On November 20, 2014, Readers’ Newspaper (독석신문)  hosted the 45^th annual ceremony for the Korean Culture and Arts Publications Award at the National Assembly Memorial Hall.

This year, Global Peace Foundation founder, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon’s new book, “Korean Dream: Vision for a Unified Korea” was recognized as “Book of the Year” in the society category.

Dr. Moon writes, “We need to look beyond our current divisions and seek a new united future rooted in a common past. I am a man who believes in big dreams. I also believe that Korea today is ripe for such a challenge. In this book I want to show that a great and historic opportunity lies within our grasp. I want to lay out a new vision for Korea that can transform the peninsula, the Northeast region, and the world. What will that dream look like?”

The announcement in the Readers’ Newspaper appears here in Korean.

Learn more about the Korean Dream book.

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GPF Chairman say a clear vision of a unified Korea should be based upon the principles and values that have shaped Korean identity.  

Dr. Hyun Jin Moon greets Dr. Edwin J. Feulner, founder of The Heritage Foundation and Chairman of the Asian Studies Center at the 2014 Global Peace Leadership Conference in Seoul.

30-Sep-2014 |“In the three years since the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) held its annual convention here in Seoul, the landscape regarding Korean unification has changed dramatically,” GPF Chairman Dr. Hyun Jin Moon told an assembly of Korean political and religious leaders and international scholars in Seoul on September 30, 2014. “South Korean government policy is now to actively pursue peaceful unification by seeking to engage the North through a number of channels, [including] proposed infrastructure projects, as well as cultural exchanges with the North Korean people. In policy discussions within South Korea there is now much greater focus on the potential benefits that will flow from peaceful unification.” The GPF Chairman was addressing the 2014 Global Peace Leadership Conference (GPLC), “Vision, Principles, and Values of a Unified Korea,” the latest of several GPF-supported initiatives, including conferences, public education and humanitarian campaigns, and civil society partnerships, to elevate awareness and support for Korean unification. Dr. Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, gave an overview of the changing perspectives of unification since the division of the peninsula and the end of the Korean War and what he called “an important sea-change” in recent attitudes about unification.

Dr. Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, outlines the changing perspectives about Korean unification since the division at the conclusion of the Korean War.

Cha cited five distinct perspectives in the post-war era, beginning with a stark, Cold War-dominated view that saw unification only based on the eradication of the competing, irreconcilable political system. This ideological stance migrated, with the lessons of the integration of East and West Germany, into a “hard-landing” view of unification that dwelt on the enormous costs to the South of integrating the impoverished North. With the election of Kim Dae jung to the presidency and elevation of his Sunshine policy, a strategy of unconditional engagement with the North to moderate tensions and encourage economic development, the prospect of unification came to be viewed as remote and unrealistic, and relegated into the distant future. With the election of conservative Lee Myung-bak a more pragmatic view of unification emerged, with the government acknowledging that factors could precipitate a much more sudden change for which preparations should be made. South Korea’s current President, Park Geun-hye, has presented yet another view of unification, seeing it as an opportunity for growth, investment, and a “bonanza” or jackpot for Korea and her neighbors. Cha acknowledged that shifting attitudes are related to politics, but recent focus on the issue “is also motivated by a sober realization that the stability of the regime in the North is far from certain.” He also noted growing ties between South Korea and China. “South Korea is try to take advantage of this window and bring China more to its side. It wants to create greater equities for Beijing in its relations with Seoul than its relations with Pyongyang. And they believe the moment is now.” Heritage Foundation founder and Asian Studies Center Chairman Dr. Edwin J. Feulner presented a sobering assessment of any peaceful or gradual integration of the two Koreas. “Korean unification would require, quite simply, either fundamental political and economic reform by North Korea or the collapse of the regime,” he said. “Unfortunately, Kim Jong-un has clearly demonstrated that he will be as resistant to reform as his predecessors were.”

Heritage Foundation founder and Asian Studies Center Chairman Dr. Edwin J. Feulner: “Korean unification would require, quite simply, either fundamental political and economic reform by North Korea or the collapse of the regime.”

He also said that Pyongyang has displayed remarkable resilience to external pressure. “Regime change in the foreseeable future is unlikely due to the pervasiveness of North Korean security services, the lack of a viable opposition party or movement, and the state’s absolute control over information sources,” Feulner told the conference. Emphasizing the ongoing U.S. strategic commitment and Beijing’s complex balance of interests in avoiding a collapse of the North Korea regime, Feulner outlined steps the U.S. could take to assist the process of eventual unification, including:

• Giving support for South Korea’s current, conditional efforts for engagement;
• Taking action against North Korea’s illegal activities, including its nuclear and missile programs, and any complicit foreign individual, bank, business, or government agency;
• Pressing China to exert greater influence over Pyongyang and join international efforts to sanction the regime
• Maintaining robust military deterrence.

Feulner also said that South Korea should reach out to North Korea through both bilateral and multilateral negotiations, but not acquiesce to North Korean pressure tactics. “Being excessively eager to compromise, as demonstrated by previous progressive administrations, not only rewards abhorrent behavior, but also undermines negotiating leverage. “President Park Geun-hye has provided a realistic blueprint for engaging North Korea,” he concluded. “In following these policies, Seoul should be resolute in its requirements of conditionality, reciprocity, and transparency from Pyongyang.”

“The principles of living for the benefit of all humanity and governing with morality and truth, and the spiritual consciousness they produced, became embedded in the Korean psyche and a part of our cultural heritage through the extended family tradition.”

In his keynote address, GPF Chairman Dr. Moon said that the focus of the conference—the vision, principles and values that can guide a unified Korea—“is an essential part of the preparation for unification, yet it has not been sufficiently discussed. “Unification will create a new nation, rich with new possibilities. What sort of nation should it be? What principles and what values should guide and sustain it? To grasp this opportunity we need to move forward with a clear vision of the future based upon the principles and values that have shaped Korean identity and defined Korea’s destiny.” Moon said the roots of Korean identity can be traced to Korea’s founding and the core principle of Hongik-Ingan with its exhortation to live for the “benefit of all humanity.” This ideal was to be implemented by governing the world with “morality and truth” (Ido-yeochi), thereby “enlightening the world with truth” (Kwangmyung-ise) and thus “creating a world of truth” (Jaesae-ihwa).

