Choueology as Peace Education

EDUCATION, 4 Feb 2019

Surya Nath Prasad, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service

Peace Education Journal, Vol. 18, Feb. 2019 is dedicated to An Apostle of Peace Dr. Young Seek Choue in his perpetual memory. Choueology as Peace Education is based on the editorial written by the author of these lines Dr. Surya Nath Prasad for this Special issue of Peace Education Journal. Authors whose articles are included in this issue of the Journal are Dr.  Young Seek Choue (Oughtopian Peace Model: A Design for Permanent World Peace), Surya Nath Prasad (Dr. Young Seek Choue: A Genuine Nominee for Nobel Peace Prize), Javier Perez de Cuellar (Dr. Young Seek Choue, Peace Pilgrim), Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Chancellor Choue and the United Nations), Rodrigo Carazo Odio (Oughtopia, Education and Peace), Suman Shukla (Dr. Choue’s Oughtopia: A Peace Dream to A Peace Reality), Surya Nath Prasad (Utopia/Oughtopia, Education And  Peace), Christoph Wulf (Culture of Peace and Education for Peace), Surya Nath Prasad (Essential Requirement of Qualities in the Rulers and Servants of People for Good Governance: The Role of Universal Peace Education), Surya Nath Prasad (Global Man as the Vision for the Third Millennium: The Role of Peace Education), Surya Nath Prasad (Restructuring Education Based on Spiritual Secularism for Kindness, Tolerance and Nonviolence), IAEWP (Principles and Objectives of International Association of Educators for World Peace), and Peace Education (About the Editors).

Those who have interest in peace education, and wish to have a copy of this issue of the Journal may request for free a copy to Dr. Surya Nath Prasad, The   Editor of the Journal at: dr_suryanathprasad@yahoo.co.in

Dr. Young Seek Coue is an idea of peace. He is the concept of peace studies (Irenology). He denotes the term peace education. He symbolizes with his plan through UN Pax. He is the name of equality, liberty and co-prosperity based on his original idea of universal democracy. Dr. Choue is the originator, hence he is the father of the word Oughtopia – a new model of an ideal realizable society – a Global Common Society of spiritually beautiful, materially affluent and humanly rewarding, which all men and women should strived to achieve as he has advised.

The name of Dr. Young Seek Choue, a world-renowned Korean peace thinker will be written in golden letters in the world history and development of peace. Dr. Choue has contributed a lot of knowledge, study and practice towards peace. Therefore, I developed the term ‘Choueology’ for his whole ideas and concepts of peace.

Dr. Choue’s Peace Education   

In my view, Choueology, in true sense, is peace education, which covers all the three areas of peace knowledge, skill and practice. Choueology is the science or study of peace ideas, peace studies (Irenology) and peace activities.

Dr. Choue’s peace education provides learners the knowledge to preserve/maintain/sustain peace; to prevent from war and violence, and to remedy the effects of war and violence.

Dr. Choue developed several concepts for peace as his ideas, thoughts, proposals, plans, hopes, vision, wish, efforts, opinion, dreams, design, action and other similar programmers.  

Dr. Choue’s Peace Ideas

Here I would like to cite some of Dr. Choue’s wonderful publications which enlighten to all about his peace ideas contained in them, viz. Democratic Freedom (1948), Creation of New Civilized World (1951), Man and Creation (1960), World Peace Through Education (1971), Toward the Brighter Future (1974), Reconstruction of the Human Society (1975), Will to Create (1996), Oughtopia (1979), World Peace: The Great Imperative (1981), Peace Studies (1984), World Peace Through Pax United Nations (1984), Proposals for Peace (1986), Text Book on World Citizenship (1986), World Encyclopedia of Peace (1986), Peace in the Global Village (1987), A Grand Design for World Peace (1989), White Paper on World Peace – Chouean Irenology (1991), Why and By What Method Should Human Society Be Reconstructed (1993), World Encyclopedia of Peace (1999), Magna Carta of Global Common Society (1999), Will World Peace Be Achievable in the 21st Century? (2000), Global Governance in the 21st Century (2001), Toward A Global Common Society Through Dialogue Among Civilizations (2002), Some of his peace lyrics are: Let’s Live Together Looking Ahead (1964), Songs for the GCS Movement (1975), Songs for Peace (1981), Peace the Only and Best Way for Us to Live With (1985), Becoming One (1997), Open the New Millennium (1999), Let’s Illuminate the 21st Century  (2000), Neo-Renaissance Hymn (2000).

