Sun Myung Moon
December 18, 1983
The First International Congress of the Professors World Peace Academy
The Little Angels Performing Arts Center
Seoul, Korea
PWPA leaders who organized the International Congress and translated the Resolution and Pledge at the guest house with Father and Mother.
Honorable Chairman of this International Congress, Distinguished PWPA Presidents from seventy-two countries and Respected Members of PWPA-Korea:
I am pleased to have this opportunity to share with you some of my convictions on the occasion of this International Congress of PWPA. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude particularly to those PWPA chairmen who accepted my sudden invitation, which was extended to you several days after the conclusion of the Chicago ICUS at the end of November. I know that all of you must have been busy with previously planned schedules and itineraries at this time of year. Once again, I greatly appreciate your coming here, interrupting all those busy schedules. Ordinarily, no one is able to respond to such a sudden invitation, extended only a few days in advance. I believe you will come to realize the historic and providential meaning of this Congress and why it was so urgent for you to come here.
I have long thought that, in addition to their scientific achievements, scholars must be pioneers in the realm of conscience, inspiring mankind by their bold and determined actions. This is absolutely required in order to cope with the problems of human history and to fulfill the ideal of mankind.
With this in mind, I established the International Cultural Foundation in 1968 and convened the first annual ICUS in 1972, despite the difficulty of financing it at that early stage. Ordinarily, sponsorship of this kind of meeting is beyond the means of any individual or of any religious group: it should be held under the auspices of a government. Regrettably, no one seemed to be paying any attention to this very important need. Therefore, I determined to assume the responsibility myself for organizing this international conference. This year marks the tenth anniversary of PWPA as well.
Humanity today faces many dangerous problems. The greatest of these is the possibility of global war and nuclear disaster, which could occur only too easily amid the struggles, confusion and conflict of ideologies, owing to the absence of a correct value system. This threat results from the misuse of scientific knowledge by various political and economic interest groups, while religion, which is supposed to rightly guide the human spirit, is not fulfilling its appropriate role. Such dangers threaten the very survival of civilization.
Mobilizing Intellectuals
I founded the PWPA to be a trailblazing organization at this critical moment in human history, to mobilize those intellectuals who have devoted their lives to the advancement of human wisdom and enable them to play a leading role in overcoming the dangers of the age and opening new pathways to world peace. The ultimate goal of PWPA is to help create a just and harmonious world order by encouraging scholars to search for new ideas and methods of achieving peace and prosperity. The PWPA should provide scholars and other concerned leaders with the resources they need to solve the fundamental problems facing humanity.
As you may know, my path to the twelfth ICUS was not an easy one. Providing such a large amount of funds was an enormous task. What was even more troublesome, however, was that I encountered so much jealousy, unjust accusation and persecution, although I was carrying out such a significant endeavor for humanity at great personal cost. I am happy to say, however, that I am comforted by the sight of so many distinguished scholars like you from throughout the world who have responded positively to these initiatives and who understand my genuine motivation.
Throughout history human beings have always desired a peaceful world. Yet conflict persists. Unfortunately, dictators and unscrupulous political leaders have frequently misused the word "peace," proclaiming their peaceful intentions, while in reality exploiting, manipulating and oppressing people both inside and outside their own nations. The communists in particular are accustomed to using the word "peace" while constantly fomenting violence and war.
Often "peace" has been employed as a mere tactic to realize unrighteous ends, rather than viewed as an ideal. True peace does not depend on such tangible or external characteristics as intelligence, wealth, social status, or political power. So long as there is no absolute standard by which to judge such worldly concerns, it will be impossible to forge a lasting peace out of the conflicts of interest among men and nations in a constantly changing world. Real peace can only be built upon the foundation of true love; and loving relationships can only be experienced by recognizing the absolute values centered on God that bind human beings together.
I believe that the PWPA should be international, multidisciplinary, future-oriented and action-oriented. No single discipline, no local prescription, can solve the problems facing humanity in this century. Mutual cooperation beyond national and regional boundaries and interdisciplinary study beyond limited specializations are absolutely necessary.
Regional ICF and missionary leaders, Dr. Se Won Noun, Dr. Hang Nyong Lee, Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak and Col. Bo Hi Pak with Father and Mother.
