Universal Peace Federation, United Kingdom Official

Celebrate Africa Day 2010 - Birmingham

Africa Day Celebrated - Interfaith Peace Meeting Birmingham

14^th June 2010

We held a local Women's Federation for World Peace - Universal Peace Federation event in Birmingham to recognize the United Nation's Day for Africa. Over 100 people came together, with representatives from 12 different African countries present.

Our first speaker was Rev Charles Ilunga, currently training for the Methodist ministry. He graphically described the horrors which he witnessed and experienced in Congo, and from which he and his family had to flee at barely a moments’ notice.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation June 6th 2010

Manal Timraz and Barbara Payman Forgiveness and Reconciliation The One Day Conference titled ‘Reconciliation and Forgiveness in Interpersonal Relationships and in the Community’, was chaired in the morning by Rev. Dr. Marcus Braybrooke and in the afternoon session by Imam Dr. Abduljalil Sajid, both distinguished figures in the interfaith world. ‘A very unique day for this UPF chapter,’ observed Rev. Braybrooke. ‘The most inspiring thing was the true stories of eminent people. They spoke with conviction, belief and understanding about peace. We looked at the importance of forgiveness in personal healing and how each of us has a role to play. You can curse the dark or light a candle, it all depends on your attitude.’

Legacy of Peace London UK

Legacy of Peace - Silent Prayer

The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) - UK held a unique and special 'Legacy of Peace' event to commemorate and celebrate the life and work of notable Ambassadors for Peace within a one day conference examining 'Forgiveness and Reconciliation'. In attendance in the Columbia Hotel, Lancaster Gate, London were people from all faith backgrounds and leaders and pioneers in interfaith. That itself spoke for the idea that no one religion has a monopoly on God or goodness and that this event was truly a collective offering and one that undoubtedly brought joy to our Creator.

Those whose lives were honoured in a moving ceremony were leading “Ambassadors for Peace” who passed away in recent years including Sheikh Dr Zaki Badawi, Prof. Ninian Smart, Mr OP Sharma MBE, Prof Anthony Flew and Mr. Maurice Geoghegan and several prominent international figures who had been close friends of the UPF and Father and Mother Moon including Pres. Abdurrahman Wahid, a former president of Indonesia, Shaykh Hassan Cissé of Senegal and Dr. Laxmi Mall Singhvi. Mr. Hédi Annabi, a Tunisian diplomat and head of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, who died in the 2010 Haitian earthquake and the one hundred UN workers who died alongside Mr. Annabi were also remembered. (Photos)

World Environment Day 2010 - Challenge of the Environment

'We are the product of 14 1/2 billion years of evolution but the next 14 1/2 years will prove if we are viable as a species' stated Lawrence Bloom to add a sense of perspective to the World Environment Day 2010 commemoration event. Chair of the UN Environment Programme for Green Economy Initiative and World Economic Forum, Davos for Global Agenda Council on Urban Development, Bloom emphasied that we are suffering from a 'crisis of values' and that we had lost our sense of interconnectedness to each other and the world around us. Murad Qureshi AM commented that the competing models of economic and political theory that had inspired large sections of society in the past are now all being challenged in an unprecedented manner. This included environmentalism based on neo-classical economics.

“Africa Reshaping Global Agenda,” UN Secretary-General at African Union / Universal Peace Fedn event

Africa Day NYC

New York, United States - Speaking at the New York City celebration of Africa Day, May 25, 2010 hosted by the African Union and the United Nations African Ambassadors' Spouses Group (UNAASG), in partnership with the Universal Peace Federation, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that peace and sustainable development in Africa was one of the world body’s priorities, and outlined a major personal effort that will take him to the continent no less than three times in the coming month.

Earlier, messages marking the 47th Africa Day and the 50th Anniversary of independence for 17 African nations were read on behalf of the President of the UN General Assembly by H.E. Mr. Michel Tommo Monthe, Ambassador of Cameroon, Vice-President of the General Assembly and Chair of the Africa Group for the month of May (photo below).