We, the undersigned incumbent and former heads of state and government, prime ministers, royalty, world leaders, ambassadors, and delegates to the Inaugural World Convention of the Family Federation for World Peace, gathered in Washington, D.C. on this day, August 1, 1996, affirm our unity and resolve to protect, safeguard, revive and nourish our families in order to create new hope and a bright future for our communities, nations and the world.

Humankind is in a time of historical transition, as we approach the dawn of a New Millennium. However, as we confront the painful realities of the problems facing our societies, we realize the need to focus on strengthening our families, upon which depends the well-being of society as a whole and the assurance that our nations will be ready for the challenges and opportunities of the Twenty-first Century.

Therefore, we affirm the following:

1. That our ultimate responsibility is to build world peace; but that global peace begins in the family. Harmony, peace and happiness within the family begin with a relationship to the Creator, one of children to Parent. Thus, the solution for world peace is to rebind the relationship between the Creator and each family.

2. That the institution of marriage between man and woman should be holy and sacred, and should be built upon purity, fidelity and selflessness, centered upon the true love of the Creator. The greatest destruction of our families and thus our societies occurs when these principles are violated.

3. That the relationship between all humankind should be that of brother and sister, centered on the Creator as the invisible Parent. With families strongly bound to each other, human relationships will develop naturally and harmoniously, without room for enmity.

4. That unconditional, selfless, true love is the way to practice unity and harmony in the family, community, nation, and world. Seemingly insoluble problems that plague the world today can be solved through this approach.

5. That it is crucially necessary to teach the ideals of true family to contemporary youth because the children of today will be the parents of tomorrow. The ideals of true love and a parental heart need to be taught from an early age as preparation for true marriage and ideal family life.

6. That we ourselves as world leaders returning to our respective nations fully support and encourage the education of true family values in our own societies and throughout the world, as the necessary basis for achieving genuine and lasting world peace.

7. That we, the participants in the Inaugural World Convention of the Family Federation for World Peace, also wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, the Founders of this historic and vital organization, for their inspiration and generous support in facilitating this important gathering. We fully endorse and encourage their efforts in following their ideals and vision to create a global organization for the advancement of the family and therefore of humanity in the Twenty-first Century.

July 30 - August 1, 1996
Washington, D.C.

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