Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my deep appreciation for your presence at this Photo Exhibition held at this time of the fiftieth Anniversary of the Korean War, and of the Children’s World Peace Painting Exhibition. Remarkably, we could hold this exhibition to recall the memory of the Korean War.
I believe Korea is a fatherland for all human beings who have desired peace because, during the Korean War, this country was protected through the sacrifices of sixteen nations representing the United Nations.
It is more significant to exhibit this collection of children’s works for peaceful unification on this occasion than at any other time because children are symbols of love and peace. Although one can distinguish between their skills and those of professional artists, works created by children’s innocent hearts may be able to express even more earnestly the desire for the unification of North and South Korea, as well as the sorrow of our nation’s long division.
Throughout my life, and together with my husband, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, I have been striving for North-South Unification by establishing many international peace organizations throughout the world.
As we all know, Korea is almost the only divided country in the world today. I believe that the unification of North and South Korea does not merely signify the unification of the Korean peninsula, but also the reconciliation of communism and democracy, and the reconciliation of “Godism” and atheism.
Furthermore, it even signifies the appearance of a model nation for the building of a peaceful world. I can say with confidence that hearts of true love, and the practice of true love, will be much more important than anything else in bringing about such unification. These will be the true means for eliminating all the barriers. North and South Korea can be united when they have true loving hearts, giving for the sake of the other without any condition.
To create a 21st century full of peace, love, and reconciliation, we all have to develop hearts like children. Then we will change this world that was, in the previous century, full of war, conflict, t, and violence.
We can find the key to peace from our children. Children do not have struggles and disunion in their world. They have only peace and love. This is possible because they live based on their original nature, which are like evergreen trees and as clean as the clear, blue sky.
When we live together centered on true love, we will be able to bring mind and body into oneness. The members of our family will live in harmony. Nations will be reconciled with one another, and finally, this world will become one global family in peace. I hope that this exhibition for world peace will especially console the pain of the many divided families in our country and that it will fan the flames of our national desire for unification. Thank you very much.
Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon
