Assembly and Call to Action of the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace to Support the Victory of Vision 2020
· FEBRUARY 28, 2017
By FFWPU IHQ, Yeunhee Chang
True Mother attended the launch of the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP) as a providential organization and NGO.
An audience of 1,800 filled the Cheong-Ah Camp gymnasium in Songsan-ri, Gapyeong, in Korea on February 23, 2017. Among them were 1,760 Korea-CARP and Seonghwa students from Korea and Japan, as well as VIPs from various organizations from the Tongil Foundation. The gathering was titled, gAssembly and Call to Action of the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace to Support the Victory of Vision 2020.h
Before True Mother entered the stage to share her message with eager young hearts, reports were given by Universal Peace Federation (UPF) International President Thomas G. Walsh and Womenfs Federation for World Peace (WFWP) President Yeon-ah Moon. Both these organizations were chosen to give presentations about their work in 2016, following True Motherfs direction that these three organizations—UPF, WFWP, and IAYSP—work closely together in their providential roles to create a coalition and alliance for peace.
After Young-ho Yun, the deputy chief of staff (of True Motherfs Secretariat), briefly reported on providential events in light of the national restoration of 13 nations before 2020 and the strategy to nurture the future youth of our movement, Dr. Thomas Walsh described the highlights of UPFfs achievements in 2016, after acknowledging that he rarely has given his reports before such a young audience.
Dr. Walsh explained the importance of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) as UPF reaches out to leaders in every nation who want to work together to create an ideal world. The most recent gathering of IAPP in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea on February 2, 2017, included parliamentarians from 70 nations as well as 82 members of the Korean National Assembly, which was seen as a great achievement.
Last year UPF, which operates 13 regional offices, held a series of regional conferences to launch IAPP. True Mother appointed 13 regional co-chairs of IAPP, giving much guidance to them and calling them to action. She also was instrumental in reviving the International Conference on Unity of the Sciences (ICUS), which had its 23rd assembly during the recent World Summit in Korea.
Dr. Walsh also mentioned the Sunhak Peace Prize, recalling how magical and moving the atmosphere was in the conference hall as the 2017 prize laureates described their work. The approximately 700 participants from around the world who attended the prize ceremony were able to see that the prize was given to those who followed the principle of living for the sake of others.
Finally, he mentioned the core areas where UPF works: peace education (through conferences), interfaith peace building, strengthening marriage and family (the foundation of building a peaceful world), peace and security (dealing with conflict, geopolitical dynamics), youth and service (programs involving sports, gPlay Soccer Make Peaceh and service projects such as the Peace Road), and United Nations relations (education to solve problems by centering on God).
President Yeon-ah Moon, of the Womenfs Federation for World Peace, graciously greeted the youth as the audience welcomed her with a standing ovation. She warmed the atmosphere with her motherly smile and heart and described WFWP activities throughout the world. She asked for everyonefs support for the women around the world who, with the heart of a mother are working to bring peace to the world. The women working in the field are simple women with a heart of love, she said. These women give the same love they have for their own children to those whom they care for and are able to achieve great results. She mentioned the importance of educating young people centered on True Parentsf words, to go into the field and work for the sake of realizing world peace.
Her presentation described how WFWP registered with the United Nations as an NGO and has received recognition in the field. She encouraged the newly inaugurated Youth Students Federation to also work hard to achieve a similar status.
President Moon spoke about the many projects being done around the world: starting kindergartens, middle and high schools; marriage and family education; support for foster parents and foster children; scholarships; vocational training; education for hygiene and sanitation; abstinence education; exchange programs between Japan and Peru, and the list goes on. She urged the participants to find out more about all the programs organized by WFWP so they could find out which ones to get involved in.
Education for women candidates chosen to become global leaders is also taking place in New York City; Geneva, Switzerland; and Vienna, Austria, three cities where the United Nations has offices.
She concluded by asking, gWhy do you think True Parents have asked you all to come here during the end of this cold winter?h It is because spring is coming. As she read True Motherfs words, she explained that the young audience was the fruit of the hard work of their parents. She urged them, as brothers and sisters, with one mind and heart, to work hard to become filial sons and daughters of True Parents and to come to know the heart of True Parents.
