Universal Values: A World of Universal Enlightenment

Educational Activities

Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon have expended great effort to cultivate leaders for the future who will create God’s nation. Throughout their lives, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han have been teaching and guiding humankind to become true children of God, developing various educational projects toward this purpose.

Modern education, with its focus on intellectual understanding, is lacking in heart-based character education. Rev. Moon and Dr. Han have emphasized that, in the coming global village era, those who will lead the way in our society of one human family must be people who first love heaven, humankind, the nation, the world, and all things in the universe. Rev. Moon and Dr. Han have founded schools, ranging from preschool to graduate school, with the motto: “Love heaven, love humankind, and love your country.” In Korea, these include the Sunhwa preschool, Kyungbok Elementary School, Sunhwa Arts Middle and High School, Sunjung High School, Sunjung International Tourism High School, Cheongshim International Academy (middle and high school), Sun Moon University, and Sunhak UP Graduate University. They have also supported the University of Bridgeport and the Unification Theology Seminary in the United States, and the International Peace Leadership College (IPLC) in the Philippines, among others.

Kyungbok Elementary School received official approval for its establishment in 1964. In 1962, the Daehan Children’s Art Troupe (The Little Angels) was established, followed by the Little Angels Arts School, which opened in 1974. In 1977 it became the Sunhwa Arts School. The Hanyang Girl’s Commercial Middle School was acquired in 1989, and renamed Sunjung Middle School. Cheongshim International Academy was founded in 2005 at the Cheongpyeong (Seorak) Holy Ground.

Sun Moon University began as the Unification Theological Seminary, which opened in 1972 at the Central Training Center in Guri, just outside Seoul. In 1986 a Methodist seminary building was acquired in Cheonan, and the two seminaries merged into the Seonghwa Theological Seminary. In 1989, the school received approval to be restructured as Seonghwa University. It was elevated to regular university status in 1991, and on March 1, 1994, was renamed Sun Moon University.

Since the early 1970s, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han wanted to establish an international university at the Cheongpyeong holy ground. In March 2004, that wish was realized through the Cheongshim Graduate School of Theology, set up to cultivate outstanding spiritual and religious leaders. In January 2016 the school changed its name to Sunhak UP Graduate University.

In the United States, in 1974, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han acquired a Christian Brothers boarding school campus along the Hudson River in Barrytown, New York, and in September of 1975 launched the Unification Theological Seminary’s two-year religious education course. The vision of an inter-religious theological seminary, which Rev. Moon and Dr. Han imagined when they first came to the United States in 1971, was thus realized. In 1992, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han took up the support of the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. Ironically, this was the very state in which the correctional facility at Danbury is located, the place where Rev. Moon was unjustly incarcerated for a year, in 1984-85. Managing a university in the United States presented an opportunity for Rev. Moon and Dr. Han to expand their educational projects internationally. By 2016, more than 40 schools, institutes, and educational organizations loosely connected by MOUs were formally integrated and are now managed under the Sunhak Global Education Foundation.

Rev. Moon and Dr. Han have actively implemented numerous projects to support the education of a new generation. In 2011, at the Cheonhwa Palace in Las Vegas, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han founded the WonmoPyeongae (Scholarship) Foundation to support the cultivation of future leaders who would practice a life of service and sharing toward realizing the dream of a peaceful world. Following the Holy Ascension (Seonghwa) of Rev. Moon, True Mother declared she would sell Rev. Moon and Dr. Han’s helicopter and use the proceeds for the education of second-generation members of FFWPU. The WonmoPyeongae Foundation was established with funds from Rev. Moon’s Seonghwa donations and the helicopter sale. The WonmoPyeongae Foundation Preparation Committee was inaugurated in September 2012, and the scholarship program for educating future leaders began in earnest in 2013. In 2016, the foundation’s name was changed to the Hyojeong World Peace Foundation. It provides scholarships to cultivate potential global leaders beyond race, religion, and nationality, and it also funds the Sunhak Peace Prize Awards to support current leaders whose activities advance the cause of world peace.

