The iconic former Olympics Stadium at the heart of the sprawling South Korean Capital, Seoul, will this week play host to the “the Olympics of the faithful”–as humanity’s quest to rid the world of war and establish ever-lasting peace among religions and cultures is set to gain global currency—with tens of thousands of people gathering in the historic stadium for world’s biggest peace summit of all religions.
The three-day event is being convened by the Seoul-based international organization for Heavenly Culture, World Peace, and Restoration of Light (HWPL), in partnership with the Berlin-based Institute for Cultural Diplomacy.
Founder and President of the HWPL International, Man Hee Lee, who was on a three-day pre-summit working visit of the United States, was at his passionate best in highlighting the achievements of the NGO over the years and his expectations from the summit—while pitching to the press the need to amend the existing international law and replace it with one that will make provision for checkmating and punishing leaders who violate the law by perpetrating war or seeking to cause one.
“Many people have worked for peace, and many have received peace awards. There are many laws, many governments, many religions with various scriptures and leaders, but nothing has changed in the world as wars and all forms of conflicts are still going on,” The one-time war veteran lamented.
“But I have the answers: I would like to advocate the need to amend the international law and have world leaders sign that they will not cause war anymore. And if they violate this law, they have to pay a penalty for abusing the law,” he added.
Dubbed “World Alliance of Religions Peace Summit“ the marathon sessions promises to be a “fit-for-purpose heavy lifting” aimed at rousing humanity to the need to get to the fundamentals of their respective beliefs—to find a common thread that binds all faiths as one, and reject all forms of hostilities towards one another.
Over the years, the peace summit convener has succeeded where others have failed—After 40 years of fighting between Muslims and Catholics on the Island of Mindanao, with some 12,000 lives lost to the conflicts—many Christian and Muslim leaders, as well as the United Nations did intervene but the fighting hardly stopped. Man Hee Lee was invited and after his mediation, the two conflicting parties smoked the peace pipe, and at the last check, the peace is holding.
Asked what message he had for African leaders, Man Hee Lee said, of all the countries he has visited over the years, it’s Africa that is dearest to his hearts. After departing Seoul on world tour, said the HWPL Chair, Africa was his first stop. He, therefore, urged African leaders to partner with him to bring a lasting solution to the many conflicts on the continent.
In attendance will be a number of current heads of states and governments, as well as a large group of former presidents and prime ministers, spiritual leaders from all religions, heads of non-governmental organizations, heads of academic institutions, and traditional leaders among tens and thousands of women and youth groups.
HWPL’s women’s wing—International Women’s Peace Council (IWPC) with Ms. Nam Hee Kim being the chairwoman, and the International Youth Peace Group (IYPG), will both play key role at the summit.
Prominent on the summit’s agenda is the drafting and ratification of the first intentional interfaith constitution. Following the opening ceremony on Wednesday September 17, the summit will break into various thematic sessions on such topics as: Dialogue of Mutual Understanding for World Peace, Women’s Network for World Peace, International Policy Making to Promote World Peace and the Cessation of War, Inter-religious Dialogue for Creating World Peace, as well as Conflicts and Peace Building.
Other sessions will deliberate on: The Role of Global Leaders and Organizations in Establishing World Peace, Middle East and North Africa-The Role of Leaders in Peace and Human Rights, as well as Resolving Conflicts and Divisions.”
Prior to the event itself, there will be a press conference, a preliminary meeting of Youth Leaders for World Peace and the Cessation of War, as well as a Preliminary meeting of World Leaders for Peace and the Cessation of War.
There will also be an Alliance of Religions Agreement Signing Ceremony, and the summits ends on September 19 with Proclamation Ceremony of Alliance of Religions and World Peace Walk, Alliance of Religions and World Peace Walk, Post-Event Press Conference, and the Victory Festival of Alliance of Religions.
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