Peace Forum 2025: From Inner Peace to Social Impact
Connecting the World Through My Peace
The Hague, Netherlands – October 18, 2025 – Against the backdrop of growing global divisions and personal unrest, Peace Forum 2025 invited participants to pause and rediscover what peace truly means, both within and beyond themselves. Under the theme “Peace Heals, Building Lasting Peace” and the slogan “From My Peace, To Our True Peace,” the event encouraged reflection on how inner calm can inspire collective harmony.
Event in Progress
The forum, held at Vreedehuis, in The Hague by the Netherlands and Belgium Branches of HWPL in cooperation with the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), and Peace SOS—a global peace organization supporting vulnerable children and communities through education, advocacy, humanitarian aid, and grassroots initiatives—brought together people from diverse backgrounds to exchange ideas and share personal experiences of peace in everyday life.
Speakers and Peace Messages
Mr.Andy Vermaut, Founder of Fundamental Rights Movement PostVersa Delivering Peace Message
The forum opened with a speech and keynote by Andy Vermaut, Founder of Fundamental Rights Movement PostVersa and recently appointed HWPL Publicity Advocacy Ambassador. He shared his experiences from the 11th Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit held last September, emphasizing, “Despite different languages and histories, we all share the same hopes. Peace is not a document; it is a living action we create together.”
Mr. Stephan Eshuis, Organizer of Peace Cafe and May-May Meiyer, Chairperson of Peace SOS Delivering Peace MessageDelivering Peace Message
Stephan Eshuis, Organizer of Peace Cafe, then spoke about the history of peace in Europe and the connection between inner peace and social peace. He highlighted, “Peace is not a noun, it is a verb. It is something we act upon and cultivate in our daily lives,” stressing that peace is maintained through action rather than merely being a concept.
May-May Meijer, Chairperson of Peace SOS, shared her experiences supporting vulnerable children and communities, highlighting the impact of citizen-led peace initiatives on local societies.
Sign For Her Campaign: Practicing Peace Across Borders
Sign for Her Campaign Booth Operation
Another highlight of Peace Forum 2025 was the Sign For Her Campaign, initiated by HWPL in Zambia to provide girls with reusable sanitary products and raise awareness of menstrual health and legal rights, supporting school attendance and self-esteem. Featured at the Netherlands forum, the campaign exemplified cross-border cooperation and shared responsibility, showing concrete actions to support and protect the rights of girls in Zambia, Malawi, and beyond.
HWPL highlighted the campaign’s educational focus: menstrual health management, rights and legal awareness, and peace education, emphasizing that peace is practiced through action and can create lasting change in individual lives.
As Stephan Eshuis emphasized in his keynote, “Peace is not a noun, it is a verb.” This philosophy is embodied in the Sign For Her campaign, demonstrating that HWPL and its Zambian partners are creating a sustainable model of peace through education and concrete actions, rather than temporary support.
HWPL Branch Manager Minji Ko commented, “We are delighted to feature the Sign For Her campaign here in Europe, highlighting our ongoing support for girls in Zambia. It is inspiring to see local and global communities coming together to promote education, health, and rights for young women.” This remark underscored the significance of the campaign’s presence at the forum as a model of global solidarity and cross-border peace action.
Annual Activities of HWPL Netherlands and Belgium Branches
The forum also reflected on the 2025 achievements of HWPL Netherlands and Belgium Branches. Key activities included a webinar on the legislation of peace (DPCW), Harmony Walk – Toward Global Peace events, monthly interfaith dialogue sessions through the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace Office (WARP Office), the Religious Peace Academy (RPA), and the Paint for Peace Campaign. These initiatives demonstrated HWPL’s philosophy that peace grows when people unite across differences, listen with empathy, and share responsibility.
The core message emphasized during the forum was that inner peace is not merely personal tranquility but the seed of influence one individual can have on world peace. Participants and HWPL members put this principle into practice, inspiring new expectations for peace initiatives in the Netherlands, Belgium, and across Europe.
Commemorative Photo with All Participants
About HWPL
HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light) is an international peace NGO committed to ending war, promoting human rights, and fostering peace education. Operating in over 100 countries, HWPL advances a culture of peace through interfaith dialogue, collaboration, and citizen engagement.