In 2011, the Cranes Club was launched as a medium through which young professionals of Unificationist background could network and share their expertise, in Korea, Japan, the United States, Canada, Europe, and other countries. That year some 120 Cranes Club members gathered for the Inaugural General Assembly. In 2013, after an event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Missionary Work in Europe, some 400 participants attended the inauguration of the European chapter of the Cranes Club. True Mother emphasized that the movement’s second generation members are like “pure water” that can flow after 6,000 long years of (biblical) history, and she encouraged them to live and work for the sake of future generations.

Rev. Moon and Dr. Han’s plan to create an academy where future leaders of Cheon Il Guk would be raised to inherit Rev. Moon and Dr. Han’s traditions was realized in October, 2012. The next month, in November, this institution was named the Universal Peace Academy (UPA). It was officially launched in 2013 at the Sunhak UP Graduate University. Top Gun workshops for young leaders were launched in September 2013. Dr. Han expressed the hope that “all of you who are with me in this era will become historic figures,” and urged the participants to lead the way in spreading Rev. Moon and Dr. Han’s ideology to all corners of the world. She also stressed the need to educate people to protect the earth’s environment. The Top Gun program has featured 14 workshops around the world, in Korea, Japan, Cambodia, and other Asian and European countries, and is cultivating leaders aligned with Rev. Moon and Dr. Han’s will. In 2016, Global Top Gun Youth (GTGY) was launched for youth and university students. GTGY has held a workshop each year at the HJ Cheonbo (Cheongpyeong) Training Center, and has educated and cultivated future leaders who are aligned with God and Rev. Moon and Dr. Han.

Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) was launched in 2017. YSP is a global network of young people who work to identify solutions to the problems of modern society. They provide a vision for opening an era of peace and are nurturing future peace activists.

In 2018, the Hyojeong Peace Academy was launched centered on 430 recipients of scholarships from the WonmoPyeongae Global Foundation, from 49 nations. The Hyojeong Peace Academy’s goals include providing the foundation for its students to become true people of filial piety centered on True Parents.

Ideological and Academic Movement

Through the development of Unification Thought, Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon systematized the Unification Principle in logical form, and encouraged academics to study and discuss it at various conferences. Unification Thought outlines how absolute values can be applied to human culture, from the perspective of God, the causal Being. When we grasp the viewpoint of God, we can find the unifying points between divided ideologies and philosophies. Thus, Unification Thought is a God-centered ideology. It has also been called Head-Wing Thought, to stress its role as the ideology that can take the central position of the head in today’s society, providing a sense of direction to lost and confused humanity. It is neither a right-wing nor a left-wing ideology, but embraces both, like siblings, and unites them under a parental philosophy.

By 1972, Unification Thought had been systematized and an institute for its study was established as a foundation upon which to influence the academic world. The Unification Thought Institute has conducted in-depth research and striven to provide solutions to the chaos of modern society, including instilling sound values in school curricula. Particularly in 1973, the book Essentials of Unification Thought, outlining the theoretical system of the Unification Principle, was published. In 1975, the Theory of Value was added and a second edition was published. In 1994 a revised edition of 11 chapters was printed. Unification Thought has received some attention in the academic world as an ideology of peace that can transcend all boundaries and heal rifts between nations, religions, and ideological views.

Rev. Moon and Dr. Han have developed systems of thought and established academic forums, and have called for the spiritual awakening of intellectuals through various avenues, with a view to realizing a world based on the principles of interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values. Rev. Moon and Dr. Han have hoped to rally scholars and professors around the world and unite them based on Unification Thought. Rev. Moon and Dr. Han have pointed out that “it is not politicians that move the world, but scholars.” They have brought together professors from across the globe and encouraged them to come up with policies that can guide humankind into the future, in all fields of endeavor, based on sound values.

The Inaugural Assembly of the Professors World Peace Academy (PWPA) was held in 1973 in Seoul, South Korea, with 163 participating professors. This was followed by Unification Principle Seminars for professors and university students (CARP), Korea-Japan Friendship Seminars for professors, the International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences (ICUS) and other initiatives. Under the common goal of activating academics to contribute to world peace, branches of PWPA were established in Japan in 1974, in the United States in 1978, and in Europe in 1979. From 1982 onward, branches were established around the world to create a global academic network for peace. By the year 2000, eight international conferences had been held, exploring solutions to major issues blocking the path to world peace. The conferences played a role in predicting and propelling major events of the era. For example, at the Second International Congress, held in Geneva, Switzerland in 1985, the end of communism was declared, long before most people imagined such a possibility. At the Third International Congress, in Manila, the Philippines in 1987, China’s leading role in the new era was predicted.

