Founder's Address Sixth World Media Conference - Original Document

~ 1983 TIMES-TRIBUNE CORPORATION

Honorable Chainnen and Vice-Chainnen, distinguished representatives of the corrmunications media, ladies and gentlemen: I am very pleased to welcome all of you tb the Sixth World Media Conference. I would also like to thank you for your participation. We are holding this year’s conference in the beautiful city of Cartagena, Colombia. It is very significant that the conference is convening here for several reasons. · For one, the world press today is extremely interested in Latin America. Here the free world centered on the United States, and the Corrmunist world centered on the Soviet Union are locked in a grave conflict. The CoITTTiunist world has ad- vanced its front line to Central America, the backyard of the United States and the land bridge between -North and South America. Central America has become a hot spot in world affairs. Colombia is the nation located where Central and South America are linked together. The nation of Colombia has always been a leader of Latin America and a defender of freedom in the world. Colombia is a nation known throughout the world for her great democratic and cultural tradition. In 1950, when Communist North Korea attacked South Korea, Colombia was among the sixteen nations which sent troops to stop that aggression. Many gallant men were wounded and many gave their lives in that war, thousands of miles from their homeland. On behalf of all the Korean people and freedom-loving people everywhere, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the anned forces and people of Colombia for their courageous action in that hour of great need. The United Nations forces who participated in that war were fighting not only for Korea, but for the freedom of all the people and nations of the world. The government and people of Colombia have also been fighting a long Communist guerilla war right here on Colombian soil, and yet they have built Colombia into one of the most advanced and prosperous countries of this hemisphere. Colombia is a symbol of Latin American success, and we are indeed happy to be holding our World Media Conference here. For many years, I have had a deep interest in Latin America. I first visited the South American continent eighteen years ago. At that time, I was concerned about the future of this part of the world, particularly the spiritual destiny of its people. As I come here this time, I recognize that the situation has intensi- fied, and come to the point of grave danger. For that reason, kindly pennit me to share with you some of my own reflections on Latin America. I do not believe that it was by mere chance that the American continents were unknown to the Western world until the fif t eenth century. I believe that this was part of a special providence of God. God prepared this part of the world for the sake of the development and expansion of His providence. Many of the first people seeking a land where they could freely worship God, and seeking to bring the message of Christ to the natives of the New World. It was certainly God’s desire that unity and friendship would blossom between the native people and the European settlers. The New World of America should have been a model of the hannony of all people under God.

guardian of truth and the champion of freedom. I know that there are journalists in the world who are willing to dedicate themselves to this task, even at the risk of their lives. I believe that such men and women will play a major role in quiding human history through the present crisis and toward prosperity. There can be no compromise in this. I have begun the Unification movement to serve humankind in the crucial hour of history. The -Unification movement does not seek to preserve the status quo . Sometimes we are just classified as anti-Communist, but that category is far too 11 11

narrow to encompass the goals of this movement. We see that fundamentally, God is a reality. The challenge which we face today is to make God real in th e lives of men and women. The violent class struggle which Communism proposes will never bring about human prog~ess, because there is nothing really new or revolutionary about violence. A moral revolution which makes God real in the hearts of men is the genuine revolution ~eeded today. , · The Unification movement has been established to bring that revolution. We do not go to Central and South America just to condemn Co1TJT1unism. There exists another equally vicious evil--selfishness. This selfishness is manifested in indi- vidual, social, and political corruption. I am brinqinq a philosophy--a worldview-- which is like a two-edqed sword. It can cut throuqh the falseness of Communism, and it can cut throuqh spiritual and social corruption. Toqether with the love of God, this worldview is renewinq the human spirit. It is very clear that toda.v the industrialized nations are too nurrow in the ·ir thinking. In seeking their own benefit and national interests, they fail to achieve the highest perspective of value. Of course, the Soviet Union also seeks only _its own benefit through the exoansion of Corrmunism. As long as individual nations can see and pursue only their own national interests, there will be war and struy gl e on the earth . …:;; True peace can only be obtained when the viewpoint of each nation is raised to a global level. the hiohest oersoective of value. The world must be viewed as a who l e and nations must work together toward a common destiny of well-being and prosperity. Men and women must come to realize that selfishness is mankind’s worst enemy, for it is when we live to benefit and enrich others that we ourselves benefit the most. This simple yet profound truth may be called the formula for peace. In achieving this goal, the part played by the media is vital. Here in this World Media Conference, you will have time to reflect on the role of the media in these affairs. Some say that one good media person is more powerful than any congressman, senator or even president. I believe that this is true . Tile power of the media is like the power of love. It is the greatest power. It can be used for tremendous good or tremendous destruction. When it is emplciyed properly. there is understanding, harmony, beauty, and hapµi ness. When it is mi suscd. there is qreat confusion and human sufferinq. That qreat power must be wield ed v-1ith \’Jisdnn1 I sincerely pray that God may guide this conference. I also hope that ciurinCJ your busy schedule you will still be able to ap~ reciate the beauty which surrounds us here. By knowing a country, you can grm-1 to love it. If we love Latin /\mcricu, I believe that when we write about these countries, we will do so with a sincere ~heart and with a real desire to express their true situation. God bless you all . .. Thank you .

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