World Peace Walk on September 19th 2014

30,000 participants on the streets towards the world of peace

-September 19th, the participants of WARP, who consist political, religious, women, and youth leaders gathered for world peace, are holding signs and posters with ‘World Peace’ in front of the World Peace Gate in Seoul Olympic Park.

-The 30,000 participants, which the number reflected the interest of the peace walk, filled the space in front of the World Peace Gate.

-Each youth are walking, as they are holding each of their national flag.

-The participants from different nations are walking, as they hope world peace.



The first step towards peace in the World Peace Gate of the Olympic Park

World Peace Walk
“No more war, We want peace!”

On the 19th of September, the last day of the WARP Summit, many voices were heard for the hope of peace in the World Peace Gate of the Seoul Olympic Park.

The 30,000 representatives from 650 youth group from 139 nations and political, religious, women leaders filled the World Peace Gates in order to participate in the Peace Walk. They expressed their hopes for peace, as they shouted “the beginning of peace” “the beginning of the alliance of religions” and “we are one” and held handmade posters.

“We promised to become one. And every thought and word should be towards achieving peace” said Chairman Man Hee Lee in his commemoratory speech. He also commented “We need to reach out to the global family about peace.” All other participants showed their support for Chairman Lee’s speech as they exclaimed with loud applaud.

Wasim, a representative of Youth Group in Palestine, said in his speech “Palestinian lost their hopes after the long 60 years of conflict” and added “Peace can be achieved through tolerance, understanding, and non-violence instead of armed force. Irvin, a representative of Youth Group in Ukraine who spoke after said “Unfortunately, there have been a conflict with our neighboring nation, Russia recently, but we do not war. We hope that world will be stopped in our generation to give peace as an inheritance”

After the commemoratory speech, three hails were shouted by the participants and started the main peace walk. The high-temperature did not stopped the participants from the peace walk around the World Peace Gate.

Muslim woman’s leader (EIi Warti Maliki), who is an expert on law said, she was able to understand the importance of life as a mother with a child. She continued “If we become one through the signing ceremony and WARP Summit, Peace can be truly achieved.” And “I know that the WARP summit will be the starting point of peace.”

The concern for wars around the world and the wish for peace also exited in South Korea. Gwang Min Han from Jeju city said “It is concerning to see the wars happening all over the world and I hope that the peace walk can reach out to every corner of the world so that the world of peace can come.”

Meanwhile, HWPL announced the Declaration of World Peace and hosted first peace walk last May with 30,000 members from 130 nations in the same place. HWPL is committed towards working for peace with youths from the world as they celebrated the first anniversary of the declaration this May with 100,000 members.

 

Skateboard made of a net

Do you like skateboard?
The skateboard I will introduce today is a little special.
This skateboard made of the nets that were thrown away into sea.

Seriously polluted, marine ecosystem in coastline of Chile has a problem with abandoned nets which are called ghost net.
The coastline of Chile is over 4000 miles and is one of the longest coastlines in the world.
Not only the amount of nets is large, but also there are hundreds of tons of the abandoned nets. The abandoned are threatening marine mammals and ecosystem and they account for 10% of plastic pollutant of sea.


Ben, David and Kevin who have passion for sea environment, are trying to find the solution through sustainable products.
Researching the plastic which makes sea polluted, they found that the abandoned nets are countless. After studying this matter, they also found this substance is durable and likely to be recycled.
So Ben, David and Kevin decided to make skateboards with these abandoned nets.
They collected the nets more than 3,000kg for 6 months. And after making them into plastic raw materials, they made skateboards with pouring the materials into molds.
The body of skateboard has a good feeling to grip and a fish pattern which is the icon of sea. The wheels are made from 30% of vegetable oil and 100% of recycling cores. In addition, there is no need to worry about loss because it has a lock function with a hook.
Fund-raising through social funding ‘kickstarter for these skateboards is over their target amount, $25000, which is twice as much of the target’ and they started production. The profits not only are used for production, but also support the community near the sea and find solutions for marine ecosystem.

Every year, about 7 billion kilogram of plastic trashes flows to sea. Being aware of this serious problem, Ben, David and Kevin made their own interesting solution.

Umbrella Revolution - Hong Kong

I didn’t know much about it these days, but it seems that many big accidents have occurred in the world. Recently, a large scale demonstration which even young students participated in broke out.

Hong Kong’s citizens who desired for complete free direct election system against intervention of election of Hong Kong’s chief executive collided with Chinese government.  It was named ‘Umbrella Revolution’ since citizens blocked teargas with their umbrella.


Umbrella Revolution gathered the maximum 60,000 people as it was the largest scale challenge after Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997. This situation tested ‘one country, two systems’ which was Hong Kong’s governing principle and plan for unification with Taiwan. Deng Xiaoping achieved returning Hong Kong to China from United Kingdom by suggesting ‘one country, two systems’ which guaranteed Hong Kong’s high autonomy and economic freedom. However, Hong Kong citizens opposed and protested since China limited candidates for minister of administration to celebrity who gained a majority vote from pro-Chinese Electoral College.

It is said that this challenge was named as ‘Umbrella Revolution’ due to influence of a 17-year- old student activist, Josyuawong(picture)


He established middle and high school student activist groups and took on representative at the age of 15 in 2012. Also, he led this demonstration and stood shoulder to shoulder with university students and representatives of citizen organizations.  He attracted voluntary participation from citizens and students, saying “I don’t want to see elementary students protesting for Hong Kong’s democracy after 10 years.  It is our responsibility.” Some people are concerned about probability for it to develop into the small scale Tiananmen Square protest.
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I hope that this protest could be settled peacefully as young students participate for reaching democracy.

