Hyung Jin Nim in North Korea 2011 - December 20, 2011 from True Love on Vimeo.

Banquet for True-Family Values Calls forth Heavenly Winds in Chicago

Banquet for True-Family Values Calls forth Heavenly Winds in Chicago The 16th Annual True Family Values Banquet at the Hilton Chicago Hotel on December 17, 2011, marked the culmination of the Original Substance of the Divine Principle (OSDP) workshops that drew more than 3,000 ministers and members of different faiths during the last three months. The afternoon banquet drew distinguished American religious leaders, including the Reverend Stephen J. Thurston, president of the National Baptist Convention of America, Rev. Naomi King, the sister-in-law of Martin Luther King Jr., American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) representatives, Dr. Chang Shik Yang, the continental director of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) and Rev. In Jin Moon, president of the Unification Church USA. Rev. Joshua Cotter, vice president of the Unification Church USA, introduced the Generation Peace Academy choir, a group of young, second-generation Unificationists, which performed two songs together with members of Sonic Cult. "I know that you [the audience] pastors are already concerned about how to inspire our young people to live lives of faith that are exemplary before God, amen?" said Rev. Cotter. "Well, you're in for a treat today, because you can see these young people, the Generation Peace Academy Choir. Rev. In Jin Moon has transformed the Unification Church in America the past few years through Lovin' Life Ministries, and young people like these are coming from all over America and are inspired to develop their talents but also to give their lives for God." Archbishop George A. Stallings Jr., national co-president of the American Clergy Leadership Conference, introduced Rev. In Jin Moon as the keynote speaker with the following words: "Good afternoon family. It is my distinct honor to introduce the keynote speaker for this 16th Annual True Family Values Ministry here in the windy city, Chicago. Who we will hear from today is a very focused, strong and determined woman who has set the course for a new emphasis on women in leadership in our world and one who has created a paradigm shift in the way America and the world views the Unification Church and the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind. Our keynote speaker is definitely a woman who knows who she is, what on earth she is here for, and where she is going. She is creating a prototype in the way churches will minister to young people for generations to come. She has created a unique expression of ministry, of Sunday worship, called Lovin' Life Ministries. Are you lovin' life? Are you lovin' life? You haven't had a chance to love it, until you've been to a Lovin' Life Sunday worship!" Remarks from Rev. In Jin Moon From left, Rev. Michael Jenkins, Minister Tanya Edwards, Bishop Jesse Edwards, Rev. In Jin Moon, Rev. Zagary Oliver, and Bishop Sulanch Lewis. "I am so excited to be in this beautiful city of Chicago and to bring you greetings from our True Parents on the 16th Annual True Family Values banquet. When I woke up this morning, I was awarded with a beautiful view from my hotel room – a snow-covered Chicago. And where I come from in Korea, snow is always a symbol of God's blessing. So I very much feel our Heavenly Parent here together with us, as well as the spirit of our True Parents, who are praying for the success of this conference. As we come to a close of this year, I feel a great deal of work has been done. Our True Parents have been talking about January 13, 2013 as the time when they need to stand in the position as the true parents of humankind to share the breaking news with all of God's children. And what is the breaking news? "The Generation Peace Choir that you saw did a great job asking the audience to find them somebody to love [they sang Somebody to Love by Queen]. Well, our True Parents come to answer that question. They come with the gift of the Blessing, of hope, of inspiration. When we look at our world today, we see it's suffering quite a bit. It's in need of a great deal of healing. There are many young people who are lost and struggling to find their identities, trying to find the meaning of life, trying to understand "Why am I here?" or "What is the purpose of my being?" or "What is the meaning of my life?" Well, our True Parents have been sent by God to answer those questions for us. And the incredible thing about being in a room like this is that we can meet and talk as members of one family despite our different backgrounds and that we come together with the understanding that we are all divine and eternal sons and daughters of God. "I feel that my job is to continue sharing the breaking news of our True Parents, to share the gift of the Blessing with our brothers and sisters, to encourage all of humanity to graft onto the true lineage of God and commit not only to each other but to our heavenly parent, our community, our world, as a proud and a dignified member of this world. So I feel this is a time when we can look towards the future with a great deal of inspiration. I see a group of young men and women calling themselves a generation of peace, acknowledging that we come from the same parent, our heavenly parent and striving to live a life of compassion and not only becoming internally excellent, but externally excellent as well – this is the vision for our future. Young men and women who understand where they come from and the meaning of this thing called the gift of life. "In this year we've done a lot of good work, together with our good friends representing all different faiths of the world. We have completed the OSDP workshops – 3,000 ministers of different faiths – and before that our True Parents invited 172 ministers representing the north, south, east and west of the United States to come and unite in heart and spirit together with our True Parents to lay the great foundation of faith and substance by connecting these 172 ministers with the different clans in Korea, in preparation for the peace building that our True Parents are partaking of each and every day. Korea is still a divided