UPF UN Relations : Other

Ambassadors Luncheon at UN Headquarters
Ricardo de Sena New York, United States UN Headquarters

Promoting Interreligious Cooperation to Stabilize the Human Foundations of Peace

Following its commitment to support the work of the United Nations, IIFWP sponsored an Ambassadors Luncheon on April 1st, 2003 at UN Headquarters in New York under the theme, "Promoting Interreligious Cooperation to Stabilize the Human Foundations of Peace." Forty representatives from the diplomatic community were informed and briefed about the recently held IIFWP Middle East Peace Initiative, which took place on February 27th-March 2nd in Washington DC.

The moderator was Ms. Karen Judd Smith, Director of the IIFWP Office of UN Relations. She welcomed all the participants stressing that IIFWP is fully aware of the significance and importance of the United Nations, and the Middle East Peace Initiative was launched in order to support and strengthen the critical work of the UN. "This is a time when we are all quite aware of the challenges that we face in the world, a time for reflection and consideration of what it is that we can all do a little differently."

Dr. Thomas Walsh, Secretary-General of IIFWP, explained the unique contribution that was made by the Middle East Peace Initiative. He said, "IIFWP’s strength and character has within it the ideal of bringing together the international and the interreligious in a cooperative harmonious effort to address the problem, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders who can contribute to the analysis and efforts to find solutions."

Among the qualified actors who participated in the Initiative, were those with vast experience in the region; representatives from religions, politics, scholars, think-tanks, the media, and NGO's. Dr. Walsh clarified the approach of IIFWP, "We are always stressing cooperation, rather than dialectical opposition. As we come together and express ourselves openly, never forgetting our common human quest for peace, working together, respectfully, hand in hand, heart to heart and mind to mind."

Dr. Walsh also added that, "Our view of peace is very comprehensive, which begins with the understanding that peace begins within me, a personal transformation. Peace has a ‘familial’ aspect; peace in the family, creating “zones of peace” in the family that can be influential in the wider community, the society and national level.

He presented the three goals for the Middle East Peace Initiative:

That through this Initiative, the IIFWP community can listen and learn and become better informed about the issues

To create broader networks of friends, allies and colleagues working together for peace from all fields, representing all the parties

To begin a follow up where we move beyond this Initiative toward practical contributions that can make for peace in the region"

In his conclusion, Dr. Walsh emphasized that we can all make contributions in various areas by:

Promoting interreligious harmony and cooperation, IIFWP has among its Council of Affiliated Organization those who have been working for 30 to 40 years, promoting harmony among the different faiths

The area of service. How we can promote service initiatives, programs with young people from different religious, racial, ethnic and national backgrounds who come together and work together in a service-learning project.

Sports. How to bring together young people from different nationalities and religions, working together in an area like sports. The Interreligous Peace Sports Festival that IIFWP is sponsoring in May, will be a forum where athletes representing the worlds religions come from all over the world to compete in a friendly constructive environment, once again showing a model of peace, particularly for the youth of the world.

Dr. Chung Hwan Kwak, Chairman of IIFWP, explained why at this critical moment in history, interreligious cooperation is so essential to peace building. He said, "Rooted in the teachings of its Founder, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, IIFWP’s vision holds true that all human beings, regardless of race, religion or nationality are members of one human family, under one God, who loves and cares for all people just as parents in a family love and care for all their children. Considering the particular role of religions in the Middle East; Judaism, Christianity and Islam are religious traditions that have their roots in Abraham. The three are brothers. Considering the origins of these religions, leaders and followers of these three traditions should make every effort to connect to the will and heart of God, who always seeks reconciliation. By fighting we only frustrate and stand as obstacles to the divine will."

Dr. Kwak presented his view of how to solve the core problems in the Middle East, "Only by loving each other, can we restore the failures and suffering of the past. There is no other way. The way to restore relationships requires that we go the way of loving our enemy. To do this we need the courage and strength to overcome our own difficult and painful feelings toward those we feel have behaved unjustly or wrongly toward us, our families, or our own people. We must even go beyond the pain, and serve them. This is the kind of revolution we need in this world. It is radical acts of true love such as this that will usher in an era of peace. We revolutionize our world by loving each other, and especially by loving our enemies."

Dr. Kwak continued saying, "So, for the sake of world peace, the three Abrahamic religions must unite. This, I propose, is a central prerequisite for peace. The enmity and disunity among Judaism, Christianity and Islam is an historic scandal and brings sadness to heaven. Moreover, it prevents peace from being achieved. It prolongs suffering and contributes to unnecessary bloodshed. If people from these three traditions make a determination to unite, peace can be achieved, not only in the Middle East, but also around the world. On this foundation the United Nations could be renewed and revitalized as an instrument of peace." [For entire contents of Rev. Kwak’s Speech-Click here]

Among the enthusiastic comments from the participants, Mr. Richard Zeif, who attended the Middle East Peace Initiative and who represents a group of NGOs with more than a million educators and teachers congratulated IIFWP for creating atmospheres where people of differences of opinion can sit down to agree to the broader issues of peace and continuation of that dialogue.

Dr. Jones Kyazze, UNESCO Director of the New York Office and Representative to the UN commented, "I was impressed by the courage taken by the organization to put up such a topic at such a time. I congratulate IIFWP for setting up such a forum." Regarding the importance of the role of religious leaders, Dr. Kyazze concluded, "Starting from the UN, we should try to encourage religious leaders, because we cannot deny that there is some mix of religion in many of the conflicts we see around. I think we've got to give them a role to play. It's a good time for religious groups to get involved."

Dr Noel Brown, President of the Friends of the United Nations, was very appreciative for Dr. Kwak's inspiring remarks and his challenge. Regarding the role of IIFWP as a tool for peace in the Middle East, he said, "I'm impressed with the IIFWP for its power of convening and creating a forum where people of diverse views, positions and passions can come together trying to find the common ground. We need to strengthen this and I think we need to expand this. This is extremely important."

The meeting concluded with kind remarks from Mr. Chowdhury, Under Secretary-General of the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked & Small Developing States, who thanked Dr. Kwak for his presentation and stated, "What is most important is to think about how to build a Culture of Peace. That is the most important passion that we have in all of us. In our different walks of life, in different ways, we can all contribute individually and collectively. We can all contribute to building a Culture of Peace among ourselves."

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