On behalf of the Founders, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, welcome to Korea for this 5th World Summit on Leadership and Good Governance. Welcome also to the rich spiritual environment of the Chung Pyung International Conference Center.

Many years ago, Rev. Moon and his followers began coming here to pray and fast. None of what you see now was here then. There were only the mountains in those days.

It is a high privilege to be able to address you today, and to present the Chairman's Address. We have assembled here representatives from 157 nations, including delegates from all the world's major religious traditions, and from a wide range of professional fields, including government, the private sector and civil society. Given this precious opportunity, I would like to choose my words carefully and use my time well.

This Summit series focuses on Leadership and Good Governance, and their relevance to human development and peace. The IIFWP was founded with a very serious objective in mind, to create a world of universal peace, a world in which true love is the basis of all human relationshipsC9C9a world in which all people live together as one global family, in mutual respect, harmony, cooperation and co-prosperityC9C9a world whose institutions, from governments, to religions, to businesses, carry out their tasks on the foundation of a deep, underlying culture of heart that binds all people together as one family. On this foundation, we can build social, civic, economic and political institutions that take us through and beyond the challenging problems of our day.

Leadership and Good Governance are essential in helping us to achieve these goals.

Leadership has its foundation, not only in knowledge, experience, and a will to lead, but also in the character of individuals. That is, it has to do with the traits, qualities and virtues that should be embodied in human beings. Good leadership is essential to good governance. When character is lacking, talent, knowledge, experience and skill can be misused. Furthermore, character is not merely an intangible, moral value. Good character, which includes honesty, loyalty, dutifulness, compassion, courage, wisdom, etc., yields good outcomes. Good character allows trust, cooperation, creativity, productivity and prosperity to flourish.

As you know, IIFWP upholds two primary principles. Both are grounded in the ideal of true love, which is God's most essential characteristic. A world culture that is based on true love is one where conflict, poverty, and hostile competition will fade away. In turn, many very practical benefits will follow, including great happiness, freedom and prosperity.

Thus, we do not advocate these principles simply as ends in themselves. Rather, these principles provide guidelines for the way of true love, which in turn is the basis for solving our world's most critical global problems.

The first may be called the principle of unselfishness, or the principle of living for the sake of others. The second is the principle of unification, or the principle of overcoming barriers through acts of love, reconciliation and cooperation.

These principles underly IIFWP's ideals of leadership and of good governance. They guide us on the path to peace.

The conflicts and struggles of history are not fundamentally problems of structure, resources, technology or knowledge alone. They derive from the problems within human beings.

Originally, humanity was created to inherit God's nature in all its goodness and greatness. That is why we were endowed with a conscience that expresses the God-given essence within each of us.

The human problem emerged due to the Fall of Adam and Eve, our first ancestors. As a result of the Fall, the conscience was brought under Satan's dominion and has been badly damaged, even though it could not be eradicated completely. This is because, up until the time of their fall from God's grace, Adam and Eve were able to develop, at least partially, their conscience. Still, the conscience is not fully matured or perfected in human beings, and so we are in need of continual efforts to elevate the conscience. This has been the purpose of religion and the teachings of the saints and sages throughout history.

Even plants need nurturing and support if they are to grow. Weeds can grow easily. The conscience, like a tender plant, needs cultivation or it deteriorates.

Our physical body has its origin in our physical parents. What is the origin of the spiritual self? After a baby is born from its mother's womb, the conscience emerges.

The physical body primarily seeks comfort and satisfaction of physical desires. Our desire to seek truth, beauty and goodness, however, is rooted in the spiritual self. The parent of our spiritual self is God. God is the invisible True Parents.

Without recovering this true spiritual nature, we can never fully restore human beings, and can never achieve true peace or achieve the fullness of God's original ideal for each human being.

Father Moon teaches that we are each to become a True Parent, True Teacher and True Owner. A true parent is a person with a perfected heart of true love, developed within a true family and the experience of the four great realms of heart. These are the heart of a loving child, the heart of a loving brother or sister, the heart of a loving spouse, and the heart of a loving parent. The family is the school of true love and the school for becoming a true parent, a true teacher and a true owner.

The term "true teacher" does not mean simply one who teaches math and science or simply transmits intellectual knowledge well. A "true teacher" is one who practices and teaches true love, based on his or her own experience. A "true teacher" teaches the correct order of love, and the correct order of the relationships of love.

The term "true owner" describes a person who relates responsibly and unselfishly to the things of the material world, according to the ideal of true love.

If a human being has the character of a true parent, true teacher and true owner, then he will not be a source of conflict, fighting or disorder in this world. Such a person is a peacemaker.

So much of the work for peace begins with each of us as individuals. There is a tendency to focus on the broader contexts of peace, such as the nation or the world, in part because the quest for true peace within the human being is so difficult. But, without perfecting the individual according to the conscience, peace will never be attained on broader levels.

Even when we look to issues of governance, and the way in which larger social groups are created and carry out their activities and seek to fulfill their goals, we recognize the importance of individual character and conscience. For, when we think of families, governments, religions, businesses, civic institutions, etc., we know that each is made up not only of structures, rules, laws and procedures, but of human relationships that have their base in individual attitudes and practices.