The International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences (ICUS) is a forum through which scientists in various fields can pursue points of harmony and common understanding, based on the absolute values presented in Unification Thought. At the first ICUS in 1972, participants discussed the topic “The Moral Orientation of the Sciences.” The conferences continued almost every year, with 22 by the year 2000. These were held in Korea, Japan, the United States and Great Britain. Top scholars from around the world participated and discussed Science and Absolute Values, World Peace, the New Cultural Revolution, and other broad-based themes. At each event, Rev. Moon gave the keynote address. Rev. Moon and Dr. Han stressed that true science, and all true knowledge in various academic fields, must support an integrated and harmonious reality. ICUS provided the academic world with the opportunity to consider the absolute value of all things from a scientific perspective. After a hiatus from the year 2000, Dr. Han revived ICUS in 2017, adding the protection of the Earth’s environment as one of its key themes.

In 2017, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han created the Hyojeong Academic Center, comprising the Hyojeong Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Cheon Il Guk Academy, PWPA, and ICUS. Their mission is to apply Unification Thought to all academic fields, and thereby systematize a God-centered ideology centered on the culture of heart.

Media Activities

Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon have emphasized that media plays an important role in shaping values. Media can be more powerful than the military in bringing about a peaceful world, by promoting true values and true love. Rev. Moon and Dr. Han have said that “when the media incorporates true values and spreads consistent and reasonable arguments, they will become the flag-bearers of world peace.” They blazed a trail for a new media movement to transcend the limitations of existing media.

Their media projects began in 1971 with the publication of Weekly Religion, to foster interdenominational and interreligious understanding and harmony. In 1975, when the threat of international communism had reached its peak in Asia, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han established the newspaper Sekai Nippo in Japan, a nation largely indifferent to the threat of communism. Sekai Nippo raised the alarm at a time when communism was infiltrating every corner of Japanese society. In particular, between 1997 and 1998 the newspaper ran a four-part series on the theme, “Is the Communist Party Changing?” One article bore the title “Warning! The Japanese Communist Party is on the brink of taking political power!” This caused a sensation in the political sphere and among the general public. It was highly regarded as a must-read for all citizens.

Rev. Moon and Dr. Han stressed that newspapers should serve God and inform humankind by publishing editorials based on universal values. In 1976, The News World, a daily newspaper based in New York, was founded. After Rev. Moon and Dr. Han’s Washington Monument Rally on September 18, more than a dozen media professionals were hired, and on the final day of the year of the United States’ Bicentennial, December 31, 1976, the first issue was published. Notably, on November 4, 1980, the day of the U.S. presidential election, The News World caused a sensation when it printed the headline “Reagan Landslide,” predicting President Ronald Reagan’s unexpected election victory in advance. In 1983, The News World was renamed The New York City Tribune.

On January 1, 1982, a new daily newspaper, The Washington Times, was founded in Washington D.C., the capital of the United States. With no newspaper to represent a conservative viewpoint in Washington, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han considered the unchecked influence of the liberal Washington Post a danger to not only the United States but to the entire free world. The Washington Times supported the policies of the Reagan administration and established itself as an influential newspaper that challenged the views of The Washington Post. It gained acclaim through its commentary on U.S. government policies, and among 1,750 daily newspapers it was selected as one of the top three most influential daily newspapers after The New York Times and The New York Post. In 1983, The Washington Times played a critical role in pushing forward the Reagan administration’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) which influenced Mikhail Gorbachev in his policies for reform.

When the Soviet Union sought to implement its strategy of using Cuba and Nicaragua as bases for communist expansion, The Washington Times led a campaign to advocate the passage of a bill in the U.S. Congress to support the Nicaraguan freedom fighters. In 1988, the newspaper received the highest award at an international newspaper and editing competition hosted by the World Association of Newspapers. On April 12, 1992, the paper drew attention by publishing an exclusive interview with North Korean leader Kim Il-sung. In 1985, two sister magazines, the monthly World & I and the weekly Insight, began publication.

