June 12, 2013| Asuncion, Paraguay
Global Peace Foundation Chairman Hyun Jin Preston
Moon addresses a conference on Governance, Ethics, and Development in Asunción.
Stressing their shared moral and spiritual roots, Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Chairman Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon called for closer cooperation between the nations of North and South America, in Asuncion, Paraguay, on June 11 2013. “Leaders in both the U.S. and in Latin America need to understand the import and opportunity that can be found in the mutual relationships of the Americas,” he told participants at the international conference on “Government, Ethics, and Development.”
The one-day conference was sponsored by Instituto de Desarrollo del Pensamiento Patria Soñada, a GPF-supported research institute in Asunción, and
Global Peace Foundation Paraguay, with support of the Latin American Presidential Mission, Esquipulas Foundation of Guatemala, the Leadership Conference of Uruguay, and others. The conference included the participation of former Presidents Juan Carlos Wasmosy of Paraguay, Vinicio Cerezo and Alvaro Colom of Guatemala, Ernesto Samper of Colombia, and Carlos Mesa of Bolivia.
The program presented sessions of the challenge of consolidating democracy in Latin America; economic investment to advance stable democratic governance and social development; the tension between democracy and populism; and economic investment to moderate conflict and instability.
“Enduring relationships that yield good results must be based upon ethical principles and shared values, for these provide the foundation that fosters mutual respect, collaborative efforts, and shared benefits.”
He stressed the need to seriously and comprehensively address issues such as security and social inequity in the country. “Many people are looking to Paraguay after years of international isolation,” Dr. Altamirano said, “and for the first time this forces the country to think strategically.” Dr. Jose Altamirano, Director of Instituto de Desarrollo del Pensamiento Patria Soñada, said that the incoming government will need to emphasize effectiveness and efficiency as an “inevitable direction, because otherwise efforts disperse.”
Above: Former Heads on State from four Latin American
countries addressed the conference, which drew participation
from government leaders, scholars, and business professionals.
In his remarks, Dr. Moon also recalled his experience among the Paraguayan people, especially fireside talks at camps on a cattle drive through Alto Paraguay amid some of the poorest towns and indigenous communities. “Paraguay’s history reflects the heart of a peace-loving, inclusive people who, unlike other nations in the Americas, embraced the native population, even adopting their language of Guarani as part of the national heritage,” he said.
The GPF Chairman further underscored the importance of the founding of the Latin American Presidential Mission, comprised of nearly 20 former Heads of State, at the Global Peace Convention in Atlanta in December 2012. He said the Presidential Mission is committed to strengthening relations between the North, Central and South America and the Caribbean as well as promoting a hemispheric spiritual awakening centered on universal principles and values.
“Leaders in both the U.S. and in Latin America need to understand the import and opportunity that can be found in the mutual relationships of the Americas,” Dr. Moon said. “Most importantly, enduring relationships that yield good results must be based upon ethical principles and shared values, for these provide the foundation that fosters mutual respect, collaborative efforts, and shared benefits.”
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