transcend national, cultural and religious differences, while highlighting innovative approaches to peacebuilding and development. Global Peace Leadership Exchange connects government, business, media and civil society leaders from Korea with leaders in other countries in a dynamic program that includes community development projects and cultural exchange.

The joint program coincided with the convening of international forums and public events on Korean unification that provided insights into the complexities of this issue and the diverse leadership approaches to resolving the 70-year division.

GPYE participants were observers at the Global Forum on the Role of Korea in Sustainable Development at the Korean Council on Foreign Relations, and the Asia Pacific Peace and Development Service Alliance Global Forum, which focused on the role of Republic of Korea in global humanitarian service and development, strengthening youth engagement and volunteerism to enhance development and peace, and scaling up successful programs and models involving youth and multilateral partners.

K-Pop group performs at the 1K Concert in Seoul Stadium

The participants also attended the One Dream One Korea Concert at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul, which engaged more than 30 K-pop stars in the performance of a new Unification Song. Renowned composer Kim Hyung-suk led a team of producers to create the song as an anthem for the dream of Korean unification. The Unification Song is meant to engage the minds and hearts of young people and raise awareness of Korean unification around the world.

Gabriella Ellis, a university student from Panama said the program was “a great platform for current and aspiring young leaders to be engaged with the efforts of Global Peace Foundation around the world to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.” She added that the program provided and an opportunity “to collaborate with other young leaders from other countries in the area of youth empowerment and education.”

Philippines Vice Governor Jo Kristine Revilof Masbate Province affirmed her interest to continuously learn from the international community to support the development of the province. She particularly cited South Korea’s development model of Saemaul Undong, saying that collectively a community can do and achieve many things.

The Global Peace Youth Adventure Program at Bukhansan National Park, which was a highlight of the program, aimed to develop the leadership skills and potential of young leaders through experiential learning while discovering the wonders of nature.

Enkhjargal Chimed-Ocjir, a Global Peace Youth Volunteer from Mongolia, reflected, “even if the adventure program was challenging, I realized that for us to reach our goals we need to sacrifice and strive harder to succeed; and having a team with a common understanding and motivation and will make every journey worthwhile.”

Global Peace Foundation Regional Representative for Asia Pacific Jinsoo Kim encouraged the youth to protect not only the environment but the future citizens and situations in which they will live. “The work we need to do should not just start or end here; it should be a life-long passion and commitment to teach and nurture the next leaders to stand after us,” he said. He encouraged the participants to set an example of “courage, confidence, skills, knowledge and wisdom for them to stand on, improve and develop for themselves and their peers.”

Original article: www.globalpeace.org

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Experts at Seoul Forum Say Postwar Korea a Development Model for Emerging Economies

Main — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 00:44:09 +0000

Asia-Pacific Peace and Development Service Alliance Convening Highlights Service, Volunteerism, Youth Engagement

The growth of Korea from one of the poorest countries in the world into a modern, vibrant democracy and one of the world’s leading economies presents important lessons to developing nations said economists, political leaders and development experts at a forum, “The Role of Korea in Sustainable Development,” on October 8, 2015.

Development experts discuss South Korea’s role in sustainable development in Seoul, South Korea.

The experience of this transition, the challenges, the national resolve and government/private sector collaboration, are invaluable assets that can offer hope to the global community in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, speakers emphasized.

The forum was co-convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, UN-HABITAT, Korean Council on Foreign Relations, and the Global Peace Foundation as part of a series of academic forums and public events to support the advance of peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula of the seventieth anniversary of the division of Korea. Additional sponsors of the forum included Love in Lights, Asia Development Relief Foundation, Service for Peace, Scientists and Engineers without Borders, Educators without Borders, Korean Society For U-City, and the Utokapat Foundation.