GPF Chairman Dr. Moon said that the focus of the conference was vision, principles and values that can guide a unified Korea.

“These principles and the spiritual consciousness they produced became embedded in the Korean psyche and a part of our cultural heritage through the extended family tradition,” the GPF Chairman said. “This is the foundation of an ethical society through which virtue is nurtured and passed on through the generations.” He added that the Korean Dream does not end with the unification of the Korean peninsula but is a vision that reaches out from the nation to the world. “One of the leaders of Korea’s independence movement, Baekbom Kim Gu, whom I mention in my book, captured the sentiment of the patriots of that time when he wrote, “I wish my nation would be a nation that doesn’t just imitate others, but rather it be a nation that is the source of a new and higher culture, that it can become the goal and an example [for others]. And thus true world peace could come from our nation.” The GPLC was organized by a coalition including the Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Action for Korea United, the Global Peace Foundation, and other faith-based and civil society supporters. A day earlier, a banquet and ceremony marked the formal launch of The Korean Dream: A Vision for a Unified Korea, a new book by Dr. Moon which examines Korean history and heritage as a source of shared values for a unified Korean people.

The original article appears on www.globalpeace.org.

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Opening Plenary Keynote Address, Global Peace Leadership Conference 2014, Seoul, Korea
Grand Hilton Hotel
September 29, 2014

Dr. Hyun Jin Moon addresses global leaders and experts convened at the Global Peace Leadership Conference 2014 in Seoul, Korea.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

I would like to thank you all for your time and leadership contribution at this Global Peace Leadership Conference on the theme of “Vision, Principles, and Values for a Unified Korea.” We are gathered at a truly important inflection point in the proud history of the Korean people and our shared quest to realize a unified homeland.

I would like to thank our partners Dr. Se Il Park of the Unification Arrangement Committee and Honorary Professor at Seoul National University, and Lee Gapsan and other leaders of Action for Korea United.
From the political sphere, I am happy to recognize the Members of the National Assembly who are joining us today, the Honorable Sung Tae Kim, the Honorable Myung Chul Cho, and the Honorable Young Kyo Seo and the many other political figures who are with us here.

We are also very pleased to welcome the representatives of six great faith traditions in Korea.

I wish to thank the Co-Chairmen of the Organizing Committee, Honorable Lee Maan Eee and Venerable Young Dam, Dr. Kwak Tae Hwan, Dr. Jin Shin and the many supporting scholars who have joined us.
Our esteemed international guests include Dr. Edwin Feulner, founder of the prestigious Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., Dr. Victor Cha, Korea Chair of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Dr. Robert and Mrs. Donna Schuller of the Coalition for American Renewal, Dr. Feng Zhu from Nanjing University, as well as key leaders of the Korean diaspora from Japan, China and the US.

Let us give them and the entire Organizing Committee a warm round of applause.

Unification Takes Center Stage
In the three years since the Global Peace Foundation held its annual convention here in Seoul, the landscape regarding Korean unification has changed dramatically. Back then, many South Koreans had little interest in the issue. They thought it would happen in a far distant future, if it happened at all.

But we continued forward, confident that the long cherished idea of Korean unification would become a pressing issue much sooner than most people expected. And that is exactly what happened. Kim Jong Il died suddenly and his son, Kim Jong Un, quickly showed himself to be both inexperienced and unpredictable. The resulting instability in the North presents a significant threat to the Korean peninsula and to the region leading many to see unification as the only path to resolve the present uncertainties.

Consequently, South Korean government policy is now to actively pursue peaceful unification by seeking to engage the North through a number of channels, as President Park expressed in her Dresden Declaration earlier this year. These include proposed infrastructure projects, as well as cultural exchanges with the North Korean people.

In policy discussions within South Korea there is now much greater focus on the potential benefits that will flow from peaceful unification. As South Korea’s ambassador to the United States told a recent CSIS conference in Washington, DC, “Unification is no longer a question of if but when.” How to prepare for it, therefore, has become a matter of urgent discussion.

Vision and Principles: Unification and the Korean Dream

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

The focus of this conference, namely the vision, principles and values that will undergird and guide a unified Korea, is an essential part of the preparation for unification, yet it has not been sufficiently discussed. You might call it the missing dimension of unification. To awaken Koreans to the importance of this dimension in preparing for a historic transformation, I wrote the book, “The Korean Dream,” and organized this conference, the latest in a series we have held over the past five years in Korea, Mongolia and the United States.

A tremendous amount of work is already underway in government and think tanks to prepare for the challenges that might arise on the road to unification. However, true peace can never be built upon economic and political effort alone, nor through piecemeal social interaction and cultural exchange. These are all parts of a process that need to be framed within a vision that defines the end goal and directs them towards it.

That is what the Korean Dream is about. It answers the key questions about ends. Unification will create a new nation, rich with new possibilities. What sort of nation should it be? What principles and what values should guide and sustain it?

And make no mistake; these are questions that must be addressed now, as the course of history is presenting Koreans today with a unique opportunity. We have the chance to end the division of Korea because the geopolitical circumstances that created two Koreas have dramatically changed. A divided homeland was never the desire of the Korean people. At the end of World War II in 1945 they wanted to enjoy the freedom of an independent and united nation.

The geopolitics of the Cold War thwarted that desire and imposed on Koreans this division that has lasted for 66 years. However, the Cold War ended a quarter of a century ago. The Soviet Union no longer exists and the alliance structure that once supported the North Korean state is gone.

