Promotion of friendly relations among all peoples of the world
Dr. Antonio Betancourt L. Secretary General

Dr. Antonio Betancourt, Secretary General

Welcome to the Summit Council for World Peace web site

The Summit Council has been very active and had a strong Washington, DC and international presence through the 1980s to 1997. From 1997, we chose to work under the auspices of the Universal Peace Federation (www.upf.org) in order to help it become a well-established international non-governmental organization in more than 100 countries. Indeed, we helped UPF to achieve that goal. In mid-2008, we decided it was time for us once again to take our place in the history-making of the world, particularly in the area of peace and development as we did in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

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Economic and Social Justice

Fundamentals of the “Just Third Way”

1. Dignity and empowerment begins with the human person, not any institution. Social justice obligates each person to work with others to perfect the social order to support the dignity and empowerment of every person.

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Energy and Environment

Ideas Toward a Comprehensive National Energy Policy

Premise: The Buckminster Fuller Challenge as mission: “How do we make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone?”

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Commentary

North Korea and Korean Reunification

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August 27, 2010
By Mark P. Barry

Early this month, cash-strapped North Korea offered to repay its long-standing debt with former socialist ally, the Czech Republic, through barter and offered 400 tons of ginseng. The Czechs responded they only use one ton a year, but would accept zinc ore. Then on August 15, in his Liberation Day address, South Korean president Lee Myung-bak proposed the nation adopt a unification tax to prepare for unification with the North, reflecting an anxiety about North Korea’s near-term stability and potential for collapse. These two events raise questions about North Korea’s current condition and the costs and benefits of reunification.

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The Democratization of Access to Money and Credit:

The World Economy – Strengthening Democracy through Credit and Ownership

IN 1992, upon the collapse of the Socialist and Communist experiment in the Soviet Union, after more than 70 years of a state command economy, there were great pronouncements that capitalism had triumphed over Communism and socialism . Today, 17 years later we see clearly that peace and justice have by no means prevailed in the post-Cold War world.

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Who Will Protect the Average Citizen?

by Dr. Norman A. Bailey

March 31, 2009

In 1862, in the midst of the American Civil War, the Congress passed and President Abraham Lincoln signed the most important piece of economic legislation in the history of the United States and probably the world. The government of the United States transferred to its people a huge territory, which they paid for with their work -- that is, their value-added.

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Peace: A Way of Life

H.E. Rodrigo Carazo Odio

Peace is not merely a matter of noble sentiments. It requires, by its very nature, some measure of precise and diversified knowledge, both theoretical and practical. That is why it is urgent that human beings’ intelligence and culture be directed towards peace. What is involved is marshalling all of our intellectual faculties, all of the cultural and scientific heritage of humankind, in order for them to become instruments of peace. What this implies, finally, is preparing and training humankind’s will and intelligence for peace. Peace is made, not found. Peace is not rest. It is not another word for fear. It is the pulse of life.

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Ways Religious People Can Alleviate Suffering in North Korea

Paul Chamberlin

What can religious people do to alleviate suffering in North Korea and help relieve persistent tension on the Korean peninsula?

As a Christian, a few measures come to mind for Christians to achieve these important goals. How much they apply to members of other religions is for them to decide. But first, I want to touch on some impediments.

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Events

World Russia Forum

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The Summit Council for World Peace is co-hosting with the American University in Moscow the 29th annual World Russia Forum in Washington, D.C., on April 26-27, 2010 at the Hart Senate Office Building, George Washington University, and the Russian Cultural Center. The Forum is one of the leading venues for the discussion and analysis of U.S.-Russia political, economic, social, and cultural relations. It has been annually attended by senior Russian officials, members of the Russian Duma, and leading Russian businessmen, who gather for discussions with their American counterparts.

