The Unification movement is a broad spectrum of entities affiliated with the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. It is a nascent, spiritually-based and charismatically-led movement of legally independent organizations. It is sometimes known as the Unification Church, however its members point out that Rev. Moon repeatedly proclaimed the "end of religion" and his desire to not have a "church" so that hence movement is a more apt way of describing the theology, organizations, and individuals associated with him.
Although Rev. Moon is commonly known as a religious figure, commentators have mentioned his belief in a literal Kingdom of God on earth to be brought about by human effort as a motivation for his establishment of multitudinous groups that are not strictly religious in their purposes. In Korean society, there is a popular culture linked with the "Chaebol" structure where one individual oversees a broad spectrum of intertwined organizations. This is the case with Rev. Moon and the Unification movement. Rev. Moon was not directly involved with managing the day-to-day activities of the numerous organizations that he indirectly oversaw, yet all of them attribute the inspiration behind their work to his leadership and teachings. Others have said that one purpose of these non-sectarian organizations is to pursue social respectability. These organizations have sometimes been labeled "front groups", an expression which originally referred to Soviet supported organizations during the Cold War.
Video Unification movement
Divisions
Currently, the Unification movement is split into several groups, all of which claim legitimacy and the spiritual authority of Rev. Moon. These groups diverge theologically and doctrinally. At the moment, it is often unclear which among the many groups retains legal control over certain organizations. The most prominent groups are the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification led by Moon's widow Hak Ja Han Moon, who following Moon's death announced her distinct messianic status; the Family Peace Association, founded by Moon's eldest living son, Hyun Jin Preston Moon; and the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary led by the youngest son Hyung Jin Sean Moon. Due to the ongoing division, the future of the Unification movement and its theological and institutional legacy is in turmoil and yet to be defined.
Maps Unification movement
Multi-faceted organizations
Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity
The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) was a spiritual organization founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon to unify Christianity around a broad and inclusive vision of a messianic mission. Rev. Moon established HSA-UWC to rally Christianity to support his view that humanity must create God-centered families, and that it is through this ideal that God's will can be manifest.
The organization was ordered to be disbanded in 1994 with Rev. Moon's announcement of the founding of a new and distinct entity, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Rev. Moon stated that the mission of HSA-UWC had been completed as "the period of religion is passing away".
Family Federation for World Peace and Unification
The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification was established in 1994 with the goal of promoting ideal families that attend God. It is led by Rev. Moon's surviving wife Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon, who following Rev. Moon's death announced her distinct messianic status.
CARP
The Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) is a collegiate organization founded by Moon and his followers in 1955, which promotes intercultural, interracial, and international cooperation through the Unification world view. J. Isamu Yamamoto states in Unification Church: "At times CARP has been very subtle about its association with the Unification Church, however, the link between the two has always been strong, since the purpose of both is to spread Moon's teachings."
Universal Peace Federation
The Universal Peace Federation is an international organization which promotes religious freedom. Dialogue and Alliance is its journal published from Tarrytown, New York.
Women's Federation for World Peace
The Women's Federation for World Peace was founded in 1992 by Hak Ja Han. Its stated purpose is to encourage women to work more actively in promoting peace in their communities and greater society. It has members in 143 countries.
The Family Peace Association
The Family Peace Association has the mission: "To enlighten humanity by uplifting their spiritual consciousness through universal principles and values rooted in God-centered families." Its founders are Hyun Jin Moon and Junsook Moon.
Interfaith organizations
- The Assembly of the World's Religions was founded by Sun Myung Moon. The first assembly was held from November 15 to 21, 1985, in MacAfee, New Jersey. The second was from August 15 to 21, 1990 in San Francisco.
- Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace
- American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC)
- The Middle East Peace Initiative sponsors projects to promote peace and understanding including visits by international Christians to Israel and Palestine and dialogues between members of the Israeli Knesset and the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Educational organizations
- Cheongshim Graduate School of Theology
- CheongShim International Academy
- International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences
- International Educational Foundation.
