HWPL’s 9th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace was held online on 25 May 2022.

HWPL has been expanding various forms of international cooperation to cease conflicts and disputes across the globe and to realize sustainable peace. In the annual event, updates were shared on the progress of HWPL’s peace efforts, such as the Legislate Peace (LP) Project that promotes the implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), Religious Youth Peace Camps, HWPL Peace Education, and media’s peace activities. Through this opportunity, participants were able to gain insight on how to act on the collective will for peace, a shared goal of humanity, and HWPL’s vision of institutionalizing peace to establish sustainable peace.

HWPL has proposed the institutionalization of peace as a process to establish stable and sustainable peace through the collective will for peace. The collective will to create a world free of war comes from the individuals and groups who engage in the concerted efforts for peace that transcends national borders. Making this collective will a reality can be achieved through collective actions, which contribute to making peace a part of institutions in the form of values, customs, rules, norms, and laws. In turn, this institutionalized peace impacts individuals and groups, becoming serving as the fuel for the collective will toward peace. In this aspect, institutionalization can be depicted as an evolutionary process through which stakeholders’ consensus is gathered to put collective will into action and further develop it. As this process unfolds, a peaceful world with no place for war can be created along with the mechanism to maintain peace in a sustainable manner.

HWPL’s 8th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace will be hosted via online on 25 May 2021, in commemoration of the spirit of the Declaration of World Peace proclaimed in front of the World Peace Gate in Seoul, South Korea, on 25 May 2013.

Through the Declaration of World Peace proclaimed eight years ago, HWPL proposed an effective and practical measure to achieve world peace and cessation of war in which the entire world can implement.
Along with this proclamation, over 30,000 youths from around the world participated in a peace walk that spread to various continents and countries to be a symbol of a grassroots global peace movement.

Based on these achievements, this year’s commemoration includes discussions on designing a citizen-led peace movement and strengthening cooperation to promote humanity’s coexistence and harmony as we overcome global uncertainties that stem from hatred, conflicts, misunderstanding, and lack of communication in this current pandemic era.

This event is hosted by HWPL, with the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) that are building a global peace network alongside HWPL.

This year the “6th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace” will be held under the theme of “The World’s Call for Peace, Urging Support for the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War” with various peace campaigns around the globe.

The 10 articles and 38 clauses of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), which are clearly seen embedded within the contents of the Declaration of World Peace, directly state the responsibility that a nation has as a member of the international community, including the maintenance of friendly relations between states, repurposing weapons that kill to benefit humanity and respect for international law. It also includes a standard for the freedom of religion and the eradication of violence and illegal acts caused by religion, as well as the spreading of a culture of peace. The DPCW also emphasizes the participation of citizens in building a peaceful global village through areas such as education and welfare.

To promote peace through the voluntary participation of citizens, the event held on May 25th every year in more than 100 cities in 50 countries around the world is now being held simultaneously with the ongoing “Legislate Peace” Campaign, which is a movement that has spread to 174 countries with over a million citizens around the world urging for the implement international law based on the principles of peace embodied in the DPCW. In particular, approximately 160,000 letters of peace were handwritten by the youth last year to advocate for the DPCW and support the establishment of world peace, and in March of this year letters were officially sent to the heads of state from 193 countries, calling for support for the DPCW.

On 25 May 2019, with the slogan, “‘RE: Peace Letter’, a Miracle of 193 Countries: May 25th, replies to Peace Letters start a miracle.” participants will urge the heads of state to send letters in response to the ones they received, and also write and send additional letters with messages of peace to high-level officials of governments and international organizations in 193 different countries.

The 2018 5th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace was titled Resolving Conflicts and Spreading a Culture of Peace through the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). In working for the common goal of peace, the Declaration of World Peace urged for shared efforts of all members of society, calling for individuals to work as peace messengers. It presented a goal of devising a legal measure recognized in the international community for peace and cessation of war and highlighted the leading role of the youth as future leaders of society. The Declaration was later further developed into more concrete codes of the 10 articles and 38 clauses in the DPCW.

Recent developments including the widening channels of discussion with neighboring countries, the hosting of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and the reignition of inter-Korean interaction in the private sector are changes that heighten expectations for governments and nongovernmental organizations alike. With such current developments in mind, this 25 May, HWPL plans a peace campaign with a slogan: Together for A New Start, Together for Peace. The citizen-oriented peace campaign will focus on free travel, exchange and interaction between the two Koreas, and will bring progress in terms of World Peace and Restoration of Light as the NGO’s name.

Of what use is a young life, born in our day and age, if it is thrown away in this manner – thrown away without having had a chance to bloom?
The spirit embedded in the Declaration of World Peace has become a seed sown in the hearts of the world’s youth that has blossomed into the value of becoming “active proponents of achieving peace”. As the message of the Declaration is now being realized in the youth’s involvement and actions in establishing peace, Worldwide Peace Walks and Spreading a Culture of Peace Campaigns were found as means of working together until peace is finally achieved. Since its initial proclamation on May 25, 2013, in major cities around the world, peace walks and campaigns to spread a sustainable culture of peace are in progress every year with various themes and programs.

Over 300,000 members participated in celebrating the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace simultaneously in more than 105 cities worldwide, including Seoul, South Korea. Since its initial proclamation, the Declaration of World Peace has called everyone to further the cause of world peace by making it a reality in their direct environments. The commemoration in 2016 highlighted the global peace advocacy movement, the Legislate Peace Campaign. The majority of participants in the Peace Walk were seen signing their support for the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) to be developed into a legally binding document that would be presented to the United Nations.

HWPL members and participants were also able to donate $43,284 for the Ecuador Earthquake Relief Fund, which was then delivered to Ecuador through the Embassy of Ecuador in the Republic of Korea.

On May 25, 2015 over 200,000 people participated in celebrating the 2nd Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace simultaneously in more than 50 cities in 30 countries worldwide. The peace walk held in the center of Mindanao, Philippines, an area previously caught amid 40 years of armed conflict, brought even more reasons for people to celebrate the day in the spirit of the Declaration of World Peace. Since the Declaration of World Peace was first proclaimed, peace has blossomed all over the world as HWPL Days were designated and peace monuments were erected in a total of 8 locations around the world.

In light of the recent earthquake in Nepal, participants donated roughly $40,000 as part of the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund. The donation was then delivered to Nepal through the Embassy of Nepal in the Republic of Korea.

Various media outlets across the globe continued to report the World Peace Tours and peace activities of HWPL. As a result, exactly one year later, people who had been deeply moved by the sincerity of the peace movement celebrated the 1st Anniversary of the Declaration of World Peace in both Seoul and the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, South Korea, as well as in other major cities around the world. They celebrated the past achievements of working toward sustainable solutions for peace envisioned by the Declaration.

In remembrance of those who had sacrificed their lives during the Korean War to protect a country not their own, participants paid sincere respect to these fallen heroes. The event also called for measures to put an end to wars that continue to take countless lives of youths, who had not yet had a chance to bloom.

The Declaration of World Peace, first proclaimed by HWPL Chairman Lee on May 25, 2013, called upon people to acknowledge the dire need for world peace and defined the roles of heads of state, women, youth and the press in achieving peace. Over 20,000 people from 130 countries gathered to march for peace at the Peace Gate of Seoul Olympic Park, South Korea. Soon after, peace walks became a channel for both youth and women around the world to become empowered to speak in a unified voice for peace.