Hak Ja Han
August 13–16, 2014
The August 13–16 2014 Vision 2020 Strategy Conference for Strategic and Providential Nations took place as one of many events that our movement ran on the sidelines of the second anniversary of True Father's Seonghwa. It was the second such conference, born out of the need to assess the state of development in each nation and to study rational means to reach national targets, set by the local members. The first was also held in conjunction with Father's Seonghwa anniversary, in August last year. The FFWPU International Headquarters, which Director-General Sun Jin Moon has been leading since May 11 this year, was the host. The organization is taking the opportunity, when leaders will naturally be in Korea, to convene and to fine tune international efforts in relation to Vision 2020.
More than two hundred people attended the conference, including thirteen regional presidents, special emissaries, Cheon Il Guk special envoys, twenty-three national leaders and some regional figures involved in family education. In addressing them, Director-General Moon said, "Some of you are working in the most difficult regions of the world, in extremely poor environments where freedom of faith is not permitted. Some of you are literally risking your lives and your families. I have deep respect for those of you who have sincerely followed and sacrificed for Heavenly Parent and True Parents. Whatever foundation we stand on has been a testimony and an immortal legacy of your lives of selfless sacrifice to bring glory and joy to our Heavenly Parent, True Parents and the world." The bulk of the directorgeneral's / Sun Jin nim's talk was a testimony to her daily recent experiences with True Mother and her personal interpretation of how True Mother lives for others' benefit. The conference was held main at the Chung Pyung Youth Center, and had the theme, "To seek locomotive for growth and change to accomplish Vision 2020."
In his Strategic Presentation for Vision 2020, Man Ho Kim, the secretary general of the FFWPU International Headquarters, said in his typically strong voice, "What True Parents want for us is not just overcoming this crisis, but changing this crisis into an opportunity to reform and grow." He then proposed what he felt was the best way for us to achieve Vision 2020. He said, "To achieve Vision 2020, we should restore trust: self-trust, trusting relationships, trusting organization and trusting society and nations. He laid out nine strategic priorities, that he called "agendas" that the Unification movement might pursue centering on the FFWPU International Headquarters. Later, he explained the details of this strategy and the role of headquarters in the future. The nine strategic agendas are the following:
- renewal of personnel: We need a reform of our consciousness and culture.
- reform of organizations and structures
- reform of human resources
- reform of home ministry for new tribal messiah activities and realization of happy ideal family
- reform of contents and diverse programs for education, witnessing, and external activities
- reform of the delivery system of services and improvement of various service for members and society
- reform of environment
- reform of Image
- reform for transparent financial operation and securing a stable financial foundation
The main purpose of this conference was to discuss and establish the goals and strategy for the realization of Vision 2020 based on each leader's respective region or nation and to establish a social foundation for national-level restoration. The leaders took part in one of two simultaneous break-out sessions -- one to concentrate on family education and the other to focus on tribal messiah activities.
The resolution to achieve Vision 2020 being offered to True Mother
No one denies that the locomotive of Vision 2020 is the blessed central families. Thus, in accordance with what we've learned through the Divine Principle -- that churches and providential organizations should unify and support blessed central families to create happy ideal families -- all participants had deep discussions on family ministry, the education of blessed children, matching systems, blessing education, and tribal messiah's activities. They shared case studies and sought solutions.
This is why the representatives of Family Departments from twenty-three strategic nations including Korea, Japan and the United States joined in this conference.
Ms. Crescentia De Goede, the head of Family Department in the United States, who participated in the Family Ministry group discussion, said, "Having dealt with several problems related to blessed families and blessed children, I always thought it is crucial to share experiences and know-how of providential countries such as Korea, Japan and the United States. Having this conference, all my worries and concerns disappeared. Not only for this time, should we also keep conversing with Family Department representatives continuously online and offline."
