The Rally of Hope: Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values are key to solving world problems
Dr. Moon speaking to a virtual audience from around the world
WFWP USA was honored to support the virtual One Million Rally of Hope, initiated by WFWP Co-Founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, which was broadcast live from Korea on August 8th, 2020, at 9:00 PM EDT. Ten WFWP leaders from around the nation had the opportunity to attend the program and be part of the virtual audience that was visible on screen throughout the event. As one of the selected participants, WFWP USA Vice President Katarina Connery shares her personal reflections on the rally and its core message here.
The Rally of Hope, which was hosted by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), focused on the theme of unifying the world and bringing hope at a time when nations are being challenged by an unprecedented global pandemic and facing economic and social crises. As an inspiring woman leader and mother that seeks to embrace the whole world, Mother Moon brought together current and former heads of state to deliver messages of peace and unity on a global stage — more than one million people from 194 nations tuned in live for the entire program and another 90 million watched via 70 TV broadcasting stations and on various social media apps.
Paula White
After an enchanting musical performance by the Little Angels children’s folk group from Korea and a symbolic water ceremony conducted by representatives of seven religions, the first speaker invited to the virtual stage to deliver a peace message and prayer was American pastor Paula White, the spiritual advisor of US President Donald Trump.
Pastor White uplifted the importance of God and family: “Family is the root of everything we are. Family is what binds us together and family is the cornerstone of world peace.” She then added that Mother Moon exemplified true family through her love and compassion for all people irrespective of race, ethnicity or background. She urged people to turn to God, “the author of peace”, and that the family of God is called to “bring healing to the nations especially during difficult times”. She concluded with a prayer for peace in America and for the peaceful reunification of North and South Korea.
This was followed by a welcoming address offered by Ban Ki Moon, the former UN Secretary-General, who spoke on the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis and other urgent challenges the world is facing today. This was “nature’s stern warning” to us, and in order to address these problems, we need to build strong partnerships between governments and civil society, across a wide range of sectors.
Next, the former Speaker of the US House of Representative, Newt Gingrich, and the former President of the House of Councils of Japan, Date Chuichi, each offered brief congratulatory remarks and expressed support for the worldwide movement for peace that Mother Moon established together with her late husband, Rev. Sun Myung Moon.
The prime minister of Cambodia, Samdech Hun Sen, then gave the first keynote message on the theme “Rebuilding and Renewing our Nations in the Post-COVID-19 World: Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values”. While sharing what the nation of Cambodia has been doing to fight against COVID-19, he nevertheless warned that this crisis could not be solved at the national level and required international collaboration at all levels.
Senegalese President Macky Sall echoed this idea in his statement: “We need to act together [...] The virus will remain a threat to everyone as long as it continues to be active somewhere in the world. Self-centeredness is not an option.”
After a musical interlude, the Mother of Peace, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, was welcomed to the stage with resounding applause from the virtual audience as well as the few dozen socially distanced participants that were physically present at the event in Korea.
“Human history has been a sad one of continuous conflicts, and even now, around the world conflicts are happening everywhere,” said Mother Moon. “Why is that at this time it is difficult to see a future filled with hope?”
She emphasized that the only way we can overcome these problems and find hope is by uniting with God, who is our Heavenly Parent: “If Heavenly Parent is at the center of a community of people united under the values of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universal values, all problems can be solved.” This is also the way for North and South Korea to reunite.
With a motherly heart, she expressed her concern for the environmental destruction in the world, as well as the loss of life due to the pandemic and other calamities, which cause God much pain. Mother Moon concluded with an earnest desire for us to become “people of filial heart characterized by loyalty and devotion to Heaven, and inspire the people and nations of the world on the importance of attending our Heavenly Parent.”
The next keynote speaker was the prime minister of the Republic of Niger, Brigi Rafini, who spoke on the particular economic struggles that confront African nations in addition to the pandemic. He also expressed his gratitude to Mother Moon for her support.
Jimmy Morales of Guatemala
Jimmy Morales, the former president of Guatemala, found lessons in the experience of the Roman Empire that faced a deadly smallpox epidemic more than 1800 years ago. People had to learn to adapt, just as we do now. “We may have the coronavirus for a long time. Yes, we must attack it, but we also must learn to live with it,” he urged. “Let’s adapt to living with the social distancing and improving our hygiene. Let’s take advantage of technology to inform and stimulate the intelligent coexistence among our people. Let us demonstrate true love toward others, with solidarity, fairness, equality and justice for all.”
The next speaker, former Albanian President Alfred Moisiu, focused on the need for world leaders to work together on a common solution and thanked Mother Moon for providing a platform for leaders in various sectors to come together.
The program concluded with a message from the final keynote speaker Stephen Harper, the former prime minister of Canada. He addressed the current lack of international cooperation in dealing with the crisis, which was not only a health crisis but also an economic one. Warning that it would likely be two years before even the strongest economies recover, he urged governments to work together and not turn to authoritarian rule.
Throughout the Rally of Hope, the message of interdependence and mutual prosperity was made clear as world leaders all emphasized the need for nations to work together across borders in order to deal with global challenges that affect us all. The time has come for all people to unite, and with the aid of technology, it is now easier than ever before to bring people from all corners of the globe together, as this rally demonstrated. And this was just the first of several virtual rallies of hope that are set to take place each month until the end of 2020.