A peace camp attended by around 20 Anglican Church youth to learn about religious diversity and co-exist with people of different religions, was held on 17 February, at St Mathias church in Pahu.

The camp was organized by an international non-profit peace organization called Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light.

HWPL General Director of World Alliance of Religion’s Offices in the region, Santra Park said youth will experience different ethnicities with different religions when they go out into the global world.

“HWPL's religious youth peace camp might have been a great opportunity to raise international peace leadership for the Tongan youth.”

At the camp, the youth discovered the value of peace in their scripture, bible, and discuss what Christian Tongan youth can do for global peace. They wrote peace letters to encourage religious leaders of Tonga and beyond to participate in peacekeeping activities.

They also wrote letters urging the Tongan government to support the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), to be submitted as a resolution at the upcoming UN General Assembly.

The camp made an impression on Reverend Katherine Vaka of St. Mathias, who is keen to organize regula youth peace camps in the future.

“In December, there will be a youth gathering where all the Anglican youths of the Pacific region come together. I would like to combine the youth peace camp program offered by HWPL with the gathering,” she said.

Youth Empowerment Workshop

The International Peace Youth Group an affiliated organization of HWPL, also organized a youth empowerment workshop under the theme “The Value of Youth and Peace”, with 40 Class six students at St. Francis of Assisi Primary School, on 18 February.

IPYG Eastern Seoul & Gyeonggi Branch General Director, Branda Choi said “The workshop was especially tailored to the eyes of the children and is meaningful in that the children, the future of a country, can learn and experience peace values in advance through YEPW.”

HWPL, based in South Korea, was founded for global peace and cessation of war, with branches in 170 countries. IPYG works with 851 organizations in 111 countries.