“Addressing the Critical Changes of Our Time”
The following is a letter from Dr. Young Ho Yun, Secretary-General, Cheon Jeong Gung Headquarters on December 16, 2019 about True Mother’s World Tour and the 40-Day Cosmic Canaan Course for the Firm Establishment of Cheon Il Guk, which began on Monday, November 18, 2019 leading up to the Clergy Rally on December 28 in Newark, New Jersey.
Beloved Cheon Il Guk leaders, blessed families!
May Heavenly Parent’s and True Parents’ blessings and grace be with you.
Thanks to the devotion of all our leaders and members, True Mother is recuperating and offering profound devotion for the Rally of Hope to Advance the Providence to realize one Heavenly World to be hosted in New York, the final event of the 40-Day Cosmic Canaan Course for the Firm Establishment of Cheon Il Guk.
True Mother dispatched members of the True Family as her special emissaries, representing the spiritual and physical worlds, to preside over the rallies in Palau and the Dominican Republic. She has been offering more devotion for those rallies, more so even than for the rallies over which she directly presided. Today, I would like to share with you all about the Rally of Hope in the Dominican Republic, held on December 14 and 15.
The conditions that True Parents have set in Latin America are beyond our imagination. Latin America is a region where True Parents offered devotion in a very substantial way, and their sweat has deeply drenched the land. Even now, True Mother vividly remembers the providential nations of Latin America they visited. I have seen her close her eyes and reminisce over each place they had visited. At times, I felt it was beyond me to truly and fully grasp the extent of the devotion they poured out in Latin America. We are very familiar with images of True Parents in South America covered in dust and getting sunburnt, and how they offered superhuman devotion even amidst such adverse circumstances to create a Heavenly Latin America as a land of new hope.
Unfortunately, internal struggles have resulted in a number of law suits across Latin America, despite the sweat and tears True Parents have shed for the region. A number of mission countries, including Brazil, Paraguay, and Chile, are experiencing conflicts and litigation. This has somewhat curtailed progress. Yet, thanks to True Mother, flowers of new hope are blossoming once again in this difficult and wild region of Latin America.
Through the Latin America Summit and Rally of Hope for the Advancement of Latin America held last year in August, right before True Father’s holy ascension anniversary, and exactly 13 years after True Parents last visited São Paulo, Brazil, True Mother ignited a fire that has helped Latin America truly advance toward the restoration of nations, beyond winning lawsuits. Despite the poor and difficult circumstances, the joint efforts of Heavenly Latin America Regional Group Chair Sang-seok Kim, Central America UPF Chair Chang-shik Yang, South America UPF Chair Dong-mo Shin, and all leaders of Latin America have made possible this rally, a precious opportunity that has laid a foundation for hopeful advancement in Latin America. Through the Latin America rally of hope, held December 14 and 15, Latin America finally harvested the fruits of the seeds of hope they planted last year. The Latin America rally of hope, which is like a flower blossoming in a Latin American wilderness, has been truly a great challenge yet a tremendous victory.
The Latin American and Caribbean Summit 2019, the first Rally for the Advancement of Hope hosted in the Dominican Republic was conducted at the Santiago Government Hall and Hodelpa Gran Almirante Hotel in Santiago, the second largest city in the Dominican Republic. The Rally drew 500 participants from 43 nations, including the 33 nations of Central and South America. Latin American nations represented included the host country of the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala and the smaller island nation of Dominica.
Sun-jin Moon and her husband In-sup Park participated in the rally as True Mother’s representatives. Also in attendance were President Jimmy Morales of Guatemala, and the former presidents of Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Haiti, among other prominent dignitaries. Santiago Governor Ana Maria Dominguez officially represented President Danilo Medina of the Dominican Republic at the summit. In participation were also ten current and former speakers of parliaments, and around 30 parliamentarians. Other distinguished political, economic, and religious leaders from Latin America also graced the rally with their presence.