As a result, North Korea has become increasingly isolated and economically dysfunctional. China, its longtime supporter has grown increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang’s intransigence over its nuclear weapons and economic modernization. There is no longer anything special about the former “special relationship” between the two countries.

Because of these changes we Koreans now stand in a position to take control of our own destiny and finally realize the aspirations for the nation that fired the minds and hearts of the 1945 generation. To grasp this opportunity we need to move forward with a clear vision of the future based upon the principles and values that have shaped Korean identity and defined Korea’s destiny.

What Is the Korean Dream?
As I point out in the book, to prepare for the future we need to look to the past. The roots of Korean identity lie with Korea’s founding, in the story of Dangun, the legendary founder of Gojoseon and the principles upon which the nation was built. These were Hongik-Ingan, Ido-yeochi, Kwangmyung-ise, and Jaesae-ihwa.

The founding spirit can be summarized by the core principle of Hongik-Ingan with its remarkable exhortation that the Korean nation and people should live for the “benefit of all humanity.” This ideal was to be implemented through the other three principles. Thus, Dangun aspired to govern the world with “morality and truth” (Ido-yeochi), thereby “enlightening the world with truth” (Kwangmyung-ise) and thus “creating a world of truth” (Jaesae-ihwa).

These principles run like a thread through Korean history, especially Hongik-Ingan . They were the compass that guided Koreans through suffering and tribulation and helped them to digest it. They were the seeds of a national spiritual consciousness that was forged through the historical experiences of the Korean people and then brought to bear on every aspect of practical life.

These principles and the spiritual consciousness they produced became embedded in the Korean psyche and a part of our cultural heritage through the extended family tradition. In such a family, a child grows up supported within a rich web of relationships, embraced by grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and others. In that environment he or she learns the moral virtues and responsibilities of every type of relationship from the people who love them most.
This is the foundation of an ethical society through which virtue is nurtured and passed on through the generations. As I explain in the book, the family is the place where moral education to raise future citizens takes place and it does so at a level of intimacy that develops the most deeply rooted moral qualities. Here principles are transformed into practice and become the values we live by.

These are the elements of the Korean Dream. Together they have shaped the unique Korean identity, an identity we have to recover in order to shape our own future and fulfill our destiny. For unification will be about much more than ending the 66 years of political and ideological division. It will present the Korean people, North and South, with the opportunity to reconnect with the long arc of Korean history and bend it forward toward a future in which not only will Korea be united but it will also become a powerful voice for peace in the world.

By formulating a guiding vision, the Korean Dream is changing the way people think about unification. It is creating consensus where before there was division. It is a bitter irony that over the past half century Koreans have been locked into the box of ideological conflict even though the argument did not begin with us. The Korean Dream offers a way out of the box through its broad perspective. It offers a new alternative so that Korean people can think of the possibility of creating a nation rooted in their unique history and traditions.

Winners of the 2012 Need U Idea Korean unification competition. Since then the competition has expanded to include university, high school and middle school students.

Up until now South Koreans have been divided along ideological, political, and religious lines in their approach to unification and their conception of Korea’s future. Today, however, this vision is inspiring cooperation, for the first time, between liberals and conservatives, and among religious groups, civic leaders, and political parties.

It is also building a bridge of common identity connecting us to the North Korean people. Unification is first and foremost the joining together of a separated people. For South Koreans it is a moral imperative to bring an end to the oppression and deprivation suffered by our North Korean cousins, who are the same race, speak the same language, and share the same history and culture as we do.

The power of popular movements guided by a moral vision to bring profound social and national transformation is something I highlight in my book. The twentieth century offered many examples.

The Global Peace Foundation was instrumental in creating Action for Korea United in 2012. AKU is a broad coalition of nearly 400 civic groups, representing a wide range of religious, political, humanitarian, and human rights organizations engaged with North Korean issues. Through AKU, consensus on the vision and principles that should guide unification is taking shape and the activities of many diverse organizations are being coordinated. It is a civil society movement of citizens wanting to make a difference, in contrast to top-down, government initiated projects. As such it offers an ideal partner for public-private cooperation.

Action for Korea United will be reaching out to every corner of our nation from Pusan to the Han River and beyond the 38th parallel to our cousins in the North. AKU is also issuing a clarion call to connect our nation with the Korean diaspora throughout the world.

The Korean Dream and World Peace
The Korean Dream does not end with the unification of the Korean peninsula. Rooted as it is in the Hongik-Ingan ideal of living for the benefit of humanity, its vision reaches out from the nation to the world.

One of the leaders of Korea’s independence movement, Baekbom Kim Gu, whom I mention in my book, captured the sentiment of the patriots of that time when he wrote, “I wish my nation would be a nation that doesn’t just imitate others, but rather it be a nation that is the source of a new and higher culture, that it can become the goal and an example [for others]. And thus true world peace could come from our nation;”

This is the destiny towards which our history is directing us. Unification is the next significant step toward realizing that destiny. To achieve it, we must revive those core ideals that still burn deep within the Korean consciousness. The time is ripe today to do this, while we Koreans are reflecting deeply on who we have become, in the wake of the Saewol ferry tragedy.

The situation of the world today cries out for leadership and models of peace. A Korea united through the vision of the Korean Dream would exemplify the sort of leadership that the patriotic leaders of the Independence movement aspired to.

A Vision that Can End Identity-Based Conflict
When the Cold War ended there was great hope that a world of peace would ensue. Instead, as the global ideological rivalry of the two superpowers came to an end, the geopolitical constraints it had exercised disappeared as well. Conflicts sprang up everywhere based on tribal, ethnic, and most of all religious, differences. Such identity-based conflicts present the greatest threat to world peace today.

Military force alone can never resolve this type of threat. The resolution must begin with a vision based upon universal principles and values that upholds our common humanity, transcending the narrow forms of identity that produce conflict. That vision must then be made into a reality by a movement of people who become its owners, then create initiatives and establish institutions that give it substance and form.

