Address to World Summit 2020, Seoul, Korea, February 3-8, 2020
Your Excellencies, First Ladies and Gentlemen, Women Leaders and Distinguished Guests!
It is my distinct honor to be part of this auspicious occasion, the inauguration of the International Association of First Ladies for Peace here in Seoul, Korea.
I extend my warmest congratulations to the co-founders of UPF and WFWP, Father and Mother Moon, whose birthdays are being celebrated by the world’s community here today.
May I also extend my warm welcome to the First Lady of the Republic of Palau, Madame Debbie Remengesau, who co-hosted the historic first Asia-Pacific First Ladies Summit in Palau just over a month ago.
This new initiative, the International Association of First Ladies for Peace, aims to work together—men and women—in the spirit of living for the sake of others, to overcome existing challenges and pave a way for the creation of a culture of peace and prosperity.
This organization will be led by women in order to foster maternal instincts such as unconditional love, the willingness to sacrifice, forgiveness and sibling harmony. Mother Moon calls this the “Logic of Love.”
The launching of the International Association of First Ladies for Peace is a milestone in history. There is no doubt that the family is the bedrock of society. When families are strong, stable and nurture children and grandchildren properly, then the society and the nation benefit. Some of the benefits of such families include better education, reduced crime, lower social welfare costs, healthier and happier people, fewer diseases, and youth raised with a public mind-set.
The opposite is also true. History teaches us that no culture can be sustainable when families break down.
Women leaders, and especially First Ladies, not only play critical roles in building their own families, but have key responsibilities in building social families, national families and indeed our global family. This is why I like the motto and vision of Father and Mother Moon, “One Family Under God.”
The idea of world peace is the dream of every human being since time immemorial. But never before was the environment so ripe for this dream of peace to be realized. Father and Mother Moon’s philosophy of peace starting from the family is essential to our age-old quest for lasting peace, happiness and sustainable development.
Thank you for your kind attention. I look forward to working with First Ladies and other women leaders to advocate and promote our roles as peacebuilders and nation builders.
Namaste!
To go back to the IAFLP Assembly Schedule page, click here.
To go to the World Summit 2020 Schedule page, click here.