▎ The 10th anniversary celebration held in 122 countries including Korea will continue to convey the message of peace.

▎ The event focused on "Building a Global Peace Community through Regional Cooperation."

▎ The 'Together Campaign,' involving over 230 civic organizations, will implement region-specific activities.

On September 18, the 'HWPL 9.18 Peace Summit 10th Anniversary Ceremony' took place in approximately 40 countries, including South Korea. On this significant day, dignitaries and members from both domestic and overseas gathered, with around 100,000 attendees present at the HWPL Peace Training Center in Gyeonggi Province.

Hosted by the Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light (HWPL), led by Chairman Man Hee Lee, the event centered on the theme "Building a Global Peace Community through Regional Cooperation." The ceremony honored the contributions of world leaders and citizens towards peace over the past decade and sought strategies for future global harmony. Various dignitaries, including Ven. Hyechong, a prominent monk of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and Jose Honorio da Costa Pereira Jeronimo, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture of Timor-Leste, were in attendance.

In his commemorative speech, Chairman Man Hee Lee expressed gratitude to all attendees for marking the 10th anniversary of peace efforts. He urged, “Let us not draw lines between 'you' and 'me.' Instead, let us unite with love and peace to heal our world. Let’s collaborate, uplift each other, and leave a legacy of valuable peace for future generations.”

During the ceremony, attendees reviewed tangible results from peace initiatives since 2014 and discussed future plans, focusing on establishing regional networks tailored to local characteristics. This initiative aims to actively address threats to peace and consolidate collective efforts.

In line with the event's theme of inter-regional cooperation, HWPL established partnerships with the Group of Seven Plus (G7+) and the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO) to advance peace initiatives. G7+ was formed to foster unity among conflict-affected countries through peace, stability, and development, with 20 member countries, while PARLATINO promotes development and integration based on democracy, currently comprising 23 member countries.

The ceremony also marked the launch of the national campaign "Together: Connecting the Republic of Korea," along with the signing of a MOU. The "Together" campaign, which began as a pilot in major cities across Korea in July, aims to foster intergenerational culture and implement various peace activities in collaboration with over 230 civil society organizations.

Chairman Lee appointed Kim Dong-hee as the head of the campaign, followed by the reading of the campaign declaration. The declaration emphasized reducing generational gaps and promoting mutual understanding for a better future, committing to create opportunities for respect and understanding among diverse cultures.

The "Together" campaign will carry on the spirit of the Saemaul Movement, which led the economic development and social change in 20th-century South Korea, with various activities being carried out nationwide by citizen participants. Just as the Saemaul Movement achieved national development through the modernization of rural areas and the strengthening of community ties, the ‘Together’ campaign aims to overcome social conflicts arising from differences in generations, regions, genders, and ideologies, based on social solidarity and cooperation.

Additionally, to achieve the "regional network" goal, sessions will be held across various classes in South Korea and worldwide. The slogan "Let Everyone Become a Messenger of Peace" will empower individuals to play a role in promoting peace. Specific efforts will be made to gather and share messages of peace and unity from citizens across various sectors both domestically and internationally.

HWPL, a non-governmental organization under the United Nations Economic and Social Council, originally held the Peace Summit in Seoul in 2014, inviting over 1,000 leaders from political, religious, women’s, youth organizations, and the media from more than 140 countries. This summit addressed issues such as conflict resolution, religious harmony, and the implementation of legal frameworks for sustainable peace.