After a short break and a prayer offered by Korea-CARP President Sang-Pil Moon, True Mother was welcomed to the podium, where she described her heart and vision for the young generation:
Who are you? You are the Cheon Il Guk Special Forces who must work hard to create the environment to expand Cheon Il Guk throughout the world as you attend True Parents! Brave warriors! I hope that you will go out with that confidence. In the Special Forces, if True Parents give you an order, you must follow with absolute obedience. The Kingdom of Heaven on earth, in which all people will attend God as their Parent, will be built by our own hands. With regard to this and in all areas, you must become the best. In 2016 I proposed the IAPP, comprising legislators elected by the citizens of their respective nations, in order to expand our global foundation. What will happen when all people are enlightened about the True Parents and receive the Blessing through the IAPP? We can become one unified world. c I hope that you will unite for the sake of the global providence and fully invest yourselves for national and global restoration. Just as in olden times, during the Korean Shilla kingdom, when to revive and protect the nation the Hwarang [a group of elite youth] was established, only through the revitalization of the university movement and the CARP movement is national restoration possible.
After True Motherfs words of encouragement everyone stood up in excitement as Universal Peace Academy students and graduates came through the hall, distributing to all the participants 1,750 Heaven G chicken burgers and cans of McCol barley beverage as a special gift from True Mother. All the participants waited to start eating until everyone had received their meal, so that together they could give thanks to True Parents for their Heaven G burgers!
After lunch Mrs. Wonju McDevitt, True Motherfs secretariat, encouraged the youth, speaking about her dream to become True Parentsf secretary at a very young age and to attend them. She wanted this to be a time to be able to think of onefs dreams and hopes, she said. She testified to True Parentsf desire to fulfill Godfs long-awaited dream, walking the path of blood, sweat and tears for the sake of the safe settlement of Heavenfs providence.
Director General of FFWPU International Sung-il Cho took the podium to read True Parentsf words from January 3 and February 9 of this year about finding Godfs Nation. True Mother had said that seven nations should be restored and that, in order for this to happen, we all need to be united. True Mother stated that we must let the whole world know the existence of True Parents, not by just following but by leading in the expansion of True Parentsf foundation through the unity of UPF, WFWP and IAYSP in each nation.
Director General Cho explained that True Mother was interested in who had come to the event and from where. He also explained True Motherfs reasons for relocating the International FFWPU Headquarters to the Cheong Jeong Gung and True Motherfs urgent heart for the accomplishment of national restoration. He also made a recap of the last three years, internally and externally.
He ended by asking, gHow many people go to the spirit world without having known True Parents?h In order to show the urgency of our work, he explained that about 60 million people have died without having heard of True Parents and that about 150,000 people die per day. All these people die without having known the Divine Principle, or about abstinence education. True Mother is the mother of not just the Unificationists but of all the 7.4 billion people on this earth, he said. True Mother wants to educate all of them in abstinence education, Divine Principle and true love and make them into heavenly citizens through UPF, WFWP and IAYSP.
As the newly appointed IAYSP president, Dr. Robert Kittel was not slow to educate and correct the thought of the youth. He said that before True Mother appointed him, she had appointed all the students. gLetfs work together,h he said.
Dr. Kittel worked as a missionary for 40 years in Pakistan (traveling there in 1975 with a one-way ticket), Sri Lanka, India and Nepal. He was 24 years old when True Father first sent him to Pakistan. Pointing out that youth and social problems are the biggest problems in the world, he spoke about the importance of love and marriage. He taught about the true love pledge that he is teaching to non-Unificationists and gave a lecture about filial piety and all the education needed in order to create a healthy society through the use of proper love, whose effects even extend to a healthy economy. He asked everyone to read the Pure Love Pledge on a card that was passed out throughout the audience. He asked, gWhat are you the leaders of?h As everyone answered loudly, gTHE FUTURE!h Dr. Kittel surprised everyone by replying, gSorry, but NO! You are the leaders of the PRESENT!h He said we must practice abstinence and fidelity now and be true leaders now.
