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The 3rd Peace Monument of International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) was established in Kapalong, Philippines. In August, IWPG initiated a peace project ‘Wildflower Story’ to respect and embrace diverse cultures in Korea. Additionally, IWPG proceeded with ▲signing MOU/MOAs, ▲advocating for the legislation of the DPCW, ▲promoting the activation of the PLTE, ▲networking with civil society, and ▲conducting promotional activities as a foundation for achieving global peace throughout August.
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3rd IWPG Peace Monument established in Philippines
– Installed in Green Paradise Park thanks to the commitment of Kapalong City, Philippines
– Mayor Timbol, “I will remind people of the possibility of peace… We must become one in peace.”
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IWPG’s 3rd Peace Monument was established in Green Paradise in Kapalong City, Davao del Norte, Philippines.
The Unveiling Ceremony was held on Aug 1 with 250 participants including Maria Theresa Royo Timbol, the mayor of Kapalong city, and Na Hyung Jun, the Secretary General of IWPG.
The purpose of the Peace Monument is to commemorate the Mindanao Peace Treaty mediated by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace organization, on Jan 24, 2014, and continue on the spirit of peace. The first monument was established in Davao del Oro, Philippines and the second in Ulaanbaatar.
The third monument was established with the support and commitment of Kapalong City. Mayor Timbol met IWPG Chairwoman Hyun Sook Yoon at the 2023 International Women’s Peace Conference last year and promised to establish the peace monument.
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Mayor Timbol stated, “The IWPG Peace Monument will remind everyone around Kapalong, especially women, that peace can be realized. We must unite in peace so that peace of individuals can spread throughout the entire community.”
Kapalong Green Paradise Park once was a symbol of crime, violence and conflict. IWPG expressed hope that the third monument established there will serve as a wind of peace, spreading a culture of peace.
Secretary General Na Hyung Jun remarked, “I hope the monument will become a landmark of Kapalong City where all citizens can visit to move beyond the past conflicts and appreciate the value of peace.” She added, “I wish for every woman in the Philippines to recognize her worth, act for peace, and play an important part in establishing the DPCW as international law.”
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At the Unveiling Ceremony, PLTE Orientation also took place. Kyu Sun Lee, IWPG Director of Peace Education introduced IWPG’s peace activities and the PLTE. During their visit to the Philippines, IWPG successfully had over 150 local women apply for the PLTE through three orientation sessions.
The day after the unveiling ceremony, IWPG appeared on Radio Aliw Channel to introduce its peace activities and encourage participation through the PLTE orientation and a women leaders’ forum.
On Sep 2, after attending the Peace and Culture Book launching event, a documentary on the history of peace activities, traditional housing and costumes of 11 native tribes at Ateneo de Davao University, the Women’s Leader Forum was held to focus on women leaders of respective tribes.
IWPG representatives, who appeared on Radio Aliw Channel, introduced the activities that IWPG can practically undertake in collaboration for peace in the Philippines.
On Sep 3, IWPG invited underprivileged groups of children and mothers from Silang, Cavite, to introduce them to the International Loving-Peace Art Competition (ILPAC) and participate in a session where they drew ‘the peace that I dream of’. Then, leaders from various regions of Cavite and over 100 women gathered at the city hall to attend PLTE orientation and pledged to collaborate with IWPG.
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- Daegu Branch gathers support from Daegu citizens for multicultural families
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On Aug 31, Daegu Branch (Branch Manager Su Jin Park) conducted a special activity of collecting messages of support as part of the Wildflower Story project to raise awareness on multiculturalism. The event was held in Hosan Park, Dalseo-gu, Daegu, where many citizens conveyed messages of support for multicultural families.
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- The 6th International Loving peace Art Competition (ILPAC) Colombia Preliminary Awards Ceremony & Exhibition
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On August 14th, the Colombia branch of Global Region 2 (Branch Manager Ha Un) held the 6th International Loving peace Art Competition (ILPAC) preliminary awards ceremony and exhibition of winning works at the Center for Memory, Peace, and Reconciliation.
This year, around 1,500 students in Colombia participated in the International Loving Peace Art Competition, with a total of 14 receiving awards, including first prize, special prizes, and encouragement awards. The first-prize-winning artwork from the Colombian preliminaries will be sent to South Korea to compete in the final round against top works from various countries.
Gloria Cuartas, Director of the Peace Agreement Implementation Unit (Unidad de Implementacion del Acuerdo de Paz: UIAP), said, “This competition, which is part of IWPG`s project to spread a culture of peace, is a very important event that allows us to recognize children and youth as subjects of peace.” She added, “I will encourage the expansion of this competition to inspire a culture of peace across generations and leave a better world behind.”
Jose Enoch Cano Mora, President of the Colombia Chamber of Non-Profit Organizations, emphasized, “Together with IWPG, we must plant the seed of love, the eternal seed of life, for global peace.”
Eli Sahian Martin Leon, who received a special prize, expressed, “First, I am truly thankful to God, and I am so happy and honored that through my artwork, I can give hope for peace to many of my friends.”
