By Timothy Wekesa
CHEONGJU, South Korea
Sept. 18, 2025
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace NGO based in South Korea, hosted the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 18
HWPL World Peace Summit was held from Sept. 18–19 in Cheongju under the theme “Uniting for Peace and Fulfilling Humanity’s Duty Together.”
Other commemorative events continued in 78 major cities worldwide through October.
This year’s summit brought together more than 800 global leaders — including former and current presidents, prime ministers, speakers of parliament, chief justices, cabinet ministers and leaders in education, religion, media and youth sectors — who traveled to Korea in support of HWPL’s peace initiatives.
Since the inaugural summit in 2014, HWPL has promoted conflict resolution through international law, interfaith cooperation and peace education.
At this year’s event, the group highlighted key achievements including new public–private partnership models to embed sustainable peace in national contexts.
A central agenda item was the global expansion of support for the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), HWPL’s proposed legal framework to end wars.
The DPCW sets out principles such as prohibiting the use of force, conflict prevention and mediation, and ensuring sustainable peace.
Over the past year, 17 international and regional bodies — including the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO), the legislatures of Paraguay, the Dominican Republic and South Sudan, and local governments in the Philippines, Mongolia, the U.S. state of Georgia, Madagascar, Mali and India — adopted resolutions in support of the DPCW.
“Conflict can never be good. Only the achievement of peace is truly good,” said HWPL Chairman Lee Man-hee. “If we fail to establish a peaceful world in our time, we will burden future generations with conflict. What we leave behind must be a world of peace, not one of conflict.”
Former Croatian President Ivo Josipović said in a congratulatory message that banning war is “more important now than ever” and that the year’s progress “guarantees humankind will one day achieve eternal peace.”
In the religious sector, HWPL launched the Solidarity of Religions’ Peace Committee (SRPC), building on its 292 WARP Offices across 132 countries that facilitate scripture-based dialogue and interfaith discussions.
The HWPL International Religious Peace Academy, introduced in 2023, is now formally recognized in several countries as a platform for peace-centered learning.
In education, Zambia introduced HWPL Peace Education across schools in its capital, Lusaka, with plans for nationwide expansion, while Mongolia reported progress in incorporating the program into lifelong learning and public education.
“Through peace education, we are amplifying citizens’ voices for peace and fostering a culture of peace,” said Ian Miyoba, director of education policy at Zambia’s Ministry of Education.
“It can prevent issues like child rights violations, child marriage and drug use, creating tangible change in the community.”
The summit also hosted the 2025 International Conference on Preparing for Peaceful Korean Reunification, focusing on inter-Korean free movement through public–private partnerships.
Discussions followed the March launch of the Preparatory Committee for Peaceful Unification on the Korean Peninsula.
HWPL reported its membership grew by 140,000 in the past year, surpassing 580,000 globally.
“Citizens worldwide, suffering from wars and conflicts, strongly yearn for genuine peace beyond the current order,” said HWPL Secretary-General Kang Tae-ho.
“This collective aspiration has directly led to the rapid growth of HWPL’s membership.”
While the Cheongju summit was the centerpiece, HWPL emphasized that anniversary events will continue in 78 countries through October, with more than 15,000 leaders expected to take part in discussions on long-term strategies for sustainable peace.
