POP Senior Mentor, Dr. Ash Pachauri was invited to attend the 18th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, which was held in Gangwon, South Korea from  December 12-14, 2022. This landmark conference, which brings together Nobel Peace Laureates and notable stakeholders, has been considered “the most inspirational and largest annual event in the field of peacemaking.” With a resounding theme, “STRONGER TOGETHER”, the Summit this year engaged some eminent Nobel Peace Laureates including Shirin Ebadi, Tawakkul Karman, Leymah Gbowee, Kailash Satyarthi, Ouided Bouchamaoui, Ruth Mitchell (representing IPPNW), Ira Helfand (representing ICAN), David Steward (representing the FW de Klerk Foundation), Joy Ngoma (representing Tutu and Leah Legacy Foundation) and Tetsujiro Suzuki (representing Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs). In addition to the Nobel Laureates, Dr. Thomas Stelzer, Dean and Executive Secretary of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) and other important global leaders, including the Mayor of the host city, and 200 youth from 47 countries were present at the Summit.

On the day before the Summit (December 11, 2022), Dr. Ash Pachauri was invited to visit the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Goseong County by the Summit organizers. Arranged for the Nobel Peace Laureates and other dignitaries, this tour involved a visit to the DMZ Museum, meetings with the local community, and open discussions on the story of peace or the absence of it between North Korea and South Korea. 

The next day, Dr. Ash Pachauri attended the opening ceremony of the Nobel Summit, which featured key addresses by Nobel Peace Laureates and Ms. Ekaterina Zagladina, President of the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of the Nobel Peace Laureates. This was followed by cultural performances, including the demonstration of the Korean martial art, Taekwondo. Dr. Ash Pachauri attended the panel sessions, workshops, and screenings planned for the day and met with many Nobel Laureates and dignitaries.

On the second day of the Summit, Dr. Ash Pachauri participated as a speaker in the panel titled “Planet in Labor (Human Security)” alongside Shirin Ebadi, Kailash Satyarthi, and Thomas Stelzer (IACA). Moderated by Dave Steward, the session attempted to assess how and why the human race is drifting away from peace and identified ways to address world peace and actions that can realistically be taken. POPMovement’s Senior Mentor spoke about the important role youth leadership can play in advancing peace and human security. Following the sessions of the day, Dr. Ash Pachauri was invited, along with Nobel Laureates and other distinguished guests, to the Gala Dinner, “The Food for Inner Peace.” They were hosted at Woljeong-sa, one of the most renowned Buddhist temples in Korea, for an evening of speeches, meditation, cultural performances, and dinner. 

On the last day of the summit, on December 14, 2022, Dr. Ash Pachauri, alongside Thomas Stelzer, led the POP Movement’s “Leading by Example” workshop, engaging the young audience with the theme of human security within the context of climate change and environmental degradation. He also participated in the summit’s closing ceremony, which involved final declarations, awards, and prizes.

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