Asuncion, Paraguay – In his keynote speech at the Global Peace Leadership Conference Paraguay 2010, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, chairman of the Global Peace Festival Foundation, urged the creation of a Latin American union of nations to meet the challenges of globalization and the rise of Asia. He proposed that the headquarters for such a union be located in Paraguay.

The suggestion was enthusiastically received by the participants. Five hundred attended the opening session, including high level public officials and civil society leaders from around the region. Vice President Federico Franco of Paraguay attended the opening and former presidents from Uruguay, Guatemala, and Bolivia were at the conference as featured speakers.

A delegation of two senators and four congressmen came from neighboring Uruguay. Dr. Moon was introduced by Senator Lillian Samaniego of the National Congress.

Speaking of Asia’s growing economic power and influence, Dr. Moon said, “This is the time in which forward-thinking people, especially in this hemisphere, must conceive of a new geo-political and economic order. “

The situation called for “partnerships where fragmented national interests can be replaced with a coordinated hemispheric one. The first step is to create a greater Latin American Union in the south and a greater Central-Caribbean Union in the center of this hemisphere,” he said.

He suggested that the headquarters of the Latin American Union should be in a smaller, neutral nation, just as the European Union was headquarters in Belgium. Yet it should have a vision “big enough to digest the diversity of Latin America as well as advocate a set of universal principles and values that uplift human dignity and fundamental human rights and freedoms.”

“I can foresee that when the vision of building a greater Latin American Union sweeps over the continent of South America, the obvious choice for its headquarters will be Paraguay!” he concluded to loud applause.

Vice President Franco addressed the closing session, warning that representative democracy would fail without active citizen participation. “I like politics, but many politicians stink,” he said to the clear approval of the audience.

“They don’t honor their commitments,” he continued, warning that unless they justified the trust citizens placed in them by keeping their promises, people would disengage from politics and democracy would be put at risk.

One of the features of the conference was the speeches given by the three former presidents, Luis Lacalle of Uruguay (1990-95), Marco Cerezo of Guatemala (1986-91), and Jorge Quiroga of Bolivia (2001-02).  Each spoke about their country’s background and their own experiences as leaders and suggested lessons that might be learnt to help the future development of Latin America.

Among the common themes was the struggle to establish democracy in the face of military dictatorships with a particularly powerful personal account from President Cerezo who had been the target of several assassination attempts as a leader of the democratic opposition in Guatemala. The continuing threats to democracy from income inequality, the vast and destabilizing drug economy, and the new authoritarianism of the so-called ‘Bolivarian revolution,’ led by Hugo Chavez of Venezuela were also emphasized.

The conference addressed the theme, “Opportunities, Difficulties and Challenges for Latin America in this Era” and its four panels covered: security in the region; the environment and a culture of sustainability; how media and communications influence the idea of citizenship; and the role of the private sector in economic development.

It was organized by IDPPS, a Paraguayan think tank set up by the Global Peace Foundation of Paraguay. IDPPS addresses the critical issues of nation building in the context of universal principles and values.

It is in the process of creating a road map for Paraguay’s future and has already made a proposal for the Chaco region, the largest but poorest part of Paraguay that is being considered by government officials. IDPPS will publish the proceedings of the GPLC and the papers should form the basis for lively discussions about the future direction of both Paraguay and the region. One feature of the proposal is the extensive use of public-private partnerships proposed to address the socio-economic challenges of development.

The conference concluded with the approval by unanimous consent of the Asuncion Declaration which was then signed by participants. The document calls for the unity of South America beyond differences of race, religion, class, and nationality, guided by the eternal ideal expressed in the phrase ‘One Family under God.’

It recognizes a Creator as the source of human rights and dignity and supports representative and participatory democracy while calling for a new type of leadership worthy of it.