As the dawn of the third millennium approaches, our world stands at an important crossroads. We have developed the scientific and technological capacity to create a world of abundance and material well-being, but our internal philosophies and value systems, which have given rise to our great civilizations in the past, are being more fiercely challenged than at any time in history. Our world has not yet learned to cope with the challenges of the new modernity, and the evidence of this can be seen in every nation with the rise of serious social problems. Will the new millennium be one of hope and brotherly cooperation or one of tragedy and despair? The future world will be entrusted to the new generation, based on the legacy we leave to them, and the values we instill in them. With this consciousness we must fulfill our solemn responsibility of working toward the highest values and achievements for every nation in the world.

The end of the cold war superficially transformed the international landscape and the political atmosphere from one of deadlock to one of hope. However, we are still beset by serious problems such as racial, ethnic, and religious violence. We seem to be losing ground in our battles against poverty, drug abuse, pollution, and the breakdown of the family. It is only with the spirit of brotherly cooperation, neighborly international assistance, and true love that we can pioneer genuine solutions to the seemingly insurmountable problems that plague us all. The world needs to hope and believe that the coming millennium will usher in a global society based on the principle of cooperation, embracing all nations and races of the world, transcendent of national self-concern, but reflecting an international mutuality of interest and trust.

Throughout history, the peninsular societies gave rise to many important civilizations, largely because of their proximity to the sea. Strategically located, reaching out from the continents of the world, these peninsulas had greater access to the benefits of the sea but also were required to develop greater social cohesiveness in order defend themselves from the threats to their survival which continually faced them, from invading armies both on the continent and borne on the sea from other nations. Peninsular cultures also received the positive aspects of accessibility: arts and ideas flowed through them from the continent and were carried by their sea-borne trade and explorations.

Thus, great philosophies and systems of thought have usually arisen and been nourished in peninsulas and have spread to the world from them: Greek philosophy in the Aegean and Balkans, art and mathematics in the Ottoman Empire, Roman law in the Italian peninsula, Indian philosophy and religion, the adaptation of Buddhism on the Southeast Asian peninsula, Islam on the Arabian peninsula, Nordic culture and mythology in Scandinavia, world navigation and discovery in the Iberian peninsula, to name only a few. Peninsular nations have exercised great influence in the creation of civilization.

As we look toward the third millennium, we believe that it is quite possible, standing as they do at the crossroads among the nations of the world, that the common experience of peninsular nations gives them the natural possibility and responsibility to make a vital contribution to the development of a new world civilization. Modern crossroads, of course, are less dependent upon geography than in the past. Economic and intellectual trade and exchange often occurs in non-material ways. Our world is organized into blocs, coalitions, partnerships, and international regimes. It is no longer a world of vast geographical empires centered on single sites. Despite these radical changes, peninsula nations bear many unchanging qualities which make them potential world leaders. Linked to the resource-rich continents which later gave rise to superpowers, the peninsulas, naturally endowed with ports through which are conveyed all manner of material and intellectual trade, have experienced a fluid and dynamic social and cultural life. Due to the necessity for great conquerors and statesmen to control this critical geographical resource, peninsula areas often became politically powerful. Many of history's greatest empires have been culturally and politically based in peninsula areas. With his uncommon insight into cultural, economic, and political trends and the spiritual energy behind them, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon continues his tireless devotion to the cause of world peace now through the establishment of three new international peace federations: the Federation of Island Nations for World Peace, the Federation of Peninsular Nations for World Peace, and the soon-to-be-founded Federation of Continental Nations for World Peace. These federations will strengthen the natural bonds among nations which have certain essential geographically based experiences in common. In these organizations and later, in the cooperation among them, we believe vital contributions can be made toward understanding how to develop a model of international relations and a system of international values for the third millennium. It is likely that peninsulas will always be at the forefront in forging new civilizations, but in this age of internationalism, development will certainly not flow from a single geographic location but from a bloc. Peninsulas can surely do more for the cause of world peace and cooperation working together. The opportunity to attend this seminal conference for peninsula nations and to influence the early directions of what will become a powerful international organization should be developed to its fullest potential.

We, the participants in the Inaugural World Convention of the Federation of Peninsular Nations for World Peace, held in Seoul, Korea, from August 20-22, 1996, wish to commend the conference organizers, and especially the Founders, Dr. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon on proposing this unique vision and bold approach toward solving international problems.

We represent thirty peninsular nations from which great civilization and cultures have arisen. Science and technology offer the hope of a prosperous world for all, but as we enter the third millennium, we must recognize that many of the problems afflicting each of our nations are, in varying degrees, common to all otters. Our challenge and responsibility is to re-evaluate traditional methods and concepts, and work together to create a new world view, equal to the challenges we face.

Our nations have historically been at the crossroads of international exchanges--commerce, arts, and ideas, as well as sometimes conflict. These experiences have taught us the need for international cooperation. The building of a global family of nations underscores the importance of the family itself as a vital building block of a healthy and prosperous society. We cannot have a healthy family of nations, without nations of healthy families.

The Federation of Peninsular Nations for World Peace, brings a fresh hope, and a new energy to our common task. We look forward to the development of the activities and programs of the Federation and pledge our goodwill, counsel, cooperation and support.

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