Principles that can bring peace

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. 

 Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson
    



 What do you think about this quote? I have been speculating on this quote to figure it out. Knowing the author’s background, I guess it’s about being diligent that can make us be free from pressures or slump. He is a lecturer, poet and essayist who wrote mainly about self-improvement and successful life.

 However I would like to apply it to world peace, not 
only to individual peace. I thought world peace also can be brought only by ourselves and the triumph of principles. What would be ‘the principles’ in this case? It might be the principles of to get along with other people and not to fight with anyone. Yes, it’s love. In other words, not being selfish but being altruistic. Sounds really elementary, yet it is not easy to put in action. Again, there’s no other one who can bring us peace but ourselves, so it is us who 
should make the principles achieve a triumph too.

 How is it possible to be selfish and altruistic at the same time? Be diligent for yourself and be loving for all of us. In this way we may achieve a perfect peace!

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Israel wants to wipe out Palestinian in Gaza

 Who started this war and what is their ‘legitimate’ reason for this endless war?

Israel and Palestine have been fighting for territory for about 100 years. They are taking each other’s life to ‘live’ in the area even though they cannot live more than a hundred year. Of coures we can’t fully understand how does it feel and how much it is uncomfortable having no land vested for their nation, but still what is a nation for? It is also to live a good life instead of to kill others or oneself.

 There may be a lot of people who totally forgot this basic function of state and religion. People who are said to be taught and selected by God would neither fight nor enjoy fighting. However what are they doing? ‘Oh my God.’ I would like to ask God if HE taught them to revenge or even kill others, and to whom HE would like to allow the region as their own land. Also there might be some invisible political powers encouraging this war between Israeli and Palestinian. I hope everyone involved in this conflict realize that there’s no war unavoidable, but is only caused by our dreadful greed.

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John Lennon and the world he dreamed

 We can’t talk about pop music without Beetles, and you may know very well about the leader of beetles, John Lennon.

▲'War is over if you want it'

 When we talk about him, we can point it out that he was a kind of anti-war activist. He stood against the Vietnamese war, and he sang several songs dreaming of the world where wars ended. You may know this beautiful song, however let’s listen it again and think about the lyrics.

 Imagine there’s no heaven

 It’s easy if you try

 No hell below us

 Above us only sky

 Imagine all the people

 Living for today ahaa

 Imagine there’s no countries

 It isn’t hard to do

 Nothing to kill or die for

 And no religion ahaa

 Imagine all the people

 Living life in peace you

 You may say I’m a dreamer

 But I’m not the only one

 I hope someday you’ll join us

 And the world will be one

 Imagine no possessions

 I wonder if you can

 No need for greed or hunger

 A brotherhood of man

 Imagine all the people

 Sharing all the world you

 You may say I’m a dreamer

 But I’m not the only one

 I hope someday you’ll join us

 And the world will be one

 Some of the words can be interpreted in political way, but above all, you may sympathize with them dreaming of one, peaceful world.

 Perhaps, peace is something tedious, trite word to you, but I hope you to remember the fact that there are still so many people who desire and are waiting for peace right now.

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Question : what makes us fight

 Even though many peace movements have done -the end of Liberia's 14year civil war in 2003 by Leymah Gbowee, Bringing six different tribes together in 2006 by Tegla Loroupe, Mindanao peace agreement in 2014 by Man Hee Lee, uncountable peace works of Nelson Mandela and etc.- the world peace hasn't been achieved yet.

 First of all, I would like to clarify that who fights and who kills. Who makes the wars and who decides us to fight and kill. Who does have those authorities to command and order it to us? We should not be deceived by some power that splits us into many pieces.

 Peace, is it something that human races can never achieve? I want to ask to leaders in the world. How could there still be wars and sufferings even though there are international laws and pacts for peace. If the leaders and the laws cannot make peace come true, who can or what can bring peace?