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- Global Region 7 Holds International Women Leaders’ Peace Meeting
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Global Region 7 held the 6th International Women Leaders’ Peace Meeting online on Aug 24. The meeting themed “Building Peace Education for Conflict Resolution and Women’s Leadership and Participation,” was attended by over 90 participants, including representatives from four branches in Korea (Goyang, Seodaemun, Paju and Eunpyeong) and members from 12 countries, including Malaysia, France, Czech Republic, Germany, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Mali, Tunisia, Algeria and Ukraine.
The meeting served as an opportunity of networking and unity among women leaders through presentations of leaders of respective countries who have completed the PLTE. The presenters included Neziha Labidi; Salah Khadija, the former minister of women, family, children and the elderly of Tunisia; Judith Akmel, the director of quality and gender at the National Integration and Poverty Reduction Ministry of Ivory Coast; and Ukrainian refugee Kateryna Kravchenko. They responded to questions while emphasizing the significance of legislating the DPCW and the PLTE.
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- Global Region 10 Hosts 6th International Women Leaders’ Peace Meeting
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Global Region 10 (Regional Director Hwa Jeong Kim) hosted the 6th International Women Leaders’ Peace Meeting on Aug 17, themed “Women in Peace Building: Legal Foundations for a War-Free World.” Over 150 women leaders and members from 15 countries participated, including six branches in Korea, and representatives from the US, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia, and the UAE.
Martha Delgado Peralta, the former minister of environment of Mexico and representative of APCO Worldwide Latin America, emphasized in her opening remarks the importance of women in achieving global peace and security with examples from four countries where peace was realized through women’s participation.
The presenters included ▲Silvia Rita Souza, the secretary general of the Women’s Democracy Network (WDN) and representative from Brazil, who spoke on the role of women in peacebuilding; ▲Alexia Cortez, the representative of AGORA and a lawyer, who discussed empowering women for peace and providing examples of contributions to global peace; and ▲Samra Shazadi, a lawyer at the high court of Pakistan and representative of LAADO (Legal Aid Advocacy and Development Orientation), who addressed the need to end wars and the DPCW as a means to achieve the goal.
Following the meeting, a signing ceremony for a MOA with Ali Public School in Pakistan (Principal Anam Matthew) took place. Additionally, there was the appointment of Peace Committee Representatives, and the presentation of Certificates of Appreciation and Awards for Contributions.
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- Global Region 3 hosts the ‘International Women Leaders Peace Meeting’ with 7 countries
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Global Region 3 hosted the International Women Leaders Peace Meeting online on August 30, in collaboration with 6 branches in South Korea (Busan, Masan, Jinhae, Geoje, Yangsan, and Tongyeong) and 6 countries abroad (India, Maldives, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka).
The conference, held under the theme of “Peace Education and Women’s Leadership,” discussed ways to develop leadership through the PLTE program and contribute to establishing a culture of peace in local communities.
Participants presented on what is necessary to achieve peace and shared ideas for case studies that could be added to peace education tailored to regional characteristics, along with exploring measures for cooperation and collaboration.
Batool Kazmi, Representative of IWPG Karachi Peace Committee in Pakistan and a Global School Program activist, stated, “Peace is achieved through education, understanding, and the empowerment of women. Let us become agents of change and peacebuilders that the world desperately needs. As peace lecturers, we will develop programs focused on peace education and collaborate with regional and international organizations to promote peace.”
Maria Helen Genova, Head of Department and Assistant Professor of Holy Cross College in India, emphasized, “Peace is not merely a desire but a vital necessity, and our goal is to spread peace throughout the country and create a ripple effect. Through peace education, let us achieve the peace that is the dream of all people.”
Eun Ju Heo, Regional Director of IWPG Global Region 3, emphasized, “It is time to strengthen women’s leadership through peace education and to explore ways to actively lead the peace culture,” and called on participants to “think and act on how we can engage in peace education and involve women in peacebuilding efforts.”
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- Global Region 9 conducted education ‘Peace Begins with Me’
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Incheon Branch of South Korea of Global Region 9 (Regional Director Mi Sook Lim) conducted education ‘Peace Begins With Me’ twice on Aug 1 and 3 at Incheon Branch office. The education took place at KIMYEONJAE EL Institute as a follow-up event of the 6th International Loving peace Art Competition (ILPAC) after the mentor-mentee pairing ceremony. It was designed to discover and foster peace and art talents in the community under the theme of ‘Sharing a transgenerational perspective on peace.’
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- Berlin Branch of Germany holds Oder Art Festival
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Berlin Branch (Branch Manager Yingyan Cao) held the 4th Oder Art Festival on Aug 17 near the border between Frankfurt(Oder) and Poland. The event was co-hosted with Lodina e.V., a partner organization which signed an MOA as part of the annual citizen engagement arts event in Frankfurt(Oder). It was attended by various individuals including Kani Alavi, the director of East Side Gallery, and Svetlana Tiukkel, the representative of Lodina e.V. The attendees expressed their hope for a world united as one through art.
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- Ulaanbaatar Branch of Mongolia holds Peace Workshop
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Ulaanbaatar Branch (Branch Manager Tumurkhuyag Enkhtaivan) held a peace workshop on Aug 21 at Gan Khadat resort in Terelj, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The workshop was proceeded by Shura Nasandulam, the representative of Selenge Sum Peace Committee in Bulgan region, for attendees including public officers and female professionals working for the government, communities, corporate sectors, who applied for the PLTE and promised to establish peace committees for their communities.
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