Korea’s humanitarian advances worldwide

The forum highlighted the Republic of Korea’s growing humanitarian and service work worldwide, and examined ways to strengthen the contributions of youth and volunteerism, improve coordination among sectors, build partnerships, and mobilize resources in Korea to advance a development agenda.

“Development of youth is a prerequisite for nation building,” said Tae-Ik Chung, Chairman of the Korean Council on Foreign Relations, in welcoming remarks. “The spirit, diligence, enthusiasm and the creativeness of the youths contribute positively for all-round development of a nation.”

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga speaks at the APPDSA forum.

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga praised Korea for its vigorous efforts to build political and economic structures to lift the nation out of poverty. “Your investment in meritocracy, democracy, education, invention and innovation has paid dividends and continues to provide useful lessons for the rest of the developing world,” the Prime Minister said. “Korea has shown the world that economic growth can also be equitable and inclusive.”

Mr. Odinga said that Korea, Kenya and Africa could be reliable partners in global diplomacy and economic development. He said that Korea can provide the economic support, skills and manpower needed for modernization and growth in Africa. “Above all, Korea remains an inspiration and a motivation that indeed, with the right policies, nations can rise.”

The Prime Minister also used the forum to encourage international partnerships as one means of facilitating the unification of the two Koreas. Greater cooperation and stability he suggested will promote more investment in the South, uplift the North, and “foster a more future-oriented and multi-faceted partnership in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.” Mr. Odinga continued, “Personally, I stand ready to visit Pyongyang if it can help bridge the divide and help with confidence-building measures.”

Ki-Seok Kim, President of Educators without Borders and Honorary Consul of Burkina Faso, presented a case study of Korean-Burkina Faso collaboration from 2007-2015 through a joint project, Global Alliance for Poverty Alleviation. The comprehensive project included adult literacy, agricultural training and environmental preservation, husbandry, entrepreneurship, malaria and HIV/AIDS prevention, and microfinancing. Winner of the 2014 UNESCO Award in September, the project has received invitations from countries including Senegal, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

Priority of education

Africa and Asia Development Relief Foundation President Yi-Jong Kwon summarized the many priorities addressed in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, but particularly stressed the importance of education as a response to poverty. He movingly talked about his experience and aspirations as one of 20,000 Koreans sent to Germany as laborers at the end of the Korean War.

Africa and Asia Development Relief Foundation President Yi-Jong Kwon speaks at the APPDSA forum.

“The priority for everyone at that moment was only one, survival,” he reflected. “In spite of enduring hunger and working at a blind end in a mine gallery, I never gave up on study. I was convinced that learning and studying was the only way for me to get out of this horrible poverty.”

He said behind the Korea’s development are much time and effort invested into children’s education in order to overcome poverty. “For the better future, the international society should provide neglected children with the opportunity for equal education,” he said.

Global Peace Foundation Vice President of Strategic Partnerships David Caprara reminded the forum of the recent establishment of the Asia Pacific Service Alliance in Bangkok and immediate impact the alliance had following the devastating earthquake in Nepal through the youth volunteer movement Rise Nepal.

“As Pope Francis stated well,” Caprara said, “the critical elements involved in saving our planet—from addressing climate change, to working to eradicate poverty and bring peace—are inextricably linked, and we must each exert all of our effort in concrete steps after today’s meeting to achieve these noble goals.

“How can we learn today from the unique experience of the Korean people who rose from the ashes and tragic division of the Korean war 70 years ago, and whose country was transformed from a nation of abject poverty to a modern donor nation? The answer is rooted in the Korean people’s commitment to their universal, founding principles of hongik ingam: ‘Living for the benefit of all mankind.’

“While we are here today to study and learn from the unique Korean model of development, we are also here to further build this movement of multi-stakeholders – led by youth, powered by the private sector, and infused with faith in the universal principles of unity and service.”

Original article: www.globalpeace.org

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Global Peace Convention 2013: December 5-8 2013, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Main — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 21:29:31 +0000

GPC 2013 Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, December 5-8.

