HWPL: Building Peace Through Art and Dialogue

The Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light (HWPL) conducted an international convention seminar with the on-going aim to end war and achieve peace worldwide, together with the Georgian members of the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) at Ilia State University on January 25th. The seminar was attended by Georgian youth, social leaders and local media. The focus was on ceasing armed conflicts and any kind of violation of human rights.

HWPL will also be organizing the first short film festival in Tbilisi on May 21st, 2016, dedicated to world peace. Everyone is eligible to participate in the festival, yet the content must consist of a peace theme and the works should be submitted by the end of April. During the festival the winners will be awarded in three nominations: Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor.

“Today, conflict is intense throughout the whole world. This problem is not only of Georgia but of many leading counties. Art is one tool with the power to lay the groundwork for a peaceful dialogue,” Mariam Bolkvadze, Publicity Ambassador of HWPL and Short Film Festival organizer, told GEORGIA TODAY. “We believe that the festival is a platform where the nucleus of artists who are in constant search can gather together and show us solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.”

In Georgia, the IPYG (Youth division of HWPL) is affiliating with 17 Georgian youth groups and media and is organizing Youth Peace Committee for more active peace projects.

HWPL is a non-governmental organization registered under the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is committed to community development through volunteer outreach, women’s advocacy, and cultural and religious exchange through International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) and youth engagement through International Peace Youth Group (IPYG). The organization strives to facilitate comprehensive grassroots peace building involving voices of leaders in education, governmental and religious sectors as well as non-profit organizations and youth to create sustainable solutions and empower individuals and communities to be an integral part in global peace building.

“I have no doubt that this is the time for peace, and we - the generation of today - are the ones who have the power to make it a reality,” says Man Hee Lee, Chairman of HWPL. “Join us in making peace a reality in our world, and let us leave to the generations that come after us a legacy of unity, hope, peace and security. May peace be with you, your loved ones, and your nations, always.”

Meri Taliashvili