Holistic Approach to Problems
Science today has become over-specialized. The challenge of our age can only be met by teams of experts from a diversity of disciplines, cooperating to examine problems from various perspectives. In light of the complexities of the modern world, the solution of problems needs to approached from a more holistic, universal perspective. Therefore, it is not easy to organize and operate a scientific body that can meet these needs. Unfortunately, the disastrous notion of a scientific methodology that is somehow "value-free" has been widely accepted as an ideal by scholars. As a result, in many cases evil men have schemed to misuse the findings of scientific research for their own selfish purposes, to the detriment of human welfare and of man's highest ideals. Deeply troubled by this, I have been trying to find alternatives centered on absolute values to solve the contradictions of our time through the ICUS.
Absolute value is the axis of all the sciences, as it is the standard of all other values. As long as the specialized disciplines are pursued by supposedly value-free methodologies, and as long as the standard of value differs from one individual to the next, where can we find the common standard necessary to realize the universal human community that human nature has long been seeking?
The conception of "freedom" also varies among individuals with different standards of value, among societies and nations, and among different economic, social and political systems.
Then, who will remedy the manifold injustices committed in the name of freedom? It is clear that human nature, in its pursuit of the Good, requires a fixed standard of absolute goodness.
Moreover, the world is becoming smaller every day. As our world shrinks to a "global village" and the world's peoples are challenged to overcome national, racial and religious barriers and learn to live together in harmony, history demands that we establish an absolute standard of value as the only possible foundation of human unity.
If the world is to overcome its many problems, it needs leaders. I sincerely hope that the member-scholars of the PWPA will participate actively, not passively, in the search for and realization of universal human ideals. The PWPA exists not only for the advancement of the sciences, but also for the practical promotion of the well-being of mankind, thereby differing from most other scholarly institutions. Its members should become social activists, orienting their students in a positive direction, seeking to influence public opinion and playing a leading role in public affairs. I encourage you to grapple, in a non-violent manner, with the most difficult and pressing social and philosophical issues of the age, in order to provide humanity with the leadership it needs to cope with the seemingly insoluble problems it faces. The goal of PWPA is to put ideals into practice by generating new ideas by which peace can be realized, and actively participating in their implementation.
International Federation of Universities
I have been planning for a long time to establish an International Federation of Universities based on the extensive network of contacts already created by the International Cultural Foundation and the PWPA. The time has now come to realize this, by establishing first-class universities in seventy on the six continents, where young people of all races and nations will be educated as world citizens. I want to instill in them the ideal of a peaceful world where all human beings live as brothers and sisters, by promoting regular and extensive international exchanges of faculty and students, and by sponsoring numerous collaborative research projects with international staffs.
I have already told the Senior Consultants of the International Cultural Foundation of my plan to compile and publish a great international encyclopedia, based upon a clear conception of absolute value. Although there are many encyclopedias already in existence, this absolute-value-centered encyclopedia is an indisputable requirement for the younger generation. I fully expect that it will take more than ten years to complete. All members of PWPA chapters in the world are encouraged to contribute to this historic work.
Another project I am planning is a new monthly magazine which is scheduled to begin publication in January 1985. Its purpose will be to give people the knowledge and guidance they need in order to lead better lives. Each issue of over 1,000 pages will feature articles of lasting interest. It will not be thrown away after a glance, but will occupy a cherished place on bookshelves everywhere, and be frequently consulted as a wellspring of wisdom and advice on every facet of human life.
Another project already being implemented is the publication of high-quality books in large quantities to educate people on basic social problems. I understand that the number of books of enduring value is declining, since publishers are more concerned with profit than with quality and con- tents. This new project will cost a huge amount of money, but I am determined that more than 3,000 books of the finest quality be published in the next ten years.
Regional ICF and missionary leaders with True Parents.
Why Come To Korea?
Now I will explain why I invited all of you to Korea to observe the National Rallies for Victory Over Communism and to attend the First International Congress of PWPA.
First, Korea has often been the victim of foreign aggression throughout her long history. Located on a peninsula, her geopolitical situation makes her a bridgehead between the continent and the ocean, and a strategic point for the expansion of the great powers. Even today the Korean peninsula is a strategic area of confrontation between the Eastern and Western blocs and is playing a frontline role for the free nations by holding off the impending invasion by North Korea and Russia. Korea is a worldwide testing ground. The spotlight of world attention is focused upon her, waiting to see whether she will become a casualty of communism or whether she will remain a member of the community of free nations. From the providential point of view, I see the situation of Korea as a sort of microcosm, reproducing in miniature all the major developments and confrontations of the age.
Directly or indirectly, all the major currents of world affairs, past and present, are converging on this peninsula. Therefore, if these problems can be solved in Korea, they can be solved worldwide. The resolutions and proclamations made by the distinguished scholars from Korea and from abroad on this occasion are related to each of your nations. Because they represent the interests of the entire world, they are certain to have international impact.
Second, Korea has a long tradition of God-honoring culture and thought, and has enjoyed a rich spiritual life for nearly 5,000 years. Our ancestors constructed a brilliant civilization based upon Buddhism and Confucianism. Today, a scant 100 years after the arrival of the Christian religion, the Korean churches have astonished all of Christendom with the ardor of their faith. What is more important is that in Korea all the higher religions have been harmoniously assimilated by the original spiritual culture, resulting in a social climate in which all the different coexisting religions complement each other without any conflict. Korea is unique in this respect. Having considered all these facts, we cannot avoid the conclusion that it is impossible for communism to long maintain a foothold on this peninsula. I firmly believe that, as surely as God exists, He will teach a lesson to the world by destroying communism through the Korean people.
Third, Koreans are an energetic, keen-minded, righteous people. With such a national character, they surely cannot fail to grasp the significance of historical trends and respond appropriately. Once Korean people come to realize clearly the evil of communism, they will immediately rise up and demonstrate to the whole world a model national movement for Victory Over Communism.
Fourth, Korea is the meeting point of the Oriental and Western cultures. I think you will agree with me that many leading scholars are rather pessimistic about the future of Western civilizations and are awaiting a great era of religious and spiritual transition to come. The increasing fascination that Oriental thought and Oriental religions have for Westerners may be taken as evidence that the harmonious unification of Oriental and Western cultures is an idea whose time has come. The very fact that distinguished scholars from around the world have come together here in Korea with the objective of securing world peace and establishing an ideal world illustrates this point very well. The very existence of the PWPA and the ICUS, following the inspiration of Rev. Moon, who was born in the Orient, would have been unthinkable in the past. It signals a major turning point in the intellectual history of mankind. It marks nothing less than the beginning of a new culture.
Reawakening -- Redetermination
The best short-cut to achieving harmonious unification between the East and West may be by means of a religious ideology that seeks to realize a "One Family World" and "One Human Brotherhood" with God as Parent. If the goal of the PWPA is to realize world peace, and if all of us as brothers are really serious about achieving this goal by uniting intelligence with conscience, we need today a reawakening and a redetermination. A real and lasting peace for all mankind will never be achieved only by horizontal relationships between individuals holding different values. It will be achieved only through universal recognition of the absolute value of God.
I already proclaimed at the Chicago ICUS that scholars should actively protest against the communist ideology. Some people may have felt that this proclamation and my advice to you on that occasion were too strongly expressed. Although one day may seem very much like the next in the passing of time, there is such a thing as a crossroads, a watershed, a crucial turning point in human history and God's dispensation. There is a time that will never come again. There is a time for irrevocable decision and a time for crucial determination. That time is now. I give you this solemn advice as a result of my serious speculation about the future of humanity.
The National Rallies for Victory Over Communism that you attended in Korea can serve as a model that each one of your nations can imitate. If the leaders of the free world remain irresolute about communism, there will be no way to prevent the expansion and world conquest of which communism dreams. If professors do not confidently proclaim what is true and refute what is false, but remain aloof from the struggle with folded hands, to whom can we entrust the future of the next generation?
It is an absolute requirement in this era that education for the coming generation be shaped by the firm moral convictions of their professors, who must communicate a clear sense of values. This must be the basic attitude of educators. From this point of view, the role of a professor is the same as that of a religious leader. We educators must assume the responsibility not only for transmitting facts, but also for sharing with our students the meaning and purpose of human life.
I am convinced that a resolute determination on the part of the participants in this Congress, grounded firmly on theistic beliefs, will enable the PWPA to achieve its historic goal and assure a decisive victory over communism in your countries. Once again, I hope this Congress will make a definitive contribution towards the construction of a strong international foundation for an alliance of all peoples for Victory over Communism.
May God bless each one of your nations, and may He bless you and your families as well. Thank you.