- New World Encyclopedia -- an Internet encyclopedia that, in part, selects and rewrites certain Wikipedia articles through a focus on Unification values. It "aims to organize and present human knowledge in ways consistent with our natural purposes" and "to promote knowledge that leads to happiness, well-being, and world peace."
- Paragon House, book publishing.
- The Professors World Peace Academy was founded in 1973 by Sun Myung Moon, who declared the group's intent to "contribute to the solutions of urgent problems facing our modern civilization and to help resolve the cultural divide between East and West". PWPA now has chapters in over one hundred countries.
- Sun Hwa Arts School
- Sun Moon University
- Sun Myung Moon Institute
- High School of the Pacific in Kealakekua, Hawaii
- The Unification Theological Seminary, founded in 1975, is the main seminary of the international Unification Church. It is located in Barrytown, New York and with an Extension Center in midtown Manhattan. Its purpose has been described as training leaders and theologians within the Unification Church. The seminary's professors come from a wide range of faiths, including a rabbi, a Methodist minister, a Presbyterian, and a Catholic priest.
- Blessed Teens Academy--Greeley, Colorado
- New Hope Academy--Landover Hills, Maryland, USA. "Although New Hope Academy was founded in 1990 by members of the Unification movement, it is not a sectarian school. No doctrines are taught; in fact, no classes in religion are offered.However morning services are mandatory,during services discussions about religious doctrines, hymns, and group prayers all take place. We believe it is the job of parents--with the support of their church, temple, or mosque--to impart their personal faith to their child."
- WUF - World University Federation
- Several UC-related groups are working to promote sexual abstinence until marriage and fidelity in marriage and to prevent child exploitation; they care for victims of Thailand's sex trade as well. In 1996, members of the Unification Church gathered 3,500 signatures in an anti-pornography campaign.
Organizations in the arts
- Kirov Academy of Ballet, dance school in Washington DC.
- Korean Cultural Foundation
- Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea: The Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea is a dance troupe founded in 1962 by Moon and other UC members to project a positive image of South Korea to the world. In 1973 they performed at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York City. The group's dances are based on Korean legends and regional dances, and its costumes on traditional Korean styles.
- Manhattan Center, Theater and recording studio in New York City.
- New York City Symphony
- One Way Productions, movie production company.
- The Universal Ballet, founded South Korea in 1984, is one of only four professional ballet companies in South Korea. The company performs a repertory that includes many full length classical story ballets, together with shorter contemporary works and original full-length Korean ballets created especially for the company. It is supported by UC members with Moon's daughter-in-law Julia Moon, who was the company's prima ballerina until 2001, now serving as General Director.
Sports organizations
- Centro Esportivo Nova Esperança, Clube Atlético Sorocaba, Brazilian football teams.
- Martial Arts Federation for World Peace
- Peace Cup International football (soccer) tournament.
- Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, South Korean football team.
- The Sunmoon Peace Football Foundation founded by the UC in 2003 sponsors the Peace Cup, an invitational preseason friendly association football tournament for club teams, currently held every two years. It is contested by the eight clubs from several continents, though 12 teams participated in 2009. The first three competitions were held in South Korea, and the 2009 Peace Cup Andalucia was held in Madrid and Andalusia, Spain. In 1989, Moon founded Seongnam FC, a South Korean football team.
- Yeongpyeong Ski Resort, which hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics
Political organizations
- Freedom Leadership Foundation, an anti-communist organization in the United States active in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
- Peace United Family Party, a South Korean political party founded by the Sun Myung Moon, one of whose main goals is the reunification of Korea.
- The International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) works to promote peace and understanding between potentially hostile nations.
- TheConservatives.com, a former political website in partnership with the Heritage Foundation.
- The Summit Council for World Peace is an international group active in Moon's effort to unite North and South Korea.
- Coalition for a Free World, anti-Soviet group active in the 1980s.