A vision that can encapsulate our shared principles and common identity can be found in the affirmation that we are all members of One Family under God. Based on evidence of success that the Global Peace Foundation has already demonstrated in hot spots in East and West Africa and Southeast Asia, it is my firm conviction that the vision of One Family under God can transcend identity-based conflict and provide the principled foundation for creating a world of peace. I am further convinced that a united Korea guided by the Korean Dream can become the leading global advocate for this vision.

A united Korea committed to universal principles and values that uphold human rights and freedoms will exercise tremendous moral authority through its example. The influence such principles can have on history is demonstrated by the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

The principles it enunciates, that “all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,” remain as a timeless inspiration for peoples everywhere seeking to secure fundamental rights and freedoms. A united Korea would offer similar inspiration, and most especially with the nations of the developing world today.

Korea and the Developing World
The developing world is likely to exercise a growing influence over the global future. Western models of development are now being questioned, after the 2007-2008 global financial crisis was precipitated by western financial institutions. Countries in the developing world are open to new leadership and new models of development and Korea is ideally placed to provide both.

More importantly, many of these nations are looking for a path to a prosperous future that does not strip away their traditional spiritual and cultural values. They often find more in common with the values nurtured within the Korean extended family model than those promoted by the more extreme secular liberal ideas coming out of the West. This makes Korea a natural partner for them.

Dr. Altamirano, director of the Paraguayan think-tank Institute for the Development of Thought, addresses participants of its first symposium on Korea-Paraguay relations.

The Foundations of National Transformation
The Global Peace Foundation has been active throughout the developing world establishing model projects that address major challenges such as identity-based conflict and give practical expression to the vision of One Family under God.

We have been particularly active in Paraguay, developing a model for national transformation and connecting it with Korea. The annual Global Peace Convention will be held there this year and has attracted 18 former Latin American heads of state to examine the model and its application throughout the region.

Our work in Paraguay began with projects to promote the principles and values that are the necessary foundation for a well-functioning, free-market democracy. This created greater social and political stability particularly in addressing the problem of corruption.

I then brought Korean infrastructure experts and investors to Paraguay to partner in a comprehensive development strategy. Once its infrastructure is sufficiently developed, Paraguay is perfectly placed to enter the global economy as a hub nation for regional development. Korea will be the key partner in this process.

This will not only open the door to new markets in the Latin American region. It will also place Korea in a key leadership role there in bringing about economic development as well as promoting the social and political transformation needed to sustain that development. Based on such a track record, Korea could play a similar role in other regions of the developing world.

And most importantly for our focus here today, the experience of lifting up an underdeveloped nation to become a part of the global economy will be invaluable in meeting the post-unification challenges of transforming North Korea into a free, just and prosperous country that that can function in the modern world. All of this shows that Korea is poised to lead in the world but first we have to resolve the painful legacy of the past and heal the division at home.

Conclusion and Call to Action
Today, Korea stands at a crossroads facing a historic choice. What is at stake is the future of the Korean people for generations to come. We can accept the current state of a divided peninsula with the ever-present possibility of another fratricidal war. Or we can determine a new path driven by our destiny to create a unified homeland and to “broadly benefit all humanity.”

This is a moment of decision. In contrast to our position during the 20th century, the future of our peninsula today lies in our own hands. Change will come through a vision that captures the imagination of the Korean people and builds consensus for a bottom-up process of national transformation. The Korean Dream is that vision and our pathway to the future, while the vision of One Family under God represents our global mission in building a world of everlasting peace in accordance with the Hongik Ingan ideal.

I wrote this book to fire the imagination of Koreans everywhere with hope and a dream. It is my deepest desire that the Korean people reads and owns the content of my book “The Korean Dream.”
As I stand here before you, I am strengthened in my resolve to bring about the peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula because I see the broad swath of Korean society, ranging from political, religious, social, civic and NGO leadership that is essential in building a bottom-up grassroots movement.

Today we are making history as we put aside our different interests and come together as Koreans, united by the Korean Dream. You represent the Korean people who are an essential component to the unification process. Through your leadership, you should awaken the collective consciousness of the Korean people to become the masters of our destiny in this century and to bring an end to the horrible legacies of the last century where our people were unable – by circumstance and other factors – to determine our collective future.

In the words of Genghis Khan, “If one person has a dream, it is just a dream, but if all people share that dream, it becomes a reality.”

Let us be bold enough to be the masters of our destiny and forge a bright future for Korea, for Northeast Asia, and for the world.

Thank you, and may God bless you and your families. May God also bless the suffering people of North Korea, and our efforts for unification.

Thank you.

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Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, chairman of the Global Peace Foundation at an interview on Saturday. (photo credit: Global Peace Foundation)

During the Global Peace Leadership Conference, just concluded on September 30 in Seoul, the Korea Times interviewed Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Founder of the Global Peace Foundation and author of the recently released book Korean Dream: A Vision of a Unified Korea.

He told the Korea Times, “Unification really is a ‘jackpot’ like Park Geun-hye said. I’m sure young people today think that South Korea will maintain its trajectory and its standard of living. But they don’t realize the fundamental weaknesses and flaws in the South Korean economy,”

But he emphasized that beneath this economic “jackpot” lies a cohesive unifying philosophy that is a genuinely shared national treasure between both Seoul and Pyongyang _ the ancient Korean mantra that is devoted to “the welfare of mankind,” or “hongik ingan”.

Read the full interview at the Korea Times.

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2014 Global Peace Leadership Conference Korea 

Theme: “Vision, Principles and Values of a Unified Korea”
Concurrent Session: The Role of Women for a Unified Korea
Address by: Global Peace Women Chairwoman Dr. Jun Sook Moon
September 30, 2014 • Grand Hilton Hotel, Seoul, Korea

Dr. Jun Sook Moon, Chairwoman of Global Peace Women urges women to revive Korean families as the foundation for revitalizing the nation, leading to unification.

