Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Substantive Plan to Solve World Hunger

An Analysis of Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Speech on August 1st, 1994 at the 20th Anniversary Ceremony of the Oceanic Providence in America

This has to be done. For the future, someone has to do it. You are my hope. If you don't know that, you cannot understand even who you are. The one who is close to me is the one who will determine to be successful on the ocean. (God’s Will and the Ocean, Chapter 6, Who Will Inherit the Ocean? July 3rd, 1983 Gloucester)

Overview

This article is an analysis of Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s speech given at the 20th Anniversary of the Ocean Providence in America. About 4,000 members from 160 nations were invited to attend the anniversary exposition, where Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s investments in oceanic enterprises in the United States were displayed including the boats, restaurants, seafood distribution and fish farm technologies.

Throughout the speech, Rev. Moon revealed and laid out the plan for the Ocean Providence that was meant to be carried out by Unification church members. This article will be analyzing and explaining what Rev. Moon talks about in his speech in the following manner:

Why Do We Need a Plan? For What Goals?

Before discussing the plan that Rev. Moon had laid out for members, we must first understand the goals of the Unification movement. To understand those goals, we can simply look at our name: Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU). As a movement, we are meant to literally be a network of Blessed Families that can bring about both world peace and world unification.

However, these are grand goals that no other organization in human history has been able to accomplish, and it is naïve to think that peace and unification would happen automatically. Naturally, we should understand that there is a need for an actual plan to arrive at world peace and unification.

Then how was Rev. Moon looking to do this? What are the key aspects to bringing about a world of peace and unification? We can take a look at Rev. Moon’s words with regards to peace:

The oceans can become a central point for bringing the world together. (As a Peace-loving Global Citizen, Ch. 7, pg. 305)

We cannot build a world of peace without first resolving the food issue. (As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, Ch.7, pg. 316)

True peace will not come as long as humanity does not solve the problem of hunger. If the person next to me is about to die of hunger, peace is a mere luxury. (As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, Ch.7, pg. 321)

Rev. Moon has said, many times, that the oceans play a key role to bringing about our goals to reality, and also that solving the food issue is an absolute must when talking about creating world peace. Rev. Moon stressed the important key role of the ocean in other speeches as well:

This is the fastest way to bring people and nations together. I am always thinking how this can be done and that is why I am making a foundation on the ocean. When we make this foundation, our direction towards the future will be straight. (God’s Will and the Ocean, Ch.11)

I believe this will be a shortcut to guiding all people toward a world of peace. That is why for several decades I have been researching, planning and pioneering all sorts of ocean-related businesses. (Chambumo Gyeong, Book 10 252-210, 1993/12/30)

Rev. Moon identifies the ocean as the “fastest way,” “shortcut,” and “central point” for achieving world peace and unification. He also points out that solving the hunger problem is necessary to resolve in order to bring about these goals. It can be concluded then, simply, that in order to accomplish FFWPU’s goals for World Peace and Unification, we must become involved with the ocean and with resolving the food issue.

This then makes clear that the Ocean Providence and the plan that Father had laid out during the 20th anniversary had to do with the two main goals, the ocean, and the food issue. However, one other question that might arise is why Rev. Moon laid this plan out when he did at the 20th Anniversary. What was the significance of this timing?

When the Unification movement had just begun in 1954, the name was Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC). This was the case for the next forty years until 1994. Throughout this first forty year course, the central responsibility belonged to True Parents. In 1971, Rev. Moon began the American Providence, and in 1974, he began the American Ocean Providence which lasted for the next twenty years until the 20th anniversary ceremony on August 1st, 1994.

May 1st of 1994 was when FFWPU was established, marking the start of the second forty year course, and in 1995 when the Sao Paulo Declaration was made, it was the start of the North and South American Unification movement. During this next forty years, of which we are currently in the midst of, the central responsibility had shifted from True Parents to the Blessed Family members.<