country. The north is run by a communist government that does not realize the existence of God, and our True Parents are encouraging the South to work together with the North in a peaceful and loving way. I feel that in this great work of re-unification, all the great faiths being represented by different religions and scholars are instrumental in the peace-building process. I encourage you to continue to work together with our True Parents to build and bring about the peaceful millennium that we all long for. The True Parents of Humankind "I'd like to take a moment to remember how this all started. My father was born in North Korea into a devout Christian family. His father and grandfather and great-grandfather really wanted to dedicate themselves for Christ. But when Father turned 16, when he was praying on the hills of Korea, he had a vision and in this vision, Jesus Christ appeared to him and began to tell a story of his life and asked my father to take up a mission. Jesus Christ said, 'I was not meant to die on the cross, but I was meant to go on and find a beautiful wife and together with her, stand as the true parents of mankind, and start sharing in the good news of what an incredible time it is to graft onto the heavenly lineage of God through the process of the Blessing. I came to create an ideal family, a beautiful family, a living paradigm of what true love was meant to be. This was what I was meant to do, but I went the way of the cross because my people did not know who I was. John the Baptist was not there to recognize the gravity and the profundity of his mission to share the good news with the people.' "John the Baptist had a mission just like the faithful people seated in this room have. His mission was to make straight the way of the Lord with the Israelites and all the countrymen of the world so that people can recognize who the son of God is, unite with him, and together, start building ideal families through the process of the Blessing and become one family under God. My father received the blessing from Jesus Christ and from then on until today has never wavered, has always lived a life of sacrificial offering even though he was misunderstood, persecuted, imprisoned time and time again. Even though he was put in a North Korean concentration camp and left to die, the man survived because he knew he had a mission to share the breaking news with the people, which is that the time has come again, that – fast forward 2,000 years after Jesus's death – we have our messiah again, but in better form. This time around, he's got a beautiful wife. The Significance of True Mother During the OSDP seminar the ministers were informed of the lifetime achievements of Rev. Moon and spouse Dr. Hak Ja Han, shown above in a photo from the early 1970s. "She gave him seven sons and seven daughters, and together, they have been ceaselessly sharing in the breaking news with brothers and sisters in the world to become one family under God. Can you imagine, if Jesus Christ had found his beautiful wife? The history of Christianity would have been a vastly different one. It would not have been one where the concept of Christian piety was understood in a life of denial, where you had to isolate yourself from the world to seek individual salvation. Had Jesus found a wife and lived a fulfilling life substantiating the true love of God in the context of a family, 2,000 years ago we would have had a living paradigm of what our families should look like, and we would've aspired to be like Jesus and his wife, the true parents, and we ourselves being inspired by the living paradigm of true love, would have gone on to build beautiful families of our own, and the world would have been a very different place. "Instead of the understanding of the Trinity as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, you would've had the Holy Spirit manifested in the flesh in the form of a woman. Then we would have realized the Trinity was not the complete picture, just as Jesus' dying on the cross was not the completed picture. What history has been waiting for was for the messiah to come again and find a beautiful wife so the Holy Spirit could be made flesh in the form of a true woman. Then humanity would understand the true value of not just men, but also women. Women would not be seen as just a "woe to men" but as the complete picture that we have in our True Parents. That's why our True Parents come to teach us the four-position foundation of God, man, woman and child. This is the original concept that our Heavenly Parent had in mind when he created human beings many years ago. So, our True Parents come to share the breaking news with all of us, saying, "This is the time." In a way, we, representing different faiths, have a chance to make history right, to restore the position of John the Baptist by truly uniting with our True Parents, working with God's anointed and making straight the way of the lord. "We here at Lovin' Life Ministries come to share in the message of the breaking news that we need to think beyond individual salvation to family salvation, world salvation, beyond our race or culture or economic means and work together to make a world of healing, compassion, understanding, where every individual is a unique, beautiful, eternal being that was put on earth to manifest their divinity with the rest of the world. This is an incredible time when we can come together as one family as the messiah walks with us, breathes with us, laughs and cries together with us. How many of us would give an arm or a leg if we could have five minutes with Jesus Christ, with Mohammed, with Buddha? Think of the millions of people who have come before you and who will come after you and look upon you as the ones who walked, talked, laughed and cried with True Parents! The Windy City of Chicago "English is a second language to me. When I hear the word 'Chi…cago,' I hear the word 'she.' Think about it! Women need to have a voice as a true, eternal daughter of God. I always thought 'she' was an interesting word because 'Sh!' comes before 'he.' [Laughter]. Nobody knew what to do with women. Do we place her behind the curtain, do we allow her to take an active role in the life of faith? Do we put a microphone in front of her face? For the last 2,000 years, because of the Fall of Man, and because Jesus Christ never had a wife, we did not have a clear understanding of what a woman should be. Therefore, it's been 'sh' for 2,000 years. "So the time is right when the true Adam comes as the messiah and raises up that beautiful woman –not somebody relegated to a second class – and says that 'sh' needs to have a voice. 