Miracles Happen Quietly and Without Notice

“When North America and South America become one, they will be like one country…. If North America and South America can unite; it will not be difficult for all the nations of Europe to unite. After Europe becomes one, it will be possible for Judaism and Christianity as well as for Christianity and Islam to become one. Therefore, the key is how North America and South America will become one… If these two continents were to become one, they would form a great power base. If this were to happen, Europe, North America and South America, and then Asia would naturally join the Christian cultural realm. That is why I must unite the cultural realm of Christianity in North America and South America and then connect it to Asia. I need to unite Asia with North America and South America. Without doing this there is no future.” — Cham Bumo Gyeong, p. 1194

Following an article presented in True Peace magazine in June 2018, “One America, a Dream of Interdependence, Co-Prosperity and Universal Shared Values,” based on the above quotations and our motivation to create a Peace Park representing the unity of the Americas, we, Mario Salinas, UPF-Honduras and Carol Pobanz, UPF-USA, formed a “virtual international trinity” over the internet with Laurent Ladouse, a True Peace contributor and the English to French translator of the French From left: Carol Pobanz, Laurent Ladouce, Fred edition of True Peace. Arment and Mario Salinas at World Summit 2020 director of the International Cities of At that time, Laurent had been studying a peace- Peace promoting NGO, International Cities of Peace (ICP) which has UN NGO status under ECOSOC, the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council. ICP is a networking organization linking together cities that have determined to make peace their civic agenda. Based on the inspiration Laurent shared with us, we successfully introduced this ICP idea in Tela, Honduras, during our peace project. The story of that adventure appeared in the March 2019 edition of True Peace as “Reclaiming Peace in Honduras, Some Initial Steps.”

Subsequently, the mayor of Tela, being inspired by this suggestion, agreed to register his city as a City of Peace and also sent a letter of encouragement to the government offices in Carol’s hometown, Nutley, in the US State of New Jersey, suggesting that they also register. Without further explanation, we report that both Nutley, NJ and Tela, Honduras became International Cities of Peace (Nutley the 223rd and Tela the 241st) in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Connecting this work to the world summit

Not having ever met before, except through email, in a united effort we three invited Fred Arment, co- founder and director of the International Cities of Peace, to World Summit 2020. When Mr. Arment received the letter of invitation to the summit, he politely declined, saying that he appreciated the invitation but regretted to say that he receives many international invitations and had made a decision that he would only be able to honor those invitations under which his travel expenses were covered. Undaunted by this rejection, we sought funds from a few close friends and supporters, and within three hours, had collected $1,200 to cover his travel expenses. Interestingly and rather serendipitously, while receiving the invitation to World Summit 2020, he simultaneously an invitation from the mayor’s office in Pocheon, Korea, a city of two hundred thousand people near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The government officials in Pocheon had evidently decided to make their city an International City of Peace, and had asked whether Mr. Arment might be able to attend the inauguration on February 5, in the afternoon, following the awarding of the Sunhak Peace Prizes at the summit. Mr. Arment thus accepted both invitations.

Meeting in Korea

Heaven orchestrates small miracles, moving people and opportunities like pawns around the global chessboard. As it happened, Mario, Carol and Laurent were all invited to staff World Summit 2020 and were able to meet one another in person for the first time. Additionally, we were all able to meet our mutual friend and guest Mr. Fredrick Arment.

