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-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

ipyg-Islamic State (IS)

These days some parts of Mideast and America are in the situation, where they has received attention from Islamic State (IS).  In the early 2000s it started as a terrorist group and a rebel force that served in Syrian civil war and Iraq civil war. Valuable members are Sunni Arab, and IS is active mostly in Iraq and Syria. The aim of this group is the revival of Authentic Caliph and the conquest of the world by Islam.

As a group of Islamic extremism, it insists that unIslamic be rejected and its target is the whole world except Islam. It also has destroyed souvenirs, remains, and cultural properties that IS regarded as an idol.     
In addition, because Syrian Christianity does not fast during Ramadan, IS has killed them by crucifixion.  IS has trained military use of children (child soldier) systematically, get children to point guns and incited them to shoot to kill.
The local christian community says IS has killed children systematically. Actually, IS has beheaded children and cut off their parents’ heads. These deeds are regarded as evil ones and it is reported that IS members displayed beheaded children’s heads on a skewer. Because IS thinks everything except Islam is cult on their own judgment, they have done such things.. Voices of concern are getting louder and louder in the international community. The international community judged they should unite to deal with the evil deeds of IS because it is not a religious persecution, but a crime. 

The following is the scene that IS is slaughtering Syria troops. Caution – It is so cruel. 
youtube.com/watch?v=gcGc8C0X6TE

Now, in the Middle East, things unimaginable are happening. Through these things I think the righteous conviction of individuals, groups, religions, and nation is more important than any other thing. I hope peace comes to the Middle East a‘powder keg'.

ipyg-People's face in the world without wars

These days when I watch world news, I let out a sigh.
We can see people dying from all over the world due to the war.

If the war disappears, wouldn’t we live and smile like the boy in the picture?

The child lying in a flower garden of a peaceful world without worries looks so happy.

How can we laugh like this innocent child?

 '
The elderly couple smiling in harmony looks very friendly.

This child seems to be 10 year old in an elementary school.
I’d like to leave a world without wars as a legacy to the next generation. 

 When I get older, I want to take a picture with the whole family smiling at a peaceful world.

I’d like to go to the aquarium with my children and look at fish together.

I want to listen to my children’s story about their dream.

I would like to hand down this smile without worries at this peaceful world to posterity.

In order to achieve it, I feel that, first of all, I have to think and practice.

ipyg-[WARP] MotiveS of WARP summit

ipyg- Rubble Bucket Challenge

ipyg-‘Imagine’ - a Peace Message toward Mankind

 
You may have once heard a song, ‘Imagine’ in the street or subway and when drinking or staying at home. Given that almost all of us may have heard, this song must be famous around the world. In 1971, John Lennon released his solo album, which includes ‘Imagine’.
John Lennon wrote this song to spread a peace message to the world, and it is assessed as a masterpiece in the history of Pop music. This song was re-called by many singers and Yuna Kim, a global figure skater, also selected this song in her last stage before retiring.

These mean that this song is still evoking much sympathy from many people.
When you think of the lyrics as well as its melody, it is much better to appreciate the song.



Imagine there's no heaven, It's easy if you try.
No hell below us, Above us only sky.
Imagine all the people living for today... 
Imagine there's no countries, It isn't hard to do.
Nothing to kill or die for, no religion too.
Imagine all the people living life in peace...
Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can.
No need for greed or hunger. A brotherhood of man.
imagine all the people sharing all the world... 
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one. 



After you listen to this exceptional song, you will find a message to make world peace together, imagining the absence of three typical ideologies which cause the wars and disputes. By the way ‘Imagine’ was ranked 3rd on the billboard chart in the U.S.A where the majority of people are Christian at the time when it was released. Besides, ‘Imagine’ was used as a finale in ‘The killing fields (1984)’ which reports the cruelty of war. And it was used in various images of peace message and anti-war protests to appeal to all people.

I have a question like ‘Why can the world peace still not come to earth even though all people around the world show desires for peace with songs and movies against the war?’ If you really want peace, you must try to make this world into a world of peace together, right? Although it is hard to do at an individual level, it can be possible so long as we become one. That is why we are gathered in International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) today. IPYG works for bringing peace to the world, for making the world without wars, so it takes a variety of practical actions.

If your friend beside you and you participate in IPYG, this world will turn to a peaceful world without wars in the near future. I hope world peace is coming as soon as possible for my dear family, friends and me.

ipyg-Please don’t hurt the girl anymore. (the Gaza strip)

I read the pitiful news on the Internet a while ago.

It was the news regarding a 16 years old girl, Baker. She wrote about her situation very urgently: ‘I can die even tomorrow.’

It was because of the Gaza strip conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Can you imagine how was the feeling of a 16 year-old girl who has many days to live, when posting a video saying ‘I can die even tomorrow’ on SNS?
Real-war situations were on that video.

She pleaded that she can die even tomorrow at the age of enjoying her life while playing and studying with her friends. 

This war was already third to the girl who is just 16 years old.
She is going through the wars three times already, though her life was not very long.

How would it be pitiful if children in trouble nations remember their childhood with only memories of wars?