Sharpen your pencil

Amnesty International encourages Letter Writing Marathon movement with a print advertisement copy called “Sharpen your pencil” every year. 
If you look at the picture, there are pencils that show printed pictures of victims who suffer from violence and abuse.
It is impressive to express the point that the pain of people who are outside of human rights will go away when pencils are cut in order to use them.
On December 10th, Armnesty International continues a world sized campaign which is “Letter Writing Marathon” to celebrate every year.
With petitions from all over the world, they carry on the voices of people and it requires patience and effort like marathon. The letters can be huge support for the people who are away from human rights as much as its weight and length. 

The beginning of Letter Writing Marathon

Two youths in Portugal were prisoned because they toasted for freedom
Members of Amnesty International had sent petitions voluntarily and this became the foundation of ‘Letter Writing Marathon’.
An idea of ‘Letter Writing Marathon’ is from traditional letter wiring which has been continued since 1961, and members in Poland suggest the idea in 2003. Now, more than a million of letters from over 50 countries are sent.

 

Participate in miracle of a letter with Amnesty International

Working on 3 ways that promise a letter, act online and participate in letter night will be a big help for people whose human rights are violated.
I would like to be part of it as well. I think this would be a way to support the human right and people who have been in pain will be able to recover the right as there are many people who work for it. 

The most beautiful tree tunnels in the world

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When could we believe the existence of God?
Many people give a testimony like a movie about reviving miraculously. But when we look at beautiful sceneries, we may realize the actual existence of God. When you see the beautiful landscape of the natural phenomenon that can’t be created with the power of man, we admire the workmanship of God who created everything at last. Although people planted and cultivated the wooden tunnels artificially, we admire that this is also the workmanship of God when we see them. We don’t create life, we just planted them.

Today, I would like to introduce awesome tree tunnels with the sunlight and wind coming through branches.

1. 'The Dark Hedges' in Northern Ireland (The Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland)
Beech Road made by Stewart Family in 1750
It became a world-class tourist attraction as forest grew larger. It is also famous for the filming location of "Game of Thrones".

2. Cherry road in Bonn, Germany (street in Bonn, Germany)
An attraction of spring, Heerstraße cherry road in Bonn, Germany

 

3. Oak alley along the Mississippi river, U.S.A


 

 

4. Jacarandas walk in South Africa
Pretoria, the administrative capital in South Africa is referred to as 'the Jacaranda City' because there had been planted 70,000 jacarandas.

 

5 Tunnel of Love in Ukraine (Tunnel of Love in Ukraine)
There is a place with legend if couples go to this forest trails by train and make their wishes, it comes true.
Wish of couples.. would be the one that we’ve all known. ^.-*
 

6. Street in Jerez in Jerez De La Frontera, Spain
Narrow path in the alley of wine shops in Jerez De La Frontera, Spain

7. maple tunnel in St. Louis, Oregon, U.S.A
This is a maple forest road in St. Louis, Oregon, United States.
Korea is in autumn now so that the trees would turn red soon like the picture below.
 

8. Tree Tunnel in Netherlands
Like walking through the road of life, it is an infinitely long, majestic tree tunnel.



I listed tunnels that stick in my mind for long and I’d really like to go later. I want to recommend these tunnels to those who can afford or want to go on a trip to countries in the pictures. If you’ve been there, I’d like to hear what you feel. 

All they are our children – World Vision

I found some photos while browsing Facebook.
Adorable children dressed in pretty clothes were having an audition.
They performed scenes of drinking dirty water, lifting heavy luggage and climbing up a high ladder. It looked so hard and all the children were so afraid of it. And there were their parents watching them under the stage feeling sorry for their kids.

“No dirty water to our children”
“No heavy work to our children”
“No danger to our children”
With this subtitles, the scenes of the children in the other side of the world were coming up.

Although it would be a simple audition to someone, it showed us an unavoidable poverty and disease to others.

There was an impressive and touching phrase in the video.
“All they are our children.”
If they were our kids, we wouldn’t turn a blind eye to their sufferings.
And it must not happen to them if they are “my kids”.

Although I’ve thought that the world is one and the global village, I realized that I couldn’t care even my neighbors. If the world became one, there wouldn’t be discrimination between my kid and your kid, and my country and your country’.

Word peace and Human rights of the children who should live in the peaceful world
If you look at this video with thinking ‘they are my kids’, the future that you dream would be different, I think.

hello,happiness (Coca-Cola’s Touching Marketing)

I think the most sold beverage in the world is Coca-Cola. Black liquid and carbonic acid..
Its taste deserves love from so many people regardless of their sex or age.
Recently, after I watched a video, I thought that its popularity wouldn’t be subsiding.
I’d like to share it with you.

It surely would be the marketing strategy of Coca-Cola. However, I want to join it if it gives happiness to many people as well as it is a part of marketing


The video reminds me of my acquaintances who are foreign workers. There are many foreign workers in my country, Korea. Although they don’t make a little money like in the video, there are many people who came to Korea to earn money.
I volunteer with my friends at least once a week to teach Korean to foreign workers. It doesn’t help them financially, but I feel rewarded by helping them understand and adjust to another country’s culture. I hope the day everyone is happy will come soon.