Cheonan, Korea July 5: Michael Balcomb: Former President of Belarus and member of the UPF Presiding Council HE Stanislav Shushkevich was among those offering congratulations to the 1,634 couples participating in the July 5 World Peace Blessing celebrated in Cheonan Korea by Father and Mother Moon.

It was an entirely festive and happy moment, with thousands of well-wishers in attendance as the couples -- some newlywed and others rededicating their unions -- exchanged rings and recited vows of peace and fidelity.

The World Peace Blessing is the most visible symbol of the UPF's commitment to cross-cultural marriages as one of the most important and innovative approaches to peace. Marriage creates permanent relationships of blood that are far more important than the temporary barriers erected by race, religion and culture. During a recent world speaking tour, Father Moon invited ambassadors from the United Nations, the United States and other countries to consider the far reaching impact such marriages could have.

"What do you think will happen if people from the United States and Russia marry across the boundaries of their nationalities through the International and Cross-cultural Marriage Blessing?" he asked. "The two nations will become one family under God. How could anyone harbor antagonism toward, much less point weapons at, a nation which many millions of grandchildren from their own lineage make their home?"

Echoing these thoughts, Dr. Shushkevich added a personal note of thanks for Rev. Moon's committed work to oppose communism, efforts which eventually laid the seeds for the break up of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. "I had the privilege to be at the World Peace Blessing in 1992, when I was still head of state of Belarus," he explained, "At that time we were so happy because of our new found freedoms. But looking back now fifteen years later, I can say that freedom alone is not enough: we must have strong families and a strong moral structure if our nations are to prosper."

Rev. and Mrs. Moon began the marriage blessing tradition in 1960 with just three Korean couples, and it has since multiplied to include millions of couples from over 177 countries. In 2000, the Moons celebrated an International Marriage Blessing at the United Nations.