Shinha Moon, International Vice President of the Family Peace Association (FPA), delivers her emotional keynote speech centering on one family, one God during the first day of the three-day (July 19-21) First Asia-Pacific Family Leadership Conference with the theme: “The Essence of One Family Under God: A Platform of World Peace for a New Civilization” at the historic 112-year-old Manila Hotel in Manila, Philippines on Friday, July 19, 2024. – Photo by Harold T. Raymundo

By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.

MANILA — The First Asia-Pacific Family Peace Leadership Conference began its three-day (July 19-21) summit here at the historic 112-year-old Manila Hotel on Friday (July 19) with the participation of more than 700 delegates from around the world.

The theme of the conference is “The Essence of One Family Under God: A Platform of World Peace for a New Civilization”.

The delegates come from Nepal, Thailand, India, Mongolia, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, United States of America, and the Philippines.

In her welcome remarks, Dr. Leonida Bayani Ortiz, Conference Co-Chair, said “it’s an enormous joy and privilege to Co-Chair the conference with the theme ‘The Essence of One Family Under God: A Platform of World Peace for a New Civilization'”.

“It is where family is united with love and harmony with a harmony of tangible family we build together to foster peace and harmony. It underscores the importance of human dignity,” Dr. Ortiz said.

Dr. Ortiz is the Chair of the Golden Leaf Awards Committee, Governor of the Philippine Red Cross and Vice Chair of the Asia-Pacific Regional Peace Council of Professionals.

“Peace is not only the absence of violence, but the presence of love, justice and compassion.,” Dr. Ortiz said.

In his opening remarks, Hon. Jinman Kwak, International President of the Family Peace Association (FPA), through his representative international vice president, welcomed the participants from diverse religions, culture and from different nations.

The conference was inspired by Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, the founder of FPA. Dr. Moon sparked global peace and harmony in how to relate to each family and humanity.

The FPA was founded by Dr. Moon under one God under one family through the ages and religions.

The family is the basic institution created by God to live for the greater good.

The family is the basic unit of the society and the basic building block of the country.

However, the family is destructed by the rise of social ills and the decline of social fiber of the society.

But God brings back the unity and harmony of the Family with the blessings of God into transformation of God’s family in building God’s peaceful world.

The ideals of family full of love and hope that many more people would come to be one family under one God.

Dr. Janet R. Valdez, President of the Bulacan Polytechnic College (BPC), introduced the keynote speaker Hon. Shinha Moon, International Vice President (IVP) of the FPA, saying that “it’s an honor and privilege to introduce the keynote speaker”

“It’s truly blessed to have our guest of honor and keynote speaker to the First Asia-Pacific Family Peace Leadership Conference, Hon. Shinha Moon,” Dr. Valdez stressed.

Shinha Moon was elated to keynote the conference and she was honored to call everyone” my pamilya.”

Moon has been married for five years now and she was blessed with two children who bring her inspiration. “

The family is the basic unit of the society created by God where each member of the Family lives for the sake of each other,” Moon said.

“The family is the bedrock of love and harmony who will live with True love and principle,” she added.

She said that becoming a mother is really a blessing from God and raise the family with true values between husband and wife.

“One family under one God,” she stressed.

She cited that Korea has been among the 50 developed economies in the world.

*Without God, we forget the true essence of creation,” she said.

Moon cited Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City which represents that the family is truly intact with true values and God-centered family.

“Our family is our home and God is in the center of our family,” Moon said.

“God is in the center of our lives through true love and peace,” she added.

“The blessing movement where each family will be the starting block of the community and then to the world under one family and one God,” Moon said.

Moon stressed that “everyone would start hereon one family under one God.”

The family is the bedrock of civilization, the most basic of all social units that addresses the most essential physical, emotional and spiritual needs,” Moon said. Becoming a mother herself, she could really see God’s blessing. “Without God in our lives, we forget His original purpose of creation, which is to experience joy through creating loving ideal families with Him as the center,” she said. 

Moon cited their visit to Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City where she could see the extended family model in action. Within her own family, she shared how the extended family model was still intact and how certain practices of traditional customs reminded her that “our home is our family, our parents are our center, and at the root of that center is God.” 

By preserving the ideal of family and the extended family model, we can “build a movement where multigenerational God-centered families can prosper in a new era of peace and true love.” Moon added that through the Blessing movement, “Each God-centered family will become a building block towards a world of peace starting in the home and then expanding out to the world.” She called on the audience to “be the owners of the greatest dream of all, the vision to build “One Family under God, One Family at a Time”.

Dr. Samuel M. Salvador, Conference Chairman, Dr. Michael G. Zablan, Conference Co-Chair, and Dr. Ernesto Ray G. Adalem, Chief Executive Officer of St. Clare College, awarded the plaque of appreciation to IVP Shinha Moon.