Bogota, Colombia - Dr. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon were welcomed to Colombia with special chants, prayers and ceremonies for peace and protection offered by Native American leaders and a group of elders from Colombia. The Secretary General of UPF-North America, Antonio Betancourt, served as emcee in welcoming the party to his homeland.

Following a performance of traditional Colombian music, there was the World Peace Blessing and marriage re-dedication ceremony. Welcome remarks were delivered by Dr. Guillermo Reyes, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and a leading Ambassador for Peace. A letter of welcome from President Alvaro Uribe Velez was also read.

Father Moon began speaking at about 7:30 pm, and ended his peace message a few moments before midnight. “I did not come here tonight for my own benefit,” he explained. “This is the 97th city. I am risking my life each day on this tour. You need to read this speech and study it intensively before you try to make a judgment.”

“If the world had listened to me earlier, we could have avoided so much pain and suffering,” he said. “Work on the national level to create unity between groups in conflict. This is the final stage in the history of restoration and the time to undo all the knots of history."

The event included an invitation for couples to join in a world peace blessing toast of marriage rededication.

To read the inaugural peace message, click here.
To download a report booklet of the UPF Founders' 2005 World Peace Tour, click here.