Dr. Choue’s Peace Studies

Dr. Choue has contributed a lot in the field of peace studies also. He established Kyung Hee University 1955 , Institute of Brighter Society , 1975,  Centre for the Reconstruction of Humanity 1976 , Institute of International Peace Studies 1979 , Kyung Hee Graduate Institute of Peace Studies 1984 , Oughtopian Peace Foundation 1989 , Graduate School of NGOs 1998 , Kyung Hee Cyber University 2000 , New Millennium Peace Tower 2001 , and several other academic institutions to enable future generation to learn about and for peace, to be trained in peace and to build peace. The Graduate Institute of Peace Studies founded by Dr. Choue in 1984 with the purpose to educate and foster able and peace-oriented international leaders for the future of mankind, providing full scholarship covering tuition fees living expenses and necessary books for two and half academic years, and the UNESCO awarded its Prize for Peace Education to his institution in 1993.

Dr. Choue ha edited and published World Encyclopedia of Peace in 4 Volumes in 1986 and in 8 Volumes in in 1999 to enrich the areas of peace studies

Dr. Choue’s Peace Activities

Dr. Choue initiated a variety of peace activities, peace campaigns and peace movements to improve in better living for all. He has done relief works for the needy, aggrieved, and victims of war and calamities for the last many yeas to make them peaceful. Medical treatment for atomic bomb victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was provided by Dr. Young Seek Choue, which was continued several years. A campaign for supporting Filipino flood victims was initiated by Dr. Choue in 1971 by donating relief goods. He sent free medical team to Bangkok, Thailand in 1982. Dr. Choue sent free medical team to Medan, Indonesia in 1983. A campaign for supporting the United Nations’ peace activities was initiated by Dr. Choue in 1986, and Fund raised US $ 44,978 was donated to the UN Trust Fund. Dr. Choue supported Chernobyl victim children and starving Somalian children in Africa through a campaign initiated by him in 1991 by holding two Charity Concerts: Grand Concert Peace Cantata and Grand Artistic Festival in Seoul, Korea with joint efforts of the UNICEF, and he donated 55,214,823 Won in Korean Currency, the profit from the Concerts, to the UNICEF, Seoul, Korea. In the same year of 1991, Dr. Choue sent the third dispatch of his University’s Free Medical Team to Sudan, Africa. Chernobyl Charity Exhibition (with 100 Russian Oil Paintings) was initiated by him in 1992 for Nuclear Plant Victims in Seoul, Korea, a n d profit US $ 77,826,46 from the exhibition was donated by him to those needed children in Kiev, Ukraine through the UN, Seoul, Korea. In 1996, he sent the relief goods, over 20,000,000 Won’s worth of powder milk through Korea Red Cross Society to help the flood victims of North Korea. In 1997, Dr. Choue donated the prize money 10 million Won in Korean currency of the ManHae Peace Award for the relief work for the poor Korean residing in Northeast Chinas through Dong – A Daily Newspaper. The 6th time Kyung Hee University free medical team was sent by him to Sakhalin, Russia in 1997. In the same year of 1997, he supported the flood victims of North Korea by sending relief goods over 140 million Won’s worth of goods through the Korean Red Cross Society. In 1999, Dr. Choue dispatched Kyung Hee University’s Free Medical Service Team to Alma-Ata, Republic of Kazakhstan+, C.I.S. (7th  time, it usually cost about US $ 200,000 to dispatch the Free Medical Team each time). In 2000, he sent relief goods (2,317 boxes of clothes and shoes) for the cyclone victims of India through the GCS Indian National Chapter.

