David Fraser-Harris (’89) credits UTS as the place where he developed the confidence to impact the world. David was both Class President and Student Body President at UTS. His classmates included life-long friends Marilyn Angelucci, currently in Afghanistan, and Marshall de Souza in the UK. He remains indebted to the great teachers at UTS and the influence their courses had on his understanding of Divine Principle. He remembers courses like Prophets and Prophecies with Dr. Wilson; the unique insights into the Orthodox world from Dr. Tsirpanlis; Dr. Shimmyo’s ability to distill complex theological concepts, and Dr. Guerra’s ability to give inspiring lectures on the New Testament.

His time at UTS was made even more memorable by the fact that his wife, Keiko, gave birth to the first of five children, Ayame, while they were in Barrytown.

He recalls that there was a distinctly critical climate among many of the student body while he was at UTS. David realized that it was not new for students to play an archangelic, "we can change everything without you," role, but he also recognized that the administration was in the parent position. Helped by Mary Lou Bliss-Zochol, he recognized that the key to solving this classic young-old clash was for students to cultivate and maintain a heart of respect for parents. Once that heart is in place, then the way was open to propose any kind of change.

The seeds of David’s interests in interfaith activities were planted in England in 1980. During a 40-Day pioneering experience in Sandwich, he spent the summer in that seaside town serving a Church of England minister and his parish. Then his experience at UTS helped to stimulate and strengthen his ability to do interfaith work.

In 1990, after six months’ of working in the HSA legal offices at 43rd St., he moved to Rome, Italy where he began serving as Director of the European International Religious Foundation (IRF). The highlight of this experience was his interfaith activity with the Vatican. As he began to forge a dialog with the Vatican he began to process the best way to relate with Catholicism, tackling issues of celibacy, traditional marriage and the blessing. From 1993-96 David was Unification Church National Leader for the Vatican. During this time he was also active with the Religious Youth Service (RYS). David remembers it as a meaningful and happy time where he was able to use what he learned at UTS to serve others.

His memories of Italy also include some great trials. On March 20th 1994, six months after being appointed Vatican leader directly by True Mother, he was hospitalized with a creeping paralysis. He spent 27 days in intensive care and a total of six months in a hospital. This was a time of intense spiritual battle, and he has no doubt as to the spiritual significance of these events. He said he understands that he stood in a position to move up to a new level and needed to take on the attack in order to make that step up.

David’s father died when he was 42, and David was hospitalized on his 42nd birthday. During his time in the hospital the Pope was brought into the same hospital. His time in the hospital also led to another significant encounter when one of the male nurses who took care of David, discovered his religious interests and encouraged him to meet with Monsignor Milingo. Once out of hospital, David did just that, together with local Italian members.

David and Keiko attended the National Messiah workshop at Chung Pyung in the summer of 1996. They moved to Syria August 11, 1997. David realized upon taking on the mission in Syria that it could only succeed as a multi-generational commitment. His first step was to establish a situation that would allow him to stay in the country. David had trained as an English teacher in 1974 and was on holiday from a teaching job in Mexico when he joined the Unification Movement. He now took a job with an international school in order to move to Syria, and then moved back into language teaching in January 1998. The job provided both financial support and legal residence for his mission. The language center’s large staff and David’s good standing at the school allows him considerable flexibility. This provides the freedom to manage regional UPF work, visit other nations, travel to conferences, etc.

In 2002, David was asked to take on the role of regional secretary general of IIFWP in the Middle East and North Africa. David says that to move to a new country one has to get under its skin. He is aware that the Arab world does not want simply to be lectured to by outsiders. To be successful he needs to be absolutely committed to the Arab world. This commitment means he has raised his children with local schooling in Damascus, which has been good for them and good for the future.

David's own words help us to understand his approach to his mission:

"There are times when the most important thing we can do is to keep our position before Heaven. By this I mean that, if we keep a constant heart and intention, even if our circumstances seem impossible, God will find a way to accomplish His will. In other words, sometimes "being there" is the most important thing we can do."

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