Through a presentation given by Sun Seok Yang, deputy head of the Family Department in FFWPUKorea, participants learned about the current situation of blessed couples in Korea in which at least one spouse, usually the wife, comes from a nation other than Korea. Worldwide our movement faces circumstances in which a parent needs to adjust to raising a family in the spouse's nation. Korea has extensive experience with this. Currently, around nine thousand five hundred couples fall into this category. The vast majority, around seven thousand, are couples in which the wife is Japanese. Two thousand Korean– Filipino couples, four hundred Korean–Thai couples and a hundred Korean–Mongolian couples bring us to the total. Mr. Yang explained that from their studies, they have observed three stages these couples go through as they seek to adjust to life in Korea. At first they undergo a period of adaptation, in which they encounter difficulties due to language and cultural differences. Often they feel disadvantaged financially and socially.
After some years, they settle into society and depending on how much attention they pay to educating their children and developing good relations with them they can establish a sense of identity and with other members from their home nation they can begin to develop a strong immigrant community. As their children come of age, the foreign-born parent may be well established in Korea. In some cases, such as with our Filipino members, they have been able to establish organizations that connect to and win the respect of figures in Korean society and figures from their home country. Conversely, those unable to establish a strong identity as a foreign-born participant in Korean society, who feel somewhat distant from even their own children as the children grow in a Korean environment face great difficulty.
Participants three cheers of eog mansei at the end of the closing ceremony
Other than these main programs, leaders also learned about the operation and management of public assets, the Cheon Il Guk Constitution and how these apply to their respective fields. They learned of the basic direction of the third anniversary of True Father's ascension and discussed proposals for activities to be held in conjunction with it, because the third anniversary will be held under the supervision of the FFWPU International office. They heard an explanation of the FFWPU History Complication Committee's work to bring to one central location all historical materials related to True Parents and their mission, and heard an overview of the strategy for the Tongil Group's business activities, and management.
In a closing ceremony coupled with a luncheon, centering on the True Parents of Heaven, Earth, and Humankind, participants became one with Heavenly Parent and True Parents. Together with Sun Jin nim, all those present dedicated themselves and made a personal resolution to True Parents to achieve Vision 2020. roughly stated, the resolution, which has four provisions, contains statements through which participants promise, as Cheon Il Guk church officials, to fulfill their responsibility to substantiate Cheon Il Guk by leading with one heart, to win respect and love not only from members but also from society, while having absolute love, faith and obedience toward True Parents and horizontal love for the Unification family members we serve; to build a Cheon Il Guk social environment that earns the trust of the nation; to fulfill the nine strategic tasks we all agreed upon through uniting with the international headquarters, which is supervised by True Mother and to pursue efficient organizational management, transparent financial management, and to raise next-generation leaders as successors and talented youth for the betterment of our movement.
A regional president that participated in this conference, said, "Ushering in the substantial era of Cheon Il Guk, to achieve Vision 2020, our movement should seek new thinking, new attitudes and new activities, which are different from those employed in the indemnity era. This conference reminded me again of the central driving force for new age -- the FFWPU International Headquarters supervised by True Parents directly, thirteen regions and twenty-three strategic nations. based on the communication and cooperation among the FFWPU International Headquarters and each respective field, this conference served as a starting point to connect both for the new era." One Cheon Il Guk special envoy said, "I deeply realized that the solution for this crisis actually starts from change and growth of leaders like me. The message from Secretary Genera Kim, stayed in my heart: 'In place of flowery speech, I will take action.' I will be a leader who can fulfill the resolution that I made to True Parents."
One leader from a strategic country said, "Looking at the whole schedule of conference, I can feel the strong determination and change centered on the FFWPU International Headquarters. The best part above all was that this conference showed the strong resolve of all leaders including special emissaries and continental leaders to join this change. Even though Sun Jin nim and the International Headquarters did not order leaders, saying, 'You must do this,' they appear to have been able to find determination naturally to complete Vision 2020. Thus, it was very precious time."
In order for an organization to change, it is necessary for not only all members to positively accept a change, but also leaders to stand as the center of trust. It is impossible to change without self-trust and trusting relationships, and trust cannot be forced, but naturally accepted.
The change in the Unification movement should not finish with one person's slogan. All leaders should unite with members, create a positive change in each person's heart and spread the "happiness virus." Thus, all members should enjoy a loving culture community filled with fresh winds of change, warm love and an air of trust.
In the three-day strategic conference, everyone found greater hope for the future, disseminated seeds of trust and took the first steps forward toward "change" and "unity."