Besides his relief works for victims of different times, Dr. Choue initiated 17 national and international peace campaigns, and peace movements. He initiated Better Living Movement in 1964 for Korean Government NEW Village Movement, The Asian Association of Model Villages – Better Living Movement (Osaka, Japan) in 1975, Brighter Society Movement also in 1973, the Global Cooperation Society Movement in 1978 (and under  the spirit of this Movement Healthy Society Movement , Life Improvement Movement, Environment Protection Movement, Restoration of Humanity Movement and World Peace Movement were conducted by Dr. Young Seek Choue). World Peace Movement through the UN in 1981, Movement for the Reunion of Separated Families in Korea in 1982, A Movement for the Strengthening of UN by Developing a Pax UN Theory in 1984, Second Red Cross Movement Through Humanization of War in 1985, National Reconciliation Movement in 1988, Social Peace Movement for Restoring Morality and Humanity for Commemorating 50th Anniversary of the UN in 1995, Neo-Renaissance Movement for Restructuring Human Society in 1996, and thus 156 national and international peace activities from 1960 to 2001 were performed by Dr. Choue.

In addition to these peace activities, Dr. Choue organized 23 International Peace Conferences since 1982 on the different themes of peace on the eve of UN International Day of Peace at Seoul, Republic of Korea. with exception of one which was organized by him in Philippines in 2003.

Considering the vast contributions of Dr. Young Seek Choue, in the areas of peace ideas, peace studies and peace activities I would like to term them as Choueology that is synonym of Peace Education.

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Dr. Surya Nath Prasad, former president & currently executive vice president of International Association of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP), associate professor of education emeritus, former visiting professor, the graduate institute of peace studies, Kyung Hee University, Republic of Korea, founder & editor-in-chief, Peace Education: An International Journal. dr_suryanathprasad@yahoo.co.in

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 4 Feb 2019.

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2 Responses to “Choueology as Peace Education”

  1. given the extensive credits for the ideation of Peace I find it strange that you did not mention his book onhow it took 7 years of his tme to achieve United Nations World Peace Day.. and i would like to add to his credits support for my world peace concepts presented and endorsed by Federico Mayor Zarragozza Foundation for a Culture of Peace. choueology is a mouthful to say peace, but it certainly deserves some songs to express choueology other ways than in our english language. peace and choueology needs some creative links as Dr Chour taught us with oughtopia.

    peace now
    mitch

    • Reply to Mr. Mitchell Gold on my article: Choueology As Peace
      Education published in Transcend Media Service, 04, February 2019:

      It was better if Mr. Mitch would put himself his information about the
      book which he mentions in his comments was not cited by the author of
      the article, and enlighten the admirers of Dr. Young Seek Choue. Even
      though the name of the book is mentioned by the author of the article in
      page 1 para 4 under the caption Dr. Choue’s Peace Ideas.

      The complete issue of Peace Education Journal is on Dr. Young Seek
      Choue’s ideas and practices, which may enlighten more to Mr. Mitch
      and enrich his ideas about Dr. Choue. He must go through all the articles
      in the issue before to comment. No doubt, Dr. Choue was the original
      and sole initiator and advocate of the UN International Year of Peace
      (1986) and Day of Peace. Dr. Choue’s dream for world peace through
      education has become true in reality when his basic concepts of
      International Day and Year of Peace, which he presented in his Keynote
      Speech entitled: “The Great Imperative: Peace is More Precious than
      Triumph” at the International Association of University Presidents’
      Triennial Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica in July 1981. Dr. Choue
      was the first private person who was allowed to speak before the UN
      about his proposal for UN Year of Peace and Day of Peace. The draft
      resolution of the International Day and Year of Peace was
      unanimously adopted by 157 member countries of the United Nations on
      November 30, 1981. UN International of Peace was celebrated
      throughout the world in 1986, and UN International Day of Peace is
      celebrated everywhere in the third week of September every year. (Mr.
      Mitch may refer to page 9 of the Peace Education Journal, Vol. 18, Feb.
      2019).