Distinguished leaders, ladies and gentlemen.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your participation in this significant Global Peace Leadership Conference in Seoul, Korea focusing on “The Vision, Principles and Values for a Unified Korea.” Today at this session we are gathered to touch on a theme that is very close to my heart “The Role of Women for a Unified Korea.” It is a deeply personal topic, not only because Korea is my homeland or because I am a woman, but also because I believe Korea’s destiny is deeply connected to the future of the world and for the peace, security and prosperity of the entire human family.

THE KOREAN DREAM

My husband has just released his new book, “The Korean Dream: A Vision for a Unified Korea.” It is a timely book as Korea stands at a crossroads today.

In the book he seeks to present a new approach to unification. It is one that draws on the rich heritage of the Korean people to form a framework for a nation uniquely our own. It is an approach that speaks to the Koreans in the North, Koreans in the South, Koreans in the diaspora scattered around the world. It is an approach that provides a platform that can reach beyond the 60-year ideological divide remaining from the Cold war and show that this short division is nothing compared to the 5000-year common history the people of Korea share and the destiny we are meant to fulfill together.

The essence of this destiny lies within the philosophy Hongik Ingan that we are Divine sons and daughters of Heaven, called by God to fulfill a mission to live for the benefit of the world. Throughout its history, Hongik Ingan became deeply embedded in our nation’s traditions, culture, political and social systems, and especially in our family values taking form in what became the extended family tradition of Korea. This family model allowed the Korean heritage to be passed on from generation to generation and raised people to embody a deeply spiritual tradition with virtues such as self-sacrifice, filial piety, and jeong song.

The Korean family tradition is such a beautiful treasure we have. We are warmed by the image of the sacrificial Korean mother and her complete devotion to her children, her husband, and her aging parents. We are moved by the stories of children and their filial piety and loyalty, living to fulfill their family’s legacy and fulfill their parents’ dream. We watch historical dramas made to capture the compassion and father-like heart a king or a leader showed toward his people. We all grew up learning about characters like Shimcheong, Chunhyang, and Heungbu and Nolbu who exemplify the highest virtues of the Korean culture. We are moved by the iconic heroes of the Korean legacy that honors human life that were all willing to sacrifice themselves for a loved one or for the betterment of the whole.

In the extended family, the past, present and future generations are connected and concepts such as lineage, heritage, and destiny come to life. A child learns about identity, culture, traditions, and norms in an environment of mutual love and respect. A child learns to honor and care for the elder generations as they watch their parents attend the grandparents and prior generations. The elders pass on their wisdom to the next generation who carry on the dreams and lifelong work of the previous generation.

In the context of extended family, marriage is not only the concern of just two people. It is the bonding of two families into the lineage that continues through their children. Newly married couples and young families have elders who can serve as ready counselors, offering their advice and example. Naturally the family honors both men and women, boys as girls as two counterparts, unique and different, designed to serve and complement each other, together creating a family and society, harmonious, balanced and whole.

Through the wide range of relationships built with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the immediate family of mother, father, brothers and sisters, an individual gains a sense of decorum and manners, learning what is right and what is wrong in human relations, and develops the lifestyle of responsibility, hard work, and the pursuit of excellence. The essence of the values formed within strong families and especially the extended family is the culture of service, living for others and living for the greater good. Individuals raised in such families were to carry that culture out to the world. Most of all, the extended family prepared our people to interact with the diversity of the human family.

OUR FIRST TASK: REBUILD OUR FAMILY TRADITION

Today, this family tradition, which has been the crown jewel of Korean culture, is disappearing under the pressure of our world’s circumstances. Today the issue of family breakdown has become a global epidemic, and this deterioration of family values has had unspeakable negative impact on our children, our communities, and our school environments.

Therefore, the first step for building an ethical, just Korea that is true to our heritage is to strengthen the culture and tradition of the Korean family. The role of the women in this monumental task will be imperative.
Global Peace Women must look to our spiritual and traditional roots to revive the family ideal. We cannot let the contemporary trends take away from our people the ideal of family and the extended family model. It is part of our root, our core, and our heritage. Family is the most important social unit for building a strong nation that can serve our world. It will provide the solid bedrock to undergird our national and global aspirations. The family is the foundation for just, ethical, cohesive and prosperous societies. The family is the “school of love and virtue” in which the character and heart of each individual is formed at the deepest level. Faith is first put into practice as values and lived out as virtues at home. Within strong, healthy families virtuous men and women are raised, who can govern themselves in accordance with their conscience and live for the sake of the well-being of others.
Without it we cannot produce the moral and innovative leaders that Korea and our world needs. Without it, our society will not be able to withstand corruption, conflict, and an immoral, selfish culture motivated only by money and power. Without a stable foundation built on strong families, it would be like building a skyscraper without a solid base, doomed to crumble under its own weight.

BUILDING A NATIONAL MODEL FOR THE WORLD

The world today faces serious challenges fueled by identity-based conflict. We have a world where still too many die of starvation, malnutrition, disease and poverty. We need a vision and leaders who can pull together our fragmented world. The Global Peace Foundation advances the vision of “One Family under God” together with a network of leaders around the world. Based on a common aspiration and universal principles and shared values, the Global Peace Foundation is creating new models of development and building a platform that can transcend national, ethnic, and religious divisions. It recognizes that “family” is fundamental to the meaning and fulfillment of that dream. It is at the essence of what all people cherish and the foundation of forming just, ethical, cohesive and prosperous societies.

That is why I have created the tagline for the Global Peace Women: “Peace Starts with the Home.” Home is where you find peace, home is where you are surrounded by family. Home can mean so much more. Home can be the hometown where you were born. Home can be your homeland, your nation. And one day, this world, will become “One family under God” and truly become our home of peace, happiness, and fulfillment.

