Global peace movement marks a decade of citizen-led peacebuilding efforts

Peace events that commemorate citizen-led peacebuilding efforts for a decade are organized in 89 locations across 59 countries in May.

On Thursday (May 25), 5,000 participants were gathered at the Peace Gate of Seoul Olympic Park in South Korea, and other thousands of individuals around the world, including Bangladesh, India, Maldives, are expected to join the events until the end of this month.

Officially named “HWPL's 10th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace and the Peace Walk”, the global events are held by an international NGO named Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) affiliated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council with the joint auspices of public and private organizations in different countries.

Recalling HWPL's peace activities for the past 10 years, Chairman Lee Man-hee said, "Since we pledged to work together for world peace 10 years ago, we have been calling for peace all over the world. We have advocated that peace should be taught at home and at school, and that everyone should become messengers of peace. I went to the battlefield in Mindanao, Philippines to raise the voice of peace and we were promised not to begin war again."  He also emphasized, "Everyone should be one under the title of peace and work together to create a good world and make it a legacy for future generations. This is what we need to do in this era in which we live."

In the event, the "Joint Statement of the 10th Anniversary of the Declaration of World Peace" was unveiled. The statement said that the Declaration developed into the “Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War” (DPCW) to pursue “a transition from the rule of power to the rule of law” based on principles of “democracy, justice, civil liberties and equality, religious freedom and responsibility.” It further said that the decade of peacebuilding achieved millions of participants joining inter-religious dialogues, peace education, advocacy of peace to national leaders, network of youth in over 120 countries.

Through the joint statement, HWPL and participating organizations affirmed their commitment to institutionalizing peace through international cooperation, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 “Peace, justice and strong institutions.” They pledged to engage in mediation efforts and raising awareness and provide education in conflict areas, empower youth and women, promote best practices for the participation of civil society.

In celebration of this ceremony, various events were held by Global 3 branch in many parts of the world. On May 26th, 220 members from 9 countries including Bangladesh and Pakistan gathered online and introduced peace activities of each department under the theme of ‘Peace Steps with HWPL’. Syed Faryad Gilani, CEO of On News Satellite TV Channel said, “Global peace is a big challenge for us. I have been working for imparting equal human rights between different communities because I think they play an important role in achieving peace. I will promote peace through my TV programs, and I work for reducing the risks of conflict.”

On May 28th, 'Eco-plogging', a combination of 'Peace Walk' and 'Environmental Cleanup Activities', was held at Dr. Mabubur Rahman Mollah (DMRC) located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Approximately 11,000 people participated in the event including Shamsul Hoque Khan School & College, Hazi Monir Hossain High School, and four other schools. On the same day, there was a peace walk in two cities in India, New Delhi, and Bengaluru. Also in the Maldives, peace activities were continued such as making a contract for a peace partnership.

HWPL announced its ambitious goal to garner the support of 10 million citizens through their signatures to advocate for the establishment of an international law for peace. Additionally, they have organized various overseas commemorative events aimed at fostering peace within local communities around the world. Membership registration, information about peace projects, and reading the full text of and supporting the DPCW are available on HWPL's official website at www.hwpl.kr.