The Segye Times started as a general daily newspaper in Korea, in 1989. As a daily paper founded by a religious organization, it attracted much public attention. Rev. Moon stressed, “I am making a newspaper so that true stories about the world can be reported daily, and so the pages of The Segye Times can become a record of modern history.” He also said, “The media must be the spokesman of the truth and of conscience.” He instructed The Segye Times to present an authentic and reasonable point of view. It is the general practice of the news media to focus on timely reporting; however, the The Segye Times has focused on publicizing the views and thoughts of the silent majority and presenting an ideological orientation. Notably, the paper has been awarded for its investigative journalism and for the Best Newspaper Planning of the Year, among other awards. The Segye Times has contributed to popular culture by establishing the World Literature Award, which has become a prestigious award in Korea, the World Music Competition, World Agricultural Technology Development Award, the Kiseong Go Competition, and the Seogwipo, Jeju Island International Marathon.

In addition, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han published the Korean Student Times for professors and students; two Spanish-language daily newspapers, Noticias Del Mundo in New York and Tiempos del Mundo in Argentina; and other weekly news organs. They also acquired the Washington Television Center and United Press International (UPI), one of the world’s top four news agencies.

While developing their own media organizations, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han also initiated the World Media Conference to invite journalists from around the world to consider the role of responsible media. The first World Media Conference was held on October 19, 1978, in New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Publishers, editors, editorial writers, journalists, media scholars, and other media personnel from major media outlets around the world attended. The conference took the lead in discussing the responsibility and role of truthful media. Rev. Moon and Dr. Han educated the world’s journalists through the World Media Conference and encouraged them to play a responsible and positive role in informing and influencing the public. In particular, the World Media Conference was the basis for Rev. Moon and Dr. Han’s meeting with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. From 1982, through the World Media Association, hundreds of American and other foreign journalists visited the Soviet Union, and from 1988 representatives of the Soviet media participated. On this foundation, in April of 1990, the 11^th World Media Conference was held in Moscow, co-hosted by the Novosti News Agency. The theme of the conference was “The Global Implications of Glasnost and Perestroika” (policies of openness and restructuring), which led to Rev. Moon and Dr. Han’s visit to the Soviet Union and their meeting with President Gorbachev.

Culture and the Arts

Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon see cultural and artistic pursuits as ideal media for the expression of true beauty and universal values, and they have initiated many projects in this area. On Korean Children’s Day, May 5, 1962, the Little Angels children’s folk ballet was founded, originally called the Daehan Children’s Dance Troupe. In 1969 the Korean Cultural Foundation was established and began supporting the arts. The Little Angels were pioneers in spreading the Korean people’s spirit of peace and Korea’s beautiful culture and performing arts to the world. At the time the dance troupe began, Korea’s international image was that of a nation of war and poverty; the Little Angels did a great deal to improve the nation’s image.

In 1965, U.S. President Eisenhower invited the Little Angels for a special performance. Since then they have performed in more than 70 nations around the world. The Little Angels have fulfilled their role as “ambassadors of peace” through more than 6,000 performances, in Korea and abroad, over 600 TV performances, and meetings with more than 50 heads of state. Notably, they performed in Pyongyang in 1998, following Rev. Moon and Dr. Han’s visit to North Korea in 1991. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, moreover, the Little Angels toured the more than 20 nations that sent troops or medical personnel to support the war effort, expressing Korea’s gratitude to the veterans and their families.

On the foundation of the Little Angels’ activities, the Little Angels Arts School was established in 1974. Rev. Moon and Dr. Han envisioned a professional ballet company in which the early graduates, who had completed their training overseas at the world-famous Monaco Royal Ballet School and U.K. Royal Ballet School, could display their talent. In 1984, Universal Ballet was established. As the first private vocational ballet company in Korea, the troupe has given more than 1,800 performances in 21 nations around the world, and has grown into one of Korea’s leading ballet companies. In 1989, the Universal Ballet Academy opened in Washington D.C. On that day, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han bestowed the motto, written in Chinese calligraphy, “Heavenly Art Creating Beauty on Earth.”

