Afaf Mahfouz, Past President, CONGO

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE

Chancellor Young Seek Choue, Rector Inwon Choue and President and Byung-Mook Kim, I am moved and happy to be with you at the Opening Session on CIVILIZATION DISCOURSES FOR THE 21st CENTURY.

Let me first congratulate Chancellor Young Seek Choue for the crowning of his efforts, his vision and dedication for Education and Universal Values with the Global Academy for Neo Renaissance; the Umbrella for the Center for the Reconstruction of Human Society, the Graduate Institute for Peace Studies, the Graduate School of NGO Studies, Cyber University and the Global NGO Complex.

I also want to thank Rector Inwon Choue and the members of his wonderful team for inviting me. It is indeed a privilege to be part of this very special event in Commemoration of the 24th Anniversary of the United Nations International Day of Peace.

It was in 1999 that many of us gathered here in Seoul when Kyung Hee Univeristy hosted the International Conference of NGOs on THE ROLE OF NGOs in the 21st Century: Inspire, Empower, Act.

It is appropriate to remember today that representatives of more than 1000 NGOs from all over the World declared on the eve of the new millennium:

-To build upon the work begun at the United Nations World Conferences of the 1990s;

-To forge a common vision for the 21st Century;

-To channel our collective energy and experience to make this vision a reality.

The 1999 Conference was a national, regional and international event:

-Nationally, it reflected the growth of the NGO sector in Korea;

-Regionally, it provided an opportunity for NGOs in Northeast Asia, particularlyKorea, Japan and China to come together for an unprecedented sharing of interest;

- Internationally it brought together an assemblage of NGOs worldwide with many dignitaries and colleagues from the United Nations System. To name only those who are with us today in Seoul; Sam Koo, the President of Ariang TV who was with UNICEF then and Paul Hoeffel, Chief of the NGO Section of the United Nations Department of Public Information who is in sabbatical with KyungHeeUniversity. Ambassador Joseph Reed is on his way to Seoul from New York City.

We are here today to continue the process, to compare notes and to renew our pledge for Peace, Security and Development as many of us did in New York City at the United Nations during the Millennium Forum in May year 2000.

We are here today to meet our promise and to express our thanks and gratitude to the vision and lifetime work of the principal Sponsor of the 1999 Conference, Young Seek Choue, Founder and Chancellor of the Kyung Hee University system,.

We are here to day to congratulate Inwon Choue, Rector of the GlobalAcademy for Neo-Renaissance. We can witness here that the process continues with a committed leader, a strong institutional structure, a dedicated team, and supportive allies.

As you can see from the Program, Plenary Sessions are focusing on thinking about Humanity, Culture, Politics and the Role of the United Nations and the Global Civil Society.

Reinventing World Orders is what - together - we are going to think about today and tomorrow with the hope that the 21st Century will provide secure identity and autonomy at all levels for each woman, each man, each child and each society ; that the 21st Century will see better and more effective ways to prevent all forms of prejudice and to secure dignity for all; that the 21st Century will succeed in protecting our environment and ensuring a sustained respect and appreciation to mother Nature and finally that one hundred years from now the citizens of the world will feel more in peace with themselves and with one another.

Again Congratulations with warm wishes for success.

Thank you.

eHHH