The GPC 2013 will be held in Kuala Lumpur, a cultural, financial and economic hub in Southeast Asia. This year the convention will focus on “The Power of Unity: Interfaith, Family, Service Towards Sustainable Peace.”

The Global Peace Convention brings together leaders from all sectors: civil society, government, religion, media and academia, to share and develop new approaches to peace and sustainable development based on universal principles and values.

Despite significant advances, billions of the world’s people still live in extreme poverty, the environment is threatened by unmitigated exploitation of natural resources, and conflict based on religion, ideology and ethnicity continues.

There is an urgent need for moral and innovative leadership guided by shared principles and values and innovation that harnesses the advances of the twenty-first century.

The Global Peace Foundation in partnership with Malaysia’s Department of National Integration and Unity and Universiti Malaya, will

Malaysia is widely diverse. It has found “unity in diversity”

host the 2013 Global Peace Convention (GPC).

Malaysia’s experience as a modern Islamic nation and parliamentary democracy is notable. Malaysia is widely diverse: from Malay (53%) and Muslim (60%), Chinese and Indians, Buddhist, Hindu and Christians. And it has come to “understand accept our diversity as a blessing: a source not just of cultural vitality but also economic advantage.”

In 1970, after a violent clash between Chinese and Malay, the government of Malaysia issued The Rukenegara (national ideology), to articulate the common principles and goals of its people. The first of these principles is “Faith in God.” Of course the process ongoing, as the Prime Minister noted in his address entitled, “Unity in Diversity”, “Our communities seem to have grown apart. Our schools have become less diverse and our communities more polarized.”

For more information or to register for the Global Peace Convention 2013 visit: www.globalpeace.org

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Dr. Hyun Jin Moon Addresses the Theme, “Peace-Building in East Asia and the Reunification of the Korean Peninsula” at the Global Peace Convention in Seoul, Korea

Editor — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:55:26 +0000

The following speech was delivered at the Global Peace Conference in Seoul, Korea under the theme, “Peace-Building in East Asia and the Reunification of the Korean Peninsula,” on November 28-30, 2011.

Your excellencies, honored guests, distinguished participants from around the world. It is a distinct pleasure to meet you here at the Global Peace Convention in my birth nation of Korea. Thank you for your participation and your continuing support in this noble cause for peace.

Let me first express my appreciation for those who have worked tirelessly to make this significant Global Peace Convention a reality. It is only through “true owners,” who are willing to make the necessary sacrifices out of their busy schedules, that the all too important work for peace is sustained.

I would like to thank the Honorable Seo Young-Hoon for serving as President of this convention, and the Honorable Lee Ki-Taek for serving as Honorary President. I would also like to acknowledge the bold leadership of our Organizing Committee Co-Chairmen, the Honorable Song Young-sun of the Korean National Assembly and the Honorable Jose de Venecia, the longtime Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Philippines and founding president of Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International. We extend special appreciation to the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Unification and the National Unification Advisory Council to the President for serving as co-sponsors for this convention. Let us give them and the entire Organizing Committee a warm round of applause.

Korea and the World Today

Map of the Korean peninsula

Ladies and gentlemen, Korea is known as “the land of the morning calm.” I believe that that image is a fitting metaphor for a nation poised to make a meaningful impact on the global stage. Like the rise of a new dawn at the breaking of a new day, it captures the possibility of Korea’s unique position not only on this peninsula, this region of northeast Asia and the pan-Pacific rim, but also around the world.

Over the past two years, the tensions between the North and South have been in the forefront of international news. Although many consider the Cold War to have ended during the latter part of 1980s with the collapse of the Soviet Union, it has not ended on this peninsula. The two Koreas are officially still at war, maintaining an unstable détente through the monumental efforts of the Korean people and the intervention of their powerful neighbors.