This year the World Russia Forum takes place on the anniversary of an historic event in U.S.-Russian history. On April 25, 1945, in the last year of World War II, American and Russian forces (traveling from west and east, respectively) linked up 75 miles south of Berlin in the town of Torgau, Germany, on the Elbe River. When the troops met, they effectively bifurcated Germany, contributing to the end of the Third Reich. April 25, 2010 marks the 65th anniversary of that momentous meeting between the U.S. Army’s 69th Infantry Division and Russia’s 58th Guards Division, and will be commemorated in a cultural event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the day before the Forum, on Sunday, April 25.

Speakers on the American side include: U.S. Secretary of Energy, Hon. Dr. Steven Chu; Director of National Drug Control Policy, Hon. R. Gil Kerlikowske; and Hon. William J. Burns, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs. From Russia, attending will be: Hon. Victor Ivanov, Head, Federal Drug Enforcement Service; Hon. Sergei Ryabkov, Chief Arms Control Negotiator; and Hon. Constantin Kosachev, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, Russian State Duma.

For more information, email WorldRussiaForum@gmail.com or visit this site

60th Anniversary of the Korean War

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June 25 marks the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, in which soldiers from 16 nations fighting under the United Nations flag deterred aggression against the Republic of Korea and preserved freedom.

In June, the renown Little Angels Children’s Folk Ballet of Korea will commence a tour to the 16 countries that contributed troops to the UN as an expression of gratitude to those who came to Korea’s aid. Initially, they will perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; New York; Atlanta; Ottawa, Canada; and Bogotá, Colombia; the tour will then shift to Southeast Asia and Oceania this fall, and Europe and Africa in 2011. The Summit Council is providing significant administrative support to the Korean War 60th Anniversary Memorial Committee for this worldwide tour.

The Little Angels have performed at the White House, at the United Nations General Assembly, before HRH Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, at the Kremlin, as well as at other notable venues throughout the world. These children are a symbol of peace and the Korean people’s ambassadors for peace and goodwill.

Letters of welcome for the Little Angels tour have been received from H. E. Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea; Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; Hon. George H. W. Bush, President of the United States (1989-93); Hon. George W. Bush, President of the United States (2001-2009); and Gen. Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State (2001-05).

On June 25, the Summit Council will co-host a wreath-laying ceremony with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea at the Korean War Memorial. After the short ceremony, guests are invited to the nearby stage area by the reflecting pool for formal remarks and a Little Angels performance. Veterans are especially welcome to attend. For more information, contact koreanwar60@gmail.com or visit this site .

New Details on World Peace and Unity Temple

March 25, 2010

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The ad hoc committee for the building of the World Peace and Unity Temple released new details this month about the project.

The World Peace and Unity Temple, an interfaith facility in Seoul, Korea that would accommodate approximately 210,000 people through multiple services during the week, aims to be completed by 2013. Once operational, services would be conducted in all the major faith traditions. The ad hoc committee is led by Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon’s sons: Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, Chairman of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification International and Chairman of the Universal Peace Federation, and Dr. Kook Jin Moon, Chairman of the Tongil Foundation.

According to the committee, the main sanctuary would hold 10,000 worshippers. There would also be chapels for each of the major world religions in the style and ambiance of each religion. A large assembly hall would be the venue of world peace-related international and interreligious conferences. An education center would have religious education programs for adults and children, as well as language courses. There would be an interreligious prayer room for people of all faiths, signifying interreligious harmony.

The World Peace Conference Room would host meetings of interreligious political and religious leaders and play a central role for an international organization of religions such as an interreligious peace council. A pastoral consultation room would be used for counseling as well as to articulate to guests the vision of the World Peace and Unity Temple and its role for world peace. A content development facility would be for the study of each religion and creating material to support world peace and harmonious unity among religions. Additionally, there would be a choir room for rehearsals; administrative offices for management of the facility; an international dining hall featuring foods from a wide variety of cultures; a convenience store; a lounge; and recreational facilities to connect culture and life.

Potential sites in Seoul are being carefully examined and efforts to obtain global contributions for its construction have entered a new stage. The Summit Council acts as a facilitator, advocate and advisor for the building of the World Temple of Peace and Unity as a common home for worship, dialogue and goodwill for all people of the world’s religions.

