WORLD PEACE: BUILDING PEACE AMONG NATIONS
To begin to understand Rev. Moon’s dedication to solving the problems of world peace, we begin with a description of how Rev. Moon responded specifically to the tragedy of September 11, 2001:
Rev. Moon’s Non- Stop Work to Solve the Problems of the Middle East and Between the Two Koreas.
How Reverend Moon responded to the tragedy of September 11, 2001.
Had come to the conference fearing they might be polite spectators to the conventional Western point of view were enthusiastic. Later sessions were full of frank and lively exchanges in which all freely spoke their mind. The atmosphere affirmed all sides and significantly no walked out. American participants understood that while America is right to lament its dead after the World Trade Center attack, the world does not end at its borders and America must seriously work to correct the gross inequities between the
“haves” and “have nots” if such events are not going to be repeated again and again.
However, Reverend Moon realized that there are wide rifts within the Islamic world which could only be addressed Muslims holding a peace conference almong themselves. He therefore invited the former president on Indonesia H.E. Abdurrahman Wahid and Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan to jointly convene a conference for which he offered his full support. It was held December 20-23, 2001 under the theme “Islam and a Future World of Peace.” This significant event for peace allowed Muslims of good will to find their common voice at a time when the Muslim world was reeling from in the wake of Jihadist propaganda. was the first of many such events Reverend Moon has initiated to address the problems of a post 9/11 world.
Reverend Moon's Organizations for World Peace
Universal Peace Federation (UPF) /
International Interreligious Federation for World Peace (IIFWP)
International Interreligious Federation for World Peace (IIFWP)
Founded in 1999 to promote world peace through inter-religious initiatives to solve conflicts and initiatives to strengthen the family as the basic unit for the well being of society. IIFWP is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
One of the most important undertakings of the UPF is the establishment of Global Peace Council, interreligious council of the leaders of the world religions and political leaders to support to advise and support the United Nations in its efforts for world peace.
www.peacefederation.org
Ambassadors for Peace
Launched in January of 2001 thee are now 70,000 Ambassadors for Peace worldwide who have been appointed in 180 countries. Ambassadors for Peace are distinguished individuals dedicated to some kind of public service. They include prominent leaders from all faiths. Their lives exemplify the ideal of living for the sake of others, and who dedicate themselves to promoting universal moral values, strong family life, interreligious cooperation, international harmony, renewal of the United Nations, responsible mass media, and the establishment of a global culture of peace. Transcending racial, national and religious barriers, Ambassadors for Peace work unselfishly in their communities, nations and on the internationally to bring solve societies most pressing problems and to strengthen families.
www.peacefederation.org
World Culture and Sports Festival (WCSF)
The WCSF is a major annual convocation of the Unification Movement.
Rev. Moon announced his plan for the WCSF at the time of the 1988 Oympics
in Seoul Korea which brought together adversaries of the Cold War.
In His Words: “I propose the holding of a World
Festival of Culture…gathering figures from the arts, the sciences,
the news media, religion, economics and politics as well as atheletes
and youth leaders. It is my intention to make this an occasion to celebrate
the brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity and the creation of ideal
families.”
The first WSCF was held in 1992 and this convocation on world peace
has been an annual event in Seoul Korea each summer to which distinguished
leaders in many fields attend including former and current heads of
state. At each WSCF a kind of “interreligious Olympics” is
held with delegates and teams from the worlds religions and nations
gather to compete, a conference is held on peace for world leaders
along with cultural activities.
WCSF has three goals: to bring about a world of heart, that is a world
where people live centered on their hearts in true love, to promote
harmony transcending national, racial and religious boundaries and
to bring about a world of peace ending the divisions that have caused
war and conflict.
Bering Strait Project: The World Peace King Tunnel
One Rev. Moon’s newest and most important initiatives, the Bering Strait project proposes the construction of the "World Peace King Tunnel" under the Bering Strait, an 85-kilometer, $200 billion link to connect Russia and The United States, East and West, the Americas and AsiaFree trade would occur around such an international link, and the economic and cultural exchange would help foster a common community. Moon says he envisions the project as a ‘Peace Tunnel’ that will include passenger facilities, encourage tourism, and even ‘exchange marriages’ between peoples along the route.
