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J. De Venecia: Address to Rally of Hope II
Written by Jose De Venecia, Speaker of the House of Representatives (1992-1998, 2001-2008), Philippines
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Address to Rally of Hope II
September 27, 2020
Excellencies, dear friends, we commend Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, co-founder of the Universal Peace Federation and founder of the Sunhak Peace Prize, who, like her beloved husband, the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, has been working tirelessly to advance the cause of peace in our troubled world, even in the midst of the global pandemic. I wish all of you, speakers and participants, dear friends, peace and joy for you and your families, for your people, as we come together in search of mutual understanding in the global community. Peace in the world is our universal longing, and our most shared, yet difficult and elusive goal.
We, however, refuse to believe that we have lost the will, lost the spirit, lost the ability, to forge ahead, to move forward with a renewed sense of community that will enable all of us together to deal authoritatively with our collective problems. We believe indeed that brotherhood, understanding, and cooperation amongst men and women and our families have a place in the society of the world, in global society--just as they have in our own face-to-face communities. We see the building blocks of a new world order in the institutions of global civil society—like UPF and the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP)—already at work on most international issues and challenges, especially in erecting an edifice of peace, in creating a better world for the next generation.
Indeed, for the lingering conflict and dangerous flash points on the Korean Peninsula, we urge the revival of the long-postponed Six-Party Talks among the United States, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea with support from the ASEAN region, which would contribute to enhancing political stability and security, not only on the Korean Peninsula but throughout the entire Asia Pacific region. We also urge, dear friends, dear brothers, fellow Asians, peoples of the world that are assembling in this historic conference, to devote time and effort to help revive and start off, with God’s benediction, a new series of Interfaith Dialogues, which we initiated in the United Nations system in 2004, as a way of helping resolve geopolitical, religious conflicts, strengthen religious moderates, and isolate those who advocate terrorism and violent extremism in the name of faith and religion.
The Interfaith Dialogues uphold a global culture of peace and mutual understanding. In these moments of enormous challenge and uncertainty, we seek strength, yes, strength in unity, with a sense of shared purpose born out of our common dream—peace in our countries, in our region, and in the world. Thank you, dear friends from all over Asia, all over the world. Thank you, and good day. God bless you and your families and friends.
Hon. Jose de Venecia was Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives (1992-1998, 2001-2008). He serves as International Co-chairman of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP).
To go to the Dialogue and Alliance: Toward a Unified World of Peace, click here.