If you are interested in making a contribution for the building of the Temple, please contact the Summit Council at worldpeace@summitcouncil.org.

To read more about the World Peace and Unity Temple, click here

U.S.–Cuba Relations Under the Obama Administration: Where Do We Go from Here?

May 21, 2009

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With the advent of the Obama administration a year after Raúl Castro’s succession to the presidency in Cuba, a new window of opportunity in U.S.-Cuban relations has opened. Long-entrenched positions on both sides that have persisted despite seismic shifts in the global political terrain appear ripe for adjustment or even fundamental change, especially if Track II diplomacy can complement official diplomacy.

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The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): A Catalyst for Peace

March 17, 2009

Hall Healy

The Summit Council for World Peace has been supporting efforts toward the peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula since 1991 when the Chairman of its Board of Presidents, H.E. Rodrigo Carazo, former President of Costa Rica (1978-82), and Secretary General, Dr. Antonio Betancourt, first visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). During the decade of the 1990s, the Summit Council organized several high-level conferences on U.S. relations with the two Koreas, created an International Commission for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, and facilitated U.S.-DPRK dialogue during the Clinton and Bush administrations.

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Religion in Peace and Reconciliation: Building a Peace Temple in Seoul, Korea

INTRODUCTION

January 27, 2009

H.E. Rodrigo Carazo, Co-Chair, Board of Presidents, of the Summit Council

H.E. Rodrigo Carazo

The program was opened by Summit Council Secretary General Dr. Antonio Betancourt with an explanation of the history of the Summit Council for World Peace having been active in the 1980s through 1997, then shifting its attention until last year to support the establishment of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) as a substantial international organization. Now with a newly-established relationship with the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification International (FFWPUI) and the Tongil Foundation, the Summit Council will resume its activities in contributing to peace-building through religion and spirituality along with politics, economics, and other spheres of professional activity.

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Latest News

After Canada G-20 Summit, S. Korea moves to center stage at watershed moment

June 28, 2010

South Korean government officials said the G-20 members produced some agreements in Toronto, such as reduction in deficits, but relegated the more difficult issues to the Seoul forum.

S. Korea, Japan, China summit announces tripartite partnership

May 30, 2010

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (center) and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao

South Korea, Japan, and China announced a new plan today for cooperation and the establishment of a secretariat in the future, concluding their annual summit held on Jeju Island.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pointed out that despite rapid development in their partnership over the past ten years, there was still room for better cooperation in promoting economic, political, social, and cultural exchanges, as well as jointly addressing regional and global issues.

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South Korea Designated as Host of the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit

April 14, 2010

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At the Nuclear Security Summit held in Washington, D.C. on April 13, the Republic of Korea was chosen as the host of the next Summit in the first half of 2012.

As President Barack Obama opened the first Summit and explained its purpose, he nominated South Korea to host of the second Nuclear Security Summit, which was then unanimously approved by the participating leaders. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak responded by shaking hands with President Obama and accepted the honor.

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In Memoriam: Rt. Hon. Rev. Abel Muzorewa (1925-2010)

April 13, 2010

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The Summit Council is sad to learn of the passing of a member of its Board of Presidents, Bishop Abel T. Muzorewa, the first black prime minister of the interim government before Zimbabwe's independence, who died at his Harare home on April 8. His ambition, he said, had been to do "what Mandela did in South Africa – achieve a political resolution of his country's problems without bloodshed." He was for many years a great friend of our Founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, and played a very active role as well with an affiliated organization, the Universal Peace Federation.

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Korea, Japan and China prepare for three-way summit in May

April 3, 2010

Deputy foreign ministers from South Korea, Japan and China met on South Korea's Jeju Island to work out details for their annual three-way summit, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday. A meeting between South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Lee Yong-joon, and his counterparts from Japan and China was held on April 2 on the southern resort island, expected also to be the site for the three-way summit likely to take place in May.

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India and Pakistan Resume Talks

February 26, 2010

As reported by the New York Times and other news agencies, India and Pakistan took a first step toward rebuilding confidence on February 25 after a wide-ranging New Delhi meeting between foreign secretaries of both countries that included discussions on terrorism, the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the disputed border region of Kashmir, and competing water claims.

