August Highlights: World Leaders 'Smoke The Peace Pipe' Under The Canopy Of UPF

August is a special month which signifies re-birth in most parts of the world, and August 2022 wasn't going to be any different from the perspective of the Universal Peace Federations, as leaders clustered at the 2022 summit and leadership conference, to collective affirm their support for global peace building, especially on the Korean Peninsula. World peace in every sense of the world equally correlates with religious freedom, explaining why the talks of the Universal right for religious freedom were equally tabled, plus, the education of youths in Africa, seen as a continent yet to tap to it's full potential, due to a large number of persons between the ages of 13-21, preferring to 'hustle' their ways with small businesses, rather than, hold the book and a pen.

Over 100 Influential spokespersons; including past and current country presidents emerged across the globe; former US president Donald Trump and incumbent Nigeria president  Muhammadu Buhari queued up amongst 100 plus  leaders, in the all most important gathering.

In fact,  over 350 global world leaders from 157 nations with diplomatic relations with either North or South Korea attended the meeting the meeting that lasted from August 11-15, 2022, either in person or virtually, at Jamsil Lotte Hotel in Seoul to discuss as lead agenda: "Towards Peace On The Korean Peninsula: Towards a world culture of peace"

UPF chairman Thomas G. Walsh spoke with a lot of passion about his hope to see peace on the Korean Peninsula, which via UPF, is being taken to a broader level, and that soon ''the divided world will be reconciled into one humanity, and one global  culture for peace".

In addition to calling for peace, the leaders expressed deep condolences for the loss of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. UPF offered a video and floral tribute.

In addition, Sheikh Mansour Diouf of the Murid Brotherhood in Senegal expressed an important sentiment which was echoed by many of the religious leaders. "We are supposed to be brothers....My grandfather said the one thing people cannot do without, is peace."

Korean reconciliation was a major theme, due to the passion of UPF co-founders, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Doctor Hak Ja Han Moon, who were born in what is now referred to as North. Korea in in 1991.

Anti-communist Rev. Moon went to Pyongyang to meet communist North Korea leader Kim II-Sung. The two men embraced as brothers and agreed to launch various goodwill projects together. That Unity underscores the hope to bring peace to the 80 million people on the North Korean peninsula, despite decades of division said Dr. Michael Jenkins, president, UPF international.

However, discouraging signs have emerged. This year, North Korea has launched 81 missiles; it threatens to end the Trump-era moratorium on ICBM launches and nuclear tests, and "is showing no interest in talks with Washington," and former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper.

In video remarks, former US president Donald Trump said his administration worked to first keep "us out of war," and then seek a breakthrough. That led to a strategy of putting

toughest pressure” on North Korea while offering “unprecedented outreach and engagement” 

the nation.

Along with the conference, UPF organized a Fact-Finding Delegation for Peace on the 

Korean Peninsula with US officials and South Korean leaders. One topic of conversation was 

“audacious plans to move North Korea to rapprochement,” said Amb. Joseph DeTrani, Special 

Envoy to the Six-Party Talks with DPRK (2003-2006).

“Idealism must be rooted in realism,” and “dialogue and military readiness must go hand-inhand,” said Amb. Harry Harris, a Navy admiral who served as US Ambassador to South Korea 

from 2018 to 2021. “I’m encouraged,” he added, that South Korea President Suk-yeol Yoon 

intends “to make the US-ROK Alliance the centerpiece of his foreign policy,” as that means 

outreach to Japan as well as readiness.

It will “take all elements of power”—diplomatic, intelligence, military, economic—to bring 

Korea closer to peaceful reunification, said (Ret.) Gen. Walter Sharp, who led US forces, the 

UN Command, and ROK-US Combined Forces Command (2008-2011).

Dr. Alexandre Mansourov, Adjunct Professor at Edmund Walsh School of Foriegn Studies at 

Georgetown University, said North Korea’s silence about dialogue was “worrisome,” but praised 

our alliances with the regional powers as “rock solid.”

Dr. Subash Kaji Shrestha, Deputy Secretary General of the Asian Regional Institute of Juche 

Idea in Nepal, said North Korea seeks peaceful reunification, but based on Universal 

Humanism—and “without the interference of foreign powers.” The 2018 Panmunjom Agreement 

sought reunification on the principles and spirit of “By Our Nation Itself,” Dr. Shrestha said, but 

current inter-Korean relations are now “brought back to the time before the publication” of that 

agreement. “We who are gathering here” at the UPF summit “should try our best” to understand 

the situation, Dr. Shrestha said, adding UPF is “very much appreciated for its Track II diplomatic 

peace initiatives” on the Korean Peninsula.

This August summit builds on the Seoul Resolution 2022, which was signed in February, at 

UPF’s World Summit 2022, by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, chairman of UPF’s 

THINK TANK 2022, and Kingdom of Cambodia Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen. That 

resolution calls for Korea to become a two-state nation that is “one peninsula, one people, and 

one culture.”

The Seoul Resolution lays the foundation for a future global agreement to be “one planet, one 

humanity, and one global peace culture,” said UPF Chairman Thomas G. Walsh. 

Dr. Sok Siphana, head of Asian Vision Institute, a think-tank in Cambodia working to advance 

the Seoul Resolution, said they and others have been developing a Universal Peace Charter based 

on core principles of peaceful co-existence, mutual respect; tolerance; unity in diversity; noninterference; and peaceful settlement of disputes. Dr. Sok read a letter of congratulations from 

Prime Minister Hun Sen, who called on the UPF members to “unswervingly pursue their peace mission."

H.E. Muhammad Buhari, President of Nigeria also sent a letter thanking Dr. Moon 

and encouraging the participants to work for peace. 

