The 5298th Worldwide Cleanup Campaign, The 100th Birth Anniversary Christ Ahnsahnghong, Mother’s Street, ASEZ

ASEZ( Save the Earth from A to Z ) – Philippines held its “Mother’s Street Cleanup Campaign to Reduce Crime Together” in Pook Libis, Brgy. UP Campus, Quezon City. The cleanup drive started at 8:45 AM and ended at 10AM on Nov. 26, 2018 (Monday).

Volunteers and residents gathered at the covered court of Pook Libis for the opening ceremony. Choi Jeongmaan, the overseer of the Philippine chapter of the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG), delivered opening remarks. “All our college and university students are leading in the front line to reduce crime together…. When a man changes, the world changes… even though we are not many, but small, through this action… we can change the whole world.”

63 student volunteers set out in seven groups to pick up trash from streets and the sides of houses. Around 10 residents, who were observing at first, took up brooms and helped the volunteers on their own initiative. Ultimately, the participants amassed around 20 sacks of trash, which was loaded into a trash truck provided by the Quezon City government.

ASEZ is a global organization formed by university students members of the WMSCOG, which has around 8,000 churches in 180 countries. In the Philippines, ASEZ is spearheaded by the members of the UP Elohist. To share the love of God the Father and God the Mother, the Church of God has been active in performing volunteer services with Mother’s love. As a partner of the United Nations, it is exerting considerable effort to help the UN achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

The Mother’s Street Cleanup Campaign targets SDGs concerning the safety of global citizens. Sustainable development is possible only if basic needs to live a peaceful life, including safety itself, is secured.

Crime, in particular, is the largest single problem in developing countries. Research reveals that a shocking 80% of violent deaths are due to crime rather than war. Surprisingly, small acts of maintaining order can help deal with this problem. According to the “broken window” theory, a building with a broken window can make an entire neighborhood prone to crime. Conversely, removing graffiti or cleaning sidewalks has been proven to reduce crime rates. ASEZ taps into the “broken window” theory whenever it conducts Mother’s Street Cleanup Campaigns. The end goal is to change the world with Mother’s love, creating a safe world where everyone can protect each other and exist FOR each other.

For more info on WMSCOG, ASEZ, and the Reduce Crime Together initiative, visit english.watv.org and asez.org.