South America—The Universal Peace Federation (UPF-South America) held an International Leadership Conference (ILC). The topic for the first day was: Towards the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula: Creating a Global Culture of Peace on August 3 and 4, 2022.
The strategic organizing principle of the ILC program is to work together to build, strengthen and expand each association under UPF as a foundation for the ongoing work of creating families, societies, nations and a world of universal and lasting peace. Held online through the Zoom platform and YouTube, the event was attended by 596 people from all over South America.
The moderator of the event was Dr. Simão Ferabolli, general secretary of UPF in South America.
After the presentation of the International Summit 2020 video, the event began with a welcome address by Rev. Dong Mo Shin, regional president of UPF, Peace Road South America, and international vice president of the Peace Road Foundation. Rev. Sun Myung Moon, creator and founder of UPF, has worked to teach throughout his life about Godism, a vision that reaffirms our spiritual essence and is centered on universal values that can foster conflict resolution. UPF promotes a change of paradigms and values about leadership, bringing truly universal values that allow dialogue and mutual resolution of conflicts.
The theme for Session 1 was: Summary of the 2022 World Summit and the Seoul Declaration.
Hon. Edwin Rosas Urzagaste, second vice president of the Chamber of Deputies of the Pluractional State of Bolivia, stated that we, as Ambassadors for Peace, even though we are in Bolivia, can help the two parties, North and South Korea, to reach an understanding and thereby resolve this historic conflict.
H.E. Patricia Minnis, First Lady (2017-2021) of the Bahamas, said that history shows that change often occurs through the collective effort of individuals who are working in unity and synergistically for a cause. She added, “I can say from personal experience that prayer changes situations.”
The theme for Session 2 was: Analysis and Strategies for Peace in the Korean Peninsula.
Magister Mercedes S. Giuffré, member of the Argentine Council for International Relations, stated that a negotiated peace agreement would not only put an end to the Korean War but would also be a crucial step towards the demilitarization of the Korean peninsula. It would improve the humanitarian conditions of thousands of North Koreans who depend on humanitarian aid for survival.
Dr. Claudia Cataldi, Ambassador for Peace and professor of Public Science and International Relations in Brazil, reaffirmed the principle of mutual respect, mutual understanding, mutual trust, and mutual interest for peace and prosperity of Korea, passed in the UN charter of international rights.
Dr. Fernando Valverde Caman, director of the Center for Human Rights and International Justice in Peru, stated in closing: “We urgently need a peace treaty to replace the armistice agreement, with the international community to guarantee this agreement.”
Session 3, held on August 4, had the theme Conflict Resolution and the Role of Religious Organizations and NGOs.
Bishop Luis Moreno, honorable president of the Anglican Chamber of Bishops of Ecuador, commented that Unificationist thinking presents itself as a new system of ideology, both philosophical and religious, and tries to overcome confusion in these times of crisis. Therefore, the purpose of Unificationist thinking should not only be in the field of reflection, but also in moral enlightenment and fundamental renewal.
Dr. Carlos Limongi Sterse, director of the Forum of the District of Anápolis, coordinator of Childhood and Youth in the interior of the state of Goiás, and creator of the Crusade for Dignity, was next to speak. He stated that if we want to have a world of peace and a world without conflicts, we have to break these barriers starting with ourselves, leaving the discourse behind and putting it into practice in our daily lives.
The theme for Session 4 was: The Role of Academia and the Media in Conflict Resolution.
Dr. Allam Martínez Mont, advisor to the United Nations Development Program in Guatemala, made the comment that the academic centers have the ability to install platforms for dialogue. If the political and economic interests are put on the table for dialogue, this would help to put an end to the war on the Korean peninsula.
Dr. Douglas Romay Lanza, general director of Rolanz Multimedios Group, Bolivia, added: “To resolve these conflicts, we need to separate ourselves from the conflict that ties us to political power and leaves us slaves to its vision. When we have the opportunity to be able to see more than our differences, our common intentions, we see that the media can assist in this process of developing a united society.”
Spanish streaming link of Session 1: https://youtu.be/bEIjIN7XPdM
Spanish streaming link of Session 2: https://youtu.be/wqqbizGuOT8
Spanish streaming link of Session 3: https://youtu.be/QUW6mWbcBYY