HWPL’s 11th Anniversary of the September 18th World Peace Summit: A Milestone for Global Cooperation

On September 18–19, 2025, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) hosted the 11th Anniversary of the September 18th World Peace Summit in Cheongju, South Korea, with simultaneous commemorations in 78 countries. More than 800 leaders, including presidents, speakers of national assemblies, chief justices, ministers, and leaders from education, religion, and media, gathered to discuss strategies for building lasting peace.

11 Years of Peace Initiatives

Since 2014, HWPL has consistently advanced peace projects under three main pillars:

• Enacting international law for peace

• Promoting interfaith harmony

• Expanding civil society peace movements

This year’s summit reaffirmed these principles and shared key milestones achieved despite ongoing global conflicts.

Growing Global Support for the DPCW

One of the most significant outcomes over the past year is the growing international support for the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW).

• 17 legislative bodies have adopted resolutions endorsing the DPCW, including:

  • The Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO)

  • The parliaments of Paraguay and the Dominican Republic

  • The legislature of South Sudan

These endorsements strengthen the legal and institutional framework for preventing wars and resolving conflicts.

Ivo Josipović, the 3rd President of Croatia, reflected:

“We all remember the first HWPL World Peace Summit in 2014 and the historic DPCW in 2016. Our efforts to prohibit wars worldwide are more important than ever. This year’s achievements are proof that humanity can achieve eternal peace.”

Expanding Interfaith Dialogue and Education

HWPL has actively promoted interfaith dialogue and peace education around the world:

• Interfaith Dialogue: Since 2014, scripture-based dialogues have been held in 292 locations across 132 countries. In 2023, HWPL launched the International Religious Peace Academy (IRPA) to deepen interfaith understanding, with growing adoption by government institutions.

• Peace Education: In Timor-Leste, HWPL Peace Education is in the process of being integrated into the national school curriculum, with nearly 70% of higher education institutions participating.

Peace Campaigns in Korea

In South Korea, HWPL continues to expand the Together: Connecting Korea campaign in collaboration with over 170 civic groups and local governments.

This year also marked the launch of the Korean Peninsula Peaceful Unification Preparatory Committee, focusing on:

• Inter-Korean exchanges

• Unification education

• International cooperation

• Policy research

Global Membership Growth

The impact of these efforts is reflected in the growth of HWPL’s membership. Over the past year, membership has increased by 140,000, surpassing 580,000 worldwide.

HWPL Secretary-General Kang Tae-ho noted:

“Citizens around the world who suffer from wars and conflicts strongly yearn for practical peace beyond the existing order. That earnest desire has driven this explosive growth in membership.”

Looking Ahead

This year’s commemoration also featured a series of conferences:

• HWPL Global Peace Leaders Conference

• Regional Youth Peacebuilding Working Group (YEPW) Strategic Meeting

• Global Peace Education Conference

• International Religious Peace Academy (IRPA)

• International Youth Peace Conference

• International Women’s Peace Conference

These gatherings shared practical case studies of peacebuilding through government–civil society cooperation and mapped out strategies for the future.

At the 9th Anniversary of the DPCW earlier this year, Chairman Man Hee Lee offered a message that captured the heart of this movement:

“We are not strangers to peace. We are the people involved, and we ourselves are peace. So let us lead this global community to a world of peace.”

Alongside the main ceremony in Cheongju, regional events will continue through October in 78 countries, with over 15,000 participants expected. The 11th Anniversary of the September 18th World Peace Summit marks an important milestone in uniting global leaders, organizations, and citizens around the shared mission of peace.