The theme of this Summit was “Addressing the Critical Changes of Our Time: Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values.” Members of FOPREL, a forum of speakers from nine nations in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean region, as well as members of PARLACEN, a council of parliamentarians in Central America, also attended the Summit and led the consensus that it was essential for nations to cooperate with one another in creating an ideal world of peace based on interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values.
The Summit began with the national anthem of the Dominican Republic, followed by a video presentation, welcoming remarks by Central America UPF Chair Chang-shik Yang, and a second message of welcome from Santiago Governor Ana Maria Dominguez (official representative of the President of the Dominican Republic). President Jimmy Morales of Guatemala gave a congratulatory address.
Then, former Nicaragua First Lady María Fernanda Flores de Alemán came to the podium to introduce True Mother prior to Mother’s keynote address—which was the highlight of the Summit opening plenary program. After the introduction, Sun-jin Moon, senior international vice-president of WFWP, came on stage and read True Mother’s keynote address. When she read, “Ultimately, however, a true and lasting peace can only be achieved when we come to know and understand God, our Heavenly Parent…Only by connecting with God’s will and providence can we expect to create lasting solutions,” all participants stood up and, through their cheers and applause, expressed their support and desire to participate in this precious vision as well as their infinite respect for True Mother.
After Sun-jin Moon concluded her keynote address, she presented Guatemala President Jimmy Morales and Santiago Governor Ana Maria Dominguez with Good Governance Awards in acknowledgment of their meritorious deeds. Next, the Dominican Republic chapter of IAPP presented True Mother with a plaque of appreciation entitled “Model of Peace,” and conveyed it to Sun-jin nim, who received it on behalf of True Mother.
The finale included the launching of the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP) of Latin America and the ISCP resolution. UPF International Chair Dr. Thomas Walsh introduced the purpose and goal of the International Summit Council for Peace. Next, Former Trinidad and Tobago President Anthony Carmona, Former Ecuador President Lupe Rosario Arteaga Serrano, Former Haiti President Jocelerme Privert, and Former Bolivia President Jaime Paz Zamorra gave speeches in support of the launching of the International Summit Council for Peace in Latin America.
Finally, when IAPP Co-Chairman and Former US Representative Dan Burton proposed the launching of ISCP, all former and current heads of state in attendance stood up and signed on the ISCP resolution. After the signing, Sun-jin nim presented all heads of state with ISCP medals and they all took a photo to commemorate this meaningful day.
After the successful general assembly, during the breakout sessions participants discussed and debated the following topics, “The Vision and Work of UPF, IAPP in Latin America and the Caribbean,” “Peace and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean: Building Peaceful, Secure and Healthy Societies,” “Peace, Development and the Role of the leaders of the Civil Society,” and others. Through sharing their values, the participants could reach agreements geared toward the future. During the Santiago Declaration conducted at the closing ceremony, the participants resolved to attend Heavenly Parent and spread an interreligious and international peace culture throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Also, on December 12, WFWP hosted the 8th Global Women’s Peace Network (GWPN) at the Hotel Hodelpa Gran Almirante. Around 100 leaders participated in the GWPN, which works to brings together women leaders for exchange and cooperation for peace. The topic of the conference was “Family is the Foundation of World Peace” and included a welcoming address by Prof. Ana Hilda Genao of the Santiago Council, a speech by Senator Amarilis Santana, President of IAPP-Dominican Republic, and key addresses by Sun-jin Moon and former First Lady of Nicaragua María Fernanda Flores de Alemán. The participants could see exemplary models of women who devote themselves to realizing peace.
After the Latin America and the Caribbean Summit, the Family Peace Festival – to fulfill the ideal world of peace wherein the ideal of one human family under Heavenly Parent is realized – was held at 1:00 p.m. on December 15 in Gran Arena Del Cibao. More than 12,000 people crowded in to participate in the festival, filling the entire stadium to its capacity, thus further energizing the festivities.