Taiwan Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien (2000-2008) invited the world leaders to “make another 

miracle”—helping Taiwan stay “distant relatives and close neighbors” and dissuade the People’s 

Republic of China from its “One China” policy.

Other highlights of the summit:

—The 40th Anniversary of The Washington Times.

Chairman Thomas P. McDevitt and President, Executive Editor Christopher Dolan, and 

Opinion Editor Charles Hurt spoke of The Times’ impact and its dedication to accurate news 

and ideals of freedom, faith, and family. The Times, as a “guest in your home,” will never mock 

you or your faith, said Mr. Dolan.

—The 60th Anniversary of The Little Angels. The world famous children’s folk ballet 

company, founded by Rev. and Mrs. Moon gave a beautiful special performance to the delight of 

the conference participants. Co-founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, known as the Mother of Peace, 

attended and shared words of gratitude and love for the children and the world leaders.

—Session on Protecting Religious Freedom Worldwide: 

In video remarks, former US Vice President Mike Pence said religious freedom is the “first 

freedom” because it is “the foundation for true national greatness.”

Religious freedom is “the most important single topic on the planet,” said US House Speaker 

Newt Gingrich (1995-1999). It presupposes the existence of God, God’s giving humanity their 

rights (versus other people), and forms the basis of freedom, he said.

Religious freedom is key to security concerns, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (2018-

2021), recalling how he left his Bible open on his desk for inspiration. “Nations that threaten 

others, like China and Iran,'' he said, also “have death holds” on religious freedoms.

From Japan, lawyer Norishige Kondo of the Family Federation of World Peace and Unification 

(FFWPU) spoke of the surreal situation of Japan’s national media transferring blame for the 

assassination of Prime Minister Abe from the shooter to FFWPU. He said the same opponents of 

FFWPU who are fueling this media view committed human rights violations against 4,300 

FFWPU members through forced abductions, confinements and conversions. In 2014, this 

history of abuse was brought to the UN Human Rights Committee on the Human Rights 

Covenant, which requested the Japanese government take steps to stop it. But “there is indeed a 

serious crisis of religious freedom in our country,” Mr. Kondo said.

Toru Goto is a FFWPU member who was confined by his family for 12 years and was 

hospitalized for 50 days for malnutrition after they released him. He filed criminal charges 

against his kidnappers, but no arrests or investigations were held. He then filed a civil suit and 

won a large award. The current media attacks on FFWPU raises his fears that “this poisonous  drug of kidnapping, confinement and forced conversion could resurface, despite Japan’s 

constitutional guarantees of “basic human rights” and “freedom of religion.” 

Globally, while 84% of the population claims religious affiliation, 79% live in countries “with 

high or very high obstacles to religious freedom,” said Hon. Jan Figel, Special Envoy for the 

Promotion of Freedom of Religion, European Union (2016-2019).

Religious prejudice generates three evils—”intoleration, discrimination, and persecution,” said 

Dr. Massimo Introvigne, Managing Director of the Center for Studies on New Religions in 

Italy.

Other speakers were Pastor Paula White-Cain of City of Destiny Church; Bishop Don Meares

of the Evangel Cathedral; Mr. McDevitt of The Washington Times, which champions religious 

freedom; and Hee-Taek Chung, President of the Segye Ilbo newspaper in Seoul.

—Sessions on Africa with Commitments to Peace, Youth Education, and Religious 

Cooperation

The growing power of Africa—where the average age is 20—brings opportunities for education, 

jobs, encouraging peace, and protecting the environment, especially against desertification.

“It is imperative for us: We must train our youth so that they can resolutely take charge of their 

destiny,” said H.E. Brigi Rafini, Executive Secretary of the Community of Sahel and Saharan 

States (CEN-SAD) and former Prime Minister of Niger. 

CEN-SAD has 25 Member States, with 650 million people covering about half of the continent, 

and is one of the eight regional economic communities that make up the African Union, now led 

by Senegal President Macky Sall. Later, at an International Youth Leaders Conference, leaders 

from Malawi, Nigeria, Eswatini, Cape Verde, Somalia, DR Congo, and Niger discussed the 

importance of vocational training and character education for African youth. This was followed 

by the signing of an agreement to raise “youth for peace.”

In a separate session, the issue of African religions and spirituality was discussed. Imboni Dr. 

Uzwi-Lezwe Radebe, founder of the Revelation Spiritual Home in South Africa, joined Most 

Rev. Daniel Okoh, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria; Hon. Issaka Sourwema, 

Minister of Religious and Customary Affairs of Burkina Faso; H.E. Rev. Nevers Mumba, 

Founder of the National Christian Coalition in Zambia; and Dr. Nokuzola Mndende, National 

Chairperson of the Council of African Religion in South Africa to discuss a resolution to protect 

religious freedom in Africa. This resolution was subsequently signed.

After the meeting, there were resolutions.

Summit participants were invited to sign three pledges: the Resolution for a Universal Peace 

Charter; Resolution to Establish an IAPD-Africa Advisory Council in Partnership with the 

African Union (to promote interfaith cooperation within Africa); and a Declaration on the 

Universal Value of Religious Freedom (to protect the absolute right to freedom of religion for 

all people).

In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Community of Sahel 

and Saharan States (CEN-SAD), UPF, International Association of Youth and Students for 

Peace (IAYSP) and the Sunhak Educational Foundation to develop vocational training and 

character education for African youth.

On August 14, a separate program held outside Seoul commemorated the 10th 

Anniversary of the passing of the Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, “a pioneer of peace and 

reunification,” said UPF International Director-General Dr. Yun Young-ho. North 

Korean Premier Kim Jong-un sent flowers and a personal message to Mrs. Moon, Dr. 

Yun said.