[HWPL]

[HWPL] HWPL Hosts Workshop for the Prevention of School Violence

Chairman ManHee Lee is the head representative of the global peace organization HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light), which is striving for the enactment and implementation of the international peace law 'Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW)'. The DPCW is a legal instrument comprised of 10 articles and 38 clauses that can end wars and hostilities throughout the world. HWPL is also spreading a culture of peace and implementing peace education.

Chairman ManHee Lee experienced the cruelty and tragedy of war as a veteran of the Korean War. This is one of the reasons why he founded a global peace campaign as the head of HWPL. He has traveled the globe more than 35 times to meet and persuade politicians, legal experts, journalists, professors, peace activists, civil organization leaders, heads of tribes and others to unite them for the work of peace. The significant fruits borne out of his hard work are the World Alliance of Religions' Peace (WARP) Summit and HWPL Peace Committee. The DPCW was drafted and finalised by the HWPL Peace Committee.

How, you may wonder, do I know this? About 10 years ago, when I had just been discharged from military service, I came to know HWPL and Chairman ManHee Lee while researching the topic of civil conflicts to satisfy my curiosity in ongoing global issues. At that time, the island of Mindanao in the Philippines was suffering from a major civil conflict that lasted more than 40 years, and Chairman ManHee Lee and HWPL resolved this conflict through non-violent means.

Chairman Lee brought an end to the conflict in Mindanao by holding a peace talk between the warring Catholic and Islamic groups. Before the talk, HWPL and Chairman ManHee Lee held a Peace Walk to spread the culture of peace in Mindanao with the many locals who had gathered out of a desire for peace.

Chairman ManHee Lee's pressing appeal today is that humanity unites for sustainable peace in order to pass on the legacy of peace to future generations worldwide. He doesn't just talk peace, but has worked tirelessly for it through practical peace campaigns for over a decade.

I decided to become a supporter of HWPL and Chairman ManHee Lee's peace initiatives because I also desire a world of peace for all posterity.

Today I'd like to introduce an article from HWPL official homepage regarding HWPL Online Workshop.

HWPL Workshop for the Prevention of School Violence

On June 6, the HWPL Workshop for the Prevention of School Violence was held, in which eight countries united as one: the USA, Chile, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Niger, Aruba, the Maldives, and the Bahamas. Approximately 100 educators, who are currently working or who will soon work as HWPL Peace educators, attended the workshop. The theme of the workshop was “The Problem of School Violence and Bullying Committed Globally.” The purpose was to find a way to protect students from the issue and to live peacefully.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), one out of five students experiences bullying. Mission Research conducted by CBS News of Canada shows that over one-third of students aged between 14 and 21 said they had at least one experience of physical violence before they went to high school. Also, four out of ten students aged between 14 and 21 experienced violence such as pushing, punching, kicking, and biting. For high school students, one out of five male students said they had been threatened by weapons.

Since a lot of students face school violence, school communities and educators sought new roles and ways to protect their students at the workshop. Six educators presented their opinions under the theme of “The Introduction of Educational Methods to Prevent and Solve School Violence.” Also, educators who are currently carrying out HWPL Peace Education introduced methods to prevent school violence through peace education and presented what types of education are necessary.

Dr. Lynne Beyah Muhammad, Principal of The New Medinah Islamic School System said, “The heart of the peace curriculum includes order. It brings back a natural order of things.” She stated, “We are beautiful creatures. We are ourselves created based on God’s instructions. God does not make mistakes as he has done this. So this concept of violence is foreign to us. It is not a part of our culture and who we are.”

She also added, “[We should] help students recognize what is going on inside of themselves. HWPL curriculum highlights specific things such as a person itself, familial community, school community, extended family, etc., seeing their worth and value. These are critical. Students also recognize that they are a part of a school/family environment and no one has the right to bully, use negative language, or intensify any ideas that can cause a person to feel uncomfortable from bullying.”

The educators who attended the workshop promised to educate their students with HWPL Peace Education and to fulfill their duties so that students could feel secure and safe in their learning environments.

peacebreeze

Thursday, October 26, 2023