I feel Korea has a mission beyond just its own nation. Unifying the Korean peninsula and forming a nation unique to our heritage is the first step to fulfilling the Korean Dream. We must work to build a much-needed model for the world where modernization and economic prosperity does not come at the cost of morality and the family tradition. We need to form a nation that all humanity would aspire to resemble. We need to produce global leaders and models of development that all people would welcome into their nations.

For this, we must work to strengthen the family unit and from there, expand the family values and traditions into the culture and structure of the nation. The love, respect, self-sacrifice, and virtues that are embodied within the family must become the ways of the school systems, economic systems, political systems, and social systems. Within our own nation, we must create a culture that honors every life and upholds every human being’s God-given human rights and dignity. I believe, our people have the qualities of character and the deep spiritual heritage to do so.

The story of Dangun that tells of the origin of our people paints a beautiful picture of the Korean people as Divine children of Heaven. We see each human life as something valuable to treasure and treat with dignity. This is the time we must bring this ideal vision to life and create a nation where every community, every policy, and all the systems put in place honor this principle and uphold such values. When we begin to see every human being as a member of our family whom we are meant to protect, nurture, and love, then our society will move beyond squabbling political viewpoint or personal agendas. We must create a society where the value of men and women, of boys and girls is not determined merely by career advancement or financial success, nor by political power or social status. Rather it is determined by the quality of each person’s character and how much they use their creativity and skills to better this world. Once we revive our family foundation, Korea will give rise to the greatest men and women of history and raise a generation of Koreans prepared to live for sake of humanity in fulfilment of the Hongik Ingan ideal.

CLOSING

If we, Koreans can reclaim our Korean identity and connect our daily lives to the lofty aspirations of Hongik Ingan, we can create a unified Korean homeland and build a nation that truly can live for the benefit of all humanity. This process must begin through awakening the vision of the Korean Dream in our families since they are the school that can raise people of character who will become owners of Korea’s providential destiny to live for the sake of the world and devote their lives to its fulfillment.

I ask you to join with me in this noble effort because this responsibility rests upon each and everyone one of us.

Thank you very much.

The post Dr. Jun Sook Moon explains “The Role of Women for a Unified Korea” appeared first on Hyun Jin Preston Moon.

Dr. Jun Sook Moon, Chairwoman of Global Peace Women delivered a powerful address at the recent Global Peace Women Leadership Conference in Seoul, Korea leading up to the Global Peace Leadership Conference the following week. The conference, attended by women leaders from Korea and the Philippines, addressed the theme “Women’s Leadership in Social Transformation Through Family Values”.

Below is her speech.

 “Women’s Leadership in Social Transformation Through Family Values”

September 24, 2014 Seoul, Republic of Korea

Good morning.

It is so wonderful to be here amongst such great leaders and great women.

It is even more empowering to be amongst women of faith who are working to advance the vision of One Family under God and who understand this cannot be realized without the work and contribution of the women of the world.

I would like to especially acknowledge our guests of honor who have joined us today.  H.E. Congresswoman Jasmine Lee, President Seonja Gye, Dr. Nona S. Ricafort, Professor Hwagyeong Jang, and Dr. Diann Dawson. Today we have representatives gathered from two special nations, Korea and the Philippines, two nations where it is natural to look to each of you as my “ates” and “titas”, as my “onni” or to see myself as your onni.  We come from nations with strong spiritual traditions with family at the core.  We both belong to cultures where the family is the root of community and the nation and where, in turn, the entire nation can be seen as an extended family.

To all of you I say 안녕하세요, 반갑습니다, and Magandang umaga, Maligayang pagdating. A warm welcome to you all.

This Global Peace Women’s Leadership Conference is a timely gathering that coincides with many other prestigious leadership conferences taking place around the world. Early this year GPF Paraguay hosted a ground-breaking symposium between Korea and Paraguay. GPF-USA just concluded their Global Peace Leadership Conference on the spiritual renewal of the nation.  In a few days GPF-Korea will convene a Leadership Conference on a vision for Korean unification, here in Seoul. Later this year we will have interfaith forums in Northern Ireland and India and our annual Convention in Paraguay.  In all of these, the insights, contributions, and best practices that women leaders share will be a significant part of advancing the work of the Global Peace Foundation.

The Growing Phenomenon of Family Breakdown Despite Global Recognition of its Importance 

The theme of today’s conference is “Women’s Leadership in Social Transformation Through Family Values.” I think we can all agree that family is the cornerstone of society, and that strengthening families is an essential element of building healthy societies, nations and a prosperous, ethical world. This was echoed by every key speaker during the observance of the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family at the recent convening of the United Nations’ Commission for Social Development.

Similarly, government agencies, NGOs and local communities recognize the central role of family in their approaches to alleviate poverty and improve access to education and health care. Yet, despite the recognition of the importance of family, there is an alarming global trend of family breakdown, resulting in a noticeable decline in the moral standards, economic well-being, and quality of life of families and youth.

Despite the recognition of the importance of family, there is an alarming global trend of family breakdown, resulting in a noticeable decline in the moral standards, economic well-being, and quality of life of families and youth.

In my view, too many of the global discussions on the family have not addressed the root issues of family breakdown. Rather they have sought to form Band-Aid solutions for the social problems that have resulted.  Even more seriously, I see a growing acceptance of the deterioration of the traditional family and increasing pressure for a redefinition of the family itself.  In these circumstances, I believe it is essential to understand and examine the family ideals expressed in faith traditions and traditional cultures throughout the world, and the ethos and values they promote.

The Importance and Role of Family

My husband often says that any great transformative movement must start with spiritual aspirations, principles, and values. The Global Peace Foundation promotes the profound vision of building One Family under God. It recognizes that “family” is fundamental to the meaning and fulfillment of that dream. It is at the essence of what all people cherish and the foundation of forming just, ethical, cohesive and prosperous societies. Men and women, who can govern themselves in accordance to their conscience and live for the sake of the well-being of others, are virtuous individuals of character.  It will be these virtuous men and women form strong, healthy families and contribute to the greater society, nation and to their world.  The starting point for raising such individuals is the family.