Wars are derived from adults’ greed but innocent children are being sacrificed.
What should adults do for these children?

Adults should leave the world of peace to their children, emerging from petty and selfish mind.


“Please don’t hurt children anymore.”

ipyg-International Day of Peace - LOVE & PEACE

Do you know what day September 21 is? It is International Day of Peace set by UN.It was set for wishing all the wars and violence in the world to be stopped. 

An international peace movement, ‘PEACE ONE DAY’ is held annually for spreading International Day of Peace, then making all violence in the world stopped and being united as one with forgiveness and reconciliation. On this day last year, Peace Cup Game which has a message of peace was held internationally in the places which represent each country or peace. In Korea, it was held in Imjingak Pyeonghwanuri Park (Imjingak Unification Park) and War Memorial of Korea which are the meaningful places representing the only divided country in the world, Korea. However, do you know so far the only 10% of world population remembers such messages of peace?

So we, IPYG (International Peace Youth Group), are working for letting more people know the importance of peace. 
IPYG is working with a mind that wants to stop all the violence in this world that wars and conflicts are continuously happened and make a peaceful world with forgiveness and reconciliation. IPYG is an organization which all the people around the world are gathered as one and work for peace through the peace walk events. After I got to know this organization and how it has been working for peace, I was shameful that I was just saying, I want peace and a peaceful world. But now, I became a member of IPYG and put it into practice for making peace can be really achieved. I think it would be the shortcut to world peace to put our minds and acts for loving peace into practice. :)

ipyg-[Movie] Fanny And Alexander

We Need Love and Peace

 Ingmar Bergman is a world famous director in Sweden. He is a movie director whom a lot of present movie directors express their respects and praises to. His movies always seem to contain questions about religion and God. His style like this was appeared well in his last directed movie ‘Fanny and Alexander’ that I will introduce today.

This movie’s running time is for about 3 hours. It can make audience feel quite bored in the beginning of the movie. But, in the latter half, there are a lot of thrilling and passionate scenes.


The background of the movie is Uppsala, Sweden in the early 20th century. The main character’s father runs a theater.  Characters’ class is various from the high to the lower.However, they are all actors so that the Ekdahl family treats them as precious guests.  Though a hierarchical society remains, the theater company shows classless democracy. So Fanny and Alexander, Oscar’s children get on with the members in the theater group.

This movie shows actual life of the Ekdahl family like a beautiful picture for about an hour. They live freely always with gratitude, enough tolerance and love each other. And then one day, Oscar, Fanny and Alexander’ father, fell down and died while he was performing his play performance. After that, their mother remarries. Since the day, the movie starts to face hardships.


After their mother remarried, Fanny and Alexander have lived in a Catholic church where a bishop lives. Anyone should obey the rules unconditionally in there. Their lives with bishop, such an oppressive and narrow self-righteousness, seem like a hell to Fanny and Alexander who had lived freely. Because the bishop shows us that only he is always right, I was wondered if he is a man who really serves God. He is described like a devil.  

However, a conciliatory gesture shows up in the latter part of the movie. First of all, the bishop bursts into tears because he didn’t know that someone hates him. He regrets being blinded by self-righteousness. After he was died from an accident, Fanny and Alexander were set free from the bishop’s bondage. Peace came back to them.

This movie doesn’t want to criticize religion. This movie says, “Look at the world kindly with full of peaceful smile.”

In fact, it is not matter whether people have religion or not. It is more important to have loves in order to have much better relationships with others. Furthermore, we should have loves in order to bring an end to war and bring about peace all over the world. What we, IPYG, also pursue is the love.

Even now, wars are constantly happening in the world because of religion, economy, the race, or ideology. After I saw this movie, I realized again how dangerous such a petty mind that I am only right is. And again, I was sure that IPYG and I are treading the path of virtue.

ipyg-Damages at Tripoli International Airport in Libya

 After the outbreak of battle at Tripoli International Airport on 13 July 2014, the airport was closed for a while. 

The battle continued even though a lot of people were stuck at the airport. Most of planes were destroyed and it seemed to be the worst situation. The fact that nobody could help this terrible situation makes me feel painful. Even “UN Peace-Keeping Forces” can't also intervene in this dispute, because it was not between their government and citizens but among the citizens. 

That is, people have fought each other without any promise of ending the war. As a global citizen and a member of International Peace Youth Group (“IPYG”), I was very sorry to hear of this tragedy.

After kicking out Libyan autocratic ruler Muammar al- Qaddafi in 2012, Libya has taken steps for democratization.

 Many Libyan people had believed the economic troubles such as economic recession and chronic unemployment would begin to get better after the fall of the autocrat. 

But there was still one more barrier to overcome aside from economic one; it is a religious problem. 

Libya's political power is divided into two: secularism and Islamic fundamentalism. “Secularism” has a tendency to maintain the value of their religion but to exclude the aggressive aspects of some offshoots.

 But that was annoying for “Islamic fundamentalism (Sunni and Shi`ah)” which supports a doctrine of the Koran and its religious principle. In 2012, Libya's National Transitional Council (“NTC”) kicked out Muammar al- Qaddafi and began to govern Libya. Then “Muslim Brotherhood” rose up against this situation. To sum up, this battle occurred between supporters of government and supporters of “Muslim Brotherhood.”