      If Mr. Mitch wish to know more about my information and
      understanding about Dr. Choue’s peace
      concept and activities, he may refer to my article – An Apostle of Peace:
      Dr. Young Seek Choue is included in the a Grand Book in two Volumes
      entitled: Global Leader With Great Vision: Who Is Dr. Young Seek
      Choue published by Kyung Hee University. This article of mine is of 44
      pages covering Dr. Choe’s life and practices of peace with comparison
      of other distinguished and notable persons of the world
      considering him a unique personality who lived the idea of peace and
      realized it, and also he enlightened others to be. This article of mine is
      the opening article among more than 125 articles in the book written by
      the renowned persons of the world.

      I am happy to learn that Mr. Mitch is one of the admirers of Dr. Choue’s
      ideas and practices of peace.

      Mr. Mitch should not feel uneasy with the term Choueology, it is not a
      difficult word or phrase. This terminology is developed when the idea of
      peace becomes the reality or fact. Dr. Choue knew the idea of peace, he
      lived it and realized it. He was no more Dr. Choue as a person, when he
      was
      peaceful. His identification with peace was more deep so that no body
      can separate him with his idea of peace. There is no difference between
      Dr.Young Seek Choue and his concept of peace. This shows the
      relationship between Choueology and peace also. This analogy may be
      observed in the lives and practices of Jesus Christ and Mahatma
      Gandhi, who believed and lived by practicing the idea of nonviolence,
      Johan Galtung, who has been living and practicing the concept of peace
      studies for transcending the self to reach peace, and Dr. Young Seek
      Choue lived the idea of peace and practiced it throughout his life. Hence,
      Christ and Gandh were the symbol of nonviolence, Johan Galtung is the
      symbol of peace studies, and dr. Young Seek Choue was the symbol of
      peace. They can not be separated from their ideas. Therefore there is
      nothing wrong if some one call them , not by their names, but by their
      concepts which they developed and lived and living with them.

      This was was why I termed peace with the name of Dr. Choue, and gave
      new name of peace education that is Choueology, which will eighteen
      every one without any discrimination to know what he or she is and try
      to be the same through unfolding the treasure of peace locked within
      everyone to be just to be peaceful. Thus Choueology or Peace Education
      is mother of justice and justice is the mother of peace, which are yet b be
      born. Hence let the Choueology (Peace Education) be born to give birth
      to justice for giving birth to peace.

      Dr. Choue is the originator of the peace concept of Oughtopia – anew
      model of spiritually beautiful, materially affluent and humanly
      rewarding a realizable peaceful global common society, which every
      man and woman can strive to achieve it through their unfoldment of
      locked treasure of justice and peace within .

      Regarding Mr. Mitch’s comment that “… Dr. Choue taught us with
      oughtopia”, here I would like to clear that like me Dr. Choue also did not
      believe in teaching. Dr. Choue invited me in 1996 for attending
      International Peace Conference organized by him in his Kyung Hee
      University on the eve of UN International Day of Peace from 17-19
      September 1996 and asked me to speak on The Role of the UN
      International Year of Peace and its Future Tasks, and I spoke on the
      topic: Education for Justice and Peace: The Role of the UN
      International Year of Peace and its Future Task. In my presentation, I
      clearly told and explained that teaching is violence, and only learning is
      peace, because no body teaches any body, but we all lear from each
      other, even in class-room teaching teacher is one side, students are other
      side, knowledge between and discourse joining them. And I gave an
      example of a teacher and a doctor. A doctor operates wound of a patient,
      puts some medicines, and makes bandages, that’s all. No doctor can
      enter in to the process of healing, healing will take it down course. But it
      does not diminish the role of the doctor, he must be specialized and
      trained in operation, knowledgeable in proper medicines, and skilled in
      making bandages. Similarly a teacher arranges the things through variety
      of methods, techniques, devices and audio-visual aids so that learning in
      the learners may occur. But no teacher can enter in to the process of
      learning of the learners. Learning will take it own course. Here also, the
      importance of the teacher does not minimize. He/she is supposed to be
      well-educated in the concept and learning of and about man (especially
      about his or her constituent parts) in global perspective through the
      knowledge and practice of variety of disciplines and well-trained in
      various methods and techniques of learning with specialization in audio-
      visual aids.