 

 Can it be happen for real? I think, to fulfill our aim, the leaders in the world should now gather for peace. Still some sacrifices will be required, people are losing their home and nations. Pain never decrease, but increases as time goes by. Can we say it is meaningful if all activities and movements could not bring peace? We should not wait any more, and we should not stand this cruel situation all around the world any more.

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Peace and Art

 Starting my peace blog, I recognized and got to know that this whole world is still in war and danger. Lots of people and countries are in suffering because of conflicts and wars. I began my blog to let people know about this sufferings in the world and to make people have their movement. If we know the situation, no one will stay still.

There are also many people who is trying to convey a message about peace in various way. As for artists who have interest in peace, I want to show one project. It is "ART WORKS Projects" for human rights. It is project to use design and the arts to raise awareness of and educate about significant human rights and environmental issues. this art works provides visual advocacy tools which produce action on human rights crises in various way.

 Through this project, I wish to aware about others (different races, countries) pain. Most important thing for art, I think, it's to let people know the meaning of work(art pieces) and recognize their(one who sees the art work) positions of how could this works(art pieces) can be solved or happened in their own lives. By knowing this project, I want many people to think of its meaning of peace.

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Peace through Music

 Directors Mark Johnson, Jonathan Walls and the Playing for Change team traveled the countries with their hope to connect the globe through music. They started their move from South Africa to Middle East to Himalayas and beyond. They took the video and recorded more than 100 players (musicians) in various places. Each music creates new mix together. With the title "Playing For Change : Peace Through Music" It shows its bound collaboration internationally.

 Their passion to connect the world through music, the video shows that 'the world and the planet is not his or hers or theirs but it's ours.'

"Because music knows no boundaries, knows no races. It's possible for music to bring peace around the world." In the movie says.

 

 As a person to love music, this movement is very remarkable. The power of music, it is unmeasurable. There are many movement and many advocates who is putting lots of efforts for peace. But still, yet, the Peace is not in our place. Why is so? It's really hard to find the reason and the answer. I hope this movement "Playing for change :　Peace through Music" gives us clue to achieve peace. 

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WORLD PEACE IS POSSIBLE, WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER

Do you remember the movement “KONY 2012”?

 It started from the U.S, and it made a huge impact. Joseph Kony is a world famous criminal who is still committing crimes in Africa. He kidnapped more than 30,000 kids, making boys to his army, abusing girls but no one was trying to stop him. 

 One film uploaded on the internet March 2012 made huge effect. This film was created in 2012 to arrest Joseph Kony making him famous on the internet. Many people watched this film and spread it around.

Viewers explosively increased, people started to wear KONY 2012 shirts, and went out to the street to put posters about this criminal.

 And also, people sent mail to celebrities whose taking part in cultural and political area effectively. As a result, many famous celebs participated in this movement. As this case became a publicly hot potato, president Obama made a movement as a response and made a promise to resolve the problem.

 Consequently, we can say this movement was failed because the original goal to capture Joseph Kony in 2012 was not accomplished. Also, there are many opinions against this movement. BUT, through this movement I found the HOPE. When we are separated, and isolated, we don’t have any power. But thanks to such things like internet and SNS, now we can look each other through the screen. When we share our thoughts, and act in one purpose -the world peace-, we can change the leaders in the world, and the world of peace will be achieved.

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Peace we make : Harmony (5)

 Lots of peace advocates spent their life time to achieve peace. But still there is no complete thing that we can call as Peace. Then, we got to think of what is real meaning of peace because, there are so many things we can think of inside the word : Peace. We can think of war, poor, volunteer, pollution, injustice, gaps, human right, women, children and etc. And then we have to think of how can we solve this various problems to achieve peace. We can realize that there are still many problems to solve out.

 But, if all people, in each mind, has aims of Peace, wouldn't we at last found a clue to the solution of our problem? Starting with giving thought to Peace, We can take one step ahead to begin our movement.

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Guatemala : Peace in our hand

 Manhee Lee from Korea laid flower (rose) in the Peace statue in Guatemala city.