The story of post-war Korea is a narrative of two opposing visions for the Korean people and the world. Yet, after 60 years, it is remarkable that, unlike its brethren to the north, the South continues to develop in ways that have earned the respect of the international community as well as offering the gifts of modernity, wealth and freedom to its citizens. It is a clear testament to the resilient spirit of the Korean people that, despite the challenges of a civil war, the South could so dramatically improve its destiny, while the North languishes in famine, poverty and oppression.

Yet, the narrative is still not over since Korea stands as a house divided with the fate of the entire Pan-Pacific rim standing in the balance. Thus, to close the chapter on the Korean War and the continuing uncertainty of the peninsula’s fate, the Korean people, both North and South, has to resolve their differences and come together centered upon one vision for a united Korea. What will that vision be? And what would that vision mean and represent to a reunified Korean people? These are questions that we, as Koreans, must address if we are to find a path to reconciliation and eventual reunification.

In addition, it is important for the Korean people and the world to realize that the effects of any major shift on the peninsula, whether good or bad, would have regional and global consequences. Being a peninsular nation, it straddles the continental historic and cultural sphere of the Asia and the island and western cultural spheres of the Pan-Pacific rim. It is important to also note that this region represents the most animated and robust economies as well as the being the center of all the global powerhouses such as the United States, China, Russia, Japan, India and the growing ASEAN block. The rise of these powers represents a shift from the Atlantic era of the past five centuries to the dawning of a Pacific era that will leave an enduring legacy for humanity’s future.

We have reached an inflection point in human history where the circumstances, today, are preparing the world for a paradigm shift of major proportions which could positively or negatively affect this century and our collective futures. Korea stands in the vortex of that historic shift and its fate will affect the lives of not only the Koran people but the entire northeast Asian region, the Pan-Pacific rim and the world. Being a man of faith and a Korean, I cannot but feel the hand of divine providence guiding these developments and the importance of this moment for my birth nation of Korea.

Universal Aspirations, Principles and Values

Arch of Reunification (Photo Credit: Kok Leng Yeo, Wikicommons)

What is the compass that can help us navigate these historic changes to achieve a world of peace and prosperity? I submit to you that it is a shared spiritual vision for humanity based upon universal principles and values.

We Koreans owe a great debt of gratitude to the United Nations and the sixteen nations that fought in the Korean War to preserve the freedom of the Republic of Korea. Their and the Korean peoples shared sacrifices in blood paid for the “Korean miracle” we are experiencing a possibility. As all of you know, the UN was created after World War II to avoid future conflicts by promoting the ideals of fundamental human rights and freedoms, and intervening in the most pressing global issues of the day.

However, the UN’s lofty goal of preventing future conflicts has yet to be achieved, despite many well-intentioned efforts, because it failed to acknowledge that the source of our fundamental human rights and freedoms is our Creator, and not by human design, institution or government. The spirituality of our humanity is the well from which our shared aspirations, principles and values flow. However, this resource has not been tapped to establish a recognized global ethic. Without a shared ethic there can be no global common ground for dialogue, understanding and conflict resolution.

The United States’ Lesson for the Modern World

Ladies and gentlemen, during its remarkable rise in the 20th century, the power, influence and wealth of the United States has been both admired and envied. Throughout its history, people from all over the world emigrated there to share in the “American dream.” As a 1st generation American, I have often asked myself the question: what is the essence of that dream?

For me, the American dream is not about a bigger house, a second car or even better opportunities for my children. It is not even about democracy or the free market economic system. Without the vitality of spiritual principles and values that have animated the American people the systems of democracy and the free market would have had a far different expression than that we see and admire in the United States.

Those enduring and “self-evident” principles and values are expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the American vision statement, which recognizes the existence of “inalienable rights” that are “endowed” by our Creator, placing them beyond the reach of any state or human institution. Thus, the American dream was to live in “one nation under God,” where the sovereignty of the Creator guarantees “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for all its citizens. It set the precedent for our modern understanding of human rights and freedoms and the basis of a growing global ethic.

