[HWPL]

[HWPL] City of Policarpa in Colombia, and Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action in Haiti Sign an MOA with HWPL

Memorandum of agreement signed between HWPL and the town of Policarpa in Nariño, Colombia on August 13, 2018

Memorandum of agreement signed between HWPL and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action in Haiti on July 11, 2019

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL, Chairman Man-hee Lee) signed a Memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Policarpa city in Nariño, Colombia on August 13th, 2018. Mayor Claudia Ines Cabrera Tarazona signed the MOA.

In the MOA, the city of Policarpa pledged to support the implementation of HWPL peace education in the curricula of all educational institutions in the city. Policarpa has one university and more than 70 schools.

Mayor Claudia Ines Cabrera Tarazona (far right) of Policarpa city in Nariño, Colombia, poses for a commemorative photo with an HWPL official, following the signing of the Memorandum of agreement with HWPL, during celebrations on August 13th, 2018. On that day, Polycarpa city held a peace festival, peace march and other peace activities with citizens

Mayor Cabrera believed that HWPL's peace movement could bring peace to the city of Policarpa. As a doctor of law and a former Colombian soldier, she supported the content of the ‘Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War in the Global Village (DPCW, 10 Articles 38 Clauses)’. She served as mayor of Policarpa city from 2016 to 2019 and is recognized as a prominent figure in the region, having received the Atlantic Order Award and the “Antonio Nariño” Order of Ibero-American Social Communication.

She took active steps to reducing violence in the city during her mayoral tenure. Policarpa was very dangerous and hostile as guerrilla forces were stationed in the city, and conflicts were left unresolved even at the time of the signing of the MOU with HWPL. Illegal crops were being used as raw materials for drugs that were being sold, and even after a peace agreement was signed between the government and the guerrilla force, the guerrillas did not disband and the bloody conflict continued on.

As a result, Mayor Cabrera longed for peace and found hope in the 10 Articles and 38 Clauses of the DPCW, which is the groundbreaking answer to peace presented by HWPL. Mayor Cabrera was particularly supportive of DPCW Article 10 'Spreading a Culture of Peace' (Peace Education), and she signed in support of the enactment of the DPCW.

Chairman Man-hee Lee (right) and Belisario Betancur, the 26th President of Colombia, sign a peace agreement following their meeting in Colombia on April 7, 2014

A commemorative photo of Chairman Lee (right) and 56th President of Colombia Samper Pizano in Bogotá, following the signing of a peace agreement on November 12, 2013

With the full belief that 'HWPL has the answer to peace', Mayor Cabrera promised to implement HWPL peace education as the first step for future enactment of the DPCW in Colombia. She was convinced that teaching youth holds the answer to lasting peace.

Following the signing of the MOU, Mayor Cabrera introduced the Ambassador of Colombia to HWPL in order to secure the signature of the President of Colombia for the DPCW. She also appeared as a presenter at the 5th Annual Commemoration of the HWPL WARP (World Alliance of Religions' Peace) Summit held in Los Angeles, USA in 2019, during her tenure. In the same year, she also attended the 5th Annual Commemoration of the HWPL WARP Summit in Ecuador.

The town of Policarpa was founded in 1592 and was elevated to city status on November 30th, 1972. It was named after a Colombian independence heroine named Policarpa Salavarrieta (1795-1817). Salavarrieta worked as a spy for the Revolutionary Forces for Colombian independence, but she was caught by the Spanish forces and executed in her mid-20s.

The relationship between HWPL and Colombia began in 2013. On November 12th, 2013, Chairman Man-hee Lee and his peace delegation, who were on their 7th peace tour at the time, met with the 56th President of Colombia Samper Pizano in Bogotá, Colombia, and signed a peace agreement. The following year, on April 7, 2014, during the 9th peace tour, Chairman Lee made a return visit and met with the 26th President of Colombia Belisario Betancur and signed a peace agreement.

Following the signing of an MOU between HWPL and the city of Policarpa in Nariño, Colombia on August 13th, 2018, a Peace Walk is held in the city, with the participation of children - the subject of peace education

On July 11th, 2019, HWPL also signed an MOA with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action in Haiti (Hon. Edwing Charles). Minister Edwing Charles was the signatory to the Agreement.

Through this MOA, the Haitian authorities pledged to make an agreement with HWPL to implement peace education and encouraged leaders to adopt the DPCW.

A commemorative photo is taken following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between HWPL and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action in Haiti on July 11, 2019. Minister Edwing Charles personally signed the MOA

HWPL had initially established contact with Minister Charles via email because there was no HWPL branch in Haiti. HWPL Washington invited Minister Charles to an event held in Washington DC, where HWPL members conveyed Chairman Man-hee Lee's sincere heart for peace and the activities of the peace tour to Minister Charles. HWPL proposed that Haiti adopt specific methods of peace education and application of the DPCW, thereby resulting in the signing of an MOA. Minister Charles signed the MOA, which read, "the Heads of State in Haiti will receive a peace letter and gather the public's voice when enacting the DPCW."

Peace!!