Declaration of the Foundation of the Council of Peace and Reunification Movement of YMCA Korea,
'Walk Together to Peace'
YMCA Korea was a cradle for the national independence movement and accepted Christianity as the source for a new spirit for our nation. As we accompanied the suffering of modern history with the Japanese colonial era, independence, division, and war, we devoted ourselves to planting seeds of hope again in this nation. We confessed that the last 100 years of history has been a history of grace that beared the fruit for the independence of the nation, establishing a modern nation, and building a self-governing civil society and democracy through the Vision Proclamation of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of National Council of YMCAs of Korea in 2014.
As we start a new 100 years now, YMCA Korea remembers that the dream of our forebear's national independence was not only about escaping from colonial control, but also building a nation that is worthy of a country. Therefore, we confirmed that our historical responsibility to achieve the dream has not finished yet, and we declare that this era is the era of conversion and the grace of Kairos. It is our dream to embrace as one body, the people of South and North, in the new century, having a banquet of peace with all the living things of the beautiful land of Korea, far and wide, and having a great feast of God's nation with people of five seas and the six continents holding hands together for the dance of life. It is our vision for the Korean peninsula which became the captive of cold war and division, that it liberates itself as a permanent peace zone, and that it builds a permanent coexistence and public order in East Asia. It is our vision to make a world of true peace and justice that deviates from the threat of the nuclear weapon and the nuclear energy development.
These dreams and visions were the dreams of the March First Independence Movement under the Japanese colonial era and the vision of democracy, cooperation and the self-governed civil society. It is a missional calling for the people who are called to be the disciples of peace. We want to start our journey of peace with these dreams and visions in 2015 in which we welcome the 70th anniversary of liberation and embarking on another 100 years of YMCA Korea. We would like to walk together on the path of peace so that YMCA Korea's new century can be a time of conversion and the grace of Kairos.
1. The path of peace is the path of walking together with 'God's peace'.
"Christians of South and North Korea idolized the idea that the forced ideology of each system was the absolute one. We repent and confess that it was a sin against God." The 'Declaration of the Korea Christian Council for the Reunification and Peace for the Nation (88 Declaration)', declares that achieving justice, peace, and reunification is God's commandment to Korean churches. The path to peace is not 'world peace', but walking together with 'God's peace'.
2. The path to peace is the path of walking together with the people of South and North.
We hated and killed our people who share our blood since our nation was divided. We doubled our crime by justifying the sins by the name of ideologies. Christians in Korea have confessed in front of God and the nation that deeply hating the other side under the divided system is our sin. Achieving God-given life and peace can be accomplished through the people's independent and democratic participation and cooperation. The path to peace is the path where people of South and North open their hearts and walk together with each other.
3. The path to peace is walking together with the South and the people of South.
Reunification is achieving justice and peace. It is not only the work of government nor the few professionals. It is achieving the true justice and peace of life. It is healing and reconciling the conflict and division of people among south Koreans. It is a work of building a society of coexistence and cooperation. Reunification is the path to peace that began already in the life of local community. The path to peace is the path where a local city youth council and all their members walk together with each other.
4. The path to peace is walking together with young adults.
Peace and reunification has already begun, but it needs to be cultivated continuously. It is a work of the faithful young adults who are dedicated to the mission work of Korean Christianity. It can be possible when Christian young adults become peacemakers. It can be possible when young adults from South and North meet together. It is a path where young adults grow as the leaders who can study this era with the lens of faith and do their best to fulfill their responsibility as Christians before the face of the history of God's creation. The path to peace is walking together with the young adults.
5. The path to peace is walking together with the peace of East Asia.
'The division of the South and North of the Korean peninsula is the fruit of sin that came from the ideological systems of the political structure of the modern world.' The conflict and dispute of North and South Korea became the cause of the crisis of peace, and it became the means to strengthen the crisis of geological international political systems. The peace of South and North Korea should be dealt with from the perspective of building a peaceful international political system in East Asia. It is working together with the peace issue of the global civil societies such as Palestinians who are suffering due to an international political system. The path to peace is walking together with the peace of global citizens.
Reunification which makes the path to peace has already begun. With the beginning of a new 100 years, YMCA Korea would like to walk the path to peace with the vision of making peace. We would like to be peacemakers to make 'waves of life and winds of peace' as the disciples of peace sent by God in the form of the nation's 67 local city young adult councils and all of the meetings and their members.
"For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth" (Isaiah 65:17, Revelation 21:5)
2015. 7. 25.
Council of the Peace and Reunification Movement of YMCA Korea
Declaration of the Foundation of the Council of Peace and Reunification Movement of YMCA Korea.pdf
한국YMCA 평화통일운동협의회 창립선언문(한글) 보러가기 (클릭)
창립예배 설교문(YMCA, 평화 바이러스 제작소 / 서광선) 보러가기(클릭)
