The Fifth World Assembly of the Mongolian Peoples’ Federation for World Peace

Mongolian Assembly Envisions Paths for Peace

Kathleen Hwang
October 16, 2006
Seoul, Korea

Notes from the Fifth World Assembly of the Mongolian People’s Federation for World Peace, October 13-16, 2006, Seoul, Korea.

Session II: UPF, Changing the World for Peace: Toward the Abel U.N.

Dr. Thomas Walsh, secretary general of UPF, gave a comprehensive overview of the vision, core principles and aims of the Universal Peace Federation. He explained the ideological framework upon which the UPF bases its approach to human development and peacemaking and also its vision for a restructured United Nations, to include an Interreligious Peace Council.

Sir James Mancham, founding president of the Seychelles, pointed out that the UPF has a large number of affiliated organizations, and stressed the need to make effective use of these affiliates. “We must make maximum use of the tools Father Moon has given us,” he said. He also proposed that 2007 be declared the year of UPF, the year of reconciliation, and the year to proclaim Father Moon’s vision. “UPF should be the headlight, not the taillight, of the movement for peace in the world,” he said. Leadership is crucial in the worldwide movement, he added.

Hon. Malimba Masheke, former prime minister of Zambia and chairman of UPF in his country, said that Africa had been a black spot in the world, but was now waking up. “The programs of Rev. Moon are now traveling throughout Africa,” he said. In his country, the UPF has built farms, the proceeds of which go to support the organization’s administration and also the poor. The group also sponsors clinics and schools in poor areas, overseas an HIV/AIDS project, and works with religious groups, NGOs, unions and business people. Ahead of recent elections, it created a program that brought together campaigning politicians to explain their platforms to the people, rather than indulging in character assassination as had been the usual practice. “I’ve been a soldier, fighting the liberation struggle,” Masheke said. “I now find myself armed with a better weapon and fighting for peace. It is polished and ready to go.”

Mr. Michael Marshall, editor-in-chief of United Press International, said that the United Nations had served as a battleground for the ideological battle of the Cold War. He said that 1945, following World War II, was a window of opportunity to build an organization that would lay the foundation for world peace, but the opportunity was lost as the U.N. became a forum for competing national interests. An opportunity for renewal came again at the turn of the century, he said, but the values, ideas and institutions needed to change. “Institutions have a life-cycle of decades, or maybe centuries,” he said, “but religions endure for millennia. Religions have a deep presence in human history. Religious perspectives must be included in human affairs.” Marshall pointed out that prophetic figures have appeared at critical times in history to point the way, and suggested that Rev. Moon is such a figure. “Inspired vision is needed to rise above conflict and move forward,” he said. “We need a different map.”

Session III: Northeast Asia Peace Initiative: Toward stability and lasting peace

Dr. Chuang-Fong Chang, director of the International Education Foundation in Asia, gave his perspective on the conflict between Mainland China and Taiwan. He said that Beijing wants Taiwan to be economically dependent on China. This provides opportunities for Taiwanese businessmen, but is a cause for concern to the Taiwan leadership. Taiwanese people are deeply divided over the issues of unification and independence. China has said that a declaration of independence would cross its red line and lead to war, but the people on the island feel they have a right to their own sovereignty, as they have never been under the rule of the People’s Republic of China. The problem cannot be resolved unless the international community recognizes the reality of two Chinas and gives both the PRC and the ROC equal voices so they can open dialogue to resolve their differences. Chang explained that UPF had begun a cross-straits peace initiative to help resolve the conflict.

Mr. Hideo Oyamada, senior adviser to UPF Japan, predicted that Japan and the United States would draw closer together as a result of increasing tensions in northeast Asia. He said that relations with China remained tense over the issues of the Yasukuni Shrine visits, history textbooks, disputed islands and East China Sea oilfields. He said the anti-Japanese sentiment in China stemmed from the Chinese government, and that South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun was following China’s lead in stirring up similar negative sentiment in his country. However, people-to-people relations were improving with both countries, Oyamada said. Japan’s relations with North Korea were worsening, with the abduction issue unresolved and the nuclear situation more serious than ever. The UPF was contributing to the resolution of conflicts with China and South Korea through its international blessings and its media, Oyamada said.

Prof. Myung-seo Park, president of the Kyonggi Graduate School of Politics in Korea, pointed out that North Korea’s recent nuclear test made it the ninth country in the world to have nuclear weapons – and the most fragile. He said the U.S. had submitted documents calling for severe sanctions to the U.N. Security Council, but China changed them three times, accepting only non-military sanctions. China’s willingness to cooperate with the international community in pressuring North Korea remained unclear. Park said he thought Pyongyang would test another bomb soon. He said in 1998, India and Pakistan conducted multiple tests of their nukes. Park said North Korea had made it clear in the Six-party Talks they wanted to be recognized as a nuclear power. Kim Jong Il had nothing to lose, he said, as the U.S. had no free forces to use against him. He stressed the need for South Korea to pay attention to U.S. concerns and to cooperate with China and Japan to curb North Korea.

Hon. Ragchaa Bdamdamdin, member of parliament of Mongolia, said the North Korean bomb test would surely have a negative impact on N.E. Asian peace and security, and that Mongolia might have a role to play in lessening tensions. He said North Korean society had to be opened up and the country needed to be less isolated. He said Mongolia was trading with, investing in, and importing labor from North Korea. There was a lot of unofficial trade between the two countries, he said. He pointed out that the two shared the same ideological background, though Mongolia has since moved on. On the other hand, South Korea invests in and imports labor from Mongolia. “North Korea is Mongolia’s past, South Korea is Mongolia’s future,” he said.

