Seoul, Korea—UPF Korea has set a goal for 2019 to educate and appoint 12,000 new Ambassadors for Peace to create a foundation for the firm settlement of Heavenly Unified Korea based on the vision for peace set by its founders Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. With assistance from the Korean branch of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), UPF-Korea is carrying out educational workshops across Korea’s 15 counties and 232 cities. As of September 21, 60 workshops have been held, with a total of about 5,700 participants. Through these workshops, UPF-Korea seeks to strengthen its Peace Council as well.
As part of the effort, a special two-day workshop was held from September 5-6, at Yongpyong Resort in Korea with support from FFWPU Region 1 and other organizations of UPF. Leaders from different professional fields and community leaders were invited to attend the workshop. Among the 50 participants were Jo Sung-kwon, former scholarship officer of the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, and Lee Yong-jun, former chairman of the Gimpo City Council.
The workshop opened with a video introduction of UPF and the work of Ambassadors for Peace, followed by two lectures from Yoon Jeung Rho, president of the Peace Ambassadors Council Headquarter. President Yoon emphasized the need for a true family movement centered on the ideology of the founders of UPF, Reverend Moon and Dr. Han. In the third, final lecture titled “The Founders’ Peace Unification Movement,” Song Gwang Seuk, president of the Unification Korea Federation, introduced the founders’ achievements in realizing a peaceful world and the unification of the Korean peninsula. The participants had time to introduce themselves and network with each other during dinner.
On the second day, Lee Hyun Young, secretary general of UPF-Korea, explained about the activities of UPF, which is one of the three organizations in Korea that holds General Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC. In explaining the mission of an Ambassador for Peace, Secretary General Lee emphasized that he or she is an envoy who acts at the local level to realize peace in the country and the world. He encouraged participants to join together to bring peace and unification to the Korean Peninsula and to work toward achieving a peaceful world. Following all education sessions, certificates appointing the participants as Ambassadors for Peace were presented.
In sharing their reflections on the workshop as newly appointed Ambassadors for Peace, Ko Nam-jun, a religious leader and chairman of Kouksundo, said, “Many great people have walked the earth until now, but I feel that Reverend Moon is a pioneer among pioneers who possessed great foresight.” Lee Yong Jun, former chairman of Gyeonggi Province Gimpo City Council and current Gimpo Forum president, said, “I was the chairman of Gimpo City Council at the time when Gimpo City was bidding for Tongil Group’s aviation industrial complex. That relationship brought me here today. As an Ambassador for Peace, I will dutifully fulfill my role in the city of Gimpo.” Another participant who owns a business said, “It’s been four years since I cut ties with my younger sibling after some discord. But through the lectures, I came to realize that true happiness is found in realizing a true family. Looking back, I’ve repented. I will contact my younger sibling during this coming Chuseuk (Korean Thanksgiving holiday),” to which the other participants gave a round of applause as encouragement. Bong Sun Hee, who retired after a 40-year teaching career, said “I wish I had received this education when I was still working. I would have been able to share the good content with more people. At least I know now, so I will spread the message in my local community.”
The two-day workshop concluded with the newly appointed Ambassadors for Peace resolving to become the pioneers of the True Family Movement and Peace-Unification Movement in their local communities.
In October, as a special international seminar, UPF-Korea invited leaders from the political, religious, academic, media and economic fields to a four-day seminar titled “Ambassadors for Peace Seminar for the Realization of World Peace and Peace on the Korean Peninsula.” The seminar took place in Nagoya, Japan. UPF Korea will continue to hold one-day and two-day workshops to educate and appoint new Ambassadors for Peace to join together in the movement for peace.