President Jimmy Morales of Guatemala, former Heads of State, speakers of the house, ministers, parliamentarians, and religious leaders attending the Summit participated in the Family Peace Festival which was specially sponsored by the Dominican Republic Municipal Police. Some 4,000 municipal police officers and 600 national police officers also attended, bringing the total to more than 12,000 people. After the opening declaration, attendants lined the way as Vice-president Sun- jin Moon and her husband, entered as the officiators on behalf of True Parents. After the Dominican Republic Municipal Police Band played the national anthem, interreligious leaders representing Catholicism, the Baptist Church, Judaism, Islam, and Bahai participated in a Holy Water Ceremony and prayed for peace.
Then a video introducing the True Parents of humankind and the officiators of the Blessing Ceremony was played. Vice-president Sun-jin Moon and her husband, on behalf of True Parents, led the Holy Water Ceremony and the affirmation of the Blessing Vows, gave the Blessing Prayer, guided the exchange of rings, and made the Blessing proclamation. Through their officiation, some 6,000 couples could inherit True Parents’ lineage and be reborn as blessed families. Flowers and gifts were presented to True Parents to thank them for the grace of the Blessing. Sun-jin nim and In-sup nim then presented special awards to 10 police officers representing the 4,000 police officers participating in the Blessing Ceremony. President Jimmy Morales of Guatemala brightened the Blessing Ceremony with his congratulatory address and the Family Peace Festival concluded successfully with three cheers of Eog Mansei.
After all the programs of the Dominican Republic Rally of Hope were completed, leaders, other members, and second-generation youth of the Latin American region attended the Victory Celebration at the Hotel Hodelpa Gran Almirante at 8:00 p.m., hosted by Sun-jin nim and In-sup nim. Everyone thanked True Parents for the Dominican Republic Rally of Hope and leaders gave reports on the results of the events. This was followed by a special Hyojeong performance by the second-generation youth by which they expressed their gratitude for True Parents’ love and blessing with a filial heart. The victory celebration concluded with three cheers of Eog Mansei.
The devotions of the Latin American leaders and members, who have inherited True Mother’s spirit of continuous advancement even in difficult circumstances, bore fruit today here in Heavenly Latin America. I am confident that these fruits of hope will become a great harvest.
Beloved Leaders and blessed families!
There is not much time remaining in the 40-Day Cosmic Canaan Course for the Firm Establishment of Cheon Il Guk. As we all witnessed, this speaking tour has been an amazing course through which we could go beyond national restoration and build a substantial foundation for the declaration of continental restoration. We know very well that at the center of this has been True Mother’s blood, sweat, and tears, which has led us to such an unprecedented and grand victory.
The final rally, the Clergy Leadership Rally of Hope to Advance the Providence to Realize one Heavenly World, will be a historic event. On the foundation of these national and continental victories, 30,000 Christian leaders, including 1,000 renowned members of the Christian clergy from around the world, will gather under True Parents’ wings to attend True Mother, the substantial Holy Spirit, the Only Begotten Daughter of God.
I can hear Jesus’ sorrowful cry as he looked at the people of Israel who did not have faith in him. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”(Mathew 23:37) True Parents have walked a thorny courses to bring the world, the children, and the prepared Christian foundation under their wing. However, the people would not gather. Instead, they threw rocks and attacked our True Parents. Now things are different. We know that if we unite with True Mother, the substantial Holy Spirit, and the Only Begotten Daughter, miracles will happen. Therefore, we must gather our devotions, investing our whole selves, even putting our lives on the line so that the finale of the 40-Day Cosmic Canaan Course for the Firm Establishment of Cheon Il Guk, the Clergy Leadership Rally of Hope to Advance the Providence to Realize one Heavenly World, will be absolutely victorious.
I earnestly ask that our leaders and all members offer devotion and prayer for True Mother’s health, as she even now offers earnest devotions throughout the night, and prayer for the victory of the coming events.
Thank you.