Koreans in the diaspora suffer from divided families the same as Koreans on the peninsula. We are affected by and engaged in the fate of a divided homeland and often can bring a broader perspective to meeting the challenge of unification. I believe that the diaspora is destined to play an essential role in gathering support and building awareness on a global stage for the unity of the Korean people. – Hyun Jin Moon, The Korean Dream: A Vision for a Unified Korea

Ongoing efforts by both North and South Korea to engage their diaspora communities only begins to scratch the surface of the potential impact and contribution Koreans spread across the globe can make on their homeland.

Overseas Korean capital brought into South Korea (Source: IZA World of Labor)

Both sides of the Korean peninsula have drawn on a number of connecting factors, namely language, culture and identity, which have been mostly passed down from generation to generation within the tight knit Korean traditional family. This unique quality is shared between both North and South Koreans.

Chongryun is an example of North Korean efforts to keep their ties alive with Zainichi Chosenjin, North Koreans living in Japan. The organization runs schools, universities, cultural exchange programs, and even a credit union. Robert M. Hathaway, Director of Asia Program at the Wilson Center, observes that the society is a prominent force that represents the agendas of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in Japan.

South Korean initiatives are younger. The most recognized South Korean initiative is the Overseas Koreans Foundation, formally established in 1997 and run by the Republic of Korean government. Around the same time as allowing dual citizenship and the more recent recognition of Koreans in China and the former CIS, the Korean Legislation has begun to establish ties between Korea and its large diaspora community.

Studies of South Korea’s engagement with its diaspora community center mostly on economic opportunity. A study by Inbom Choi, chief economist for the Federation of Korean Industries and visiting fellow at the Institute for International Economics, shows that the diaspora community has had a measurable impact on imports and exports, foreign investment, increased inflow and outflow of cash with foreign countries and an influx of both skilled and unskilled labor.

However, a mere economic analysis of the benefits from the diaspora community does not take into consideration cultural currency, humanitarian aid, and sheer people power. To date, statistics show that the Korean diaspora is the most widely spread diaspora in the world.

There are stories like Mr. George Rhee from the United Kingdom who began ‘Love North Korean Children’, an organization that the Global Peace Foundation’s “Miracle of 1,000 Won” supports, to establish bread factories in North Korea to feed local children.

International student volunteers raising money for “Miracle of 1,000 Won” a donation drive to support bread factories in North Korea that provide daily bread for local school children.

There are numerous examples where the diaspora community has stood up to provide humanitarian aid, advocacy, and even emergency relief to their extended Korean family. The contribution of the Korean diaspora during the March 1st Korean Independence Movement had Koreans around the world, from intellectuals in Japan to farmers in Cuba, who sought the liberation of their fatherland.

Perhaps in these examples lie a deeper connection and calling to Koreans living abroad. If we reflect on the economic impact and benefit that the diaspora community has had on both North and South Korea, we can only imagine what a reawakening of Koreans around the world to their shared role as ‘a chosen people’ could do for Northeast Asia and the world.

Dr. Moon’s call out to the diaspora community goes deeper than just economic gains. It is a similar call to the one from the 1940’s Independence Movement. Despite the division that was artificially imposed by outside forces, this is a call for Koreans around the world to bring together their divided family with the strength of their shared identity as a family. It is time for the people chosen to live for the benefit of humanity to fulfill their destiny.

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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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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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The Kenyan Standard Digital published an article that featured an approach to identity-based conflict and religious radicalism presented by Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation, at Global Peace Convention 2013 held in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

Interfaith leaders and Global Peace Foundation leaders at the pivotal Global Peace Leadership Conference in Abuja, Nigeria in 2013 to launch the One Family Under God campaign.

The article entitled, “Fanatics blamed for inter-faith conflicts” cited images of the Westgate Mall terrorist attacks on September 21, 2013 as a chilling reminder of the real and close threat of radicalism not just Africa, but around the world.

Dr. Manu Chandaria, CEO Comcraft Group and Special Advisor of GPF Africa presents Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, with the award conferred to the Global Peace Foundation Kenya in 2013 by the United Nations for effort with youth and peace.

Dr. Moon made a compelling case for religious cooperation centered on universal principles and values to counter divisive sectarianism. He observed that political and diplomatic approaches have been limited when confronting the complex and wide-spread nature of identity-based conflict.

“The threat of sectarian extremism will never be resolved by political or economic means alone. A true and lasting resolution must be rooted in faith, expressed through practical spirituality.”

Two emerging African models of such cooperation are in Kenya and Nigeria. Dr. Chandaria, Chairman of Global Peace Foundation Kenya and CEO of Comcraft Group described GPF’s work in Kenya. After the post-election violence in 2007-2009, GPF worked with the leadership of former President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minsiter Raila Odinga to create national unity through volunteer and civic engagement and character education initiatives. GPF’s efforts have been credited for securing peaceful elections in 2013.

In Nigeria, the Global Peace Foundation is rallying with Christian pastors and Muslims Imams to push back against religious radicalism by promoting social cohesion based on the vision that all humanity, not matter their religion, nationality, race or culture is One Family Under God.

Standard Digital cited these two examples of practical expressions of spirituality that is bringing peace in a real way.

Read the report on www.globalpeace.org.

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The first week of February is World Interfaith Harmony Week, established by UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/65/5. In his statement this year, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon wrote, “For billions of people around the world, faith is an essential foundation of life.  It provides strength in times of difficulty and an important sense of community. ”

Through his work, Dr. Moon has placed utmost importance on inter-religious cooperation. According to Dr. Moon, spiritual principles and values form the core of moral leadership. And spiritual leaders who carry moral authority hold the key to bringing people from all walks of life to the table to work for a common vision.

WATCH an EXCERPT:
At the Global Peace Convention 2013, held in December in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dr. Moon proposed a faith-based council at the UN as a way to bring a “fresh” approach to the threat of religious extremism and identity-based conflict.

Below is the transcript:

“The new and very different geopolitical dynamic of today calls for fresh thinking and new initiatives.

With that in mind, I propose the establishment of a faith-based Peace Council at the United Nations to meet the global challenge of identity-based conflict. Through such a council the collective wisdom and resources of the world’s great faith traditions can be mobilized to counter the radical elements that are distorting the original spirit of those traditions.We need to recognize the power of religious authority in amplifying the message of peace to local constituents in the most troubled hot spots of the world.

They represent a largely untapped resource for peace, yet, because they are deeply rooted in their communities, are far more effective peace builders than the UN’s ‘blue helmets’ who can only contain the level of violence.

When local faith leaders become true ‘owners’ of the vision of peace, they will inspire their constituents to act in ways to build real lasting peace.
We can be sure that the extremists are not sleeping.

Let us determine that it is not they who will determine the future, but it is us.”

For full speech visit: Global Peace Foundation on www.youtube.com.

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