On October 15, 2012, the Subcommittee for Environment under the CBCK Committee for Justice and Peace (President: Most Rev. Matthias Ri Iong-hoon) issued a statement demanding the abolition of the construction plan of nuclear power plants in Samcheok and Yeongdeok.

In the statement, it was said, “the world has been turning towards environment-friendly and renewable energy resources for a sustainable society as humanity has recognized the necessity of post-nuclear order since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011. However, the Korean government carries out nuclear policies against the global trend, even though it brags of its international presence as a member state of the OECD.” In conclusion, the statement asked the government to stop the construction of nuclear power plants in Samcheok and Yeongdeok which would betray most people’s yearning for a peaceful world. It also stressed that the construction of the nuclear power plants is an act against our faith for the preservation of the divine order of creation and a threat to the sustainability of our society.

Seminar on Educating Young People in Justice and Peace

The CBCK Committee for Justice & Peace (President: Most Rev. Matthias Ri Iong-hoon) held a seminar on educating young people in justice and peace at Myeongdong Catholic Center on October 24, 2012.

In his paper entitled “Plan for Educating Youth in Justice and Peace”, Dr. Park Jong-dae, Professor emeritus of Seogang University, said, “In a Christian education we have to teach the youth with a living catechism, so that they can find the aim of their life, understanding the power to bring about a peaceful and just change in their situation.” Then he made some suggestions: Prepare programs and materials for the religious courses appropriate for the youth; Open courses for general education in justice and peace at Catholic universities; Revitalize youth organization on a national level; Hold seminars to view current issues in the light of Catholicism; Establish Catholic research institutes for youth education.

In a panel discussion, Dr. Kim Nyeong, Professor of the Graduate School for Education at Seogang University, said, “Justice is an educational idea of Catholic universities and we need to search for the harmony between justice and faith. We have to teach the youth that knowing the Lord means practicing justice. Knowledge implies personal commitment and does not limit its boundaries to intellectual speculation.”