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Working Together for a Great Future for the ITF
Distinguished guests, Delegates, Grand Masters, Masters,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour for me to accept the position of President of the International Taekwon-Do Federation. I am particularly pleased that my election was unanimous and wish to thank all of you who have decided to put the future of the ITF ahead of your personal ambitions and to work together to solidify the unity of our large ITF family. I promise to prove myself worthy of your trust, always working to the best of my ability and in the best interests of the ITF members.
Democracy and Unity in the ITF
It is regrettable that we do not have representation from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at this 14th Congress Meeting and that some of our other members are also not represented. Unfortunately, their decision not to attend is the expression of a fundamental divergence of opinion. The group in question had tried to impose their will on the ITF by overriding the democratic process, but we have remained true to our value system. History teaches us that democracy is the only way to ensure the long-term development of our organisation. Depriving people of their democratic rights is like navigating against the current; you don't get anywhere in the long run. It is just a matter of time before this issue will be completely resolved.
As we know, each ITF Taekwon-Do practitioner swears an oath that includes these words:
I shall be the champion of justice and freedom.
I shall build a better and peaceful world.
A key principle of the ITF is that the Federation belongs to its members; it must work for its members and with its members. To do this,we must all respect the authentic philosophy of ITF Taekwon-Do as laid out by General Choi in the Encyclopedia of TKD and confirmed in our constitution. We must act in accordance with the democratic way that ITF Taekwon-Do leads us to strive for peace, justice, and freedom.
Congratulations to all of you for choosing the democratic way.
Our Founder,General Choi Hong Hi is no longer with us. He had accomplished his mission;now it is our mission to ensure that the ITF continues to grow and prosper. To do this,we need a structured organisation operating efficiently and in a business-like manner. The operations of the ITF will be modernized and restructured so that we will be able to provide the services our members need and want. The administration intends to work with the member countries in harmony, searching for consensus rather than conflict in all matters.
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