The 2019 GCS International Convention took place in a great success on September 21, 2019 at Chosun University in Gwangju, Korea
The Gwangju 2019 GCS International Convention, which was held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the GCS International and the 38th U.N. International Day of Peace, attracted about 1,500 people, including about 1,000 members of the newly launched GCS Global Peace Corps, from 18 countries.
Founded in 1979, GCS International is a Seoul-based U.N.-affiliated non-governmental organization (NGO) headed by Dr. Chungwon Choue, who also serves as president of World Taekwondo. With three major spirits of goodwill, cooperation and service, it strives to achieve the three by promoting healthy society, better living, preservation of the nature, restoration of human dignity and promotion of world peace. With a global membership of 44 national chapters, GCS International was founded by the late Dr. Young Seek Choue, who proposed the International Day of Peace and the International Year of Peace to the United Nations in 1981 and was unanimously approved by the U.N. General Assembly that year. In 2016, GCS International signed a memorandum of understanding with World Taekwondo, the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation to help empower the powerless in developing countries.
▲ © Dr. Chungwon Choue WTU |
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The one-day 2019 GCS International Convention, which started at 9:30 a.m. and continued until 6:30 p.m. at the Haeoreum Center at Chosun University, featured the 2019 GCS International Peace Seminar, the main GCS International Convention, the inauguration of the GCS Global Peace Corps, the 2019 GCS Peace Concert, and a taekwondo musical.
The GCS International Convention, which took place in Korea for the first time since 2012, was jointly promoted by GCS International and Chosun University and supported by GCS Korea Chapter, the Oughtopian Peace Foundation, Radian QBio and TKDSANGA.
Among dignitaries, who attended the Gwangju convention, were GCS International President Chungwon Choue; Dr. Hong Sung-Geum, acting president of Chosun University; Dr. Lu Dezhi, vice chairman of the China Charity Alliance; Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit, president of GCS Thailand Chapter and president of Siam University; Dr. Shim Ho-Myung, president of the GCS Korea Chapter; Dato Lee Jin-Bok, honorary president of GCS Malaysia Chapter; Mr. Sun Dejun, chairman of Shanghai Jijin Sports and associated president of the WT Wuxi Center.
Also on hand were WT Secretary General Hoss Rafaty; Mr. Kim In-Seon, a WT Council member; Mr. Na Il-Han, head of the WT Demonstration Team; Mr. Philippe Bouedo, technical delegate of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games; Mr. John Cullen, director for WT broadcast operations and planning; and Mr. Jerry Ling, WT chief of staff.
Dr. Huh Jong, vice president of GCS International; Dr. Seok-Jae Kang, secretary general of GCS International and senior consultant for WT Cares Program; Mr. Lee Won-Jong, secretary general of the Oughtopian Peace Foundation; Dr. Yoon Oh-Nam, a professor of the College of Physical Education at Chosun University; Dr. Lee Kye-Haeng, dean of the College of Physical Education at Chosun University were also attend the event.
Also attendees of the convention were Mr. Prakash Shumsher Rana, president of the Nepal Taekwondo Association and co-president of the GCS Nepal Chapter; Mr. Yoo Seung-Bok and Dato Lee Chong Haw, co-presidents of the GCS Malaysia Chapter; Mr. Oinuma Yoshihisa, president of the GCS Japan Chapter; Mr. Raul Pinzon, president-appointee of the GCS Colombia Chapter; Master Luay Nader Alkhatib, president-appointee of the GCS Jordan Chapter; Mr. Yazid Binallawi, president of the Algerian Taekwondo Federation and president-appointee of the GCS Algeria Chapter; Master Hichem Ayouni, secretary general of the Association Sportif de Sfax in Tunisia and secretary general-appointee of the GCS Tunisia Chapter; Master Choi Yong-Sok, Korean government-dispatched taekwondo master to Cambodia and an official of the GCS Cambodia Chapter.
Shortly after the seminar, about 1,000 members of the GCS Global Peace Corps made a taekwondo performance for about 15 minutes at the school playground, drawing a big applause from the participants in the convention. The mass taekwondo performance was supposed to take place shortly after the inauguration of the GCS Global Peace Corps in the afternoon. Bur rain forced to change the time.
At the 2019 GCS International Peace Seminar, which starts at 9:30 a.m., GCS International President Choue made a keynote speech, followed by presentations by Prof. Luc Reychler of Leuven University in Belgium; Dr. Selma Li, president of the GCS International Portland, U.S.A. Chapter; Indian Swami Divyananda Maharaj of the Ramakhrishna Mission; Prof. Oh Young-Dahl of Chungnam National University in Korea; Master Pradipta Kumar Roy, secretary genral of the Roy’s Taekwondo Academy in India.
Mr. Cho Keon-Jin and Ms. Lee Yoon-Ah served as the masters of ceremonies of the convention, while Mr. Hong Duck-Hwa of Yonhap News Agency served as the moderator of the international peace seminar.
At 1:30 p.m. the annual 2019 GCS International Convention started with the GCS Bell ringing by Dr. Choue reciting “G – C –S the Global Common Society.” He also made a welcoming speech, followed by congratulatory messages by Chosun University Acting President Hong, Dr. Lu Dezhi, Dr. Shim Ho-Myung, and a video congratulatory message by Mr. Michel Idiaquez, former Honduran ambassador to Korea.
Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit of Thailand read the vision statement of the 2019 GCS International Convention, followed by GCS activities reports by national chapters. Next was the felicitation session in which plaques and letters of appointment and appreciation were awarded to dozens of GCS members and Chosun University people.