As to the estimated construction costs of $200 billion for the tunnel and
up to $400 billion for a rail link, Moon is supremely confident that
the resources will be found. “Think of how much money the world
is wasting on war,” he says, “the time has come for nations
to work together and pool their resources, and, as the prophet Isaiah
once taught, beat our swords into plowshares and pruning hooks.” According
to Rev. Moon the Bering Strait projects is an ‘historic opportunity’ to
dramatically bridge the barriers between races, cultures, religions and
nationalities. (click her for more
information.)
World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO)
Founded in 2000 because according to Reverend Moon's direction, the age has come when many of the most difficult problems will be solved by non-governmental organizations, rather than simply governments. An example of this trend is that United States federal government has a policy to favor NGOS, especially faith-based organizations to do social service over government organized programs because such NGO programs are proven to be the more effective than government programs. Through conferences and pilot projects WANGO works to strengthen and support the increasingly important role of NGOs worldwide to solve societies most intractable problems.
www.wango.org
Summit Council for World Peace(SCWP):
Founded in 2004 in an initiative to revitalize a great civilization and apply its core values to the work of building a world of lasting peace. Since their ancient origin in the steppes of Asia, the Mongolian people have migrated to virtually every corner of the world. Recent anthropological studies suggest that many nations and peoples from around the world as far away as South America and Alaska actually share distant ties with people from Mongolia. The Mongolian Peoples' Federation for World Peace is not about one isolated nation. It is about a great homecoming, bringing together people of distant relationships who share certain common values and ideals of interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values. www.mpfwp.org
Founded in 1980, at the peak of the Cold War and when many third world countries were flirting with Marxism, CAUSA started work in Latin American working with governments interested in the using non-violent method of education to defeat communism. Seminars presenting a critique of Marxist-Leninism and a counter proposal based on Godism and universal values were given to thousands of government, military and civic leaders in such countries as Chile, Bolivia, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Honduras.
In 1983 CAUSA began work in the the United States and Europe to strengthen resolve to defeat communism and expose the weaknesses of its theories and practices.
Mario Echandi, Former President of Costa Rica said about CAUSA activities in Latin America:
"The work of Reverend Moon and the work of CAUSA are significant for all of the Americas. As a Korean, Reverend Moon has endured the suffering of a divided nation. Yet he has reached out beyond Korea so that we of the Americas might know howto avoid similar suffering."
Hon.Ricardo del la Cierva, Former Minister of Culture, Spain
"It seems to me that the CAUSA Lecture Manual offers the best analysis of Marxism-Leninism in print."
Amilcar Santamaria, Minister of Information, Honduras:
"I am convinced that Reverend Moon and this movement offer geniune hope for the people of Central America. Our countries urgently need a worldview capable of mobilizing their moral resouces to support liberty, justice and peace. The planning and vision of CAUSA offers such a worldview." Founded in 198X, this was one of the original and most active of Rev.
Moons peace intiatives..The purpose of PWPA is to harness the wisdom
of academia to solve conflict and social problems. PWPA formed active
chapters in dozens of countries. In the tense time of the
Cold War, following Rev. Moons directions to bring about the
peaceful downfall of communism, PWPA sponsored numerous forums and
conferences on world crisis hot spots from Central America to the
Korean peninsula.
Under
Major Accomplishments, see info on PWPA’s 1985
Fall of the Soviet Empire
conference.
It
might seem strange to list an organization that dedicated itself to
the defeat of communism on a list of organizations that bring peace
between nations. But the IFVOC , while supporting a strong military
defense, advocated for the peaceful downfall of communism through education
that the ideology of communism was deeply flawed and could never bring
about the promised ideal society. Rev. Moon taught never to hate the
communist people, but rather to critique their mistaken ideolody-dialectic
materialism and present a counterproposal based on universal values,
the peaceful resolution of class struggle and mans existence as a spiritual
being. For these reasons, IFVOC was in fact a peace organization working
during a difficult historical period the intellectual elite in
most Western countries
rejected anti-communists as ignorant fanatics.
History vindicated persons like Rev. Moon and the work of organizations
like the IFVOC.