Shincheonji Volunteer Group holds 'Love Your Country, Share Peace' conference for Peace in Busan
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| On August 19th, the Busan-Gyeongnam Eastern Branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group held the ‘8th Love Your Country, Share Peace’ event at Shincheonji Church of Jesus' Andrew Tribe Training Centre in Busan |
Shincheonji Volunteer Group Busan-Gyeongnam Eastern branch held the 8th 'Love Your Country, Share Peace' event on the theme of 'Again, Peace!' at the Andrew Tribe Training Centre of Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Busan on August 19th.
The 'Love Your Country, Share Peace' event has been conducted nationwide every year since 2015 in the months of June and August to commemorate the souls of the war veterans who died for the peace of Korea, including those of the Korean War, and to promote a world of peace without conflict.
On that day, about 80 people, including 6.25 veterans of the Korean War, Defoliant Veterans' Association of Korea, Korean War Veterans Association, political and business figures, citizens, and believers, participated in the ceremony, followed by a ceremony to gift the 'Handprint Taegeukgi' and a meeting.
In particular, a large Taegeukgi (Korean national flag), 15m wide and 10m long, with a total of 1630 handprints from Busan, Ulsan, Changwon, Jinju, and Gimhae by war veterans, peacemakers, and citizens, was hoisted at Shincheonji Church of Jesus' Andrew Tribe training centre to promote peace and highlight the significance of freedom from Japanese colonial rule on August 15th 1945.
In addition, the youth group of Andrew tribe of Shincheonji Church of Jesus sent letters of gratitude to the Korean War veterans and others individuals of national merit for their efforts in protecting peace.
The head of the youth group of Shincheonji Church of Jesus said, “I thought war was something that only appeared on YouTube, and had nothing to do with me or us. It's heart-breaking to know that my associates would have died fighting with guns and knives in order to protect the peace of the country.”
He then read aloud, “Thank you so much for defending our country by risking your life so that I can study freely and dream of a future in this land.”
He also said, “In my heart, our grandfathers are heroes of peace, not war. I will forever remember them as individuals who abandoned their dreams and hopes as youths to the dreadful cause of war for the sake of peace. We, like our forefathers, must keep our country in peace. Let's become people who shine the light of peace throughout the world.”
In addition, a meeting was held under the theme of 'Measures to Solve Selfishness for the Settlement of Peace in the Community', and discussions on the direction of the peace project that Shincheonji Volunteer Group should pre-emptively carry out for the settlement of peace in the community added meaning to the practice of peace.
At that meeting, Yeong-no Lee, head of the Busan-Gyeongnam Eastern branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group , said, “There is an urgent need for a solution to solve the lack of communication that causes conflict and to spread a culture of understanding and respect.”
He stressed, “Shincheonji Volunteer Group is working hard to unite with the region while carrying out projects such as 'More the Better,' 'Visiting Health Doctor,' and 'Fidelity Culture.' However, what is lacking is communication for peace. If you actively engage with and recruit beneficiaries who are essential for volunteering, it seems to be of great help in solving numerous problems. While requesting active participation from various organisations, we also need to put in effort and communicate in practice.”
In addition, a member of the Korean Veterans Association for Persons with Disabilities advised, “If you want to implement a peace policy, first demonstrate a spirit of service that can give hope and courage to those who are less privileged or in low-income households, then the foundation for a peace policy in the community can be established.”
A local media source said, “The practice of peace is the heart of service and love for others. This is the first step in practising peace. It is when we give to others from what we do well in in our respective positions, that a community-wide peace movement can begin to take effect.” He said, “The blood donation drive by Shincheonji Volunteer Group can be said to be a representative example. The media has a responsibility to widely disseminate such positive news for the public good so that many people can voluntarily participate. The media must do this.”
An official from Shincheonji Volunteer Group said, “Every year from June to August, we think about the peace that everyone in the world deserves and introduce people who have dedicated themselves to sustainable peace.”
In addition, he said, “Shincheonji Volunteer Group transcends the boundaries of religious ideology, conflicts between nations, races, and class, and creates a country of peace and a world of peace, and will carry out various volunteer activities on a new level.”
Meanwhile, Shincheonji Volunteer Group has 77 branches across South Korea, centred on 12 regions including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Gangwon, Daejeon, Busan, Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Jeju, with the basic spirit of ‘love, light, and peace.’ There are 350,000 active members. Shincheonji Volunteer Group is carrying out numerous social contribution projects across various fields, including for veterans, persons with disabilities, public interest, culture, and more.
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