PASAY CITY (April 22, 2024) — Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) Philippines concluded its highly anticipated 2nd National Peace Convention with the theme “A Symposium of Peace Legislation, Peace Education, and Religious and Cultural Harmony,” held at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center on April 20, 2024.
The convention brought together a diverse audience of 4,500 policymakers, educators, media, and religious leaders to showcase the significant progress achieved since the inaugural convention held in January last year.
The convention’s keynote speaker, Chief Minister Ahod “Alhaj Murad” Ebrahim, of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), delivered a compelling address, “The HWPL has always been a good friend to the Bangsamoro people, even before the inception of the Bangsamoro government. As I recall, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the HWPL have made significant achievements, such as when Chairman Man-Hee Lee unveiled a peace marker in Camp Darapanan eight years ago and when I first declared January 24 as HWPL Peace Day.”
He added: “Looking ahead, the Bangsamoro Government remains committed to our pledge to work collaboratively towards enacting the DPCW and bringing peace to the Bangsamoro, the country, and the global village. In that respect, I am humbled to highlight that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament has adopted Resolution No. 439, declaring January 24 as Peace Day in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Further, the parliament has also adopted Resolution No. 440, supporting HWPL’s efforts for the recognition of the declaration of peace and cessation of war as an internationally legally binding instrument of peace.”
The BARMM region, one province, 4 cities and 5 municipalities nationwide that have passed resolutions in support of a peace legislation were honored during the event.
HWPL’s peace education initiative has gained momentum nationwide, with Schools Division Offices (SDO) from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao leading efforts to integrate HWPL Peace Education into the curriculum. The exemplary efforts of SDO Laguna, SDO Southern Leyte, and SDO Cotabato City were recognized for developing Peace Education textbooks.
The convention featured a special message from Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio, emphasizing the importance of peace education.
“It is inspiring to see various groups working together to produce peace exemplars. You have demonstrated the power of cooperation by distributing peace education materials in schools, creating youth peace clubs, and building monuments dedicated to peace. Together with our youth, we can build on our successes and strengthen our advocacy to promote peace in our country and across the globe,” she said.
Dr. Ronald L. Adamat, Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in his keynote address said: “I urge you to extend your support to all peace initiatives and programs led by the HWPL. By endorsing and fostering HWPL’s peace efforts, we demonstrate a strong commitment of advancing and promoting global harmony and stability.”
Interreligious harmony was highlighted through HWPL’s Religious Peace Academy (RPA), which promotes unity among diverse religious communities through open access scriptural study.
The event concluded with a historic Joint Agreement of Solidarity signed by religious leaders, reaffirming their shared commitment to peace and interfaith dialogue.
With the aim of garnering nationwide support for peace advocacy, the convention leveraged HWPL’s extensive global reach by livestreaming the event worldwide with translations available in multiple languages.
HWPL, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, with 170 branches globally, including the Philippines, remains steadfast in its mission for practical action towards peace. Its notable achievements, including the civilian-led Mindanao Peace Agreement in 2014, underscore the organization’s dedication to achieving global peace and cessation of war. (BangsamoroToday and BMN Network News, HWPL)
