The Words of the Balcomb Family
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The Words of the Balcomb Family |
The UPF Inauguration at the Lincoln Center in New York, September 12, 2005
New York, United States -- In his inaugural address four years ago, on September 12, 2005, the UPF Founder Dr. Sun Myung Moon charged the new organization, and the 1100 Ambassadors for Peace present for the founding ceremony, to take on an ambitious role in working for the sake of world peace, in concert with the United Nations. It was a solemn and dignified occasion, since the day before, September 11th, had seen most of these Ambassadors for Peace joining in interfaith observances of the fourth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. Today, one day after the eighth anniversary of 9/11, the UPF pauses to reflect on the challenges and successes of the past four years.
In his 2005 inaugural address, Dr. Moon praised the work of the United Nations for peace but reminded the audience that the keys to peace lie not in institutions but in the human heart. Observing that “there can be no lasting peace without God,” he again urged the creation of an inter-religious council at the UN. Dr. and Mrs. Moon then set out on a far-reaching peace tour to 100 cities in 100 nations just 100 days. In subsequent tours, the UPF principles and peace messages were introduced to audiences in over 12,000 locations worldwide.
On a humanitarian front, UPF and its partners have been active in several global relief programs following natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina in the US, earthquakes in Indonesia and Pakistan, and flood disasters in Korea, Myanmar, and most recently Taiwan. UPF is engaged in the ongoing clean up of the ‘dirtiest river Africa,’ the Nairobi River in Kenya.
Our character education program, “Discovering the Real Me” is being implemented in schools in a number of nations, and the curriculum has been translated into Spanish and Tagalog, with plans underway for Russian, French, and Italian editions as well.
Since 2007, the UPF has conducted over 30 International Leadership Conferences at which more than 5,000 leading political, religious and community leaders have gathered together to examine both principles of peace-building and how to overcome the obstacles which still stand in the way of peace. Programs have also been held at the invitation of several national parliaments and congresses, and graduates of these seminars have risen to become heads of state and leaders of several National Assemblies around the world.
As an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the UPF has collaborated with various UN missions and with UN agencies such as the United Nations Environmental Program and UNESCO. UPF has participated in many important UN observances and programs dealing with human rights, the environment, and youth issues. This coming September 21, UPF will celebrate the International Day of Peace with programs in New York, Geneva and Moscow, as well as many other nations.
Our monthly magazine, UPF Today, is now available in six languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Korean, with the first Arabic edition planned for this October. UPF chapters have been established in over 180 nations and details of their many activities can be found at www.upf.org.
None of these many accomplishments would be possible without the dedicated work of the Ambassadors for Peace, the members of the UPF Presiding and Global Peace Councils, and the UPF staff and volunteers around the world who have worked so hard in the cause of peace. To all of you, UPF offers its sincere gratitude and invites you to continue this great effort together!