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Y.S. Song: Peace Requires Action
Written by Hon. Young Sun Song, Member, National Assembly, Republic of Korea
Friday, January 30, 2009
Address to the World Summit on Peace
New York, USA, January 30, 2009
We gather here today not only to talk about the proper way of collaborating to foster peace, but to collect our energy and good will to foster peace. You are the leaders. You can be the leaders of world peace. Leaders have a right and responsibility at the same time.
Peace is not a vacuum. Peace is not something abstract. It should be concrete, and it is a universal language. At same time, it is action that transcends color, ethnicity, and even religion. It is far more than the simple status of the nonexistence of war or conflict.
Peace is not a hollow word. It requires action. Like love, peace is far more than words or promises. It cannot be acquired by simple prayers or wishes. Like love, it can be powerful only when it is manifested with action. Without our toil and effort, it is nothing but a festivity of words. Somebody should do it. We are the people who can do it.
Peace is more expensive than war. It does not require training or exercise, but it requires enduring conviction, concerted effort, tolerance, cooperation, and alliances.
The ultimate goal of war is survival, but the ultimate goal of peace is coexistence. Right at this moment in 2009 we still have more than 70 countries under conflict or at war. Over 3 million people in North Korea are starving to death. More than 500,000 women are victims of human trafficking in East Asia. As long as we don’t listen to the North Koreans’ dying voice asking for freedom from fear of starving to death or being beaten to death, as long as we don’t open our hearts to poverty, and as long as we don’t open our eyes to human trafficking, then the word peace is hollow.
We are the leaders. We have to find out how to stop poverty, how to get rid of communism, how to get rid of dictatorship, how to get rid of violations of human rights. Distinguished guests, leaders, and ambassadors, ladies and gentlemen, again, we are not here to simply listen to speeches or to meet good friends, but we are here to collect our energies and find out ways to work collaboratively to foster peace in the world.
Leaders, let’s stand in the front of the line for restoration of human rights and restoration of peace, ending conflict and war. That’s our work, that’s our assignment.