The American dream led the United States to prosper and inspire other nations throughout its short history. After the end of the Second World War, this dream was the inspiration behind the US effort to create the United Nations. Yet, under the dark cloud of the Cold War, the true source behind the rights and liberty that many in western-style democracies took for granted was not fully acknowledged. After the counter-cultural revolution of the 1960s, a secularization of human rights and freedoms occurred in the West, especially in the United States and Europe, where faith and spirituality were slowly removed from the civic square.

Nevertheless, everything changed after September 11, 2001. In our post-9/11 world, where radical expressions of faith embrace the tactics of religious war, the need to mitigate the divisiveness of narrow religious advocacy becomes obvious. It is clear that a broader consensus on a spiritual platform rooted in aspirations, principles and values is urgently needed to stop the trend towards a global religious conflict. The United States has already established a model, on a national level, where religious freedom is one of many guaranteed rights afforded to every American citizen. Yet, this ideal is not recognized by many nations in the international community.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for us to dream big and adopt a global vision rooted in spiritual aspirations, principles and values. It has to have the breadth and the scope to transcend all the barriers that separate humanity and build a common identity without diminishing the unique attributes that each of us exhibit and cherish. It also needs a national advocate that can communicate this vision to the larger global community. I believe that that vision is “One Family under God” and that a united Korea should champion that vision around the world.

The Korean Dream

Engraved image of Hwanim, Lord of Heaven, at Samseonggung, a memorial of the founding figures of Korean history.

I call this vision the Korean dream since it provides a framework for reunification and Korean leadership on a global stage. Koreans are no strangers to the importance of such a vision. They have always been altruistic and big dreamers. More than two thousand years ago, in the ancient country of Gojosen, our ancestors were guided by the philosophy of “Hong Ik In Gan” or “for the greater benefit of mankind.” Koreans, today, are still familiar with this idea in both North and South Korea.

Yet, most Korea experts will acknowledge that reunification poses great challenges. There is a huge economic disparity between the North and South, far greater than that between East and West Germany. Equally important are the cultural and social differences between the two countries, even though they are ethnically the same. In order to understand its magnitude, one only needs to observe how much difficulty North Korean defectors have in adapting to the simple everyday realities of life in Seoul.

As I mentioned earlier, Koreans can only, seriously, meet the challenges of reunification if we, both in the North and South, are clear about what kind of country a united Korea should be and have the commitment to build such a nation together. I believe that that national vision should be rooted in universal principles and values based upon the shared aspirations of all humankind. This is the only way we can safeguard the human rights and freedoms that South Koreans currently enjoy, and guarantee those same privileges to the North.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a time of great opportunity for Korea, on a regional and even a global stage. The global financial crisis struck the developed western economies of the northern hemisphere the hardest, leaving the emerging nations of the southern hemisphere relatively unscathed. As a result, the developing world is fundamentally questioning the hitherto dominant western models of development and leadership. Many of them are looking to Korea because of its recent rapid economic development and its more traditional Asian culture.

Yet, to be a true global leader, Korea needs to offer more than the promise of a strong economy and recognized global corporate brands. To understand my point, one only needs to look to Korea’s neighbor, Japan. Although it is the third largest economy today, for the last several decades it was ranked second in the world after the United States. During that tenure, beyond the plethora of consumer goods, what significant historic contribution has Japan made to the region of Asia and the world? Does Korea want to follow this example or does it want to offer a new kind of leadership that can affect the destiny of Asia and the world?

To dream big and chart a new path of global leadership, like our ancestral philosophy of Hong Ik In Gan, Koreans should be moral and innovative leaders. In order to truly be a leader of any merit or worth, one must have the gravitas of moral authority. In other words, a true leader’s position should not reflect any self-serving personal or political interests but benefit “the greater good” of humanity. Thus, the moral aspect of leadership provides a vision rooted in universal aspirations, principles and values, while the innovative aspect of leadership provides the methods through which that vision can be realized. They are like the two sides of a coin.

