Mother of Peace CHAPTER 11. The Restoration Of Canaan In Heaven And On Earth 6. Heavenly Latin America blooms flowers of hope
In my conversations with my husband, we often shared about Latin America. “It is a place we can never forget,” he would say. “It is where we devoted a great part of our golden years,” I would respond. It pains me now, for much remains to be completed. Compared with anywhere in the world, my husband and I offered our most devoted effort in Latin America.
We offered devotions and conditions in the scorching sun, covered in dust from head to toe, to plow the fields of hope. Even now, I can close my eyes and vividly recall the scenes of the providence that unfolded in Latin America. That land is soaked with my husband's and my tears and sweat. Today, while that land sometimes seems like a wilderness of despair, we are once again cultivating flowers of hope.
In 2005, Father and I visited São Paulo to establish the Brazilian chapter of the Universal Peace Federation. That city served often as the site of regional peace council meetings. I chose Sao Paulo to host the Latin America Summit and Rally of Hope in August 2018. These events kindled the spirit of national restoration throughout Latin America. Building upon this spirit, it was the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean that hosted the Rally of Hope held December 14-15, 2019.
We convened the opening event, the Latin America and Caribbean Summit, at the Hodelpa Gran Almirante Hotel and the state government building in Santiago. More than 500 people attended from 43 nations, including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Guatemala.
His Excellency President Jimmy Morales of Guatemala and five former heads of state, from Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia and Haiti, were in attendance. From the Dominican Republic, President Danilo Medina appointed Governor Ana Maria Dominguez of Santiago as his official representative. Other guests included 10 current and former speakers of parliaments, 30 parliamentarians and dozens of interfaith, civil society, business and media leaders.
Former first lady of Nicaragua Maria Flores honored our ideals in her introductory remarks, after which my emissary and daughter, Women's Federation for World Peace International Vice President Dr. Moon Sun-jin, delivered my speech.
“Ultimately, a true and lasting peace can only be achieved when we come to know and understand God, our Heavenly Parent,” she said. “Only by connecting with God's will and providence can we expect to create lasting solutions.”
Dr. Moon then presented awards to representatives from 15 countries, and received on my behalf a certificate recognizing me as 'Mother of Peace' and making me an honorary citizen of the Dominican Republic.
The Summit concluded with the inauguration of the Latin America chapter of the International Summit Council for Peace. Universal Peace Federation International President Dr. Thomas Walsh introduced the purpose of the Council to serve as a forum in which heads of state and government, both current and former; can combine their unique expertise in addressing the most serious challenges to the realization of peace in our time.
Four former presidents, Anthony Carmona of Trinidad and Tobago, Rosalía Arteaga of Ecuador, Jocelerme Privert of Haiti, and Jaime Paz Zamora of Bolivia, delivered speeches expressing their strong support. Former US Representative Dan Burton, co-chairman of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), officially proposed the initiative, and all current and former heads of state in attendance rose to affix their signatures.
After the conclusion of the Summit, its participants joined a crowd of 12,000 for the Family Peace Festival at the Gran Arena Del Cibao. The highlight of this beautiful event was the Blessing Ceremony of 6,000 couples. President Morales opened the ceremony, and my daughter and son-in-law, Park In-sup and Moon Sun-jin, officiated.
The Dominican Republic Municipal Police co-sponsored this Family Peace Festival, and the families and friends of 4,000 city police and 600 national police came to uphold the ideal of “one family of humanity under our Heavenly Parent.” In-sup and Sun-jin awarded prizes to 10 representatives of those stalwart citizens.
The Rally of Hope in the Dominican Republic succeeded due to the devotion of leaders and members throughout Latin America who pressed forward in a difficult environment. They brought the flower of hope to blossom in Heavenly Latin America, and I am confident that this flower will multiply blessings long into the future. |