- Washington Institute for Values in Public Policy
- CAUSA International is an anti-communist educational organization created in New York City in 1980 by members of the Unification movement. In the 1980s it was active in 21 countries. In the United States it sponsored educational conferences for evangelical and fundamentalist Christian leaders as well as seminars and conferences for Senate staffers, Hispanic Americans and conservative activists. In 1986 it produced the anti-Communist documentary film Nicaragua Was Our Home.
- The International Coalition for Religious Freedom is an activist organization based in Virginia, the United States. Its president is Dan Fefferman, who has held several leadership positions within the Unification Church of the United States. Founded in the 1980s, it has been active in protesting what it considers to be threats to religious freedom by governmental agencies.
- International Federation for Victory over Communism
- Korean Culture and Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit organization which in the 1970s staged a public diplomacy campaign in the United States for South Korea When it was founded in 1964, former U.S. Presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower were named as honorary presidents and former Vice President Richard Nixon (then practicing corporate law) was named as a director.
- National Committee Against Religious Bigotry and Racism
- National Prayer and Fast Committee, which supported President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal.
- Radio Free Asia.
Businesses
Members of the Unification movement owns a number of businesses in various countries. In Eastern Europe Unification movement missionaries are using the church's business ties to win new converts. David Bromley, a sociologist at Virginia Commonwealth University, said: "The corporate section is understood to be the engine that funds the mission of the church. The wealth base is fairly substantial. But if you were to compare it to the LDS Church or the Catholic Church or other churches that have massive landholdings, this doesn't look on a global scale like a massive operation."
- AmericanLife TV cable television network formerly owned by the Unification movement.
- Cheongshim Hospital, Korean hospital.
- Il hwa Company, South Korean based producer of ginseng and related products.
- Isshin Hospital, Church sponsored hospital in Japan which practices both modern and traditional Asian medicine.
- International Oceanic Enterprises Inc.
- International Seafood of Alaska
- Master Marine, shipbuilding and fishing company in Alabama.
- National Hospitality Corporation.
- News World Communications is an international news media corporation founded by Moon in 1976. Hyun Jin Moon took over the company as chairman in 2009. It owns United Press International, The World and I, The Segye Ilbo (South Korea), and The Sekai Nippo (Japan). Until 2008 it published the Washington, DC-based newsmagazine Insight on the News. Until 2010, it owned The Washington Times, when Sun Myung Moon and a group of former Times editors purchased the Times from News World Communications. The Times is currently owned by diversified conglomerate Operations Holdings, also associated with the Unification Church.
- News World Media Development, owner of The World & I and former owner of The Washington Times.
- Operations Holdings, owner of The Washington Times, US Marine Corporation, OH Travel, and Manhattan Center Studios.
- The Washington Times newspaper in Washington, D.C.
- Pyeonghwa Motors, founded in 2000, has invested more than $300 million in the automobile industry of the North Korea. Starting in 1992 the church established business ties with communist North Korea and owned an automobile manufacturer (Pyeonghwa Motors), a hotel, and other properties there. In 1998, the Unification Movement launched its operations in North Korea with the approval of the Government of South Korea, which had prohibited business relationships between North and South before.
- Tongil Group: A South Korean chaebol (tongil is Korean for "unification") founded in 1963 by Moon as a nonprofit organization which would provide revenue for the UC. Its core focus was manufacturing but in the 1970s and 1980s it expanded by founding or acquiring businesses in pharmaceuticals, tourism, and publishing. Among Tongil Group's chief holdings are: The Ilwha Company, which produces ginseng and related products; Ilshin Stone, building materials; and Tongil Heavy Industries, machine parts including hardware for the South Korean military.
- True World Foods, which runs a major portion of the sushi trade in the United States.
- USP Rockets LLC, a real estate development firm in the United States.
- U.S. Property Development Corporation, real estate investment
- Yongpyong Resort, which hosted the alpine skiing events for the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
In the United States members of the Unification movement own fishing interests. The biggest are in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Alaska and Alabama. In Kodiak, Alaska the Unification movement "runs a fleet of fishing boats ... [and is] the largest private employer" in Kodiak.
