Co-Founder of Universal Peace Federation (UPF), Father Sun Myung Moon, 8th Ascension Anniversary an the 15th Anniversary of the Universal Peace Federation at 3 pm, 12th September, 2020 in 43 Lancaster Gate, London, W2 3NA and online.
The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) has come a long way since 2005. The inaugural global tour by the co-founders, Father and Mother Moon, established a momentum that has continued through the years culminating in the Rally of Hope on August 9th that was viewed by over 200 million people. Along the way UPF received a General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations only shared by 140 other global NGOs. UPF – UK has received charitable status approximately one year ago. In July 2019 His Holiness, Pope Francis granted UPF the honour of a private audience in The Vatican when he singled out our inter-religious and interfaith work for special mention starting from his experience in Argentina. The recent Rally of Hope illustrated how far UPF has come as a global network of peace makers. As a keynote speaker, former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, while emphasising the limitations governments have in addressing the challenges of our time and the need for partnership between government and civil society, stated that "I believe that Universal Peace Federation serves as a good model and will become a cornerstone to build lasting peace".
As well as being the 8th anniversary of Father Sun Myung Moon's ascension, it is also his centenary year. There have been several major events such as the World Summit in February 2020 to highlight this centenary anniversary and to further explain his vision for building an extensive culture of peace. Father Moon's inaugural UPF speeches were rooted in this vision of a world that recognises its interdependence, seeks to build mutual prosperity based on universal shared values while being aligned with God who loves us all equally, as one family of humanity. The website www.thelegacyoflove.org provides more information about the centenary and the Rally of Hope.
Speakers and their biographies:
Invocation: Rev. Dr. Sumana Siri, Buddhist Cardinal of Europe Rev. Dato' Dr. Sumana Siri: Buddhist Cardinal of U.K. & Europe, Medical Consultant, Royal Philosopher at Global Buddhist Realists Movement
Rev. Dr. Sumana Siri offered the invocation for the event to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the Universal Peace Federation as well as the 8th Anniversary of Father Moon's Ascension. He has been a good friend of the UPF and its preceding organisations for approximately 45 years. He offered a Sash to Mother Moon from the Dalai Lama's Prime Minister.
Humphrey Hawksley: Former BBC Foreign Correspondent, Journalist and Author
Humphrey Hawksley: Former longstanding World Affairs Correspondent for the BBC, Journalist and Author speaking about his experiences with the Universal Peace Federation and preceding organisations on it's15th Anniversary. Recounting stories of how war was prevented on the Korean peninsula and his experiences in North Korea (DPRK).
Messages from Nicola Bailey, UPF - UK Trustee, Sanjana Poddar, Prof. Ursula King and Baroness Sandip Verma
Rev Dr Marcus Braybrooke: (Pre-recorded.)
Keith Bennett: Recipient of the Friendship Order of DPRK. (Pre-recorded.) Consultant on North Korea and China
Keith Best: Chair of UPF -UK Trustees, Former MP, CEO World Federalist Movement
Keith Best was a Brighton Borough councillor 1976–80 and a Conservative MP from 1979 to 1987. In 1987 he became the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the World Federalist Movement which he remains. He was Director of Prisoners Abroad 1989–93. He was Chief Executive of the Immigration Advisory Service 1993–2009. He was Chairman of the Council of the Electoral Reform Society1998–2003. He was Chairman of Electoral Reform International Services Ltd 2004-14. In 2003, he was named by The Guardian as one of the 100 most influential people in public services in the UK.
In April 2010 he took up the post of Chief Executive of Freedom from Torture where he remained until 2014. He was the first Chief Executive of SurvivorsUK 2014 – 2017. He is currently Chair of the Wyndham Place Charlemagne Trust charity and of Charity 2020 as well as Secretary of both the European Movement and the Parliamentary Outreach Trust. He is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Universal Peace Federation - UK.
Sheikh Nuru Mohammed is currently the resident Aalim at the KSIMC of Birmingham, and the Lady Khadija Visiting Fellow in Shi’i Studies at the Woolf Institute, Cambridge. He holds a BA in Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism from Al-Mustafa International University in Iran, and obtained an MA in Islamic Studies at Middlesex University. He is a former visiting lecturer at the Tangaza University College in Nairobi, Kenya, founded the Ummu ABEEHA Empowerment Centre in Kumasi, Ghana and co-founded the Imamiya Islamic Research Centre in Johannesburg. He is also a qualified civil and commercial mediator.
Carole Stone CBE Universal Peace Federation - UK Patron
Carole was for many years the producer of BBC Radio 4’s current affairs discussion programme Any Questions?, and it was there that she learned the art of networking – putting people together to their mutual advantage. Since leaving the BBC Carole has worked as a freelance journalist and broadcaster and as a media consultant to chairmen and chief executives of major British companies.
In April 2007 Carole became Managing Director of YouGovStone Ltd, a joint venture with YouGov plc. There she established a think tank – a worldwide panel of over 5,000 people who were leaders in their field. Carole is now Chair of the External Advisory Board of the YouGov Centre, Cambridge. Carole is a patron of the mental health charity SANE and of TOP UK, for people suffering from any kind of phobia or obsessive compulsive disorder. She is a former governor of The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and a trustee of the Global Foundation to Eliminate Domestic Violence (EDV)
In June 2014 Carole was made a Senior Fellow of the Regent’s University London. Last year she set up her own scholarship within the international charity One Young World, which brings together young leaders in their 20s from countries around the world to exchange their views on world affairs. She was recently appointed Chair of the Ambassadors of the Desmond Tutu Foundation UK. Carole is a founding director of The Hippocratic Post, the first global blogging site for medics and other health professionals. In June 2015 Carole was made a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to market research and charity.
Dr Michael Balcomb: Chair of Europe and Middle East UPF
Sheikh Dr Hojjat Ramzy: UPF Trustee
Mark Donfried: Founder, Institute of Cultural Diplomacy
Kuldip Singh Ubhi: President, Namdhari Sikh Sangat UK
Lavdrim Krashi: President of the Albanian UPF - UK Peace Council
Elham Fardad: Founder, Young Migrant Leaders
Ms Rana Shama Nazir: a human rights activist, founder of the British Kashmiri Women's Council, speaking on Universal Peace Federation's 15th anniversary.
Yvonne Thompson CBE FRSA, on the Universal Peace Federation's (UPF)15th Anniversary, shares about her long experience with UPF often as a partner or on a UPF platform addressing specific issues such as women's empowerment and entrepreneurship, gender equality or racial harmony.
Originally from Guyana, South America, Ms Thompson has always shown an entrepreneurial flair. Not taking the usual channel to the small business arena, she evolved from freelance writing for many music industry papers including Music Week the industry bible, and IPC weekly and monthly titles. She also has been involved in many successful firsts in the UK including, being Music Editor for the UK's first Black Monthly glossy magazine - Root, and also being a founder and director of the UK's first Black Music radio station Choice FM, now owned by the Global Radio Group. Other firsts include, starting the first Black Owned PR company (according to PR Week),now known as ASAP Communications; running the first in-depth research of the lifestyle of the Black community across the UK - The Black Consumer Survey and starting the UK's first Black Women Business Network - The European Federation of Black Women Business Owners.