Virtual Conference to Introduce Peace Activities Led by Global Citizens in the Pandemic Era

The event commemorated the Declaration of World Peace, proclaimed on May 25th in 2013

On May 25, 2021, HWPL's 8th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace was held online and attended by around 3,000 people from 150 countries around the world.

This event is held annually by an international peace NGO named Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) in association with its affiliated groups, International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG).

With several cases of international partnership for peacebuilding projects endorsed by youth and women organizations categorized by each region – Africa, Europe, and Asia, this year’s event aimed to discuss a citizen-led peace movement and cooperation to promote coexistence and harmony in the global community, and to overcome global challenges that stem from hatred, conflicts, misunderstanding, and lack of communication in this current pandemic era. 

Emmanuel Anur Towongo founder and executive director of Youth Pillars Initiative South Sudan, an organization that provides programs for the youth including farming and peace education for refugees and students as it works to develop its community, noted that he was grateful for the IPYG Youth Empowerment Peace Workshop.

“I’m grateful to be a part of the IPYG broad network to meet other youths across Africa. It was my first time to connect from people from Guinea and Zambia and compare the problems we are facing also in South Sudan," he said. 

“An activity, I will be put as priority, is inter-school debates amongst students. It’s a good component to bring young people together to discuss issues and it fosters spirit of co-existence amongst students. It also brings about leadership skills when youth are able to criticize each other in a constructive manner.”

From this peace initiative, HWPL says that millions of global citizens for 8 years have participated in promoting peace projects locally fitted to creating a favorable environment of peace, including education, relief, and forums to offer public policies to meet the needs of the community. 

“The members and speakers of the Parliament of the 55 countries in Africa have partnered with HWPL. They pledged to support the DPCW and unite to build a war of peace without wars together and they signed an MOU. The promise took place in South Africa where the Pan African Parliaments hold their meetings,” highlighted Chairman Lee of HWPL.

“It is we in this day who have to do all the necessary things to make peace and prevent our globe from being destroyed. War does not end with words, but it comes to an end with our practical actions. I believe that this can be achieved since no one in our global village is not willing to see peace,” he added.

The event commemorated the Declaration of World Peace, proclaimed on May 25th in 2013, which contains not only the cooperation of each state to establish international law for peace and the role of the media in contribution to sharing information of peace but also the active peace movement of youth and women who seek to transform themselves from the greatest victims of war to the greatest actors for peace.

The event also advocated global participation in peace activities such as the peace tree planting campaign that began in Ukraine with 1,000 participants from 21 countries and peace policy proposal dialogue between citizens and policy experts in Mali where the recent coup triggered social unrest.