Peace calls echo at international conference
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 31 2014:
An international peace conference on "Building Nations of Peace: Our Shared Responsibility" was held today at the Lecture Hall No.1, Political Science Department, Manipur University.
The conference was organized by the Universal Peace Federation of India in collaboration with the Department of Political Science, Manipur University.
.EBijoy, Dean, School of Social Sciences, Manipur University, was the chief guest and Prof.(Retd.) Ksh.
Bimola was the guest of honor of the programme.
Prof S Mangi, Head of Department Political Science, Manipur University delivered the welcome address.
He asserted that one can enjoy peace only in a 'nation of peace' .
This was followed by a special welcome song performed by the International Peace Volunteers from Japan.
Krishna Adhikari, Secretary General, UPF, India, presented an "Introduction on the UPF".
According to Mr.Adhikari, the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) is a global network of individuals and organizations dedicated to building a world of peace where each one can live in peace, harmony, freedom and co-prosperity.
UPF is one among the several hundred organizations under the Global Peace Movement founded by Dr.Sun Myung Moon and his wife, Dr.Hak Ja Han Moon.
Coming to Manipur one has learned about Sharmila's years-long hunger strike to create peace.
"It only shows that we are in urgent need for innovative ideas for peace", he said.
Adhikari stressed that disorder and sickness of every kind, including war, violence, drug abuse, the evils of hatred and injustice have infected humankind so badly.
More important the rapid collapse of sexual morality amongst the young, increasing family disputes resulting to family breakdown and in India particularly the violence against women are all destroying the very foundation of human society.
Dr.Robert S.Kittel, Director of Education, UPF-Asia presented a paper on "Introduction of Peace Principles".
These principles are the teachings of Father and Mother Moon.
He talked about the "Pair System" Principle and the dual characteristic principle.
Then he moved on to talk about the Universal Definition of Goodness, which every religion has elaborated.
According to Dr.Kittel, Father Moon said that a true life is a life in which one abandons one's private desires and live for the public good.
This is a truth taught by all major religious leaders past and present, East and West.
He concluded by stating that Universal Principles of Peace in the final analysis is "Dual Purpose" Principle (body-mind) and "Pair System" Principle (man-woman).
Former stands for Principle of Goodness and the latter are for Principle of Family-Building.
Ksh.
Bimola stressed on the Gandhian principle of peace, in which individual's morality and conscience plays significant role.
Spirituality dimension with a divine cause will help people not to commit mistake but contribute towards peace, she said.
Dr.Chung Sik Yong, Chairman of UPF-Asia, delivered the keynote address.
Speaking on the theme of the event, "Building Nations of Peace", Dr.Chung Sik Yong said that the balance of power in the world is shifting from West to East.
In this new Asian providence India plays a very critical role.
It is the world's largest democracy.
India is seen as a beacon of spiritual light.
Mahatma Gandhi, the father of modern India, is but the last in India's long and illustrious history of saints and sages.
But for India to fulfill her global responsibility today she � and indeed every nation on earth � needs a moral and spiritual awakening.
He stressed that family is the school of love because one learns the nature of love from family relationships.
To repeat, the family is where we learn the sacrificial nature of true love.
This was followed by Presentation of Ambassadors of Peace Award to Prof..EBijoy Singh, Chief Guest, Prof.(Retd.) Ksh.
Bimola Devi, Guest of Honour and Prof..SMangi Singh, Head, Department of Political Science, Manipur University, Canchipur.
After the presentation of the awards, Prof..EBijoy Singh, Dean, School of Social Sciences, Manipur University, delivered a speech.
He stated that peace is a very very elusive.
For centuries, right from the times of Mahabharata, people have been searching for it.
"Today we are venturing for a search of peace because human civilization has moved so fast in the last 100-150 years.
Our asocial institutions are not able to keep pace with the changes", Prof Bijoy said.
Northeast is groping for a new paradigm of development, which can usher peace.
One really does not know whether the priority has to be development or peace.
Economics fraternity has been lost in finding the correlation between economic development and peace.
Peace is not absence of war; it also means absence of structural violence.
Peace can die not only from bullets but also from structural violence.
Positive peace should try to tackle the problems of structural violence just as sustainability is also a major issue.
The programme ended with the proposal of a Vote of Thanks by Dr.Aheibam Koireng, Asst.
Prof., Centre for Manipur Studies, Manipur University, Canchipur.
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