Finally, activity reports were given by CARP-Korea President Sang-Pil Moon and CARP-Japan President Katsumichi Motoyama. Mr. Moon energetically reported about the training of 118 Divine Principle lecturers, workshops for newly joined CARP members, special workshops for the education of youth, 40-day short missionary work, and the education of Cheon Il Guk Youth Missionaries through 80 days of external training. Already more than 2,000 CARP missionaries have been dispatched around the world. On the streets of Korea and on college campuses, young CARP members have registered new CARP members through their various gYoung Spirith activities. CARP also developed a board game in support of the unification between North and South Korea and taught the need for preparing for reunification by presenting on specific forums and dissertations, campaigning for the importance of family, planting trees, visiting churches in need of help, holding blessing marriage education (in a combined effort with WFWP), among other efforts endorsed and supported by the Korean government.
On a side note, CARP commenced a music composition competition on the occasion of their 50th Anniversary, which birthed 20 new songs. For the early evening entertainment, all the participants heard the wining songs and experienced the spirit of the young people.
CARP-Japan President Mr. Motoyama then presented on CARP-Japan presenting first on the social contributions made by the Japanese youth and then on J-CARPfs strategy. Some of their activities include the U-Peace (peace volunteer group), CARP-led regional activation policy, University Research Policy Association, S!NERGY where college students create ideas in TED format, UNITE (public speaking group speaking out against political issues on the street), and a youth leaders forum/ Rise program led by the Youth Federation for World Peace.
President Motoyama said, gDoing volunteer activities should be part of daily life and done not for the sake of feeling individual joy but to show interest in onefs fellow neighbors; volunteer work should awaken this natural habit.h He said the gVolunteer Activity Project,h should carry the purpose of creating, eOne Family Under God.h As the president of Japan-CARP, he wants to make the ultimate goal of educating young people to become leaders of social change which is part of Japan-CARPfs vision. He asked all the youth gathered there to participate in this cultural shift.
Mr. Will Kim, FFWPU International Headquartersf Youth Mission Team Director, explained how participating in these various events while working towards a common goal would create the necessary foundation for registration into the UN as an NGO. This would open the door for people all over the world to take part in our activities. He ended by highlighting the statistics illustrating the quality of life in different parts of the world to show how many countries are still suffering. He quoted True Mother reminding us the worldfs 7.4 billion people cannot go on living without knowing the existence of True Parents and we need to tell them of the providential history taking place through True Parents.
In celebration of the launch, everyone gathered at 3PM for cultural performances. Mr. Tadakuni Onozawa graced the stage with an animated emcee of the event. The afternoon entertainment started off with an invitation from a professional comedy troupe called, gOngalsh (옹알스) which literally means, gsound made by little babies.h This troupe was formed by people who came together with the purpose of performing for multi-cultural people, the disabled, and those with language barriers. Their use of comedy surpasses language barriers and allows people to experience various cultures and understand societal issues in a comical way. Their goofy antics and colorful socks and strong beats and rhythms, and communication by making eOngals,f kept everyone glued to the stage.
Apple Heaven performed True Parentsf favorite songs in rich harmony. The barbershop-style band performed two songs and encored with gYou are my Sunshine.h As True Motherfs security guards, first and foremost, they pledged gto take care of True Motherfs safety, when wefre not performing on stage that is!h Global Wonmo Scholarship receivers then sang, gWe are one Family under Godh painting peace within our family centering on God. Other scholarship receivers then got on stage to sing and dance a colorful African song.
Two young, beautiful Japanese women from Japan Top Gun sang eAri-rangf in acapella. The performance moved into a powerful and lively dance performance with the joining in of other Top Gun participants and had the audience on their feet clapping together to the rhythm of the song. The performance ended in some dynamic martial arts acrobatics. After that, Japan Top Gun participants shared a calm and beautiful song to move the spirit and open the hearts of the audience members.
Finally, the CARP-Korea band offered a 90-degree bow to the attendees ending the whole event with vigor and spirit. Many of the participants got out of their seats and moved to the front of the stage to hear the award winning rap team. Later more band members got on stage to sing songs to prepare themselves to be True Parentsf special forces. The lyrics were heavenly. Some songs such as gTrue Colorh was arranged to add a livelier beat.
The event ended in announcements and dinner to feed close to 1800 participants.