On Saturday, August 26, the Dutch Chapter of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) held an Inter-religious Rally for Family Values and World Peace in the Bijhorst Hotel, Wassenaar, quite near The Hague.

As July 14, the date set for Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, Mother Moon, to visit and speak in the Netherlands, passed without the Dutch Immigration Service (IND) confirming that they would allow her entry, it was decided to continue to continue to appeal through the Dutch court system, which would require that a specific reason and date/s be given for her coming. In addition to this legal reason, it was decided by UPF-NL, as a show of their determination to continue to proclaim the peace building message of Father and Mother Moon and, more importantly, to enable the Dutch people to hear that message, to hold more peace rallies throughout the rest of the year.

The schedule for this rally was similar to that of July 14, which followed the pattern of all the rallies addressed by Mother Moon on her recent international speaking tour, though in this case the program was shortened somewhat. As on July 14, except for some of the songs, the rally was conducted in Dutch.

MC Edgar Martijn welcomed the guests at 14.00 and introduced "Hurusato", a small six women choir, three Japanese mothers and three Japanese-Dutch daughters, who sang a Japanese student song and "If I were Free". Their group is named after a Japanese song of longing for "homeland", much loved by Father Moon.

After a few short explanations about the afternoon, the MC then invited Ambassador for Peace Hibatunnoer Verhagen, chairman of the Ahmadiyya movement in the Netherlands and leader of the oldest mosque in the Netherlands, visited by Queen Beatrix on its 50th anniversary in June earlier this year, to the podium. Dhr. Verhagen used a visual aid to show something of the history of Islam and concluded that its most important tenets were love for God and relationships with others, starting in the family.

Next up was another musical presentation: British singer and songwriter Christopher Davies sang a self penned song of gratitude for life and a famous Norwegian Christmas song, to which he had put new, English, words, welcoming a new year, while on a musical tour of Europe with an international group that had also included UPF Musical Director Hans Campman.

UPF-NL Secretary General Wim Koetsier started his introductory remarks by asserting that we needed to "live religion". Everyone wanted peace, so why was it so difficult to achieve and to get over the barriers that hindered it?

All religions asserted that we had become cut off from God and needed to reconnect. Many of today’s machines needed electricity to function, but even if the electricity flowed, they would not function if they were faulty. We needed to repair ourselves, so God’s energy could flow freely.

Drs Koetsier joked that sometimes it might be better if the TV didn’t work. Many news programs seemed to consider that the only "news" was bad news and that could just make you more pessimistic about life. The vast majority of journeys were completed without problems, but if you watched the news, you might be more cautious, having seen reports of accidents. Rev Moon had entered the media arena in order to publish something rather different.

The Good News was that God was our Parent. If you thought you were the child of an ape, you might not feel that you or other people had so much value, but if you felt you were from God, you might feel you had more value and also might also put a greater value on other people, whatever their background.

In voluntary organizations, it was the leader who usually worked the most. But, in politics and business, maybe not. It was important to live for others, as God did. He gave us the sun and rain for nothing. God’s hope was that we did good with the energy he gave. UPF wanted to help revitalize humankind. Religion was not the end, it was a beginning, inspiring us to work for others, to a fairer and better world, and it was UPF’s contention that religion tended to encourage people to work together.

Nonreligious people often maintained that religion was the causes of disputes and conflict, pointing to the Middle East, Northern Ireland and other places. But the suppression of religion under Communism had not been of benefit in the Soviet Union, Vietnam, Cambodia or China. Conflict started within us, and then manifested itself in many ways, the destruction and loss of life in the last century’s World Wars One and Two having been far surpassed during the reign of Communism, under which it was estimated, some 300 million people had died (and environmental degradation had been far, far greater than anything perpetrated in non-Communist countries). Religious people prayed for the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. But it would not come if we sat still and did nothing, just sat still. We had to be active. We had the benefits of science and technology, but the answer lay in the heart.

MC Martijn then led the participants, including three representative couples on stage, through a Holy Wine ceremony, symbolizing and toasting commitment in the family as the basis for peace in society and the world, which was followed by a UPF introductory video.

A shortened version of "The True Owners in Establishing the Kingdom of Peace and Unity in Heaven and on Earth", first delivered by Father Moon at the Third Assembly of the Mongolian People’s Federation for World Peace, was read by Peter Verbiest, after which he and his wife Evelien joined with two other couples on stage and all rally participants in a Marriage Blessing ceremony, officiated by Jan & Inge van Winden.

All present were further uplifted by UPF Ambassador for Peace Ann Harris singing "Let There be Peace of Earth" and "We shall Overcome", accompanied by the musically ubiquitous Hans Campman.

A feature of nearly all UPF Rallies and Conferences is the presentation of certificates to new Ambassadors for Peace and Mr. Koetsier preceded this with a short explanation of what it meant, commenting that governments always talked about economic growth, but rarely about spiritual growth or the value of, say, more civility or stable families.

Mrs. Serfia Macnack, a mother of seven and grandmother of 12, had added to the festive family atmosphere by bringing some half a dozen of her family to the rally, and her friend and after Mr. Koetsier had introduced her and awarded her the AfP Certificate of Appointment, co-AfP Dr Loemban Tobing- Klein praised her work, adding that she was so happy that Mrs. Mac could become a UPF Ambassador for Peace. In addition to her voluntary work in the Netherlands, with the Red Cross, housing associations, Suriname groups and the CDA (Christian Democrats political party), in 1982, in her native land, Mrs. Macnack established the committee "Moederhart" (Mother's heart ) which runs fundraising and signature/petition campaigns on behalf of a multitude of people and causes, including the handicapped, socially disadvantaged/challenged, sports, racism and peace.

The Japanese choir closed the official proceedings with the song "What do you think that Happiness is?", after which, in a typically Dutch expression of "gezelligheid" (ineffectually translated as coziness or companionship), everyone was served with cake and coffee, while Italian singer and guitarist Giancarlo Dragonetti regaled the assembly with romantic Italian songs, finishing with "Volare". A group photo was followed with lots of other photos and fellowship. Each participant received a small packet, containing Holy Wine, a white scarf for the Blessing ceremony, a copy of the speech and an application form to register as a Candidate Ambassador for Peace

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