Beginning in 1998, Universal Ballet became the first Korean ballet troupe to go on tour overseas. During a tour in 2001, they performed at three major U.S. opera theaters, receiving excellent reviews in the New York Times and the LA Times. In 2012, their performance of Swan Lake in the Republic of South Africa, to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and South Africa, was the first Korean ballet performance in Africa and was considered a successful instance of cultural diplomacy. In particular, the troupe performed an original ballet entitled “Shim Chung,” based on a famous Korean folk tale, in Moscow and Paris, both famous for their own ballet traditions. In 1999, Universal Ballet was awarded the Presidential Korean Culture and Arts award.

In August of 1992, the World Culture and Sports Festival was launched to promote international, interracial, and inter-religious harmony. Rev. Moon and Dr. Han stressed that the World Culture and Sports Festival was not, like the Olympics, a competition of physical mastery, but rather an event centered on religion and the spirit. The festival incorporated numerous events and activities, including an International Marriage Blessing, an ICUS conference, PWPA International Congress, World Media Conference, Summit Council for World Peace, WFWP World Convention, Assembly of the World’s Religions, CARP Convention of World Students, and the World University Students Hanmadang Sports Festival. The World Culture and Sports Festival was a festival in which scholars, religious leaders, journalists, politicians, youth leaders, athletes, and others met as members of one global family centered on God. It was launched in 1992 and was held 14 times, until 2012, in Seoul, Washington D.C., New York and other locations.

Peace movements through sports continued. With the goal of promoting peace and harmony through soccer, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han formed the Ilhwa Chunma (“Heavenly Horse”) soccer team in Korea in 1989, the CENE soccer team in Brazil in 1999, and acquired the Brazilian Sorocaba soccer team in 2000. The Ilhwa Chunma team gained three straight wins in Korean professional soccer tournaments, and in 2006 achieved a record by winning seven league titles, taking its place in the annals of football fame.

In 2002, the Sun Moon Peace Soccer Foundation and the Sun Moon Peace Cup Tournament were created. The first tournament was held in 2003, and until 2012 it was held every two years in Korea, Spain, and other nations. Many prestigious clubs including PSV, Tottenham Hotspur, Olympique Lyonnais, and others participated in the Peace Cup International Club Soccer Tournament, which attracted much attention. Later, the Peace Queen Cup—an international women’s soccer tournament—and the Wongu Peace Cup were established.

In 1997, the Martial Arts Federation for World Peace was established in Washington D.C., through which Rev. Moon and Dr. Han rallied martial artists from around the world. In 1979 Rev. Moon and Dr. Han suggested developing a martial art based on circular motion, and gave it the name “Wonhwa.” On April 15, Rev. Moon and Dr. Han wrote the motto, “Advancing Bravely Forward with Discipline,” and Wonhwa-do was officially launched. Wonhwa-do employs different circular movements in a harmonious flow; through this martial art one trains to become an upright person of love. Another martial art, Tongil Moodo, was also created, combining existing martial arts through the application of Unification Thought. With a foundation in 40 nations, the Martial Arts Federation for World Peace, centered on Tongil Moodo and Wonhwa-do, is spreading Rev. Moon and Dr. Han’ philosophy and martial arts teachings to promote peace and harmony. They are also conducting missionary work through martial arts by teaching unified martial arts skills. The World Tongil Moodo Peace Cup Tournament was launched in the United States in 2004 and the World Tongil Moodo World Cup was launched in 2007.

Rev. Moon and Dr. Han have emphasized a culture of heart, in which we form a parent-child bond with God and cultivate a heart of true love. People living in the culture of heart will protect God’s lineage and live for the sake of one another, treating each other as brothers and sisters. In 2016, the Hyojeong International Cultural Foundation was inaugurated as the culmination of decades of efforts to instill the culture of heart in diverse fields of human endeavor. The Hyojeong International Cultural Foundation is the headquarters for teaching about the heart of filial piety toward God (hyojeong), through culture. Hyojeong is the central axis of the heart, connecting the various cultural and artistic activities throughout the world to God. The Hyojeong International Cultural Foundation is providing scholarships and educational programs through its various departments – music, media, fine arts, dance, and others – to cultivate talented artists that will represent the culture of heart.