'Sh' needs to work together with 'he.' The interesting thing is that when you say 'cago' in Korean, it means "commitment," "pledge." So, in this time of the breaking news, if 'she' can work together with 'he,' and if the city of Chicago can really commit and pledge itself to work together to make a better world and to usher in a millennium that is worthy of our heavenly parent, that is worthy of our True Parents and all of you and me, if we can pledge to partake of a life where we start living as one family under God, then the heavenly winds can start to blow, and Chicago, known as the windy city, can be the city where the heavenly winds of true love, of ideal families, of true family values can start to blow all across America and all throughout the world." Contributed by Ariana Moon in Chicago

Unificationists about Kim Jong Il’s Death

Kim Jong Il's Death Prompts Unificationists To Sound Notes of Caution

Unificationist observers of North Korean political affairs expressed concern and some cautious optimism about the future of the Korean peninsula following the announcement Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has died of heart failure at the age of 69 on December 17, 2011. The death was acknowledged by North Korean authorities on Dec. 18, 2011, according to the Associated Press. "Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008, but he had appeared relatively vigorous in photos and video from recent trips to China and Russia and in numerous trips around the country carefully documented by state media. The communist country's "Dear Leader" - reputed to have had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine - was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease," the Associated Press reported. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the state news agency of North Korea, reported that Kim Jong Il had "passed away from a great mental and physical strain at 08:30 December 17, 2011, on train during a field guidance tour." "Kim Jong Il always thought highly of True Father, since the latter's 1991 visit. Every year he would send a precious birthday gift to True Parents," wrote Professor Mark Barry, a professor at the Unification Theological Seminary. Dr. Barry added, "To me, the issue is whether that high regard for True Parents will carry on to his successor, Kim Jong Un. Since Kim Jong Un is only 27-28, it is most likely that senior elders, especially Jang Song Thaek, the husband of Kim Jong Il's sister, may act as a "regent" to Kim Jong Un. At least until he builds his own power base of younger leaders." (See related story on the special role of the Tongil Group to assist North Korea with 600 tons of wheat flour during November, 2011 on Familyfed.org.) "However, the most serious issue – one which I think Kook Jin Nim [Chairman of the Tongil Group and son of Rev. Sun Myung Moon] is very concerned about – is the role China may now play," Barry continued in his email to Familyfed.org. "Especially in recent years, China has more means of economic, political and military influence over the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea); when all the ROK (Republic of Korea) and U.S. do is impose sanctions on it. China increasingly is able to inter-penetrate North Korea; it has a lot of eyes and ears. In the short run, this will produce regional stability, but in the long term, North Korea is in danger of becoming an economic colony of China or a state whose foreign policy will be controlled by China. North Korea will no longer be independent, and Korean unification would eventually take place only if China believes it would be in its interests. Privately, the North Koreans are very suspicious of China, but they need to survive, and they have had no one else to turn to, especially since 2001. "The most important thing right now is for the U.S. and ROK to show restraint, especially not to make harsh statements about the North or Kim Jong Il. In 1994, ROK President Kim Yong Sam called Kim Il Sung an "aggressor" after the latter died, which closed a window of opportunity where the South could have extended condolences and created a dramatically improved relationship at a critical moment. I'm concerned that the leaders of both the U.S. and ROK must be very careful, because despite the sudden demise of Kim Jong Il, it does not mean the North is on the verge of collapse and by no means should be pushed to the brink." Korean media, including the Yonhap news agency, said South Korea put its military on "high alert" and that President Lee Myung Bak convened a national security council meeting after the news of Kim's death. Thomas Ward, a specialist in Peace and Development Studies at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut observed: "The visit of Rev. Hyung Jin Moon just prior to President Kim Jong Il's passing could prove to be of some comfort to the new Korean Leader. Kim Jong Un is Hyung Jin Nim's junior. Like him, however, he is a youngest son who has inherited a major responsibility. For genuine reform to begin in North Korea, Kim Jong Un will need the support and counsel of mentors beyond his immediate circle and beyond the formal diplomatic channels that are available to him. Someone needs to win his confidence. I am sure that Rev. Hyung Jin Moon could be a great practical and spiritual supporter at a time when Kim Jong Un mourns the passing of his father and ponders whether or not to take Pyongyang in a much needed, new direction." A theological perspective came from Dr. Antonio Betancourt, president of the Washington-based Summit Council: "The affairs of North Korea, in my opinion, are internally connected with God's providence and our True Parents. "This is a fact that has to be taken into consideration when we analyze the events taken place in that country especially the death of their leader Kim Jong