After a nail-biting legal battle, permission was finally obtained for Dr. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon to visit the Netherlands just 30 hours before he was scheduled to speak at the inauguration of the Dutch chapter of the Universal Peace Federation in the prestigious Kurhaus Hotel in The Hague.
The Government's appeal to overturn a previous ruling in favor of allowing Dr. Moon to visit was rejected because the judge said that no new argument had been introduced. The only reason for denying Dr. Moon permission to enter the Netherlands had been that the Netherlands should follow the example of the German government's refusal to allow him to enter there, based on the Schengen Treaty.
While delivering his peace message, Father Moon twice praised the Dutch organizers for assembling an estimated 520 people on such short notice. He used poetic expressions, jokes and facial expressions to try to break down language barriers and the emotional distance maintained by the conventional formalities of a public speech. Possibly in celebration of the breach of the Schengen walls, possibly because he saw Korean war veterans wearing their medals, possibly because he saw new Korean faces and people of all races and backgrounds in the audience, he departed from his text so many times that his speech lasted an extraordinary three hours. Although he was handed a note that his wife was waiting for him to finish, he continued speaking, stating that "being below sea level, you are in danger of drowning in this country and someone had to come to save you!"
He ranged far and wide in his talk, treating the audience, who responded verbally and with laughter as well as applause, as if they were old friends or followers. In the process, he revealed many new things about his youth and his vision for the future. He expressed how peace in the world required peace within the individual (between mind and body), and peace in the family. He recommended cross-cultural uniting men and women of different nationalities, races, religions and social backgrounds. He explained how important it was for the United Nations to have a real moral dimension by having representation of religious leaders. Indeed some years ago, he had proposed the creation of a second chamber in the UN, to be made up of religious and cultural leaders and NGOs.
One huge peace proposal is the building of a tunnel underneath the Bering Strait to unite Russia and America and make it possible to drive from, say, South Africa to South America. The huge cost of this would be easily met if nations refrained from armed conflict, he declared.
After Father Moon's speech, twelve new Dutch Ambassadors for Peace were presented with Certificates of Appointment.
The event included an invitation for couples to join in a world peace blessing toast of marriage rededication.
Additional highlights of the evening included a song by a Dutch woman living in Germany with her German husband and a moving video about the Universal Peace Federation. Prof. Dr. M.K. Gautam of Leiden University waxed lyrical with Hindu poetry about the significance of Father Moon being able to visit the Netherlands.
To read the inaugural peace message, click here.
To download a report booklet of the UPF Founders' 2005 World Peace Tour, click here.