If all Koreans can become the moral and innovative leaders who truly own the reunification process and, together, build a common national destiny; then, they can capture the imagination of all people, since peace and hope on the peninsula would be felt throughout the region and the world. As Koreans, this is our challenge and, at the same time, our opportunity to be global leaders. I urge all Koreans to seize this historical moment and lead the world to peace and co-prosperity through the vision of “One Family under God” and champion the ideals of fundamental human rights and freedoms in this emerging era of the Pan-Pacific rim.

Korean Peninsula Peace Initiative and the Asian Region

Ladies and gentlemen, in this context, the Global Peace Convention and its theme of “Peacebuilding in East Asia and the Reunification of the Korean Peninsula” could not be more timely. Distinguished delegates from around the world have assembled to put forward important scholarly ideas, and interfaith and service initiatives which will contribute to a roadmap for peace in East Asia and the Korean Peninsula.

The regional dimension is crucial as President Obama’s recent trip and the regional meetings in Hawaii and Indonesia bear witness. We have to recognize that our world has entered the Pan-Pacific Rim era in which the nations of Asia along with the United States must find common cause. What happens between North and South Korea is inextricably linked to the surrounding actors of Russia, China, Japan, Mongolia and the larger neighborhood of Pacific nations including the United States and ASEAN countries.

Global Peace Leadership Conference participants in Ulaanbaatar’s Sukhbaatar Square for Wreath Laying Ceremony

This Global Peace Convention in Seoul and its preceding Global Peace Leadership Conference in Mongolia have begun to frame and generate a whole array of partnerships across the region. Our GPF Northeast Asia and Korean Peninsula Peace Initiative is being launched in Mongolia and Korea, and across East Asia with a wide range of public-private partnerships. This new GPFF track two peace initiative of civil society joining in partnership with national governments, corporations and philanthropy has already established a track record for conflict resolution and peace in hot spots around the world from Mindanao in the Philippines, to Nepal and Kenya.

A key part of this conference is the launch of an ongoing East Asia Parliamentary Caucus including not only Korea and its neighbors but parliamentarians from Southeast, South and Central Asia and the United States. Together they will open up new communication channels with North Korea to secure the foundation for a peaceful community in Northeast Asia.

We are also pleased to announce the launching of the Asia Institute which will help create a road map for the reunification of North and South Korea, through collaborations with other think tanks, universities and experts in the world of policy and academia.

Conclusion

Ladies and gentlemen, we stand at a crossroads in history. The choices we make now, and the leadership we exhibit, will have far-reaching impact on the future, not in East Asia, but throughout the world.

I want to challenge the nation of Korea to dream big and take on the mantle of global moral and innovative leadership. I want to challenge a new generation of Koreans to become masters of their own destiny as their fathers and grandfathers did after the Korean War.

Let us pave the path to peace and reconciliation on this peninsula through the unifying vision of “One Family under God.” Let us also become regional leaders who can arbitrate the interests of Korea’s powerful neighbors to maintain peace and stability in the Northeast Asia and the Pan-Pacific rim; and, most importantly, let us become global leaders by championing the ideals of fundamental human rights and freedoms rooted in universal principles and values. Thereby, let us set the stage for a global ethic which could be the common ground for true dialogue understanding and conflict resolution.

I encourage you to pour your best ideas, talents and resources into the deliberations of this global convention and its culminating Seoul Declaration. Let us work together to realize a world of true peace in which not only human rights are respected, and democratic values are enjoyed, but also material abundance is secured, and spiritual values are fulfilled.

Let us not rest until the dawn of peace on the Korean peninsula, which will cast a bright ray of hope to all the world’s peoples. May God bless you and your families. Thank you very much for joining us in this noble undertaking.

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