Written by: Robin Marsh

Stortinget, Norwegian Parliament, Oslo

Session IV Friday 21st, International Day of Peace

Are Human Rights a necessity for a sustainable peace? Do implemented Human Rights standards guarantee peace? A highly qualified panel considered this question appropriatley on the UN International Day of Peace. Ms Sylvia Escobar is a former Human Rights Ambassador for Spain, Eyal Bloch has 20 years experience teaching education programmes in Israel and the West Bank to promote human rights awareness and a culture of peace and Ed Brown, the Moderator, has specialised in the human rights of Christians behind the Iron Curtain and now in nations where Christians are minorities.

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Written by: Robin Marsh

The European Leadership Conference in Oslo 'Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future' participated in the launch of the documentary, 'Within the Eye of the Storm' in the Norwegian Parliament, the Stortinget, to coincide with International Peace Day. It was also being shown in many other places including Tel Aviv and Ramallah. It featured two men, Rami and Bassam, from the Bereaved Family Forum sharing their struggles and realisations after their daughters had been killed.

More information about the documentary can be found at www.withineyeofstorm.com It is directed by Shelley Hermon. After watching the launch several inspired participants said they wanted to promote the documentary in their city. Both men had addressed Middle East Peace Initiative delegates many times in past years.

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Written by: Dr Yong Cheon Song

UNIVERSAL PEACE FEDERATION EUROPE

European Leadership Conference, Oslo, Norway
September 20th – 22^nd 2012

OPENING SESSION: "A NEW VISION FOR SUSTAINABLE PEACE"

KEYNOTE ADDRESS OF DR YONG CHEON SONG   (Chair, Universal Peace Federation Europe)

Distinguished Guests, Ambassadors for Peace, Ladies & Gentlemen! It is my sincere pleasure as Chair of the principle host organization of this European Leadership Conference to welcome you all most warmly to this special 2 day conference on the theme  "Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future" organized as part of the United Nations’ ‘International Day of Peace’ and with the generous collaboration of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I want to begin by expressing deep appreciation to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for all their help and support in putting on this conference. No nation in Europe (and perhaps none in the rest of the world either!) has become as synonymous with efforts for world peace as has Norway through its leading role in peace promotion and peace advocacy and its consistent contribution to U.N. peace keeping efforts around the world over many decades. UPF is deeply grateful to the Foreign Ministry for providing generous sponsorship and excellent speakers and other logistical support for this event in collaboration with UPF’s ongoing commitment to support the work of the U.N. all over the world. Our event here today will be one of approximately 75 other such national level events on all 6 continents marking this day laid on by UPF chapters.

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Written by: Robin Marsh

BERLIN - November 15-17

Wie soll das Europa der Zukunft aussehen?

PLEASE SEND SUGGESTIONS FOR SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS THE THEMES BELOW

Suggested Themes
1. The economic/financial crisis: what needs to be corrected 

• principles of social market economy (catholic social teaching versus socialism,)
• Some think that the market is the invisible hand (A. Smith), the almost divine principle which should guide and control everything, while others think we should be very circumspect in liberalising the market and should only liberalise it where absolutely necessary
• The dual purpose in everything as an answer to A. Smith and Hume

3. The crisis of values

• The decline of christian values and the ideal of the family
• "The situation of the family sooner or later becomes the situation of the nation" A.Kolping
• Jürgen Liminski, Christine Haderthauer, Erwin Teufel
• Family mainstreaming instead of Gender mainstreaming
• What values are indispensable and where do we find them?
  

Written by: Peter Haider

Moscow, April 6-7, 2012

In his message to the Conference Dr. Walter Schwimmer (Secretary General of the Council of Europe 1999-2004) wrote:  “There is no Russia without Europe, no Europe without Russia […] After so many bloody conflicts and atrocities that culminated in the historic tragedy of the World War II, Europe remembered not only its cultural identity but found also its political identity in the spiritual and moral values which are also the common heritage of the peoples of Europe, pluralist democracy, rule of law, individual freedom, political liberty, the respect for human rights. To respect this diversity is the key to stability, security and peace in Europe, not only at international level. […] To achieve unity in diversity, Europe needs Russia, Russia needs Europe. Russia is an indispensable part of Europe.

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