Press Conference for the 9th Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit
The 9th Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit began with a press conference on 18 September.
The event was held to commemorate the 9th anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit that was held in 2014. It was a time to reflect on the progress over the past 10 years, share ways to strengthen mediation efforts for conflict resolution, and hold a policy discussion body for spreading a culture of peace. The participants had opportunities to network and cooperate with a worldwide network and discussed how to establish and implement different initiatives.
The first reporter asked HWPL Chairman Lee Man-hee what the media should consider important. Chairman Lee answered, “HWPL has gone around the world for the past 10 years to shout for peace. The echoes have taken root around the world and are finally bearing fruit. HWPL’s family members of peace are garnering strength as peace messengers in their respective nations, societies, and families.”
He went on to say, “Actions are necessary for peace to be realized. ‘Solidarity of peace’ to march forward in the same direction in the name of peace is important. Everyone wants peace. Peace has to begin in the family and spread to schools and societies for a world of peace, and education must support this.”
When a reporter asked about HWPL’s role in achieving a peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula, Chairman Lee answered, “I was on the frontlines as a soldier during the Korean War. It was the youth that were sacrificed. It was all for power. Is it okay to destroy families, corrupt nations, and ruin the earth as long as it is for power? It is time for the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) to be submitted to the UN as a resolution. It must be reviewed and fixed if lacking – if not, it should be approved.” HWPL proclaimed the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War, which focuses on the role of nations and civil society in resolving conflicts and achieving peace, in 2016.
The International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) Chairwoman Yoon Hyun-sook explained their plans to establish a culture of peace by saying, “Spreading a culture of peace is one of IWPG’s core initiatives. We need institutions to support this, and peace education is a must in order to accelerate spreading a culture of peace” and introduced different projects such as the IWPG International Loving Peace Art Competition.
The International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) General Director Chung Young-min covered strategies for solving world conflicts by stating, “We are focused on civil society. Leaders cannot ignore the voices of the people when making decisions. We are working on gathering the voices of the people to create an atmosphere of a culture of peace.”
