Chicago, Illinois Jun 6, 2023 (Issuewire.com) - The Chicago branch of the global peace organization Heavenly Culture, World Peace and Restoration of Light (HWPL) hosted more than 70 community members at the Hilton Hotel downtown. Peace advocates, religious leaders and local officials joined the conference, which was followed by a peace walk that culminated at Daley Plaza. The HWPL Peace Walk was also attended by members of the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and the International Women's Peace Group (IWPG), the two wings of the organization, who are also marking 10 years of peace work. 

Every year since 2013,  HWPL Peace Walk has taken place in over 40 countries and counting as individuals and organizations come together to walk for peace. The event aims to raise awareness about the importance of peace and to encourage members of the global village to take action towards achieving it. 

Over the past eight years, the HWPL has been striving to institutionalize peace through the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of Wars (DPCW), a set of 10 articles and 38 clauses drafted by the HWPL International Law Peace Committee for the global cessation of wars. Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Charter, the legal document is guided by three main values: the prevention of conflict, the settlement of conflict and the maintenance of peace, which includes peace between religions. The goal is to have this legislation adopted by the United Nations. In addition to the DPCW, the HWPL has also been working to cultivate peace through offering peace education and interfaith dialogues held through the World Alliance of Religions' Peace (WARP) Office.

The conference consisted of a reflection of the last 9 peace walks, and various speeches sharing the progress made over 10 years. Following the statement of plans for the next decade made by the Chairpersons for IPYG and IWPG, which included a promise to build peace, resolve conflict, and put into practice bringing peace among religions -- there were two plaques of appreciation presented to Lee Man-hee, the Chairman of HWPL during the conference. One plaque was presented by the Director of the National Youth Council from 1000 youth organizations represented from 119 countries. The other was from the Korean Veteran War Association. 

Teresa Johnson, a member of HWPL and IWPG for the last 10 years reflected on her motivation for joining the peace organization, "I grew up thinking the world was at peace, but there was actually war going on. The Chairman of HWPL has actually made a stand in other countries and he's now trying to reach the entire world." 

Aaron Garland, a member of the local IPYG chapter shared his perspective on the benefit of understanding and supporting the DPCW for residents of Chicago and it's surrounding areas. "When it's explained to them that the DPCW has the ability to cease the war, and actually has a solid plan to repurpose the tools of war and the funds, it would be a great benefit to get behind [the DPCW] because the ones that are most affected by war are young people."

At the conclusion of the conference, the Chairman of HWPL, Mr. Lee Man-hee spoke about the importance of the reunification of the Korean Peninsula as a proactive measure to prevent what some people believe could be the third world war, and encouraged everyone, be it children or seniors to "become a messenger for peace". 

He concluded, "Having conflicts and war, this is what people did hundreds of years ago. As civilizations develop, this should not repeat. Hence, everyone, let us gather our will to make better peace, better reunification. Let us achieve these, and I ask for your engagement and your participation.... There was not a single person who said no to peace, and that is why I firmly believe that peace will take place." 

HWPL is encouraging individuals and organizations to support the DPCW by becoming a member. Membership is free and allows people to stay up to date on and participate in the peace work taking place. Current peace projects aim to address the causes of conflicts, promote understanding among religion and foster a culture of peace. The membership will keep you informed about the active work of peace that is taking place not only in the community but also in the world at large. 

To register as a member, visit https://login.hwpl.kr/en/registration. For those in Illinois and the Midwest, please put "Global05" for Branch. When asked for a membership fee, freely share how much you would like to donate, or choose "has not been paid" to bypass any monetary concerns. The membership is free and donations are optional. There will not be a follow up request for monetary donations. 

To watch the conference on demand, visit: HWPL's Official YouTube