ipyg- World Peace Walk

With IPYG- 30,000 participants on the streets towards the world of peace.

The first step towards peace in the World Peace Gate of the Olympic Park

-September 19^th, the participants of WARP, who consist political, religious, women, and youth leaders gathered for world peace, are holding signs and posters with ‘World Peace’ in front of the World Peace Gate in Seoul Olympic Park.

 -The 30,000 participants, which the number reflected the interest of the peace walk, filled the space in front of the World Peace Gate

-Each youth are walking, as they are holding each of their national flag.

-The participants from different nations are walking, as they hope world peace.

“No more war, We want peace!”

On the 19^th of September, the last day of the WARP Summit, many voices were heard for the hope of peace in the World Peace Gate of the Seoul Olympic Park.

The 30,000 representatives from 650 youth group from 139 nations and political, religious, women leaders filled the World Peace Gates in order to participate in the Peace Walk. They expressed their hopes for peace, as they shouted “the beginning of peace” “the beginning of the alliance of religions” and “we are one” and held handmade posters.

Wasim, a representative of Youth Group in Palestine, said in his speech “Palestinian lost their hopes after the long 60 years of conflict” and added “Peace can be achieved through tolerance, understanding, and non-violence instead of armed force. Irvin, a representative of Youth Group in Ukraine who spoke after said “Unfortunately, there have been a conflict with our neighboring nation, Russia recently, but we do not war. We hope that world will be stopped in our generation to give peace as an inheritance”

After the commemoratory speech, three hails were shouted by the participants and started the main peace walk. The high-temperature did not stopped the participants from the peace walk around the World Peace Gate.

Muslim woman’s leader (EIi Warti Maliki), who is an expert on law said, she was able to understand the importance of life as a mother with a child. She continued “If we become one through the signing ceremony and WARP Summit, Peace can be truly achieved.” And “I know that the WARP summit will be the starting point of peace.”

First peace walk was held last May with 30,000 members from 130 nations in the same place. HWPL is committed towards working for peace with youths (IPYG) from the world as they celebrated the first anniversary of the declaration this May with 100,000 members.

There will be IPYG at the place to achieve world peace.

ipyg-Hangul Proclamation Day

Have you ever heard Hangul Proclamation Day?
Hangul Proclamation Day is designated on 9th October in Korea and is celebrated every year.

Then what kind of holiday Hangul Proclamation Day is?
It is a day to celebrate that Hunminjeongeum, which is Hangul, was published in the world. It is also a national holiday to honor superiority of Hangul.  
Hunminjeongeum, which includes a principle of Hangul creation, was also designated as a 70th national treasure. And it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage in October, 1997.
As it has been 568 years since its creation, there was a commemorative event with a theme ‘Hangul, Beauty of the World’ in Gwamgjwamun Plaza, Seoul from 7th to 10th October this year. 
This event is meaningful since it is to let Korean people know the beauty of Hangul and communicate with people.
Other beautiful arts and performances impressed people as well. 

Why do we celebrate Hangul Proclamation Day like this? 
This is because of Japanese colonial era in 1926. 
While we were in Japanese colonial era, we were invaded by Japan and lost country, language, family, friend, and even lives of people. 
As we have memory of pain that lost country and language, we have a reason to love and advertise our language, Hangul. 

Hangul, we should love and celebrate the day as a Korean. Please remember Hangul Proclamation Day on 9th October. 

ipyg-How long will it continue?

This is already the fourth victim and the next victim is waiting to be beheaded.

The president of the US said that they underestimated IS (Islamic States).

IS is an organization that does horrific things, and it is concerned that there are more people who follow them.

Taking other people's lives shouldn't happen any more, even though they have different ideologies, religions and values. It cannot be justified regardless of any reasons.

Wars can be ended when people acknowledge the differences.

I do hope that there won't be more victims. 

ipyg-Crossing the river by raft sweets

While searching the Internet, I recently saw interesting pictures and videos. 
They were the videos about crossing the Han-river using the snack by ambitious college students.
At first, I thought that the video is about an idea of some creative contests. 
But when I finished watching video performance, I realized that 'sweets raft river crossing' was critics for over-packing problem of domestic confectionery industry. Mr. Yu who prepared this performance said "I started for fun at first, but it has made a lot of sense and turned to be big event while preparing this event" Although there is humorous criticism of the practices of over-packing, it is also a meaningful message that domestic manufacturers should have a consumer-centered mind." he said.