Il. There is a lot of activity from the Spirit World in anticipation to 2012-2013 and with the activities programmed by Heaven for this upcoming month of January, one of them with cosmic significance, the elevation and empowerment of True Mother. It is possible that all of these require a major offering from the Korean Cain camp. Who can be better representative of the Korean Cain camp than Kim Jong Il himself? "He earned enough merit for God when he created the conditions for True Parents to go to North Korea 1991 for the reconciliation with Kim Il Sung, their enemy for more than 40 years and the visit and return of True Parents to their hometown. Everything was done thanks to him. He opened the door for our movement to gain credibility with the U.S. and South Korean governments as real players in the future affairs of the Korean peninsula. "The visit of our UPF Chairman Hyung Jin Nim and his wife [Dec. 9-16, 2011] basically closes a chapter of 21 years of True Parents' direct internal and external involvement in the DPRK. This started in 1990 when True Parents asked me (Antonio Betancourt) to do whatever it takes to go North Korea to convey the news that the Unification Church no longer saw them [North Korea] as our enemies and that our movement was looking for reconciliation. After a year of arduous efforts I was admitted into North Korea officially and openly as a member of the Unification Church thanks to the friendship and the good office of Former President of Costa Rica Rodrigo Carazo. "This was in April of 1991. In September, 1991, Dr Bo Hi Pak was able to visit North Korea officially as a special envoy of True Parents. On November 30, 1991 True Parents entered North Korea. "I was in Korea the day that Kim Il Sung died, in 1994. I was there for a week, sent by our True Parents to explore the possibility of opening a chapter of the Federation for World Peace. We got the verbal approval from President Kim Il Sung, and the next day, he passed away. "We don't know for sure, but it makes sense at least for us believers of our True Parents that the Spirit World has acted taking Kim Jong Il into the Spirit World to serve a higher purpose as part of some Providential Work," Dr. Betancourt wrote. Contributed by Doug Burton and Ariana Moon

ELC London

Commemorating Human Rights Day 2011: How Far Have We Progressed?’ European Leadership Conference London, United Kingdom, 8th  -  10th December 2011 The last of the series of European Leadership Conferences in 2011, ‘Commemorating Human Rights Day 2011: How Far Have We Progressed?’ examined the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP)’s benchmark of human rights, that humanity is an inclusive global family under a loving God, contrasting it with the global problems we face and discussing strategies, initiatives and policies to reach to that ideal. Dr Song, Yong Cheon, Chairman of UPF Europe in his keynote address expressed, “The advancement of the Human Rights of all peoples is an essential part of the core mission of both organizations, and a key element in building lasting world peace. ...We meet against the backdrop of unfolding events in the Arab world that  demonstrate in unprecedented ways a growing awareness of our shared humanity and of our destiny to become one global family in which the Human Rights of all, regardless of race, religion, nationality or ethnicity are  respected. The UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) proclaims that there must be what it calls a “common standard of achievement for all people”. UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon’s statement for 2011 Human Rights Day: Human rights belong to every one of us without exception. Across the globe, people mobilized to demand justice, dignity, equality, participation -- the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration. Many of these peaceful demonstrators persevered despite being met with violence and further repression.  As we look to the challenges ahead, let us take inspiration from the example of human rights activists and the timeless power of the Universal Declaration, and do our utmost to uphold the ideals and aspirations that speak for every culture and every person. Plenary Session Human Rights around Europe Pictures The Plenary Session entitled ‘Human Rights Around Europe’ began with Lord King of West Bromwich (Patron of UPF UK) and the session’s host Rt. Hon. Tom Brake MP welcoming the international conference participants to the historic Committee Room 14 in the House of Commons. Mrs Carolyn Handschin - Prof. Lord Bhiku Parekh - Rt. Hon. Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC                    Mrs Carolyn Handschin (President WFWPI - Europe), chaired the session and expressed that a commemoration of human rights is also a celebration of human dignity. Prof. Lord Bhiku Parekh (link for  speech) stated that Human Rights must include socio-economic rights. He expressed his concern that “rights are being chipped away” by budget cuts, “the war on immigration” and the practice of “stop and search” by the police in the UK. Rt. Hon. Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC, Britain’s first black female Attorney General (2007-2010) shared her experiences in combating domestic violence in Britain. (speech link) stating that in 2003 “1 in 4 women in the UK were  victims of domestic violence.” She explained that they had brought that down to 1 in 6 by 2010 but globally, on average, one in three women suffer abuse in their home. Baroness Scotland encouraged those present to be involved in the effort to eliminate domestic violence for which she has promoting the ‘For the Women in My Life’ campaign in her capacity as Patron of ‘Eliminate Domestic Violence – Global Foundation.’ Mrs. Silvia Escobar - Rt. Hon. Tom Brake MP - Dr. Yong Cheon Song The former Human Rights Ambassador for Spain, Silvia Escobar, pointed out the role that institutions like the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe play in securing human rights in Europe. She highlighted that the different articles of the UDHR are closely interconnected and “the failure of one is abuse of another.” Escobar emphasised that at the core of the matter is dignity, which is the foundation for peace, security and freedom. She remarked “dignity even comes before equality.” (Link to presentation) Rt. Hon. Tom Brake MP, Liberal Democrat spokesman for Home Affairs issues, took a Human Rights angle on the recent riots in the United Kingdom. (Speech link) He expressed his concern that Human Rights are experiencing a backlash in UK at the moment. He expressed that Human Rights had not restricted the police in dealing with the looting “The police do not want or need new weapons, curfew powers, or the power to shut down social networks”, he stated and expressed his concern about misleading language in the media, when it comes to “so-called” Human Rights. Dr. Yong Cheon Song, Chair of UPF Europe, gave the final address, ‘New Vision for Human Rights’, which highlighting Human Rights as a key element in building world peace. He reminded the audience that UPF’s founder, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, had suffered more than many from Human Rights abuses. He asked where Human Rights come from and how they can be protected. He located their  wellspring as the human heart and conscience, emphasising the need to search for insight in the areas of spirituality, family and education. (For more information about the Session - link) Session II A Human Rights around the World Pictures Session IIA, 'Human Rights Around the World' panel included, Prof. Akiko Yamanaka, Vice Foreign Minister of Japan (2005-06), speaking on 'Responsibility to Protect from a Human Security Perspective'; Austrian Ambassador (Rtd.) Dr. Walther Lichem explaining the role of 'Human Rights Cities' and Willy Fautre, Director of Human Rights without Frontiers International in a speech entitled ‘Human Rights in North Korea’. The session was chaired by Robin Marsh, Secretary General, Universal Peace Federation – UK. In her speech entitled, 'Responsibility to Protect from a Human Security Perspective', Prof. Akiko Yamanaka, Vice Foreign Minister of Japan (2005-2006), discussed how global political dynamics have changed since the end of the Cold War. There is a need to establish a new security framework. After the Cold War problems such as drugs, terrorism, disease, WMD, financial crisis, natural disasters and resource shortages have dominated the headlines. She stated that the international community need to establish a new framework, a new world order. The challenge now facing all countries was to consolidate their identity and policies, military and non-military, and to focus on conflict resolution and prevention. Yamanaka suggested there were three elements which define where we are and where we should be going. First, countries are moving from traditional to non � traditional identities and policies. Second, regarding security, there is a need for a change of policy from countries seeing themselves set against some other countries to their sharing common cause with every nation. Third it is important to ensure cooperation beyond national borders. Preventative diplomacy is necessary to ensure peace and promote human rights. Ambassador (Rtd.) Dr. Walther Lichem, shared his passion for “Human Rights Cities”. He explained that the human rights agenda has three phases: norms setting, the adjudicative phase where violations are denounced and the developmental and operational phase, where Human Rights are made a reality. He talked about examples of this in 14 cities around the world that have declared themselves human rights cities where human rights are taught in schools and become the basis of civic life. By doing so the cities had successfully transformed themselves and, as a result, had also become more prosperous.   Willy Fautre, the director of Human Rights Without Frontiers International gave a presentation entitled ‘Human Rights in North Korea’. (full speech link). Emphasizing the importance of primary research he described the work he had done with North Korean refugees. North Korea ranks on every survey of human rights as one of the worst countries. It is a perfect totalitarian system in which there is no independent civil society. There are at least 200,000 people in political prison camps in bestial living conditions where they are often tortured. Many prisoners are victims of ‘guilt by association’ because in North Korea three generations can be punished for a person’s crime. Up until now the international community has been silent on this issue but now there is no excuse for this as the facts are very clear. Session II B House of Lords Human Rights Issues Around the World  Pictures Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham - Keith Best - Imam Dr Abduljalil Sajid – Prof. Unni Wikan Chaired by Lord King of West Bromwich and Margaret Ali (Director UPF – UK). The first speaker was Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham who addressed the topic Universal Human Rights for Humanity passionately asserting that all people have rights regardless of their background, religion or colour given to us by ‘God Almighty’ and that December 10th is a day to remember that we are very fortunate that we have such rights. He highlighted the double standards of those who only speak out about issues of human rights when it is in their national interest. The second speaker, Keith Best, gave us his insight into torture, posing the question, Why Do We Still Tolerate Torture? Mr Best, having had much experience as CEO of Torture Care, gave a short history of torture practices, and opposed any justification for torture, calling it ‘morally repugnant’. He expressed his optimism that torture practices across the globe can finally be eradicated. Imam Dr Abduljalil Sajid JP (Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony UK) was the third speaker of the session, speaking on the topic of Islam and Human Rights  emphasising Islam’s perspective on human rights with support from the Qu’ran, and the power of education as a tool that not only promotes human rights but also combats issues such as poverty. The final speaker of the session, Prof. Unni Wikan (University of Oslo), began by telling the moving story of Fadima, a 26 year old women killed by her father in 2002, in what is known as ‘Honour Based Violence’. Prof. Wikan described it as a practice that cuts across religions and societies, with a solution in locating the signs that could lead to violence before that violence occurs.    