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The only road to peace is to strive for justice for all human beings, nationally and internationally, at all costs. Unless we set this as our ultimate goal, our aims to achieve international peace and harmony will only hang by a thread.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor for me to receive the Sunhak Peace Prize, particularly in times increasingly marked by war and violence, when speaking of peace is perceived as unrealistic and utopian. I wish to thank Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon for devoting their lives to achieving universal peace and promoting the fundamental values of peace, dialogue and cooperation in the name of the human family.
People in conflict zones want and need help, but they do not need organizations telling them what to do or offering solutions that do not work. They need to know that people respect and care for them enough to listen to their struggles and concerns and to learn what it is they need for their situation to improve. So we ask questions that will help our staff understand their immediate needs: What do you need? Do your teachers need training? Do you need books, sewing classes or healthcare? What are your long-term goals?
Today Taiwan is committed to proactively fulfilling its obligations under international human rights law. In 2000, the Control Yuan set up a “Human Rights Protection Committee.” The main functions of this Committee are to uncover and investigate cases involving human rights violations, to recommend appropriate acts concerning human rights, to monitor the implementation of international human rights norms by different levels of governments, to coordinate with domestic and international human rights groups, to hold workshops on human rights matters, and to publish thematic human rights investigation reports.
The question of human development has nothing to do with a higher level of national income. Countries with a higher level of income still have internal conflicts, which are deeply rooted in poor human development. If we fail to foster human development, which is different from the concept of human resource development, we will not achieve security and sustainable peace in the world.
I believe it is important to recognize that the 21st century is the age of balance. The struggle for balance is being waged on an international, state and individual level, between dichotomies of competing value. They include development vs. environmental protection, globalization vs. regionalization, high-tech information vs. individual privacy…and even national interests vs. international interests.
Transparency breeds accountability. With transparency, there is a better chance for corruption to be curbed, delivery of public services to be improved, and business and economic environment to be enhanced. It is our hope that the Citizen Participatory Audit will create greater transparency and community involvement.
Peace, security and human development are interrelated issues. We have gathered here to discover new ways to realize lasting peace. Even though Nepal recently went through a period of violence, we have the legacy of a culture of peace. After all, this is the country where Lord Buddha was born.
Martin Luther King said that “a policy of non-violence” is most effective in dealing with injustice and hatred. Father Moon simply put it as: “Live for the sake of others.”
Today, the conflicts between neighbors and within communities is due to lack of human development. This is an issue affecting peace and security. We, the parliamentarians, have an important role to play—as parliamentarians are the bridges between the people, the legislators and the governments.
We are living in a time where peace, love and wisdom needs to be at the forefront. God’s love does not discriminate by race, ethnicity, nationality or religion. Reverend Moon reminded us of this. We must embrace peace as the road to resolving conflicts, building gender equality and respect for all human beings.
The international order in the 21st century must not be a struggle among the superpowers to expand their spheres of influence, but should instead be reorganized to promote the benefit of weaker countries and those in disadvantaged positions. The world should be characterized by righteousness ruling on a foundation of peace and respect for democracy and human rights.