WEB DESK: Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) held the third Middle East Peace Implementation Committee meeting online on August 8, bringing together committee members, prospective peace ambassadors and partners from Iraq and across the Middle East to discuss practical measures for advancing peace initiatives.
The meeting focused on the committee’s mission and the role of peace ambassadors, with participants representing fields including international law, religion, peace education, youth and media.
The programme included sector-based presentations, an introduction to HWPL, an overview of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), group discussions and the presentation of appointment certificates to newly designated peace ambassadors.
During the discussions, participants explored concrete action plans for promoting the DPCW and identified opportunities for cooperation within their respective fields.
Prof. Sura Jamil Hanna, assistant professor at the University of Duhok and a speaker in the peace education sector, emphasised the importance of education and dialogue in promoting peace.
Hanna said peace among nations begins with education and dialogue and outlined plans to continue voluntary initiatives through student gatherings, educational workshops, seminars and awareness lectures.
She said these activities would bring together people from different religious and national backgrounds while promoting cooperation, shared values and opposition to war and hate speech.
Hanna also spoke about her participation in several months of HWPL training programmes and her work as a Peace Leader, saying she had engaged online with religious leaders from different parts of the world.
According to Hanna, the experience enabled participants to identify common messages of peace across different religious teachings. She expressed her intention to promote the understanding that religions advocate peace through educational activities.
During the meeting, HWPL appointed peace ambassadors and presented them with certificates. The appointments were aimed at strengthening participants’ sense of responsibility and establishing a network capable of sustaining peace-related activities across international law, religion, peace education and other sectors.
HWPL said it plans to develop follow-up programmes based on the action plans and recommendations shared during the meeting, while continuing sector-based engagement with partners across the Middle East.
The organisation also plans to further define the responsibilities of the committee and its peace ambassadors to expand awareness of the DPCW and encourage greater participation in practical peace activities.
