The Story of the Assembly from Its Operations Lead, Kunika Kobori
It’s good to meet you. Could you start by briefly introducing yourself?
Hello. I’m Kunika Kobori from the Education Department at the Human Resources Development Institute, and I served as operations lead for Pure Water Assembly 2026. From the initial planning stage, I coordinated staff roles, communicated with our partner organizations, and oversaw the practical side of the program to make sure everything ran smoothly. For the sports day, I even joined in as a game staffer, dressed in red to match the Squid Game theme. (laughs)
PWA 2026 has come to a close. Looking back now, what’s the first thought that comes to mind?
When the workshop ended, my first thought was, “This was a workshop that brought hope to Heavenly Parent and True Parents.” At the same time, I felt some regret that we couldn’t show this to True Mother in person.
From preparation through the very last moment, there was one goal I never let go of: to offer hope to Heavenly Parent and True Parents through this PWA. I believed that if Pure Water young adults from 46 countries across seven continents could move beyond differences in language and culture and show what one human family looks like, that in itself would be hope. When our staff first gathered, we told each other, “Let’s start with ourselves and create a picture of the kingdom of heaven on earth, of one human family, to offer them.”
There were plenty of worries at the start. Some participants struggled because they didn’t share a language or culture. But as time went on, I watched them grow closer and become one. It was a time when I realized that hope isn’t far away—it can be right in front of us.
For 14 days, Pure Water young adults from around the world were gathered in one place. What was the atmosphere like this year?
It was incredibly energetic. During praise time, whenever we said, “You’re welcome to come up on stage and sing with us,” dozens of people would come up, put their arms around each other’s shoulders, and dance and sing praise together. Seeing that filled me with joy and gratitude.
This year’s assembly was somewhat smaller than last year’s, but that actually let us see each person trying harder to feel Heavenly Parent and True Parents and working to get to know one another. It was unfortunate that many Pure Water members from Africa couldn’t join us because of visa issues, but we saw participants from 46 countries overcome their differences one by one and come together as one.
This year’s PWA began at Cheon Il Sanctum in Cheon Won Gung. That must have been a very special moment.
Yes. This assembly was special from the very beginning. We were able to open PWA with prayer at Cheon Il Sanctum in Cheon Won Gung, which True Parents dedicated after many years of devotion, and where Heavenly Parent personally dwells. Pure Water young adults from around the world prayed and offered their report there, then moved to the Cheon Won Gung Multipurpose Hall for the Opening Ceremony.
Many participants were entering Cheon Il Sanctum for the first time. As I watched them cry while writing letters and pray for a long time, I was reminded once again that this place is like the embrace of Heavenly Parent and True Parents.
One participant said, “Until now, I never really felt that I was a beloved child, but as I prayed in Cheon Il Sanctum, I realized that I truly was loved.” It made me think again about how precious this place is—a gift True Mother has given us through years of devotion.
Compared with last year’s PWA, what changed the most this year? Was there anything you paid special attention to?
The biggest change, as I mentioned, is that this assembly began at Cheon Il Sanctum in Cheon Won Gung.
The program changed as well. While the last assembly had more time for brothers and sisters to build bonds with one another, this year we set aside more time for learning and for self-reflection. We asked for lecturers who could speak at the level of the young generation, and many participants actually shared, “The lectures were easy to understand, so I came to know True Parents more deeply.”
We also introduced a new Reflection Program. It was a time for participants to look back on the 14 days and ask themselves questions like, “What message did Heavenly Parent give me?” We hoped they wouldn’t stop at simply having had a good time, but would go on to think about how they will live from here.
Comparing the beginning and end of the workshop, what was the biggest change you noticed in participants’ expressions or in how they treated one another?
At first, many seemed awkward with each other because they didn’t share a language, and their lifestyles and cultures were different. But day by day, you could actually see them growing closer. Many said it felt as if their hearts were communicated through their eyes even when words didn’t get through, and plenty of participants kept translation apps open on their phones, trying to talk however they could.
What struck me most was that, even with different languages and cultures, the participants increasingly came to feel that, in the end, we are all True Parents’ children and one family. In their testimonies, many said, “We were able to become one human family.” Watching them shed tears as they said goodbye at the end, I thought, “This is truly what family is.”
Were there any programs participants especially enjoyed, or moments that stand out in your memory?
I’d pick two. The first is the sports day. Lim Jong Ho of the Future Talent Department of FFWPU-Heavenly Korea, who served with us on the operations staff, did a wonderful job planning it. It was themed around Squid Game, and the reaction was electric from the moment the staff dressed in red walked in. Even without a common language, everyone cheered with one voice and had fun together, whether they won or lost. That really left an impression on me.
The second was the 2026 Moon Hyo Jin Music Festival (MMF). It used many of the production elements you see at concerts these days, so everyone could enjoy it together. Right there, I felt, “This is a culture of heart; this is what art is.” The performances by Moon Shin-heung nim and Moon Sin Jin nim with the Hyo Jin Moon Band heated up the atmosphere. An exhibition on Hyo-jin nim’s life was held as well, so we could feel closer to Hyo-jin nim, whom we had come to know through his music.
With Pure Water young adults from all over the world, preparation and on-site operations couldn’t have been easy. Was there anything you paid particular attention to?
First of all, our interpretation and translation team worked incredibly hard throughout the workshop. For some languages there were only two staff members, which must have been tough, but they helped participants take part in the program comfortably.
In the planning stage, what we thought about most was how to form the groups. We spent a long time considering how people of different nationalities and cultures could naturally get along. About six people made up a “Family,” five Families formed a “Clan,” and four Clans formed a “Tribe.”
We wanted to give them the experience of feeling for themselves—not through language or nationality—that “we are True Parents’ children, and that is why we are one family.” After the workshop, many participants told us, “Even with different languages and cultures, we were able to become one,” and I’m grateful for that.
No matter how well you prepare, there must have been plenty of unexpected variables this time too.
During this assembly, it rained heavily on the days we had outdoor activities. It rained during our pilgrimage to the holy grounds in Seoul, during our pilgrimage to Hyojeong Cheon Won, and at Mona Yongpyong. I like to think it was a rain of blessing from Heaven. (laughs)
What I remember most is the time each Family was doing activities at Mona Yongpyong. Suddenly it started pouring, and our staff grabbed umbrellas and rushed out. But when we got there, the participants were soaked to the skin yet all smiles, taking pictures of each other and having a great time. It was an unexpected variable for us, but for the participants, it seems to have become a memory they’ll hold onto for a long time.
What do you hope these 14 days will mean for Pure Water young adults going forward?
We wanted to show a small model proving that when we center on Heavenly Parent and True Parents, we truly can become one human family. Feeling something firsthand and only knowing it in your head are worlds apart. Over these 14 days, all of us were able to feel, even just a little, that we are True Parents’ children and therefore one family.
Now I hope they’ll take that experience back to their own countries and daily lives and begin by loving and caring for the person right beside them. I hope these 14 days won’t end as just a memory of “that was really great,” but will become a starting point for creating new pictures of one human family wherever each of them is.
If you were introducing PWA to Pure Water young adults around the world who haven’t experienced it yet, how would you describe it?
Pure Water Assembly is a workshop where you spend time with Pure Water young adults from around the world, feel Heavenly Parent more closely, and come to know True Parents more deeply. It’s also a time when, as you build relationships with brothers and sisters, you can experience for yourself One Human Family under Heavenly Parent.
Living in society, there are times when you wonder, “Is the kingdom of heaven on earth really possible?” But if you’ve had even one experience of “We really did become one human family,” that memory becomes the strength to rise again in the face of any hardship.
For Pure Water young adults who haven’t experienced it yet, I hope you’ll think of it as a chance to gain an uncut gem that will give you strength in your life of faith and in your life as a whole.
Finally, is there anything you’d like to say to the participants and staff of PWA 2026?
Thank you so much for spending these 14 days with us. I believe Heavenly Parent and True Parents were all the happier because you were there.
One human family is never far away. We learned that it begins with making the brother or sister beside you smile. Next time, I hope we’ll meet again, each of us having grown even more. Thank you so much—I love you all!
