8th Anniversary of the January 24 HWPL Peace Day
On the 24th of January 2022, over 22,000 social representatives
from 51 countries attended the online international peace conference
celebrating the Peace Day. The event commemorated a civilian-led peace
agreement made between the Islam and Catholic communities in Mindanao 8 years
ago.
In 2014,
international NGO Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL)
mediated the conflict in Mindanao by proposing a peace agreement by local representatives.
Witnessed by Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL, the peace agreement was signed by
Hon.Esmael G. Mangudadatu, then-Governor of Maguindanao, and
Archbishop-Emeritus Fernando Capalla of the Archdiocese of Davao, representing
local leadership. Since then, the province of Maguindanao and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) declared January 24 as “HWPL Peace Day” and have
commemorated it as annual event to reaffirm international cooperation and local
partnership for peacebuilding in Mindanao.
Moreover, peace monuments were built in honour of the peace
agreement in Mindanao. The first and second peace monuments were erected in
2015 and 2016, respectively. In 2021, the third peace monument was unveiled in
Cotabato City. Being the first in Luzon, a peace monument in Dingras, Ilocos
Norte was unveiled last January 24 as part of the 8th Anniversary event of the
HWPL Peace Day celebration. Another monument located in Siniloan Integrated
National High School is set to unveil in February.
The event, under the theme of “Law of Peace in Heaven and on Earth”, aimed to promote interfaith harmony between religions and raise
public support to establish an international law for peace.
Key figures gave congratulatory messages
including Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senator
Cynthia Villar, Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, and TV News Anchor
Mariz Umali from the Philippines. Keynote
speakers from various fields also presented commitment messages declaring their
plans on promoting peace in their respective sectors including law, education,
youth, women, private business and media.
Prabhu Mahendra Das, Temple President of Sri Sri Radha Madhava
Mandir, said that he decided to participate in the World Alliance of Religions
& Peace (WARP) Office organised by HWPL as
“
a global platform
for religious leaders to talk, share, discuss, learn, and grow
together harmoniously
and peacefully.”
For the contribution
to peace in the field of religion, he added, “I firmly believe that all religions should enter into
a partnership through the form of a Memorandum of Understanding.
”
Justice Raoul Victorino (ret), Chairman of Philippine National
Prayer Breakfast (PNPB) and Dean of the College of Law of Philippine Christian
University (PCU), shared how he was inspired by the “revolutionary movement” that HWPL initiated to endorse global
peacebuilding through the draft the “Declaration
of Peace and Cessation of War” (DPCW) by global experts in
international law to advocate peace as a global culture and norm.
He declared, “I will strive to get the support
of the President of the Philippines for the National Solidarity Support of
DPCW. At the same time, I will integrate DPCW [education] in the college of law
by collaborating with the Philippine Association of Law Schools.”
Also, representing the
Philippines education sector, Commissioner Ronald Adamat of the Commissioner on
Higher Education (CHED) shared, “The
CHED Commission en Banc has issued an endorsement to President Duterte, urging
him to declare January 24 as ‘National
Peace Day’, that will
provide for simultaneous celebration and observance of peace through peace
activities, events, and ceremonies by all instrumentalities and agencies of
government, including the private sector. This shall also be celebrated and
observed in the
education sector.”
“Our purpose is to
bring all people in the world together to create a world of peace and leave it
as a lasting legacy for future generations. To make this world a peaceful place
without wars, let us become messengers of peace. Let us remind people around
the world of
that emotion—a longing
for peace—and the Peace Day so they can remember all of this forever,”
said Chairman Lee
during the closing remarks.
● Topic : Law of Peace in Heaven and
on Earth
● Date : Jan. 24th, 2022(Mon) PM 7:00
(GMT +8)
● Reply URL :
#HWPL #Peace #DPCW #Philippines
#IWPG #IPYG #Jan24 #Peaceday #8thAnniversary #2022peaceday #ManHeeLee
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Peace
Chairman Lee ended a 40-year long religious conflict between Catholics and Muslims on Mindanao island that claimed 120,000 lives, and the leaders of rival groups even burned their weapons. This is a miracle. I hope more international media orgs. will publicise this news of peace.
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