HWPL Peace Education - Chairman Lee's Wisdom to Leave Legacy of Peace

“Education sows not seeds in you, but makes your seeds grow.’" - Kahlil Gibran

Most people will agree that education is important. However, people may have different view about education. I like the idea of Gibran who views starting point of education as a person, not outside environment. And HWPL’s peace education shares this idea as well – peace to start from an individual. Chairman Man Hee Lee believes that we are the messengers of peace who have the mission to leave peace as a legacy to future generations. Based on Chairman Lee’s thought about peace, HWPL is running peace education that is quite different from others.

There are different organizations running peace education programs with own definition. To name a couple, UNICEF defines the peace education as the process of enable people to prevent conflict and violent. UNESCO’s definition is education for non-violence and peace, imparting the skills and attitude to defuse and recognize potential conflicts. I got an impression that these peace education focuses on “conflict” and that people cannot be the subject of realizing peace. Wouldn’t it be better if the starting point of peace education is being harmonious? Rather than controlled by situation, we should be the subject to create peaceful situation. This is why HWPL’s peace education captivated my attention.

HWPL’s peace education is about “fostering citizens of peace with the value and spirit of peace.” It aims to raise next generation who has the value and spirit of peace. Its education focuses on the seed of peaceful attitude and values to grow within a human being. The starting point of HWPL’s education is not about conflict but about peace itself. To cultivate the spirit of peace, it guides young generation to experience peace through the education, not conflict.

Rather than trying to solve or prevent the conflict, HWPL’s peace education is raising a generation who knows how to live harmoniously with others from the very beginning. If we view peace as avoiding or solving conflict, we are assuming that conflict always exists somewhere. However, Chairman Lee and HWPL are not seeing peace as a result of solving conflict. Rather, they view peace as “peace,” nothing else.

Watch this video of Chairman Lee giving a message about the role of youth to establish world peace.