Since 2000, Moon has promoted the creation of an interreligious council at the United Nations as a check and balance to its political-only structure. Since then King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and King Juan Carlos I of Spain hosted officially a program to promote the proposal. Moon's Universal Peace Federation is in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and a member of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, a member of the United Nations Division for Palestinian Rights, a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, a member of the UNHRC, a member of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Three of Moon's non-governmental organizations (NGOs)--Universal Peace Federation, Women's Federation for World Peace and Service for Peace--are in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
Other organizations
- International Relief Friendship Foundation (IRFF)
- Joshua House Children's Centre in Georgetown, Guyana helps homeless and victimized children.
- Korean War 60th Anniversary Memorial Committee
- National Committee Against Religious Bigotry and Racism
- The New Hope East Garden Project, agricultural project in Brazil.
- Ocean Church
- Service For Peace
- Summit Council for World Peace
- Tongil Foundation
- World Media Association, sponsors trips for American journalists to Asian countries.
- World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, a spiritual group led by Hyung Jin Sean Moon.
Organizations supported by members of the Unification movement
- American Conference on Religious Movements, a Rockville, Maryland based group that fights discrimination against new religions. The group is funded by the Church of Scientology, the Hare Krishna organization, as well as by Unificationists, who give it $3,000 a month.
- American Freedom Coalition (AFC), a group which seeks to unite American conservatives on the state level to work toward common goals. The coalition, while independent, receives support from the Unification Church.
- American Freedom Journal was a publication of the AFC published by Rev. Robert Grant. The journal was started in 1988 and suspended publication sometime before 1994. Contributors included Pat Buchanan, Ed Meese, Ben Wattenberg and Jeane Kirkpatrick.
- Christian Heritage Foundation, a private, independent charitable foundation based in Virginia that distributes Bibles and Christian literature to Communist and Third World nations. In 1995 it was given $3.5 million by the Women's Federation for World Peace.
- Empowerment Network, a pro-faith political action group supported by United States Senator Joe Lieberman.
- Foundation for Religious Freedom (Also known as the New Cult Awareness Network.), an organization affiliated with the Church of Scientology which states its purpose as "Educating the public as to religious rights, freedoms and responsibilities."
- George Bush Presidential Library. In June 2006 the Houston Chronicle reported that in 2004 Moon's Washington Times Foundation gave a $1 million donation to the George Bush Presidential Library.
- Liberty University. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Hak Ja Han helped to financially stabilize the University through two organizations: News World Communications, which provided a $400,000 loan to the University at 6% interest; and the Women's Federation for World Peace, which indirectly contributed $3.5 million toward the school's debt.
- Married Priests Now!, is an advocacy group headed by Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, who was himself married by Moon. MPN is a liberal Catholic organization calling for relaxing the rules concerning marriage in the Latin Rite Catholic priesthood.
- Million Family March, 2000 rally in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the Unification Church and The Nation of Islam.
- National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC), was given $500,000 by CAUSA International to finance an anticommunist lobbying campaign.
- University of Bridgeport of Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1992, following the longest faculty strike in United States academic history, the University of Bridgeport agreed to an arrangement with the Professors World Peace Academy whereby the university would be subsidized by PWPA in exchange for control of the university. The initial agreement was for $50 million, and a majority of board members were to be PWPA members. The next University of Bridgeport president was PWPA president and Holocaust theologian Richard L. Rubenstein (from 1995-1999), and subsequently former U.S. Unification Church president Neil Albert Salonen (2000-present).
- World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO)
See also
- List of Unification Church members
- List of supporters of the Unification Church
- Unification Church political activities
- Unification Church business activities
- Unification Church of the United States
- Moonie (nickname)
References
External links
- UPF website
- Projects and Activities Founded by Unificationists (Nearly all of these founded by Sun Myung Moon or affiliated with him.)
- Reverend Moon Website
- Unification Church, Article on Rightweb
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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