Session III A Women’s Empowerment and Human Rights Pictures Mitty Tohma - Carolyn Handschin - Shaista Gohir MBE - Marcia Lewinson - Patricia Lalonde Mitty Tohma, President, Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) UK, chairing the Session introduced Carolyn Handschin, President of WFWP International I Europe, who gave the first presentation on the activities of the WFWP. She gave a brief overview of the movement for women’s rights from the time of Mary Wollstonecraft. In passing she mentioned Queen Anne who had unsuccessfully campaigned for a women’s college. She moved via domestic science to the conferences of the UN Commission on the Status of Women that emphasized the family as the cornerstone and model for human relationships. She quoted Kofi Annan who said that human rights create the space for family life and is the standard for ethical relations among people. This suggests that grass roots and global campaigns for human rights needed to be connected. She added that Women's Human Rights issues are very important to Womens’ Federation for World Peace, the organisation was founded in April of 1992, in Seoul, South Korea, by Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. The WFWP activities have been developed in three main areas: First relating to Family Ethics with the understanding that the family is the cornerstone for peace in the community and nation. Secondly, we are dealing with Poverty Eradication and Service to others, as exemplified by our ongoing projects worldwide. Thirdly Peace and Reconciliation activities, including working with the UN and with international NGOs; and the Bridge of Peace Ceremony. In a speech entitled, ‘Despite Barriers it is Empowering to be a Muslim Women in Britain’, Shaista Gohri MBE, currently a 'Global Campaign Strategist' at the internationally renowned charity, Oxfam, said Muslim women were being pressured by Muslim conservatives who wanted them to cover up and right wing extremists who object to women covering up. Women’s bodies and dress codeshave become a battleground, whereas such decisions should be a matter of personal choice. Shaista shared that in the UK Islamophobia needs to be challenged. She explained the BigSister website (http://www.bigsister.org.uk/) she set up as a myth buster about women in Islam, which has attracted contacts from around the world. Marcia Lewinson, Chief Executive, Women Acting in Today’s Society, stated that 25% of women in Britain experience domestic violence during their life. Her presentation Women’s Empowerment and Human Rights can be seen by this link. Her group provides advocacy and training to support and inform women. Patricia Lalonde, Managing Director MEWA, Afghanistan Schools Rebuilding, talked about the work she has been doing since 2000 in Afghanistan. Since the fall of the Taliban the position of women in the cities has improved and they are more empowered. She explained that democracy and women’s rights, Do not necessarily go together. Where will the rights of women stand as a result of the Arab Spring? In polling booths in Tunisia men and women were voting and smiling, but she worried that rights derived from greater freedom might be eroded if more fundamentalist Muslim parties gain power. Session III B Real Rights: How Will We Make Dignity a Reality? Pictures   Monica Marekova - Alexander Nelson-Williams - Mabrur Ahmed – Bogdan Pammer Monica Marekova asked us to consider that half of the world’s population are under 25 years old and that  it is the young  who are the most vulnerable in relationship to housing, participation, and social change and who are suffering the highest rates of unemployment. They are not able to fully enjoy human rights and therefore cannot fulfil their potential – this will eventually impact future wellbeing. World leaders should agree an international treaty to protect the youth, that emphasizes the need for youth to have all the basic rights such as access to credit, housing, health etc. Alexander Nelson�Williams is studying psychology at University. With help and support from family and friends he set up the Nelson�Williams Programme to advise and support young people. The programme urges them to treat each other with dignity and prepares them for financial responsibility. Alexander guides his peers telling them that they will gain more by giving and building and learn more by listening. One course teaches young people to go out into the community to start a social enterprise among their peers and to listen to each other. Mabrur Ahmed founded ‘Restless Beings’ emphasising that self- worth is expressed through passion and creativity. It is a European youth movement of today’s Facebook, You Tube generation. Youth movements have become involved in supporting basic human rights: the Occupy Wall Street Campaign, UK student protests regarding  the right to an education and  the Arab Spring, which is raising human rights concerns in the Middle East. Europe’s youth haven’t as yet risen together in one movement, but they  may soon when faced by severe unemployment. Will  this be connected to the call of those in the third world who are seeking dignity? Restless Beings are supporting sustainable charitable projects in different parts of the world that are aiding the oppressed and marginalized. Bogdan Pammer stated that dignity first arises in the family. True dignity can be found in acts of service to others  as he had experienced working with refugees.  Session IV Religious Freedom  -  Global Issues Pictures Jura Nanuk - Shiekh Rahman - Peter Zoehrer - Hon. Jin Hinokida Rev. Dr. Marcus Braybrooke, President of the World Congress of Faiths, brought his extensive experience in matters of religious freedom to the task of chairing this session..    