Address to World Summit 2020, Seoul, Korea, February 3-8, 2020
Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, your Excellencies, distinguished participants and members, ladies and gentlemen,
I was fortunate to have attended my first Universal Peace Federation conference in the winter of 2013. Among all the astounding speeches and knowledge that were shared, one of the quotes that really stuck with me was, and I quote:
“There will be no real peace between countries until there is peace between religions.”
How true do these words ring today when we look at the division and disagreements in our world today? Yes, war is between countries, but at the core of most of these disagreements is the absence of peace and an understanding of our fellow brothers’ views, beliefs, wants and needs.
When looking at this from the perspective that religion begins with the individual within their family, is it not right that that is where we should begin our works of peace—with families and religions first—to unite in our values and work together through our differences while still standing together?
That is why it seems only fitting on this occasion to pay homage and tribute to the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon for founding the Unification Church and their dedication to not only promoting Almighty God’s kingdom of eternal peace and salvation here on this earth but also to pursuing His broad vision of a world united with all religions and countries united for the promotion of global peace, reconciliation and unity—and social and economic development that benefits all people.
Even more fitting is the Summit’s timing with the important 70th anniversary for the Korean Peninsula of the beginning of the Korean War.
What has been most encouraging to see is the tireless efforts of President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea in promoting direct dialogue between the leader of North Korea and the president of the United States on the denuclearization and demilitarization of the Korean Peninsula.
There can be no processes for permanent peace unless formal hostilities are finally brought to an end; all sanctions are removed; and a framework for cooperation in economic, religious and human development is agreed upon. And I believe that this Summit will play an important part in reaching that for both sides.
It is important to note for our Korean brothers and sisters that we, the international community, fully support and will work with you in your efforts to achieve peaceful coexistence, denuclearization and security—and that we are hoping and praying for a peace treaty or proclamation that is agreed upon and signed to finally put a formal end to the division and allow for lasting peace, development and prosperity. And I call on the Summit that this be a pledge we all sign, whether formally or in spirit, to support our Korean family.
For a Pacific Islander from the Oceania region where our conflicts have more to do with our changing climate than with each other, why does peace in the Korean Peninsula or anywhere in the world matter to us?
I will tell you now that we can only move forward together, we can only succeed and truly overcome all of our nation’s problems together.
We need to support each other’s movements towards peace, and stand up from our complacency of thinking another country’s problems are not our own. To achieve true peace and protect our people’s nations we need to protect all nations and their citizens from any conflict, doing whatever little we can to help.
As most of you should already know, our greatest fight in the Pacific region is climate change, in the last year, as it has been the common trend for the last decade. We have had tsunami and earthquake threats in nearly all of our islands; rising sea levels have and continue to threaten the existence of our coastal communities; and not to forget the recent devastations that hit the Philippines and Samoa only last December and the continuous burning of Australia.
These are problems we in the Pacific cannot face alone. We need the help of all countries to reduce carbon emissions; leave fossil fuels in the ground; embrace renewable energy and sustainable development; and respect the earth and her animals, flora and fauna. Only then will our earth look after us in return.
Additionally, it is only right to also note that it is our duty to also support our brothers and sisters in the People’s Republic of China who are currently facing and combating the new lethal strain of the coronavirus. Many countries have not had any cases of infection of the virus yet, and I hope it remains that way. However, many forget in such situations that viruses do not have a preference for sex, age, race or beliefs; we are all vulnerable, and therefore, we should do all we can to support those infected, and keep abreast of new information on the virus and spread correct awareness.
When there are problems—whether it be war, changing climates, endemic viruses—it is our people who and the development of our countries that suffers, and peace shatters. Therefore, I am truly grateful for this platform to remind us that it is through interdependence and the embracing of universal values that we can all move forward together and mutually prosper.
To conclude, the people of the Pacific and especially my country Fiji have always attached great importance to developing close friendships and cooperation with Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan.
From our vantage point in the South Pacific, the Pacific Ocean unites our Pacific and Asian regions. We refer to it as our Blue Ocean Continent. It is our common home and heritage, and is it is our collective responsibility to safeguard and protect it from all forms of pollution that would seek to destroy it.
We give thanks to Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon; all members, volunteers and participants of the Universal Peace Federation World Summit 2020; and the government of Korea for your gracious welcome to your beautiful country. For those of us from the Pacific, the weather is freezing for us, but the hospitality is warm and most appreciated—and we look forward to moving together, supporting each other and working towards a collective and lasting peace for our people, our nations and our world.
Kam sa ham ni da, inaka vakalevu, thank you very much.
To go to the World Summit 2020 Schedule page, click here.