The family is the “school of love and virtue” in which the character and heart of each individual is formed at the deepest level. Faith is first put into practice as values and lived out as virtues at home. It is also the foundation for meeting the physical and spiritual needs of people. Every child comes to know his or her intrinsic value through the unconditional love of parents. A child’s basic notions of security, comfort, love, empathy, self-sacrifice, self-esteem and responsibility are nurtured in the home.

Korea developed the tradition of the extended family to a high degree.  At the core of its cultural heritage was the concept of Hongik Ingan, which taught that the Korean people should live for the benefit of all humanity.

Human beings are relational beings that find the deepest fulfillment in relation to others.  Family defines the most intimate relationships, especially the most sacred relationship between a man and woman through which new life is formed in that love.  Experience in the family forms the foundation for how every person sees and interacts with the rest of the world. Relations within the family, between husband and wife, parents and children, and among siblings are instrumental for developing the virtues that underlie all positive social relations.

I want to share some of the benefits of the extended family model.  My husband writes extensively about this in his newly published book, “The Korean Dream: A Vision for a Unified Korea.”

Korea, in its history, developed the tradition of the extended family to a high degree.  At the core of its cultural heritage was the concept of Hongik Ingan, which taught that the Korean people should live for the benefit of all humanity.  This heritage was cultivated and passed down naturally in the home, nurturing at its heart a deeply spiritually tradition of self-sacrifice and love.

The relationships and virtues learned within the extended family are expanded to the larger society.  This is expressed in the way Koreans address those we relate to in familial terms — as elder brother, elder sister, aunts, uncles, mothers, and fathers. Every role in society is built from the family blueprint, especially the deepest relationship between the parent and child: from the teacher- student relationship in school to the relationship between the government and its people.

In the context of extended family, marriage is not only the concern of just two people. It is the bonding of two families into the lineage that continues through their children. Newly married couples and young families have elders who can serve as ready counselors, offering their advice and example. Other dimensions come to life in the extended family.

As the family connects past, present and future generations, lineage, tradition and heritage become important.  One learns about one’s identity, culture, traditions, and norms in an environment of love.  Children learn to respect, honor and care for the elder generations as they watch their parents attend the grandparents and prior generations.  The elders can pass on their wisdom to the next generation who carry on the dreams and lifelong work of the previous generation. Furthermore, the extended family provides a natural setting to learn through relationships formed through its plethora of personalities and generations. Individuals learn how to fulfill the responsibilities of their unique roles, learn to think beyond themselves and their individual desires, and learn that they are part of a web of relationships to which they contribute something unique and beautiful.

The extended family environment helps to shape the habits of heart that prepare people to relate with the diversity of the human family.  Within this environment of love, a child naturally comes to understand his or her cultural heritage and traditions. In such a family, children naturally inherit a lifestyle of living for others as they have to consider the many relatives around them and as they watch their parents and grandparents live for the sake of their communities, nations and world. Such an environment will nurture children with an altruistic worldview who become global ethical citizens, actively engaged in improving the human condition.

The Loss of Family Values and Consequences of the Deterioration of the Family

The essence of the values formed within strong families and especially the extended family is the culture of service, living for others and living for the greater good.  The family was to become the natural learning ground of such a lifestyle and the individuals raised in such families were to carry that culture out to the world. Today we see self-centered individualism fueling a culture of materialism, consumerism, hedonism, and a selfish mindset that only one’s own happiness matters.  This destructive culture has been the crux of the breakdown of family and consequentially the deterioration of even the most basic human relationships.  Today we are witnessing an increase in divorce rates, infidelity, out-of-wedlock births and fatherless families, heinous sex crimes, and countless other issues.

It is our conviction that these family ideals are not determined by our circumstances nor should be limited due by humanity’s shortcomings or setbacks thus far, but are grounded in essential principles expressed in our various faith traditions.  It is our mission to continually strive to achieve and uphold those spiritual aspirations and move our world toward a family ideal characterized by the deepest unconditional love and nurture.  

Because the state of the family impacts the greater society, the issue of family breakdown is very much a matter of public concern, not something that can be relegated to a private sphere. Study after study has linked a range of social problems directly to the breakdown of the family and a troubled home environment.  More and more young couples are choosing to co-habitate without committing to marriage and family. More seriously, we are seeing the impact on the next generation. Children are left traumatized by divorce or seeing violence in the home. Child abuse and exploitation have become a global concern, while more children are being removed by the state from unfit parents. Teen pregnancies and abandoned children add to the list of woes.  At the other end of the age spectrum, the situation of the elderly has become dire in certain societies. Japan, for example, is seeing the phenomenon of elders living alone and dying in solitude, rather than surrounded by the love and care of their children and grandchildren. This same phenomenon is beginning to appear in Korea too.

Changing family patterns also affect the ability of government to function. In many developed nations, the growing financial burden on the government, faced with shrinking birth rates and a growing retired population that it has to provide for, is becoming unsustainable. I am certainly not proposing that we turn back the clock to a time when women were treated unequally with discrimination, and their dignity, value and role not appreciated, respected and honored. We live in a world that is still far from the ideal, with many serious issues yet to resolve.   Our hearts can only have compassion for those women who have suffered domestic violence, infidelity, or other serious situations that may have led them to divorce and life as a single parent.

There is a huge and tragic gap between the ideals that encompass the purpose, values, and role of the family, and the actual experience and reality of family relationships.  Global Peace Women is committed to uplift the family ideal, beyond the present reality and efforts to negate or undermine those ideals.  It is our conviction that these family ideals are not determined by our circumstances nor should be limited due by humanity’s shortcomings or setbacks thus far, but are grounded in essential principles expressed in our various faith traditions.  It is our mission to continually strive to achieve and uphold those spiritual aspirations and move our world toward a family ideal characterized by the deepest unconditional love and nurture.

