[Peace Story of Korean Man Hee Lee│Peace Education - Sri Lanka]

“What we need to do now is to plant peace in the world and

implement peace education.”

▎ Desperate for peace after 26 years of civil war… Bombings broke out in 2019 

▎ 8 teachers from 4 schools participated in peace education activities, schools also built a ‘peace monument’

Chairman Man Hee Lee, founder of HWPL and a Korean War veteran, said, “Let’s create a world of peace without war and pass it on to future generations as a legacy” and traveled around the world 31 times to provide peace education so that all students around the world could develop the power to create and maintain peace. Above all, peace education of HWPL does not just call for peace in words. This education is built on peace activities of HWPL realized by Chairman Lee. A representative example is the peaceful resolution of the 50-year religious armed conflict on Mindanao Island in the Philippines, which was achieved through mediation by Chairman Lee. The 'step for peace' shown by a private organization, not an international organization nor a government agency, is attracting attention because it presents a clear answer to prevent innocent sacrifices due to war.

In particular, countries that have suffered from civil war are keenly aware of the importance of HWPL's peace education. Sri Lanka is a country that experienced a civil war for 26 years from July 23, 1983 to May 18, 2009. It was a civil war between Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Tamil rebel group. The 26-year civil war came to an end when Sri Lankan government forces suppressed areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The civil war has ended, but the wounds are still not healed, and the desire for peace is that much earnest. This story is about peace education in Sri Lanka.

◆“Peace education must be practiced not only by students but also by teachers.”

On September 17, 2018, HWPL signed an MOA after holding a forum of global peace education development at the Ramada Hotel in Incheon with education ministers and vice ministers from four countries who visited Korea to attend the 4th commemorative ceremony of Peace Summit. At that time, the four countries that signed the MOA were Sri Lanka, Iraq, Guatemala, and Cambodia.

However, peace education did not take place in Sri Lanka immediately afterward. This is because exchanges were temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world in 2019. Then, Neil Subasinghe, the principal of the International Republican School in Sri Lanka, was connected with HWPL and attended an online seminar during the COVID-19 period, thereby peace education was introduced in earnest. Principal Subasinghe attended the peace teacher training held in October 2022 and led the teachers through the training as well. Currently, he is actively participating in peace education projects by applying peace education to the school's official curriculum and building a peace monument on campus.

In particular, on May 25 last year, the '10th Commemorative Ceremony of Declaration of Peace, Peace Monument Unveiling and MOU Signing Ceremony' were held at the International Republican School located in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. On this day, 1,100 students signed up as HWPL members, and there was a peace education MOU signing ceremony for two schools belonging to the International Republican School. Principal Subasinghe introduced peace education to the mayor of Nuwara Eliya, who attended the event, and the mayor connected a person in charge of peace education to the school.

In Sri Lanka, peace education is being implemented in 4 schools (International Republican School, Bismi Koran School, Mount Kalbarri School, Kurugala and St. Thomas School), and 8 peace teachers are active. Except for Kurugala and St. Thomas School, the remaining three schools signed a peace education MOU with HWPL.

Principal Subasinghe, who attended the peace teacher training in March 2022, said, “Thank you for teaching us peace education training. We learned what peace is, and also learned how to live in harmony with others. This is an attitude that not only students but also teachers should have. Peace can be learned not only from people, but also from nature, such as birds. As I always said, let’s work together for the children. We must do something for this planet because we are one.”

A teacher from Ifam Republican International School also said “We plan to start classes in April 2022. Through the class, I want my students to understand the original state of all things in the universe. I will have my students draw the most impressive part of the class for homework.”

He also expressed that he was very impressed with the peace education training.

Teacher Ifam said, “This peace education training is truly special. What we can do for the world now is to instill peace. The peace education training gave us the motivation and strength to do good things for the world. All 45 teachers from our school will come together to implement peace education first in our school, then in the community, and then around the world. So the whole world can live in harmony.”.

◆“Providing many excellent educations that enable children to become peaceful citizens.”

Teachers at Mount Kalbarri School are just as passionate about peace education as the teachers at the International Republican School. These schools each have four peace teachers officially appointed by HWPL.

Sheila Anna Schmidt, a teacher at Mount Calvary School who participated in the peace teacher training in February 2022, said, “It is an excellent education that can provide a lot of education that will help children become peaceful citizens, and it is a curriculum that can be practically implemented in our schools. It is the teacher’s responsibility to teach today’s children, who will one day become our leaders, how to love, care for, and respect each other, as learned through the peace teacher training. Teachers have the responsibility to make children good people in our society.”.

In a class titled ‘The Cause of the Breaking of Peace in the Human World’ held in December 2022, Teacher Schmidt said, “Peace education classes are very important not only for students but also for adults. I’m really happy to have the opportunity to teach these lessons to students.”.

Kia Kitsumi, a student who attended the class that day, said, “Order is important. Where there is order, it is clean, neat, and there is peace. On the other hand, greed destroys love and can make our lives difficult. You can lose your family, friends, and home because of greed.”.

◆ Religious conflict exists despite the end of the Sri Lankan civil war

Meanwhile, on May 26, 2019, HWPL and IPYG held the '6th commemorative ceremony of Declaration of World Peace and Peace Walk' in Sri Lanka. In particular, about a month had passed since the 'Easter bombings' occurred simultaneously in eight locations in Sri Lanka on April 21, 2019, killing 290 citizens and foreigners. Although the civil war that lasted 26 years has ended, it showed that the seeds of conflict in Sri Lanka still exist.

Even though a national emergency was declared at that time, 22 citizens voluntarily attended the event. Attendees at the event publicized the need for DPCW to achieve sustainable peace at home and abroad, and shared the results of the 'Peace Letter' campaign activities calling for DPCW conducted from all over the world and at home.

This is to encourage responses to letters sent to presidents of each country. This event was held at the Ganga Amaya Temple, a landmark in Sri Lanka, to commemorate the victims of the bombing and to pray for peace by touring the entire temple to prevent such heartbreaking incidents from happening again.