United for Peace: 300,000 Global Participants in the 3rd HWPL Commemorative Peace Walk
- Published in International
500,000 signatures collected for the Legislate Peace Campaign
Seoul, Republic of Korea – What can draw 300,000 people to gather simultaneously across hundreds of cities?
On 25 May 2016, vibrant people yearning for peace eagerly streamed at the World Peace Gate in Seoul Olympic Park for the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace, an internationally celebrated event to commemorate the proclamation of the Declaration of World Peace presented by the Chairman of HWPL on 25 May 2013.
“Today, marking the 3rd anniversary, at this very moment, our family of peace must have their attention focused on this place…What we should leave to the future generations is the common good of mankind - peace. There is no greater legacy than peace and it is not achieved by just one person. Therefore, we all must become messengers of peace,” said HWPL Chairman Lee in his commemorative address.
International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) Director Du Hyen Kim said, “This particular year, 105 peace walks will be held in 52 nations…To all the youth in attendance today in order to complete this goal there are certain qualities we all should posses. The first is a Firm Belief in what we do. The second is a Leader whom we can trust and follow. The third is our friends who we walk this path on together. Do you have these qualities?”
This year’s commemoration highlighted the global peace advocacy movement, Legislate Peace Campaign, recently launched to bring all wars to an end by establishing an enforceable law compatible with the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). This campaign calls on global citizens to unite as one to voice their positive demand for peace by adding their signatures.
According to HWPL, as of May 25th, the collected signatures have exceeded 500,000 from 154 countries in less than two months, and many heads of state have written official letters of support for the DPCW. The number of signatures is expected to reach 2,000,000 by the end of this year.
Joshua Muse, a student at the University of Mississippi, said at an interview, “This movement is bringing all different cultures together. Seeing the signatures (Legislate Peace Campaign) is being completed all these different countries is something that we have never imagined. The (collected) signatures are the examples, are the symbol of the agreement of all these countries coming together under one mind of peace.”
Throughout the event, Ecuador Earthquake Relief Donation booths were set up to respond to the needs of the Ecuadorian people. Ambassador Jorge ICAZA, Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General of Ecuador in Korea, addressed in his congratulatory remarks, “I avail myself of this opportunity to give my sincere thanks to HWPL for preparing this Peace Walk in solidarity with my country which is being affected by this natural disaster. I am sure that your kind activity of love and peace will become a message of hope to the Ecuadorian people.”
All donations made during this event will be donated to Ecuador through the Embassy of Ecuador to Korea.
Since the proclamation of the Declaration of World Peace on 25 May 2013, HWPL has proposed its international law initiative to draft a legally binding instrument for all States to adopt that ultimately promotes a culture of peace and ceases all wars through the DPCW. It has pioneered various peace activities including the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office, as well as held peace education seminars, peace walks, and peace forums with the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) and the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG).