Research:Cheon Il Guk Constitution
Cheon Il Guk Constitution - History and Analysis
Sometime in 2012 Hak Ja Han announced that a convention to create a constitution for the nation of Cheon Il Guk would convene. The convention would be tasked with creating groups of scholars to draft a preliminary constitution. Not much is known about the early stages of this project and who were the driving people leading the effort. One task of this research will be to identify the key players.
News reports filtered to the west irregularly telling of study sessions among various groups. Another part of this research will be to identify the groups and their participants and their work product if that information is available.
What is now known is that once the original draft was written a series of public hearings were held. The stated purpose of the hearings was for Unificationists from around the world to give input and make suggestions. Hundreds of members participated. A few people posted testimonies on social media and for the most part reported that there were no time for questions and answers or any input from the audience. The draft constitution was read and speeches were given.
Adopted Without Public Review
In spite of promises to open the proceedings to the public there was no opportunity given for Unification members to comment on the proposed statutes of the Cheon Il Guk Constitution and it was official proclaimed on 'Foundation day 2014' to enter into force sixty days hereafter, in other words on April 11.
Since the constitution was designed to govern a nation that doesn't exist, some remarked that the constitution was in fact more a charter for governance of the Unification Church, rather than a nation. However, no official response or clarification has been forthcoming. Members have been left to conclude that the authoritarian model of Unification Church governance would continue in the same manner and any nation that may arise in the distant future with have an authoritarian character. In other words, the Unification Church, whose members pledge daily to become "owners of Cheon Il Guk" are left to wonder what to make of it. As one 2nd generation member said:
"...we can concluded that it is not a constitution, as with a democracy. It is not a covenant, as with Canon Law. It is a terms of use agreement written to protect the Movement from its members."
CIG Symposium in London
Members of western nations, steeped in democratic traditions, wasted little time pointing out the contradictions in the newly imposed constitution. The first serious effort came at "The Symposium on the Cheon Il Guk Constitution" held in London March 22, 2014. The consensus of eight panelists who spoke was bleak: The ideal world we thought we were building is betrayed by the forced adoption of this version of the CIG Constitution. Most panelists found the document entirely antithetical to the creation of a place where anyone would willing choose to live.
Member Reaction
Western members were universally disappointed that church leadership did not keep their promise to develop the constitution in full public view and with input from the members. Church leadership held stage-managed events to give the appearance of public hearings however all recognized this as a clumsy charade.
In spite of their disappointment, western members, academics and intellectuals have evaluated the document and offered their input whether it is welcome or not. Here below are comments by notable Unificationists.
Criticism of the Cheon Il Guk Constitution
- Symposium on the Cheon Il Guk Constitution — Summary of Speaker Presentations — London, UK, March 22, 2014
- Reflections on the Cheon Il Guk Constitution — By Graham Simon, AppliedUnificationism.com
- Who owns Cheon Il Guk? — By William Haines, UTS '92
- Thoughts on a Cheon Il Guk Constitution — By Gordon Anderson, Ph.D UTS '78
- Open Letter on the Cheon Il Guk Constitution — By Mark Anderson, Paul Carlson, Dan Fefferman, David Payer
Full Text of the Cheon Il Guk Constitution
See Also
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