During a lively Question-and-Answer session, a gentleman from Iraq asked if the U.S. was responsible for pushing North Korea into a corner and causing it to develop nuclear weapons. Myung-seo Park said the U.S. would not attack North Korea, and that blaming Pyongyang’s weapons program on the U.S., while possibly believable within North Korea, was not logical from an international viewpoint.

A gentleman from Mongolia said that the two Koreas would never unite, nor would China and Taiwan, until communism disappears. He pointed out that Mongolia was the first Asian nation to give up communism. “It can be done,” he said.

Mr. Woonsang Choi, a former Korean ambassador, said it would be a great mistake for Taiwan to make a hasty move toward independence. He said that China’s living standards were rising under the third generation of CCP leaders, and that under the fourth or fifth generation the political aspirations of the people would increase and the country could become democratized. “Through due democratic process Taiwan and China can be united,” he said. “In the meantime, the ROC can continue to expand its contacts with the outside world, invest more in China, and allow mainland Chinese to visit Taiwan. Then wait for the opportunity to unite democratically.”

A journalist from Serbia said “UPF is really the future of the world. UPF is promoting morals, which is really uncommon in the world.” He said the nations of the world were following double standards – fighting terrorism in some arenas and promoting it in others. “The international community has to follow its own rules and morals,” he said.

Session IV: Special Reports on Human Development

Mr. Taj Hamad, moderator of the session, said that human development was more than just economic stability. He said it was “enlarging people’s choices” and allowing them to live “long, healthy, creative lives.”

Mr. Kook Nam Kim of the Peace King Company gave a basic overview of the Bering Strait bridge and tunnel proposals.

Mr. Enrique Ledesma, secretary general of UPF-Oceania, explained the need to develop individual heart and character to comply with moral and ethical standards. He said that teaching human values was the moral responsibility of educators.

Mr. Larry Moffitt, vice president of United Press International, said the media needed to give time to peace as well as war. “War calls for excluding the enemy from the family of man,” he said. “Peace calls for the opposite.” He said peace was quiet and didn’t sell as well as sex and violence, but added that media affiliated with the UPF should strive to set new standards in peace reporting.

Mr. Katsumi Ohtsuka, regional chair of UPF-Japan, explained the importance of the family in building stable societies and nations, and ultimately a peaceful world. He pointed out that family relationships are the basis for all relationships. “Love, learned in the family, is the basis for all good relationships,” he said.

Mrs. Genie Kagawa, secretary general of UPF-Asia, highlighted the important role women play in the quest for peace and stability. She said that eight out of ten of the UNESCO millennium goals involve women. She encouraged women affiliated with UPF to network with one another and look for ways to support the peace movement within their societies and regions.

In the Q-and-A session, a woman who is a member of parliament from South Africa said that 49 percent of the MPs in Rwanda were women. She said they had played an important part in bringing reconciliation after the genocide that took place in that country.

A gentleman from India pointed out that for 50 years the people of India and Pakistan had been portrayed as devils in each other’s media. After their governments began reconciliation efforts and allowed visits, thing changed. “Now we have learned that we have the same values and culture,” he said. He stressed the importance of people-to-people contact, which he said was dissolving false images created by governments and media in the past.

A gentleman from Slovenia recommended that character education programs be run in companies, not only in schools. He said corporations provided a lot of training to build morale, but did not include moral and ethical training, which could greatly improve corporate culture.

Richard Fletcher of World Peace 2000 in Australia suggested that UPF could approach government departments and corporations to help sponsor service projects in communities. He said his group had done this with Clean-Up Australia Day, an environmental clean-up project. “When you approach companies, they look at what they can gain,” he said. Helping companies build a good public image by allowing them to sponsor UPF projects could be a win-win endeavor, he suggested.

Mr. Woonsong Choi, Korean ambassador, said, “It’s amazing – imams and rabbis get together and laugh and joke and hug each other – but only at your events. It’s really quite astonishing.”

Mrs. Sharav Tsevelmaa, former first lady of Mongolia, said, “All Mongolians know very well Rev. Moon and his peace movement through many projects. We think the MPFWP can make a great contribution to world peace. When we went to the Peace Palace yesterday, we understood that this is a great gift to all humanity from our True Parents. We really appreciate his valuable teachings.”

Mr. Mohammad Khan, from a U.K. Muslim group, said, “I’m very concerned about the depth of involvement of Rev. Moon. He has made a superhuman effort in his lifetime. Now we must redouble our efforts and show him a result…We need to get back to the core position that Right is Might.” Khan said that in the U.K. peace councils were being set up by Ambassadors for Peace in every region to help Muslim communities integrate with the broader community. “This is working already in Bristol and other areas,” he said.

Alfredo S. Cayton, a general from the Philippines, said, “This seminar has given our group a lot of insight.” He explained that he had been in the service for 31 years, during which he had been involved in an ongoing struggle between Muslims and Christians. “The invitation to attend this seminar is very timely, very useful. Only now am I able to get new insights as to how to attain peace,” he said. Gen. Cayton explained that his father had fought in the Korean War 56 years ago. “Now I am here (in Korea) not for war, but for peace. I find this experience very unique and very meaningful.”