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THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE YOUTH GROUP (IPYG) SOUTH AFRICA HOSTED AN INTERANTIONAL LEADERS PEACE FESTIVAL IN THE COMPANY GARDENS ON THE 1 JUNE 2014
The International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) hosted a Peace Walk on 25 May 2013 in Seoul, South Korea, which attracted 27 000 people from across the globe in the hope of achieving world peace and unifying the whole world. In remembrance of the event last year, the IPYG South African Branch, hosted the 1st Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace and the IPYG Peace Walk on Sunday, 1 June 2014 in the Company Gardens.
The event started with a Commemoration Ceremony where the opening sounds of the trumpet signified the call to unify all religions, races and cultures in the pursuit of peace. A moment of silence for the girls who went missing in Nigeria as well as for the Korean Ferry disaster victims was held. Video clips of various peace activities of the IPYG and the works of Manhee Lee, the Chairman of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) were shown. The clips showed the activities of how Mr Lee travelled around the world to persuade numerous world religious leaders and former presidents to sign the peace agreement and come together for the Declaration of World Peace. Participants were amazed when they watched how Mr Lee achieved the peace agreement between the Catholic Church and Islam in Mindanao Island, Philippines, where more than 100,000 have been killed because of religious conflict.
Speeches from invited guests Insaaf Isaacs (Muslim Students’ Association Representative), Taniya Kleinhans-Cedras (Institute for the Restoration of the Aborigines of South Africa), and Wayde Groep (Student Representative from the University of Stellenbosch) showed how people from different backgrounds can unite under the same banner to promote the achievement of world peace. The lovely Aviva Pelham and Levy Sekgapane warmed the guests’ hearts by singing
The Prayer and the ceremony closed with the IPYG youth choir performing We are the world.
After the commemorative ceremony all the attendees took part in a peace walk commemorating the peace walk which took place in Seoul, Korea on 25 May 2013. During the walk, the Declaration of World Peace was read by IPYG representatives and the walk was done in pursuit of promoting unification for world peace and the cessation of war.
The Peace Festival followed with bead making, biscuit decorating, face painting, hands for peace painting, origami, weaving and peace tree note writing taking place across the different areas. Each activity had a concept relating to the achievement of world peace. One significant activity was the
Peace Tree activity where learners were encouraged to write notes to the families who are victim to the abominable acts of kid-napping in Nigeria. These notes will be delivered to the families through the assistance of the Graca Michel Trust. Throughout the afternoon there were performances by different musicians and dancers, including the Rainbow Academy and Jazzart Dance Theatre.
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