Peace and Development
Peace and Development
Monsignor GAILLOT, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Partenia, started by reciting an inscription which states that “Renouncing Other People is Renouncing Oneself”. Life should be for the welfare of others: a life given to others is a successful life. He spoke on three topics: building peace, non-violence and to refuse injustice.
Exploring Global Citizenship
UPF European Leadership Conference - UNESCO HQ, Paris
Lotifa Begum, Development Education Coordinator Islamic Relief UK
'Islamic Relief was founded in 1984 by a visionary (Dr. Hany El-Banna) who believed strongly in the Koranic verse that states if you save the life of one person it is as if you have saved the whole of humanity.' Lotifa Begum explained that 'This became a fundamental principle of Islamic Relief's humanitarian work.' She added that, 'Islamic Relief has also worked with Jubilee Debt Campaign for the last couple of years to seek debt cancellation for the poorest people and nations.' explaining that this is in tune with the Islamic perspective on debts and loaning money.
Session VII: A Life in Service to Peace (Photo Link)
Tim Miller–Vice-Chair of the Universal Peace Federation in Europe. He has been instrumental in developing UPF’s European Leadership Conferences since 2004,with more than 50 such conferences having taken place until now in Europe, mostly in United Nations institutions and national Parliaments in the last year.
After describing UPF founder Reverend Moon’s childhood, Mr Miller recited the poem, “Crown of Glory” written by Reverend Moon, the founder of UPF, when he was only 15 years old, showing his deep heart even at this early age. He explained that Rev. Moon had been tortured when he worked for Korea’s independence during his student days in Japan. Nevertheless, rather than harbouring resentment, he assisted many Japanese to leave Korea following its liberation after WWII.
The United Nations, having the goal of world peace, made development a priority and created the United Nations Development Program. The UNDP conducted development programs and research worldwide for several decades; its expertise commands respect and humility. Yet, the UNDP itself often revised drastically its own approach of development; its own literature contains much self-criticism. It will surely continue to do so. The Universal Peace Federation offers constructive insights in this ongoing debate.
Link to powerpoint - Notes Following (Numbers relate to slides)
The Chair, the President of the 33rd General Conference of UNESCO and Counsellor Delegation of Oman to UNESCO, H.E. Dr. Moosa Jaafar Hassan, began the session offering a few initial words stating that the need for a new vision means that we need new strategies while not excluding other global tests. To form those new strategies we need to involve intellectuals, religious, academics, civil society in the support of policymakers. Concluding the session he commented that ‘‘I hope that UNESCO can learn from UPF in the way that you are working for peace’
Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali the Patron of the Conference, had to travel to Egypt at the last moment and his speech was read by his secretary, Dr. Sonia Ramzi. In his speech he reflected that small conflicts by unarmed groups can cause huge problems among civil populations. He referred to his initiative in 1992 to promote conflict prevention diplomacy and establish principles for conflict prevention. Photo Link
UNESCO, Paris, 12-14 April 2012
Capacity for Otherness in Pluri-Identity Societies
Fundamental Changes in the Structures and Interaction Patterns of our Societies
The recent decades have been marked by a continued decrease in interstate conflicts and wars. Yet at the same time new challenges on our security agenda have emerged which are related to processes of intra-societal disintegration. These societal challenges and the related lack of security, rule of law and of a public sense of common purpose have, however, not yet been fully addressed in national and international policies and programmes of action. Societal disintegration reflects to some extent the various fundamental changes in our societies, including the widening gaps in income and related marginalisations, the renewed enhancement of religious faith as an element of identity, the affirmation of different cultures and of ethnic and linguistic identities.
European Leadership Conference
U.N.E.S.C.O. Paris, April 11-13, 2012
Madame President of The General Conference, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests Ambassadors for Peace, Ladies and Gentlemen! It is indeed a great honour and privilege for me to welcome you all here today on behalf of The Universal Peace Federation, a principle host and organiser of this European Leadership Conference being held here at UNESCO's Headquarters in Paris and focussed on this profound and vital theme of a "A New Vision for Peace & Human Development"
As many of you will know, Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Women’s Federation for World Peace and a number of their affiliated organisations, have worked closely in support of U.N. activities and programmes around the world for many years and indeed are established as NGOs in consultative status with one or other of The U.N.'s constituent bodies. Photo Link
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