Joint Communique of the International Leadership Seminar

Japan, the bearer of Oriental culture in the modern age, and Britain, the mother country of democracy based on Christianity in the Western world, are two nations of great importance today because of their key positions in East and West respectively and their decisive role in determining the fate of Asia and Europe in the future. Representing these two nations, 65 Tokyo University students and 85 students from Oxford, Cambridge and other British Universities future leaders of their countries- were invited to the United States of America, the leading country of the free world, to attend the “International Leadership Seminar” held in San Francisco and New York respectively for 40 days in July and August, 1973, to afford students an opportunity to discuss various problems of Christianity, democracy, Communism, etc., and to search for the possibility of building a peaceful, united world.

In the seminar, many lectures were given by prominent American professors and scholars in a variety of fields, and a new value-oriented world-view called the “Divine Principle” was introduced. The students’ reaction to the ideas of the Divine Principle varied from positive interest to indifference and negative rejection.

Nevertheless, most students were deeply impressed and inspired by the young members of the host organization, who were working devotedly for the cause of bringing happiness and genuine peace to mankind as a living reality in people’s lives, guided by an understanding of the Divine Principle. The faith and dedication of the staff members to teaching the Divine Principle led the students to think that there might be in the Divine Principle a new possibility of saving their countries and leading the future world.

In the last part of the seminar, the students of both countries as well as many American student members of the host organization met together at Estes Park, Colorado.

At a joint conference held on August 25, 1973, the students had discussions on such themes as: l. How to deal with the Christian crisis 2. The future of Communism

3. The possibility establishing world unity.

As for the first theme, it was pointed out that, among the many critical problems in the present world, such as pollution, overpopulation, and the shortage of natural resources, the most serious one concerns the crisis in man’s spiritual condition caused by the decline of the Christian spiritual basis of today’s world civilization. It was also noted that the cause of the crisis lies in man’s own nature and that Christians should participate more actively and positively in the efforts to solve the problems of the world by carrying out the Christian teachings of God’s love in the practical concerns of the world.

With respect to the second and third themes, it was pointed out that Communism can never solve the essential problems of man because Communism puts emphasis on the material aspects of social life and ignores man’s spiritual nature. It was further concluded that the main reason for Communism’s success in expansion is not the validity of its ideology but the failures and defects of the free world.

As for the possibility of establishing world unity, opinions were expressed that it is desirable to build a world family without national barriers and that it is necessary to make practical efforts, step by step, to establish friendly relations among all the nations of the world.

The participants agreed that this kind of joint conference is very significant and that it is necessary to make further efforts to consider these problems more positively in the days ahead.

Finally, all the participants expressed deep gratitude to the American professors and scholars for their instructive lectures, to the staff members of the host organization for their kind service and hospitality, and to the leaders of the Unification Church in many countries, whose efforts made possible the great success of the seminar as a whole.