The Role of Women in New Models of National Transformation

There has been much talk about women empowerment and women’s rights, and indeed there has been pivotal progress made to recognize the need to secure the safety, advancement and voice of women. Today women can discover a cure to a sickness, serve the world in an NGO, lead as a CEO of a global enterprise, or in countless other ways use their hearts, creative minds, and skills to better the human condition. I am an advocate for finding more ways to provide our girls and our women more of such opportunities. At the same time, I believe we must not lose sight of the true value of women.   Our value is not determined by career advancement or financial success, nor by political power or social status.  And most certainly, the value of women is not determined in comparison to or in competition with men or by putting down men. I do not want to do so to my father, my husband, my sons, or my grandsons.  Likewise, I will not do so to the men of this world.

As spiritual women we should look to our great faith traditions and lead a spiritual movement that will uplift the dignity, value, and qualities of both men and women. 

As spiritual women we should look to our great faith traditions and lead a spiritual movement that will uplift the dignity, value, and qualities of both men and women. The problems of the world, and issues that are faced in particular by women and girls, cannot be resolved by looking to make men and women the same structurally, ignoring physiological differences and the unique qualities each were endowed with by our Creator.

Within the family there are mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.  Together men and women create the whole family, and likewise, men and women create our human family.  Within a family, men and women are different but complementary.  We need each other and have what the other needs and wants. We are designed differently with different faculties through which we process and view the world.  Parenthood is the most precious vocation every man and woman can part take in together as we invest in and raise the most precious treasure we bring into this world, our sons and daughters. Likewise, the solution to the family has to be spiritual in its nature as well because human beings are not simply bundles of physical needs.

Human beings are relational, and thus need to love and be loved, and need to feel valued. The love, security, support and education that comes from the family and the vast network of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and relatives of the extended family can never be replaced by a day care or senior care institution.  Every human being has a spiritual nature and has intrinsic value. Understanding this fundamental truth is the starting point for creating holistic solutions to reverse the current trends of deteriorating families and societies.

Women are the ones who will give birth and be the mothers to our children. We are the caring sisters to our siblings and wives to our husbands. Women are naturally the doctors, educators and caretakers within the family, and they become the glue that holds the family together and connects it to the larger community to address common needs and concerns. As women take up their essential roles within the family, their role naturally expands to the community, nation, and world, because they are raising the next generation and people who will become contributors to the community, nation and world.

The Gramene Bank founded by Muhammad Yunus recorded in its 2012 Annual Report that 96.19% of the recipients of micro loans were given to women.  These women, with even a tiny investment, find ways to improve the situations of their children and families. There are countless examples of women purchasing reeds to weave baskets or seeds to plant crop to sell at the market.  This additional income has resulted in better food, clothing, and education for their children.

Some of the efforts of the Global Peace Foundation have also seen similar effects.  The All-Lights Village Project for example, has provided a comprehensive solution using solar lights that save money from kerosene bought for oil lamps, alleviating the health issues caused by kerosene fumes, and has created more flexibility with time and money that yields new opportunities for education and economic development.  Another program in the Philippines, GlobALS, has focused on implementing an alternative learning system for underserved populations in even the most remote villages.  Linking the All-Lights Village Project with the GlobALS program has created even greater impact.

In Uganda and Nepal, Global Peace Women is actively involved in the Clean Cookstoves initiative, drastically reducing health related problems including fatalities related to indoor smoke inhaled by mothers and young children.  Because the Clean Cookstoves use a fraction of firewood, women spend less time collecting firewood and have more time for education, sanitization, and economic development projects.  Consequentially, incidents of rape and harm women face as they spend hours gathering firewood has lessened. Women leaders are the drivers of many of these initiatives, and women are targets of these projects in local communities because they often are the hubs of development there. We women want our children to become people of good moral character. We are the natural guardians of virtue in the home and strong values in the community. For this reason, we have strong concerns when donor countries, in the guise of promoting development, actually impose secular cultural attitudes that undermine traditional values particularly those related to the family.

We can be the drivers of a spiritual women’s movement that creates a new model of development that not only advances economic development but also respects and honors moral values and the family tradition. 

We can be the drivers of a spiritual women’s movement that creates a new model of development that not only advances economic development but also respects and honors moral values and the family tradition.  The Global Peace Foundation has made it a priority to develop such models on several continents.

In Paraguay, recently a groundbreaking public-private partnership was forged with great hopes to build Paraguay into a regional hub of manufacturing, heavy industries, distribution, and services.  But this took many years of the work of the Global Peace Foundation to first address issues of social corruption and political instability. There was much work with the youth, women, and political, civic, and business leaders to put as priority the moral and ethical framework for the nation and define the aspirations, principles and values that would guide the nation’s development.

In Paraguay the role of the Global Peace Women has been critical. I urge that we put our hearts and minds together, put our nations at the frontline as well to build these new models of development built on sound spiritual values. Closing The Global Peace Foundation is promoting a model of national transformation that believes successful economic development can only take place on a solid spiritual and moral foundation. It begins with a vision, principles, and values that are then given practical expression through a range of projects, including character and leadership education, volunteerism and service, and strengthening families and communities. These create a foundation of social and political stability that can sustain equitable development. These also provide the basis to resolve long-standing identity-based conflict and regional tensions and move toward peace and social cohesion in a diverse world.

Strong, healthy, vibrant families are an essential foundation for all of Global Peace Foundation’s work and women play a central role. Just as in the family a woman tries to cultivate in her children the qualities of character that will help them become responsible citizens, so in the community, women, working together, can promote the values and practices that create a vibrant and just society. I hope through our dialogue and discourse at this conference we can share our experiences and our expertise. I trust we can clarify the unique role that women have to play in the process of social and national transformation. And that we can develop plans for practical initiatives that will contribute to our success in that role.

Thank you for your dedication and support for making this conference a success and may God bless you and your families.

Maraming salamat, Mabuhay po kayo! 감사합니다. Thank you very much.

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