 It was second time for Korean to lay a flower in Guatemala. First Korean was Ban Ki Moon the UN Secretary General, and the Second Korean is Man Hee Lee the chairman of HWPL.

 Guatemala city gave a testimonial to nongovernment peace advocate Man Hee Lee. Laying flower in the Palm of Peace (in National Palace of Guatemala City). It means that Guatemala City agrees with peace agreement has contributed peace to the city (Guatemala).

 We can think as 'What's the big deal of laying flower to the statue?' But statue has it's meaning of event or a person to keep those meaning to next generations. Countries where has experienced war, where aims for peace, often put up a peace monument to keep the mind and heart of earlier peace activists.

 In the world, there are many wars. As we know there are sufferings from war. This sadness has to be disappeared. We must love and hold each other to make peace possible.

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World Cup & Peace

Some world cup stars are acting unpredictably making their sportsmanship meaningless.

The first one was Pepe from Portugal. Pepe got a red card because he head-butted Thomas Müller after he made a foul on him in the World Cup game with German team.

'Dracula', Luis Suarez from Uruguay bited Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder during a tussle in first round with Italy.

Ghanaian player Kevin-Pince Boateng was suspended indefinitely from the national team for hurling abuse at coach while he was training. Alex Song was sent off for striking Mario Mandzukic with his elbow and he gained a nickname like crazy elbow.

Unlike these immature players there is a player who ended civil war of his country. It’s Didier Drogba from the Ivory Coast. In the live interview just after The Ivory Coast national team qualified for the World Cup 2006, he made an impassioned plea kneeling infront of camera with his teammates.

“Men and women of Ivory Coast, from the North, South, Centre and West, we proved today that all Ivorians can co-exist and play together with a shared aim: to qualify for the World Cup. We promised you that the celebration would unite the people. Today, we beg you, on our kness. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. The one country in Africa with so many riches must not descend into war. Please lay down your weapons. Hold elections. All will be better. We want to have fun, so stop firing your guns…. (singing) We don’t want this fire, we don’t want this again.”  

Like magic, combatants halted the war for a week, and a year after the German World cup over, the civil war of 5 years was ceased. Drogba used half of his annual income to build a hospital for Ivorian people suffering from diseases.

He said, “I have won many trophies in my time, but nothing will vever top helping win the battle for peace in my country.” The story of Drogba was used in advertisement saying that the World Cup makes us understand each other, and it make us to remind the eaning of World Cup to the world.  

I realized a true sportsmanship through him making efforts to bring about peace as well as trying his best in his own field. Hope this moving story of Drogba would touch us all deeply, so that there comes the second and third Drogbas who love peace, cry out for peace and achieve peace! 

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Transformers : Classical Heroes

Hollywood blockbuster ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ hit the widescreens worldwide on June 25, breaking the box-office records of this year. It is attrackting enormous audience taking 1,500 theaters, although it is the fourth film of its series.

What different appeal does Transformers have in comparison to other movies that have heroes defeating evils i.e. Spiderman, Ironman, X-man and so on? Through animated movies like Tayo, Robocar Poli and Tobot which are the favorites of kids, you can find that cars and robots are common materials. Large scale action scenes consist of transformation of the cars you loved in your childhood and which are the most precious things for now as well, seasoned with acient legend make us keep eagerly looking forward to the next sequel.

Most of scenarios go like this. In the conflict of good and evil, good seems weak at first, but it wins finally thanks to the positive energy such as love, friendship, belief and justice and the world now regains peace. The reason we love these typical stories of action movies is, in my opinion, we all have wishes for peace and someone to make our world peaceful. Even the real world is full of violence and irrationalities, through the films we want to see the ideal world - paradise, where justice always gets the victory against the evil force no matter how great their power is.

However, the peace made by fictional hero and the dream of paradise made by someone is done in 2 to 3 hours as the end credits goes up. To make this fictional paradise nonfictional, I hope we can ‘transform’ our future world to a peaceful one by our hands however long it takes.

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