But religion was used as an only excuse for them. What they really wanted was Tripoli which is the center of major traffic points, all movement of supplies and economic activities of Libya. 

As each tribe had their own culture and interest, people had no choice but to be divided and stuck to their own religions and cultures. 

There are so many tribes in Africa. If they fail to live in harmony or to communicate each other, such a catastrophe will happen again. The purposes of most of wars which have broken out in Africa are usually to gain wealth, authority and religious power.

 All of these have grown since people exploited the Africans for several centuries. 

In other words, the contributors to these wars were not African but someone else. Their greed and irresponsibility lead to the death of innocent people.

As we can see this battle for Libya airport, wars are usually broken out by religion and people’s greed. So now the entire world is in a state of chaos and confusion. 

Maybe one of the reasons why this kind of disputes happen is that religion is losing their original purpose and aim. 

I think something dreadful can happen when religious people become blinded by their greed. I think, however, that true peace can be achieved if we have a sense of humanity and love, irrespective of religion, race, and culture. So we, IPYG, strive to make the better world in which there are no wars but love and peace everywhere.

ipyg-Dreaming peace for all the children in the world

 While I was surfing the Internet, I by accident saw a photo of a young boy whose sad eyes seem to want to say something. The boy’s name is Majed, and he is 16 years old.
Just a few years ago, Majed lived peacefully farming tomatoes with his family.
But now Majed, a 16-year-old boy, is a child soldier. He was forced to enter in wars without any reason and is struggling to survive.

  Although UN internationally prohibits recruiting child soldiers under 18 years old, the number of child soldiers has reached 250~300 thousand throughout the world. The children work as  sniper, suicide bomber and secret agent. Girls are said to be treated more terrible. About 40% of girls have to be sexual slaveries, the modern comfort women. Like that way, the children are sacrificed and used in war that adults started.

 The children who have a lot of dreams and wishes to do are dying, even they can’t have a chance to bloom in their youth. Now we must no longer push them in war which is like hell. Children are our future. To make the future bright and happy, we, adults, must desire for peace first, and practice and behave to bring a life of peace, not war. You who read this article now, are ready to take part in ?

ipyg- Breath of Peace, Asia's future

<Emblem of the 17th Incheon Asian Games>

  <Slogan of the 17th Incheon Asian Games>

  Breath of Peace, Asia's future  

The 17th Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4 in Incheon, Republic of Korea for 16 days. Asian Games are Asian's festival like the Olympics are World's festival. Athletes will play their own sports and the people will enjoy  this festival getting together for cheering. The athletes and board members from 45 countries will participate in the Asian games and the media in each country will report this. 

When I see this festival's purposes, as a member of IPYG who loves peace, there was one thing that caught my eye. It meant to make a community for communication and harmony with the games of peace which resolve conflict of ideology, religion and ethnics. Its goal made me feel warm in my heart.

  

Furthermore, this games' motto is also "the breath of peace, the future of Asia (Diversity Shines Here)". It contains a meaning to display(shine) splendid and diverse history, culture, tradition, religion throughout Asia, pursue peace of humanity with harmony and friendship, and make shining future of Asia.

Since the history of human being begins, there has been consistent wars and it is on-going even now. Although the Asian games will be held with so good goal and motto, it cannot put an end to war at once. However, I am sure that peace and harmony can be realized over the world, if this spreads over everyone's mind like the goal and motto of Incheon Asian Games. And I really hope it could be as a member of IPYG.

ipyg - For whom is the right of collective self-defense

In July 14, 2014, Japan decided to alter the interpretation of the Constitution, "Exercising the right of collective self-defense doesn't run counter to the Constitution of Japan". The right of collective self-defense is the right to counterattack or deter attack when the countries in intimate relations are under armed attack. With this, Japan turned to a country that can attack though Japan is not directly attacked from a country that can attack when they are attacked. If you are a Korean, you probably know the Eulsa Treaty (Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty). But it was just called a treaty, actually it was concluded by force. Like when the Qing dynasty, Russia and Japan had a fierce battle for occupying the territory of Joseon (Korea), this right of collective self-defense seems quite ominous.

It is a very important matter to East Asia. The resistance of the countries near Japan (South Korea, North Korea, China, etc.) is increasing and the voices of people who love peace and hate war in Japan is rising. Especially, Matsusaka Mayor in Yamanaka Mitsushige Mie established an organization, "peace wing" so that he tried to take class action suit. Likewise, the voice of opposition is getting rising. I think there will be a lot of changes of Japanese consciousness through this event. Japan had succeeded in various areas so that there are still lots of people who cling to former Japan among the old generation and politicians. However, more people than that are objecting to wars without justification.

If war happens, it goes without saying that youth people must be dragged to the field of war and be sacrificed. How sad is it if youths die in the field of war without having a chance to bloom? Japanese people would know through the international situations and the needs of the times that peace which can make everyone alive is more precious than wars which can kill everyone. "No war, Yes peace!