That day’s performance was diffused through the SNS like Face book and the event caused great response to customers. 
That is because we all have the experience of embarrassment when we opened the snacks at least once. I was surprised to see a ridiculously small amount of sweets compared to the volume. 
It is to protect the cookies, but that amount doesn’t make any sense! 
We have felt disappointed and complained about the confectionery manufacturer at least once.

But I felt pleasure like piled anger was gone through this performance. 

But confectionery companies seemed unpleasant about the performance. 
One industry official, who requested anonymity, "As there has been the issue for several years, we have been working on improving it. But now we feel like all efforts we had done so far was collapsed" and "The nitrogen packaging is to protect the product, not to cheat consumers," he said. 
However, I want improvements in terms of the consumers, rather than appeal the company’s perspective. 
We hope the confectionery companies become improved and could read the mind of the consumers through this performance.

ipyg-What do you want the most?

Do you think that “Could be the world changed if a man, myself, is changed?”?
If so, please take a look at this ad.

Even though the efforts for bringing love and peace to the whole world wouldn’t be revealed at one go, I think it could change the world if I, myself, make an effort step by step.

We, IPYG, will be with the conversion of your thought.

ipyg-War Is Not A Game.

Helgegren, who is a current reporter and a lecturer of university, has two sons. He visited Syria and Israel with his two sons where dangerous fights have still broken out. He decided to visit such dangerous places because his children are addicted to ‘CALL OF DUTY (FPS game)’ that kills enemy troops with many weapons.

He knows well about truth of war because he had made a report at Middle East areas. So he wanted to teach their children that war is not adorable thing but dangerous thing.  He saw terrible scenes due to wars and met a lot of soldiers, patients, refugees with his two sons. And he taught them that all of these miserable are resulted from ‘guns’. Their trip ended safely and his sons no longer play ‘CALL OF DUTY’. They realized the cause of war and what will remain if it happens. But, many people blame Helgegren for putting their children into war zone. For this matter, Helgegren says that while one child enjoys the war game with shooting the missile, other children including Palestine lose their life due to the real missiles.

Even though his behavior produces good results as he wished, but I feel some lack of his behavior. Why doesn’t he teach peace to his sons even though he showed them the scenes of war? It would be better for him to join the ‘World Alliance of Religions for Peace Summit’ which IPYG is along with. Though his behavior may seem to be foolhardy, I can feel that he really wants to transmit peace to their descendent as same as IPYG does. For the day when everyone on the world becomes happy, go for it, IPYG!

ipyg-(movie)Machinegun Preacher

Machine Gun Preacher is an action biopic about Sam Childers, a former gang biker turned preacher and defender of African orphans. 

When children are suffering and dying, are you going to pray or to take a gun for them? The story of Sam Childers, who chose the gun to save the children of Sudan, was made into a move titled as Machine Gun Preacher. He saved the lives of about one thousands of children and established an orphanage for about 300 children, as a preacher as well as a missionary. 

Sam Childers, who spent his early life in indulging drugs and illegality, accidentally murdered someone. After this he greatly repented of his own wrongdoings and asked this family for help. But fortunately, the one who Sam considered to be died was still alive. This experience awaked him to the love of his family and led his steps in the path of a pastor. 
One day, he got a chance to participate in the voluntary work for building a house in Sudan in the Horn of Africa. He saw the situation in person, that children were sold or became a soldier to be either a human shield or a target being killed. Although he was a pastor, we could not stand it any longer while looking at the poor and innocent children. He decided to fight a rebellion with the guns and to save the children with his supporters. 

The Movie “Machine Gun Preacher” makes a strong impression through one man, Sam Childers, who were making every effort to save one more child. During the endless gunfight he took a risk to be a human shield to save children. There was a heartbreaking moment that some of the children should be left because of insufficient room of the truck and all of them already died when he came back. The fact that this was happened in real life tears me apart. The pastor Sam Childers might have been suffered with some sense of guilt in that he had no choice but to fight with the guns to save the children. 

However, we have to gather our hearts – not guns – to save our children and to end wars in the whole world. If all people are united, it will make much greater power than a gun. I hope IPYG can be a channel for this great work. 

Let us work together to make peaceful world where all people regardless of age or sex can smile!

A picture of Sam Childers