Jura Nanuk, Deputy President, Croatian Religious Liberty Association, gave an account of the anti�religious legislation passed in the Hungarian parliament on 14/07/2011. This gives the Hungarian government the right to determine whether or not a religious body can enjoy the privileges of religious status. This has led to the persecution of smaller religions. He made a call to all present to take action in spreading awareness of the problem by briefing other human rights groups and European legal institutions and by appealing directly to  the Hungarian Prime Minister. Shiekh Rahman gave a moving account of the persecution experienced in Pakistan by religious minorities and in particular the exclusion and violence experienced by his own religious community, the Ahmadiyya Muslims. Draconian laws are in contradiction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In Pakistan violation of the human rights of other religious groups such as Christians, Hindus, Bahais and Shia Muslims have been state sanctioned. Shiekh Rahman called for all people present to increase public awareness of this persecution in order to bring greater international attention and pressure on the Pakistani government to prohibit such practices.  Peter Zoehrer gave an account of religious persecution (link for PowerPoint presentation) currently occurring in Japan which he described as a “hidden human rights crime of an unimaginable extent”. There have been forced conversions and kidnappings of more than 4300 believers – predominantly Unification Church members, but also more than 100 Jehovah Witnesses. Those who go through such ordeals are left psychologically traumatised and in some cases, physically damaged. This matter is not receiving appropriate legal attention as judges often consider it to be a “family issue” as family members are instigating the abuse. An appeal was made for support to increase international awareness of this breach of religious freedom. (For More Information www.religiousfreedom.com) Hon. Jin Hinokida, a former member of the Japanese Diet, is one of the few Japanese politicians to have paid attention to this issue. He further raised the point that the Japanese authorities, particularly the police, have ignored such cases as ‘family affairs’, turning a blind eye to the infringement of religious rights. By not acting against such obvious breaches of the human rights the Japanese government is effectively setting a precedent for further violations of religious freedom. (Link for Fact Sheet) Evening Programme Delegates visited the UPF�WFWP London HQ to have dinner and enjoy a cultural  evening. Peter Graham opened the proceedings with the timeless Bob Marley classic "One World One Heart", followed by a change of mood with beautiful pieces from Puccini  performed by a talented young singer from Munich, Philomena Poetis. Beattles’ music and traditional Mongolian singing added to the variety. ‘Restless Beings’ provided a moving rap�style poetic account of the suffering of the oppressed and dispossessed that illustrated the need for global justice: in keeping with the underlying purpose of the conference. The evening finished with the strains of ‘Hey Jude’ which brought everyone to their feet for a rousing final performance.  Saturday December 10th 2011 St Giles Conference Centre  Pictures Peter Zoehrer - Dr J.W. Bertens - Saleha Jaffer - Jack Corley - Dr  Azra Hadziahmetovic Peter Zoehrer, speaking on the history of human rights, pointed out how the original US and French constitutions made reference to God or the "Supreme Being" as the origin of  human value while  in contrast the Universal Declaration admitted such references although it does mention that human dignity is the foundation for all other rights. Mr Zoehrer also examined human slavery and pointed out that it is still alive today, albeit under the modern title of "human trafficking." He reasserted the divine origins of human value: sacred, cosmic and eternal, going on to emphasise the positive influence of religion to motivate people to live for the greater good and achieve higher value. He concluded by stressing the importance of loving one's enemy as the greatest challenge and solution which must be applied both individually and internationally if human rights are to become a reality. Dr J.W. Bertens and Saleha Jaffer gave their responses. The former entertained the audience with an entertaining look at the characteristics of the various European and other nations and their histories. He led the audience to his conclusion that deep down we really are all the same and the differences we see between us are comparatively superficial. Saleha reminded us that gender inequality results in many women worldwide receiving inadequate protection of their human rights.  She explored the matter of forced marriages and  concluded with an appeal for a greater respect for the principle of equality for all human beings. Jack Corley from UPF UK started his presentation on the premise that we all share a desire for a world of peace and harmony. Religion and politics should provide the means but too often seem to be part of the problem. Peace is not only the absence of conflict but needs to be actively built through the practice of true love – living for the sake of others. He outlined the cause of conflict as rooted in placing one’s selfish desires above the wellbeing of others and introduced a three-step approach to reconciliation , starting with reflection and reorientation, followed by restitution and renewal. Mr Corley peppered his presentation with  his own personal experience and illustrative examples and spoke meaningfully of the contribution to peace made by outstanding role models who were motivated by their profound understanding of forgiveness and love of enemy.(Link to presentation) Dr  Azra Hadziahmetovic, an MP and former government minister from Bosnia�Herzegovina,  spoke of the "un-culture" of conflict in her country and the painful damage to 25% of population and 75% of the economic potential of her country as a result of war.  