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E-Mail: mgold@homeplanet.org

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October 20, 1999

Dear Associates:

I am enclosing a short story that I believe ought to be made into a short video story, a current affair document or a full story on one of the great men of our time.

I trust you will agree that the achievements of Dr. Young Seek Choue ought to be known by children everywhere, as a story of inspiration, of perseverance, and how much one man can achieve in a lifetime.

This story is about now. It is about the NGO Conference in Seoul. It is about how leaders can be created. It is an unbiased approach to how we might achieve a world of Peace.

I look forward to hearing from you on how we might proceed on this as a video project. Either as a documentary, a story, or just plain old every day news.

It "ought to be"

Sincerely,

Mitchell L Gold G.A.

Vice-President North American Affairs

IAEWP United Nations Special Envoy

The Work of Dr. Young Seek Choue: A Man Worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize:

Perspective of the Peacemaker: Mitchell L Gold

I have been on a journey for 758 days meeting elders and wise people from many traditions around the world and I find myself in Seoul Korea at the International Academic Peace Conference held by the Institute of Peace Studies a division of Kyung Hee University. I thought that I would come away from this event feeling somewhat puffed up by my experience of presenting a paper on "Education as the Cornerstone for World Peace in the 21st Century. What do we teach?" But this is not the case. I returned to Canada overwhelmed in thought about the work of one man: Dr. Young Seek Choue.

I first met Dr. Choue at the opening ceremonies of the NGO Conference during this trip. I noted that all participants of our Conference were invited to attend the NGO Conference as VIP dignitaries with some even being invited to sit on the stage with Dr. Choue. Myself, being a neophyte was given a preferred seat in the audience, as the welcoming addresses were given. I learned later that day that the NGO Conference was co-sponsored directly by Dr. Young Seek Choue. As we took our bus back to our hotel for our afternoon session one could not help but notice that the NGO posters and street banners were all over Seoul. Certainly everyone in this City of 12 million people must have been aware that we were there.

Later that evening we were invited to dinner at an event that was to be a welcoming event for the conference. It took place in this magnificent building called the Peace Hall. It was built by Dr. Young Seek Choue for Kyung Hee University. I am told it took him twenty five years and this was its inaugural event. It is truly a spectacular building inspiring form both the inside and out. The inside is marble and well appointed in its simplicity and the outside is truly an imposing structure that commands the eye to marvel at its shape and size.

As there was nothing planned for us directly on the Tuesday I attended Dr. Charles Mercieca who was giving a paper at yet another conference held nearby. The Conference was put on by the International Association of University Presidents. I am told there are over one thousand Presidents of Universities involved in this association and the Conference was sponsored by none other than Dr. Young Seek Choue. He also happened to be the Founder of this association.

On the third day of the Conference I was invited to a private lunch for the delegates of our conference. The luncheon was to honour the production of the Encyclopedia of World Peace - a new edition. We were treated to a full course Korean meal complete with speeches acknowledging the efforts of those that were involved in the production of the Encyclopedia. The encyclopedia was published by Dr. Young Seek Choue.

I presented my paper, an event that was supposed to be the highlight of my visit to Korea, but it was rather secondary to just being in the presence of Dr. Young seek Choue.

Later that day was another major dinner event. The NGO community was invited (by special invitation only) and we again had the VIP treatment. This was the more public offering of the production of the Encyclopedia and several awards were given to people involved in the process. Dr. Rodrigo Carazo O., the former President of Costa Rica was not only present at this gathering he gave a most complimentary presentation speech on the contribution to world peace by Dr. Young Seek Choue. I learned as well that Dr. Carazo O. is the Costa Rican Chancellor and representative of the International Association of Educators for World Peace. I had a chat with the two of these incredible men and was able to bring them together to meet my friend the Lama Gangchen of Tibet. Dr. Charles Mercieca of the International Association of Educators for World Peace presented to Dr. Young Seek Choue two medals of honour and distinction. The Mahatma Gandhi Award for Contributing to World Peace and a medal of Distinction of the IAEWP. (correct names to follow). That night I spent with Dr. Charles Mercieca and I learned that there were a number of people that were going to form a committee to put Dr. Choues name forth for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Friday morning I was taken to a small town north of Seoul where I was to spend the last two days of my time in Korea. A most incredible series of buildings known as The Graduate Institute of Peace Studies. As you enter the grounds you feel you are in some place special. The area has grounds that are impeccably kept. On your left as you enter the grounds there is a beautiful inspiring sculpture pointing to the heavens. In front of the main building there are four other sculptures each with its own story emphasizing the character and hopes of the mind of the designer of the grounds. This Institute is a division of the Kyung Hee University and has forty five full time students. These students attend this Institute must pass rigorous entrance examinations and are there to learn to be leaders in the 21st Century. Tuition is paid for by the Institute. Educators are brought in from around the world to teach there. Former government leaders and many wonderful human beings complement the staff. This organization is also the result of the largesse of one man. Dr. Young Seek Choue.

My first hour visit at this Institute I was fortunate to attend a guest lecture of Dr. Choues friend, Dr. Rodrigo Carazo O. the former President of Costa Rica. It was during this lecture that I learned that the International Peace Day that was introduced at the United Nations so many years ago, was not the inspiration of Costa Rica as most of the world understands it to be. It was the result of Dr. Rodrigo Carazo O. being petitioned by one man. One man who could not put the suggestion forth because he was from Korea. That man was Dr. Young Seek Choue. Hearing the perspective of one of the former President was inspirational.

We went to yet another special lunch with Jaeshik Sohn the Rector of the Institute of Peace Studies and I learned there of his commitment to the work of Dr. Choue.

After lunch we were bussed back to Seoul to attend the closing ceremonies of the NGO event.

The closing ceremonies made me fully aware of the involvement of Dr. Choue as he sat next to the organizer from the United Nations Committee. It was clear how much he had done to make this event the major success that it was.

One of the students took me out on the town that evening and then back to my private apartment back at the campus. In the morning I had an opportunity to look at some of the books that were in the bookshelves at the apartment.

There were several books that I did a quick read on. They were on Peace. Oughtopia, World Peace: The Great Imperative, Toward Oughtopia, A Proposition in the Global Village, A Road to World Peace, World Citizenship, Global Visions towards the Next Millennium, Visions and Realities in the 21st Century, All written or edited by one man. Dr. Young Seek Choue. A Man for Peace.

When I arrived home I did some investigation and I learned that this man is the

Founder- President of Kyung Hee University,

Chancellor of Kyung Hee University System, Seoul Korea

Perpetual President Emeritus of the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP - UN Peace Messenger and UN NGO Member)

Chairman of the High Commission for Peace (HCP)

President of the Institute for a Brighter Society,

President of the Institute of International Peace Studies,

President of the Institute of the Institute of Asia Pacific Studies,

President of the Center for the Reconstruction of Human Society,

President of the Global Cooperation Society (GCS) International (UNDPI and ECOSOC NGO member)

Chairman of the Korean Assembly for Reunion of Ten Million Separated Families

President of the Oughtopian Peace Foundation

President of the Korean Global Cooperation Society (GCS) Foundation

Advisor of the Council of Advisors on the Korean Unification, to the President of the Republic of Korea