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Religion and the Making of U.S. Foreign Policy

February 26, 2010

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs released its task force report, Engaging Religious Communities Abroad: A New Imperative for U.S. Foreign Policy, on February 23 in Washington D.C. at Georgetown University. The Chicago Council convened a task force of 32 experts and stakeholders – former government officials, religious leaders, heads of international organizations, and scholars – to bring a diverse perspective to the debate over how to successfully engage religion on an international level.

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Cancun Summit calls for new Community of Latin American and Caribbean States

February 25, 2010

In a commentary, London’s The Guardian examined the Unity Summit of Latin American and Caribbean nations that took place February 22-23 in Cancun, Mexico. The author, Mark Weisbrot, writes, “Latin America took another historic step forward this week with the creation of a new regional organization of 32 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

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In Memoriam: Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr., USA (1924-2010)

February 22, 2010 — The Summit Council mourns the passing of General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. (USA), the 59th Secretary of State of the United States, and a great friend of the Summit Council for World Peace, the Federation for World Peace, and of our founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon. He died on February 20 in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Pakistan, India likely to hold FM talks Feb. 25

February 16, 2010

According to the Wall Street Journal last week, Pakistan and India are likely to soon hold their first talks since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. The likely venue and date would be New Delhi on February 25, attended by the foreign secretaries of each nation.

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In Memoriam: H.E. Steingrímur Hermannsson (1928-2010)

February 2, 2010 -- It is with great sadness that the Summit Council notes the passing of H.E. Steingrímur Hermannsson, former Prime Minister of Iceland, and a member of the Summit Council’s Board of Presidents, on February 1, 2010.

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Rebuilding the global economy on principled leadership

Jan. 31, 2010

At the January 31 conclusion of the 40th World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, participants pledged to rethink, rebuild and redesign the global economy based on sustainable principles.

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Sarkozy calls for a “new Bretton Woods”; South Korea’s Lee proposes “Global Financial Safety Net”

January 28, 2010

In his January 27 Opening Address at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said it will not be possible to emerge from the global economic crisis and protect against future crises if the economic imbalances at the root of the problem are not addressed.

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40th World Economic Forum to challenge decision-makers to "Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild"

Jan. 21, 2010

The 40th anniversary of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, to be held January 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland, is a defining moment for world leaders as they meet under the theme “Improve the State of the World: Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild”. Over 2,500 leaders from more than 90 countries representing business, government, civil society, academia and culture will work together to address pressing challenges and future risks.

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In Memoriam: H. E. Rodrigo Carazo (1926-2009)

December 10, 2009 -- It is with great sadness that the Summit Council for World Peace announces the passing of the Co-Chair of its Board of Presidents, H. E. Dr. Rodrigo Carazo, President of Costa Rica (1978-82), who died yesterday in San Jose, Costa Rica at the age of 82.

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DMZ to be designated ecology park

Dec 3, 2009

The South Korean government plans to develop its border areas with North Korea into a center for inter-Korean cooperation, international peace and ecological protection.

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Outcome of G-20 Summit; Seoul to Host G-20 Meeting in 2010

September 26, 2009

The G-20 leaders meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama, assessed the progress made addressing the global financial crisis and agreed to maintain steps to support economic activity until recovery is assured.

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The Health Reform Americans Really Need

September 24, 2009

Dr. Arnold S. Relman, M.D., professor emeritus of medicine and social medicine at Harvard Medical School, argues on the web site of Tikkun Magazine that President Obama cannot meet his criterion of signing a health care bill which does not add to the U.S. national debt unless health care reform includes eliminating the present profit motive from medicine.

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Goldman Sachs: Unified Korea could have larger economy than France, Germany or Japan by 2050

September 21, 2009

A new paper by economist Goohoo Kwon at Goldman Sachs argues that the economy of a reunified Korea could be larger than France and Germany and possibly Japan by the middle of this century.

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