At 1:30 p.m. there was a ceremony to inaugurate the GCS Global Peace Corps,, in which the new logo of the GCS Global Peace Corps was unveiled and a promotional video was shown. A taekwondo demonstration team of the GCS Global Peace Corps also made a taekwondo performance at the Haeoreum Center. A scheduled GCS world peace walkathon, a 1.8km span from the school to the nearby Flag Peak, was canceled because of rain.
The inauguration ceremony was followed by The 2019 GCS Peace Concert took place at the Haeoreum Center for one hour from 4:45p.m., in which a 35-member Korea Saxophone Harmony orchestra played famous classic and pop songs, followed by a 20-minute classic song performance by Soprano Kim Jee-Hyun and Tenor Lee Jeong-Won. Soprano Kim and Tenor Lee were appointed as GCS “Peace Ambassadors.”
The concert was followed by a 30-minute taekwondo musical by members of the Chosun University Taekwondo Demonstration Team.
“The 2019 GCS International Convention has a special meaning in that it marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of GCS International and September 21 is the 38th U.N. International Day of Peace. ‘Peace is More Precious than Triumph’ is the book title of the late Dr. Young Seek Choue, the founder of the GCS Movement, and the words send a precious lesson to all mankind. In this regard, the inauguration of the GCS Global Peace Corps on the occasion of the 2019 GCS International Convention is very meaningful and it brightens the future of the GCS Movement,” said Dr. Choue.
He continued to say, “I wish not only taekwondo, but also all sports to join the GCS Global Peace Corps, which would ultimately help promote world peace.” “The year 2019 will be a turning point for the 40-year GCS Movement and we all have to join hands to chart another 40-year GCS Movement. In 2021, we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the GCS founder and the 40th anniversary of the U.N. International Day of Peace. I ask for your continued service and dedication to the promotion of the GCS Movement around the world.”
▲ © Dr. Seok-je Kang Secretary General of GCS International (WTU) |
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21일 ‘밝은사회(GCS)클럽국제본부(GCS International, 총재 조정원) 창립 40주년’ 및 ‘2019 U.N.세계평화의 날’을 기념하기 위한 '2019 GCS국제대회'가 20개국 1,500여명이 참가한 가운데 전남 광주 소재 조선대학교 ‘해오름관’에서 개최됐다.
GCS클럽국제본부는 선의(goodwill), 협동(cooperation), 봉사-기여(service)의 3대 정신을 생활화하여 건전사회운동, 잘살기운동, 자연애호운동, 인간복권운동, 세계평화운동 등 5대 운동을 전개하는 U.N.에 등록된 비정부기구(NGO)로서 1979년 한국에서 설립되어 현재 세계 45개국에 국가본부를 두고 있다.
GCS클럽 창시자 고 조영식 박사는 1981년 유엔에 ‘세계평화의 날’과 ‘세계평화의 해’ 제정을 제안하여 그 해 유엔총회에서 만장일치로 통과시키는 데 주도적인 역할을 하였다. GCS클럽국제본부는 2016년 세계태권도연맹, 태권도박애재단과 업무협약을 체결하고 태권도를 통한 저개발국 소외계층 어린이를 돕기 위한 국제 자선활동을 전개하고 있다.
오전 9시 30분부터 조선대학교 ‘해오름관’에서 이어진 이번 광주 2019 GCS국제대회에 GCS국제평화세미나, GCS글로벌평화봉사단 출범식 및 GCS평화음악회 그리고 태권도 뮤지컬 등이 성대하게 진행됐다.
조정원 GCS클럽국제본부 및 세계태권도연맹(WT) 총재를 비롯해 홍성금 조선대학교 총장 직무대리, 루더즈(Lu Dezhi) 중국자선연합회 부회장, 하스 라파티(Hoss Rafaty) WT 사무총장, 김인선 WT 집행위원 등 내외빈 인사가 참석했다.
2019GCS국제평화세미나에서는 조정원 총재가 기조연설을 시작으로 룩 레이클러(Luc Reychler) 벨기에 루벤대학교 명예교수, 루더즈 부회장의 축사 및 특강이 이어졌다. 이어 전국에서 모인 약 1천명의 GCS글로벌평화봉사단원이 펼친 태권도 합동 시범에 모든 참석자들은 열렬한 박수와 환호를 보냈다.
조선대학교 태권도시범단 70명은 태권도 뮤지컬 ‘100년전의 봄’을 선보이고, 마지막으로 열린 평화 콘서트가 이날 행사의 대미를 장식했다.
조정원 총재는 “2019 GCS국제대회는 GCS클럽국제본부 창립 40주년을 기념할 뿐만 아니라 9월 21일이 ‘제 38차 유엔세계평화의 날’이어서 그 의미가 특별하다. ‘평화는 개선보다 귀하다’는 조영식 박사의 저서 제목으로 오늘날 인류 사회에 소중한 교훈을 주고 있다. 이러한 의미에서 ‘2019 GCS국제대회’를 계기로 공식 출범하는 ‘GCS글로벌평화봉사단’은 아주 의미가 크며, GCS운동의 미래를 밝게 한다”며 “태권도뿐만 아니라 모든 스포츠가 GCS글로벌평화봉사단과 함께하기를 원하며, GCS글로벌평화봉사단 활동이 궁극적으로 세계평화 증진에 큰 도움이 될 것이라고 생각한다. 2019년은 GCS운동 40주년이 되는 중요한 해로서 우리 모두 힘을 모아 또 다른 GCS운동의 40년을 만들어가야 할 것이다. 2년 뒤인 2021년은 GCS운동 창시자인 조영식 박사 탄신 100주년이자 ‘유엔세계평화의 날’ 제정 40주년이 되는 또 다른 의미 있는 해로서 전 세계 GCS가족 모두가 GCS운동 증진에 더욱 매진해야 할 것이다”라고 전했다.
World Taekwondo United News (WTU-news 세계태권도연합뉴스)