Govt and Civil society stand up for peace in Africa

On the 13th of August, leaders from all sectors of society including the Councilor of Cape Town gathered at the African Leaders of Peace Summit 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa to discuss practical methods to realize peace in the African continent by creating a culture of peace.

Commemorating the birth of Tata Nelson Mandela and Mama Albertina Sisulu, this conference under the slogan of “The Africa We Want: Achieving Peace in Our Lifetime” aimed at seeking for the solution of wars between religions and ethnicities as well as solving the social issues such as discrimination, and corruption.

The African Leaders of Peace Summit 2018 was jointly hosted by the African Leaders of Peace Summit Organising Committee, the African Union Commission, Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light (HWPL), the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), the students of the University of Cape Town, as well as universities and the press. Leaders from various sectors such as government, religion, youth, women, the press, and educators participated in the three-part summit.

In the Advocacy Session, the attendees talked about how to establish a stable international order based on the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) in cooperation with the international society.

“No country exists without its people. Similarly, no president can exist without a country. Presidents have been placed on their seats by the people. Don’t the laws of every country state that the power lies with the people? Hence each president must sign here in support of the DPCW for the sake of the culture of their citizens and peace in their country,” Mr. Man Hee Lee, Chairman of HWPL, emphasized.

The Peace Education Session to provide quality education for students in Africa compatible with the UN Sustainable Development Goals was discussed. In the session, MOUs between HWPL and 12 schools including Holy Cross Girls High School, Liesbeeck Primary School, Bonteheuwel High School were signed to expand peace education even farther in South Africa. Currently, HWPL has established a partnership to introduce peace education with 153 educational institutions in 11 countries including India, the Philippines, and the United States.

The WARP (World Alliance of Religions’ Peace) Office Session of the summit featured Christian, Hindu, Hare Krishna, Buddhist, and Islamic leaders to share their experiences with the interfaith scripture dialogues, and conferred on the role of the religious leader in the cessation of religious conflict and the realization of peace through religious harmony.

In his speech on the role of religions in peacebuilding, Chairman Lee of HWPL said, “Since religion is not the invention of a person, searching for the true meaning of religion should be pursued through the comparative study on scriptures led by religious leaders, rather than simply judged by a culture or tradition of the country. This is how we should do to leave a legacy of peace for future generations.”

Ntakirutimana Deus