Pocheon, an International City of Peace

On February 5, a car arrived from the City of Pocheon at KINTEX (the Korea Exhibition Center, where World Summit 2020 took place) to pick up Fred and Carol, whom Fred had invited to accompany him to the inauguration. Upon arrival at the city of Pocheon, at a meeting with Mayor Park, Carol delivered a message from Dr. Michael Jenkins, chairman of UPF-USA and a representative of World Summit 2020 – speaking the following:

As a representative of UPF-USA, one of the hosts of the World Summit, currently taking place in Seoul, at KINTEX, celebrating the centennial birthday of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon and the 77th birthday of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon in an event promoting world peace, convening five thousand delegates including heads of state and former heads of state, scientists, business leaders, religious leaders and media leaders to discuss the theme of “Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universally Shared Values,” I bring this message of support from Dr. Michael Jenkins, chairmen of Universal Peace Federation-USA. Dr. Jenkins’ Statement of Support to Pocheon City near the DMZ under the letterhead of the United States of America UPF Chapter, read as follows:

We recognize that the DMZ is the last line of division between nations on this planet. We also recognize the harmonizing power of God. We understand that the whole world is reflective of the actions and mind- set of individuals, and that peace is generated, first, through individuals, and that the family which is made up of individuals is the school of love where principles of peace and harmony are nurtured and developed. We believe that strong, peaceful families are the building blocks and primary social structure for building peaceful communities, peaceful nations and, finally, a peaceful world. The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) is striving for “One Family Under God” which will only come about when we act as family supporting the good work and efforts made by one another.

Therefore UPF-USA would like to acknowledge the people of Pocheon, Korea as our brothers and sisters under the parenthood of the one God of love, and we offer our wholehearted support and encouragement to you, wishing you success in your new endeavor to make your city an International City of Peace.

We recognize that world peace can never be established by one individual, but only when every individual, every family, city and nation around the world declares themselves a representative of peace, only then can peace be substantiated. We, the United States representatives of the Universal Peace Federation together with you will also pledge to continue to strive toward the fulfillment of this most noble of goals — to bring about a world of lasting peace.

May God continue to bless you, and your families,

Michael Jenkins, chairman, UPF North America

Following the reading of Dr. Jenkin’s letter, Mr. Arment and Carol, with an escort, entered a room with about a hundred and fifty civic representatives, some of whom made speeches. An exchange of gifts took place and the government officials from the city of Pocheon recited a pledge, a translation of which read as follows:

1. The United Nations declared World Peace Day to commemorate and strengthen the peace ideology for all the nations and peoples of the world.

2. The need to improve safety, prosperity and quality of life makes all citizens strive to turn mankind’s noblest desire for peace into a practical reality for future generations.

3. Community representatives in the city of Pocheon devote themselves to building peace in the region to promote the quality of life and improve economic opportunities for local residents.

4. Pocheon citizens will work together to become a model for cities around the world by inducing positive and lasting changes in peace-seeking not only in the city of Pocheon but around the world.

5. For this reason, on behalf of the citizens of Pocheon, we declare Pocheon as a permanent City of Peace. In this dignified manner, the City of Pocheon, known for being near the Demilitarized Zone dividing North Korea from South Korea, joined a growing list of Cities of Peace.

Again, as is often the case, miracles happen quietly and without much notice. Was it by chance or was it by design that on the concluding day of the World Summit the first International City of Peace in Korea was established in a Korean city with the goal of creating a peaceful economic relationship with North Korea? …a city that wants to develop as a tourist city sharing the beauty of the united Korean culture. …a city hoping to hold (barring any Coronavirus complications) a huge peace rally and music and arts festival in August of this year. Was it by chance or design that our international trinity who has been striving to create a model of unity in the Americas could meet for the first time in Korea to support our peace colleague, Mr. Arment who was invited to inaugurate this city as a City of Peace – representing the unity of North and South Korea? Was it a miracle? We claim it as such!

We have worked symbolically to create the unity of North and South America through the Peace Park, and we have thus been able to be a part of the symbolic unity of North and South Korea – a small miracle, and hopefully the foundation for a big miracle.

It seems that God has been inspiring works of peace all around the world, not only through the Unification Movement, but through the work of many good people and peace organizations. And our True Parents have worked diligently planting seeds and dotting the earth with peace activities. The time has come now for us, as central blessed families, to connect the dots, creating one unified web of care to embrace the whole world community. The work is already completed in the heart and mind of God Aju. It is ours to substantiate that work!