On the evening of the 7th February UPF members, Ambassadors for Peace and newcomers gathered for the annual World Interfaith Harmony Week. In light of recent events in Myanmar and elsewhere, the focus this year is 'Considering a Principled, Interfaith Approach to Discrimination and Ethnic Cleansing.'
Universal Peace Federation is very keen to support the World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) annual event because it has been a strong promoter of interfaith to defuse radicalisation. UPF has been an international supporter of the initiative from its inception in October 2010. There are several clips of the WIHW commemoration in the United Nations in the UPF introduction video which was shown during the programme. (Photo Dr Afzal Ashraf)
How Is Europe to Deal With Violent Religious Extremism? Speeches from Robert Cutajar MP (Malta) and Professor Mimosa Hafizi MP (Albania) with more on this YouTube playlist.
Robert Cutajar MP Malta: Recent terrorist attacks across the world have shown that terrorism is a global issue that spares no nationality or religion, but we know only too well that throughout history, people have perpetrated extreme violent acts in the name of religion, and of course such behaviour is triggered by multi-faceted factors including psychological, political, historical and theological elements.
Can religions help to heal the wounds of conflict?
By Rev Dr Marcus Braybrooke 22nd February 2016
World Interfaith Harmony Week
Considering the role of religion in healing the post-conflict wounds, Rev Braybrooke set out the scene at the beginning of this conference in the House of Lords. (Speech video link)