World Cafe  Pictures In the World Cafe Session there was an opportunity to discuss three questions regarding Human Rights in small groups. Discussants rotated with other small groups every 15 minutes. Points were raised points that extended participants’ understanding of dignity, freedom and  respect and explored practical ways to enhance human dignity. All agreed that this was an effective way to meet each other and to give everybody a chance to express their views and experiences. Session VII As a Peace Loving Global Citizen – an insight into UPF’s Origins & Founders Pictures   Mrs Marcia de Abreu - Mr Timothy Miller - Ms. Sudesh Sharma - Jhr. Dr. Pieter Beelaerts van Blokland – Mr Mark Brann Mrs Marcia de Abreu, President WFWP Spain introduced Mr Timothy Miller, Vice�Chair UPF Europe, to share about the best�selling autobiography of Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon the Founders of UPF and WFWP. Mr Miller gave a comprehensive account of Father Moon’s life set in the context of a time of suffering for the Korean people. On the day before Easter 1935, at the age of 15 he had a direct encounter with Jesus that changed his life. He became a man driven by a vision of creating a world of peace. At the age of 92 he  still lives with incredible passion and commitment to the same cause. Ms. Sudesh Sharma, a UK Ambassador for Peace, read Rev.Moon’s autobiography last year and profoundly agreed with the idea of one family under God. She quoted the ancient Sanskrit Vedas where it is written that “the world is a family” and commented that Rev Moon is a modern day champion of this ancient quest. Jhr. Dr. Pieter Beelaerts van Blokland, Former Dutch Minister of Housing and Environment spoke of how there was no place in Father Moon’s heart for anger or bitterness and painted his own Dutch masterpiece in words and images of a man of extraordinary character and unceasing optimism despite so many disappointments and hardships. Session VIII Pictures Mark Brann, UPF Secretary General for Europe presented a PowerPoint entitled The Universal Peace Federation- Vision, Projects, and Recent Activities. He outlined the five principles that UPF upholds, which are consistent with the core principles of most of the world's religions and which also influence its activities and peace making approach. He emphasised that while a great part of UPF's work lay in education it was very much action-oriented and "into" making peace not just talking peace. He explained that all around the world UPF was engaged in peace initiatives aimed at building bridges of peace and understanding between divided communities in situations of current or historical conflict. The process in each case began with seeking to identify those higher minded leaders on either side of each such a divide who could be relied upon to see the rights and wrongs of both sides as well as their merits and demerits and whose approach to the relationship between the two was based on forgiveness and reconciliation. By bringing persons of such calibre together a "bridge of peace" could be constructed going beyond barriers and misconceptions of all kinds and eventually those enlightened individuals could lead others in their communities across that "bridge". Mr Brann explained that although much work of this kind had been done by UPF to bridge the divides between Palestinians and Israelis in The Middle East, between North and South Korea on the Korean Peninsula and in many other places of heightened tension around the world and there was real hope of ultimate success, it was in Nepal that UPF had achieved the greatest measurable outcome and highest degree of recognition for one of its peace initiatives so far. Its principle achievement there had been to inject a heart of inclusiveness and forgiveness into the peace process between the Maoist insurgents, the monarchy together with the army under its control and the 7 mainstream political parties. This enabled them to actually enter into dialogue in the first place and to work together to end the armed insurrection and to channel all their efforts into a peaceful democratic process. Mr Brann ended by explaining the vision behind the current series of ILCs of bringing UPF's principles of peace to the fore and into the mainstream of European public life, to enable European policy makers, opinion leaders and decision takers to better address the key issues of our times and find solutions to them.  Several Ambassador for Peace awards were presented to participating European delegates. There were several testimonies in this concluding session. (Pictures) Young UPF-WFWP Workshop Empowers Young Leaders to make Dignity a Reality Pictures 37 students and young leaders from around Europe gathered on Sunday 11th December at the Architectural Association School to get empowered in their pursuits of change. The day aimed to equip young leaders with an inspirational and useful tool-kit for their own projects, campaigns, etc.  The training session started with the young social entrepreneur André Hackett (in photo above) sharing his story. One of André's projects is a mobile recording studio, where young people from the street, including ex-offenders, could record their music. “I tell my guys to help themselves by helping others. If you start thinking of others and helping others and go beyond yourself, you can deal with your own problems more easily”, André summed up. He was convinced that “this is the best time ever in history to change the world!” and encouraged his audience to do so. Tom (British Council) introduced the Youth in Action program and encouraged the audience to make use of the funding opportunities that the EU, through Youth in Action, offers. Many in the audience were very surprised that for decent projects money is quite easily available. “Life is all about communication”, stated Rioch, who has 16 years of experience in TV, in the introduction to her talk. She started her project for disadvantaged youth ‘So you wanna be in TV?’ after her son got stabbed at school. Together with her husband, who has 27 years of experience in the industry, Rioch wants to bring more diversity to TV and entertainment. She provides personality and career trainings for the unemployed, disabled and homeless. The last act in our 4 hour workshop was played by VIP Minds. The participants split up into small groups to brainstorm a project idea by brainstorming concepts, developing a mission and vision. Adam Nazar (CEO of VIP minds) challenged the project groups to think about how to build sustainable relationships with funders and how to attract an audience. Participants felt with a feeling of empowerment and the certainty of having gained a good network of like-minded and capable Ambassadors for Peace. Group picture with ELC participants inside the Parliament  Europe UPF Youth delegation