Dear Respected Ambassadors for Peace,
As we turn the page on an eventful 2024, I extend to you my deepest gratitude for your dedication across various fields throughout the past year.
As I write these words at year’s end, a cold winter wind blows harshly across the Republic of Korea. Yet even as the year began our world was caught up in ongoing wars, a sad but all too familiar reality. Despite humanity’s numerous efforts to resolve the many instances of polarization and conflict, and to put an end to the resulting pain and sorrow, we still haven't been able to bridge the gap between the peace we dream of and the reality we face. One reason for this is that human-centered ideals of peace, driven by reason, have failed to provide alternatives capable of overcoming selfishness, materialism, hatred, and the spirit of struggle.
Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who have lived their entire lives as pioneers of peace, established UPF in 2005 as a civil society initiative designed to complement the peace work of the United Nations. With a unique gift well suited to this era, they have shared and practiced their vision of a “Heavenly Unified Korea” and “Heavenly Unified World” with peace leaders worldwide. More recently, in Japan in 2019, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon proposed the creation of the Asia Pacific Union, which led to the establishment of the World Peace Charter; and now she is devotedly preparing for World Summit 2025, which could well become a crucial turning point in both Korean and world history as it gathers the will and experience of the world’s leaders.
2025, marking both the 80th anniversary of the UN's founding and the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation and division, will once again focus global attention on the Korean Peninsula. We must use this opportunity to move beyond the current state of chaos and establish a new foundation for reconciliation and peace between North and South Korea based on worldwide cooperation. World Summit 2025 will be held with heads of state, speakers of parliament and parliamentarians representing public opinion, ministerial-level government officials, and leaders of major religious orders.
We pray that the spirit of our UPF Founders will be revived through all of us who yearn for peace, connecting people's hearts with streams of love, and making 2025 a year of peace, harmony, unification, and prosperity.
We pray for good health and God's blessings upon your families and endeavors in the new year. Thank you.
December 31, 2024
Dr. Chang Shik Yang
UPF International Chairman
