Europe: WFWPI President says "Education Highest Priority"

Europe: WFWPI President says "Education Highest Priority"

PROF. YEON AH MOON, WFWPI PRESIDENT
MAY 31, 2018  

Prof. Yeon Ah Moon Speaks at International Leadership Conference in Vienna

The following is the transcript of Professor Yeon Ah Moon's, WFWPI President, speech at the International Leadership Conference "Beyond Coexistence: Dealing with the Challenges of Interdependence" held at the Parkhotel Schönbrunn in Vienna, Austria, April 28-29, 2018.

Your Excellencies, distinguished speakers, and honored guests!

It is my sincere pleasure to participate in the panel discussion here at the Parkhotel Schönbrunn in Vienna. I am also bringing the greetings and appreciation on behalf of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, Co-Founder of WFWP, who wishes to encourage and convey her love to all of you for your great endeavors for empowering women and promoting peace in your own fields.

Peace-loving leaders, the theme of the discussion today is "Values, Education, and Healthy Families - Fostering an Environment for Prosperity, Citizenship and Inter-religious Harmony." To be effective, this debate must be taken seriously on many fronts: in early childhood education in families; in school curricula; and in broader socio-cultural relations.

Ever since WFWP's establishment in 1992 in Seoul, Korea, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon and her late husband, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, as co-founder and the biggest supporter of empowering women's rights, worked to promote an ideal of "One Global Family under God," and the culture of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universally shared values.

Their efforts through various volunteer and educational programs brought closer to the realization of an era of peace, harmony and coexistence.

Moreover, they have created dozens of peace and education-based organizations touching many issues and concerns of the today's world. One of the most recent is the Hyo-jeong Academy, an institution that develops academic curricula and training programs for youth with the intention to cultivate global citizens and future leaders of integrity and compassion.

Distinguished leaders, this is the critical question, how to make peace culture sustainable, from generation to generation, in this time, when the selfishness of nations, in pursuing only their own interest has pushed harmony and unity further away.

To counter this ongoing plight, WFWP emphasizes that the real cement of a culture of peace has more to do with true love, which is the implementation of the lifestyle of living for the sake of others and responsibility for creating the better environment for the future generation. Even the SDG Preamble got it right, "No one will be left behind."

Beloved global citizens, I would like to remind you the founder's vision on the role of family, especially women, in creating the sustainable harmonious world as the peace-maker of the 21st century.

"Peace must first be realized in the individual and in the family because these form the basic unit for all human organizations and systems. When true parents, a true husband and wife, and true children all attend God and form a true family of peace, and when that family expands to form a clan, nation and world, a true world of peace will be realized. The role of the mother and wife in creating peace in the family is an absolute and eternal one.

Thus, participation by women is needed in all aspects of society, from diplomacy and politics to the economy and legal system reform. Women also need to be active in education and culture, in sports and the arts, not to mention the diverse activities of NGOs.

However, I want to emphasize that before all these things, the highest priority for our activity needs to be education of our society with a righteous value system, plus the True Love and True Family movement. We need to encourage and foster the practice of living for the sake of others." (from "World Peace and the Role of Women"; April 10, 2002, Tenth Anniversary of the Women's Federation for World Peace)

Beloved peace-loving leaders, While I would have more to say on this pivotal topic, I also look forward to listening to your thoughts, activities and proposals. We cannot bring the changes we want to see, alone.

Beginning with like-minded leaders and practitioners, especially in the fields of education, law, media, religion and culture, who are working together for the common purpose can bring the true culture of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universally shared values.

This in fact is the vision behind the inauguration of the Inter-religious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD) today. It is a vast network of people and associations, ultimately interlinked through our desire to secure a world where children can really grow up free to develop their goodness and unique contribution to a flourishing peace culture.