Fiji’s contribution to global peacebuilding will be highlighted on the world stage this month when the Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) hosts the 11th Anniversary of the HWPL World Peace Summit from September 18–19, 2025, in Cheongju, South Korea.
Over the past year, Fiji has played a visible role in advancing HWPL’s initiatives. In June, the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala Campus hosted the first Religious Peace Academy, where leaders from Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Sikhism engaged in dialogue with youths on the role of religion in fostering peace. The leaders concluded the gathering with a joint pledge committing to peace education, interfaith respect, and youth service.
Additionally, under the “HOPE in FIJI (Heritage Outreach for Peace & Engagement)” campaign, communities participated in a “Plogging for Peace and Heritage” activity, combining environmental care with cultural preservation while spreading a culture of peace in everyday life.
The summit in South Korea, themed “Uniting for Peace and Fulfilling Humanity’s Duty Together,” is expected to bring together more than 600 high-level figures, including presidents, prime ministers, national assembly speakers, chief justices, ministers, and leaders from education, religion, and media sectors.
Discussions will review HWPL’s key initiatives and achievements, particularly the growing international support for the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). Over the past year, the DPCW has gained recognition in legislative bodies across the United States, Mongolia, Mali, and Madagascar, with its most significant endorsement coming from the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO), which represents 23 nations.
Other global developments include the adoption of HWPL’s peace education curriculum in Timor-Leste, expanded interfaith dialogues through scripture study, and increased cooperation in campaigns for peaceful unification on the Korean Peninsula. HWPL’s membership also grew from 500,000 to 700,000 worldwide, reflecting the momentum behind its vision of a united global peace movement.
Chairman Man Hee Lee reaffirmed this vision earlier this year at the 9th anniversary of the DPCW, declaring: “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 summit in Cheongju, local anniversary events will also be held in 66 locations across 60 countries until October, engaging more than 13,000 participants worldwide, including Fiji.