There is no disconnection between the individual and the social, the private and the public, the local and the global, or the micro-social and the macro-social. Throughout history, great individuals have been catalysts for profound social transformation. Likewise, great ideas that cannot be embedded in the heart, soul, and will of individuals will only remain floating above the earth, and never enter human history. Ideals and principles, when embedded in the minds, hearts, souls and wills of individuals, become powerful.

Take, for example, the issue of development and the eradication of poverty. Many factors can contribute to poverty, including political systems, economic policies, climate and geography; but at the heart of poverty are human relationships and human practices, including the quality both of the leadership in a given country, as well as the quality of the citizens. A leader who is not a true owner will mismanage wealth and contribute to impoverishment. A corrupt or unjust person will impoverish the many to benefit the few.

Corrupt leaders do incredible damage to the human family.

Character is critical for leadership. Good leaders make things happen. They create something out of virtually nothing. They give, and give, and give. Bad leaders create nothing out of something. They take, and all things diminish over time.

IIFWP's Ambassadors for Peace program was established in order to raise up a worldwide community of leaders who apply the principles of unselfishness and unification.

I recently attended the inauguration of President Bush and listened to his inaugural speech. He placed great emphasis on the value of freedom and democracy. Of course, these are important values. And yet they are not the only values; neither are they the supreme values. In addition to upholding freedom, it is also necessary that we look more deeply at other values that are necessary for peace. For, if human beings are not people of true love, then freedom or democracy may only serve the interests of the selfish. Thus, even more important than freedom are the principles of unselfishness and unification. Freedom needs to be balanced with goodness, and a heart of true love.

If America is to be a world leader and establish a model of governance, the value of freedom must be balanced with other values, and particularly the value of living for the sake of others.

I also had the opportunity, last month, to attend the UN Conference in Mauritius dedicated to the consideration of issues relevant to sustainable development for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). I was very inspired to see so many leaders gathered. I listened to hundreds of speeches over the course of three days. Great knowledge, wisdom and experience were shared. However, while much was spoken about sustainable development, economic aid, environmental sustainability and eradication of poverty, little attention was given to other necessary conditions for successful and lasting development.

That is, there must be a transformation of consciousness among individuals. There must be "true parent" leadership. Not enough emphasis was placed on the importance of the family, religion, spiritual growth and moral character. At our IIFWP sessions, we strongly urge delegates to give more attention to these factors. For example, in terms of a virtue or individual trait that has enormous social and economic implications, we can consider self-discipline, and the capacity to postpone gratification and to pursue long-term rewards. This trait has relevance to HIV/AIDS prevention, educational advancement, wealth-creation, and success in all human relationships. Such considerations need to be included in discussions of human development.

This year we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations. In anticipation of this historic moment, there is much discussion of the need for renewal of the United Nations. I had the chance to speak to H.E. Jean Ping, the President of the 59th General Assembly, and I urged him to give serious attention to the development of an interreligious council at the UN. This is an idea whose time has come.

Between now and the convening of the 60th General Assembly of the United Nations, IIFWP will convene regional summits, with the following goals in mind: Further expand the IIFWP vision of leadership and good governance; Develop Regional Peace Councils; Expand the IIFWP's work in support of the United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); Support the Philippines' initiative to establish an interreligious council within the UN system; Prepare for two major international programs later this year: A program to honor those who served as part of the UN forces in the Korean War; A program to convene the Peace Council (IIPC); Develop the governing council for all IIFWP programs and activities.

I hope you can see that IIFWP is moving forward, on the foundation of many years of lonely sacrifice and service, even going back 50 years, when Rev. Moon would come to these mountains by himself to pray for world peace, and to receive guidance as to how he could liberate God's heart and establish a unified family of true love.

Here at this holy ground, many people have reported experiences with angels and ancestors from the spirit world. This is actually natural. Our spiritual senses are meant to be open. Also, our ancestors want to work with us to achieve peace. I realize this sounds unusual. And yet, it is true. When you die and go to the spirit world, do you think you will no longer want to see a realm of true love, joy and happiness realized for your own descendants. Even after you leave this earth, you will continue your mission.

On February 14th, we will gather for a special ceremony that celebrates the 85th birthday of Rev. Sun Myung Moon and the 62nd birthday of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. We will also pay tribute to the lifelong course of Rev. and Mrs. Moon to establish God's universal Peace Kingdom as a world culture of heart, centered on the ideal of true love. This event will be in many respects a culmination of their entire lives.

In particular, since the year 2001, when Rev. Moon offered the Coronation of God's Kingship, he launched the era of Cheonil Guk. The term Cheonil Guk means literally, two people become one. This image represents the ideal of humanity living as one people, one family, bound together in heart, mutual trust and joy.

Rev. Moon and Mrs. Moon will be honored as the King and Queen of Peace, and the King and Queen of the realm of Cheonil Guk, the nation of the people of true love. The citizens of Cheonil Guk are bound together by a culture of heart. It is a nation without boundaries, and its core principle, and the criterion of the true patriot, is to "live for the sake of others."

We are living in the era after the coming of heaven. The old world is dying away. The world that has brought God so much grief and pain will fade. The world of goodness is coming into being. This is the life mission of True Father.

I am so happy that you can all be here and can celebrate this moment together with God, with the saints and sages of history, and with our ancestors, all bound in oneness of heart to restore all the past history of conflict, hatred, violation and heartbreak.

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