Angola had been chosen by the Universal Peace Federation as one of the stops in Africa where Mrs. Sun Myung Moon tentatively planned to hold a Rally for Peace; however, she was represented by UPF’s Continental Director for Africa, the Rev. Eiji Tokuno, on August 10 in the Tropico Hotel in Luanda, the capital city.
The attendance was less than expected because Parliament members were attending a meeting that day regarding the peace settlement in the Cabinda enclave; many leaders of government and civil society attended that important event. The total attendance was 160 people, including religious, political, academic, NGO, and media representatives.
Among the participants, five couples were pastors of the church of Our Lord Jesus in the World, founded by the prophet Simao Toco, who passed away 25 years ago. The present leader of that church, Bishop Afonso Nunes, has attended our international gatherings and demonstrated his desire to work as an Ambassador for Peace. He is a leader of 1,000,000 people, including high-level persons of this country.
Ten new Ambassadors for Peace were nominated. Everyone in attendance participated in the prayer for blessing of marriage officiated by Rev. Tokuno.
At the conclusion, a seven-point proposal for developing the UPF work in Angola was prepared, expressing our great desire to further the work of peace in this nation, which had suffered such devastation under communism and the long civil war.
Participants made telephone calls to offer thanks for the UPF initiative. They advised us to multiply the activities that Father Moon is doing to benefit humankind.
Angola is located in the southern half of Africa on the Atlantic coast, the last Portugugues colony until independence in 1975. The colonization lasted about five centuries. After independence, the country was controlled by a communist system. A civil war between brothers of the same country finished just after the leader of the rebels, Mr. Jonas Savimbi, died during the fighting. Both factions started negotiations for peace in 2002. Angola is rich in natural resources, but its people are facing serious economic problems; the country is still in reconstruction.
To read a message delivered during the UPF peace tours, click here.