Ljubljana, Slovenia—Three members of Parliament were among the 50 attendees of the national launch of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace.
The City Hall of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, was the setting for the inauguration, which took place on November 22, 2017.
The participants also included local leaders of mayoral offices and other organizations, representatives of foreign embassies, and Ambassadors for Peace, as well as representatives of the Family Federation for the World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) and Women’s Federation for World Peace, organizations that are affiliated with UPF.
After a performance of classical melodies by a young pianist, the moderator greeted the participants and opened the first part of the program, which was titled “Peace Starts with Me.”
The first speaker was Mrs. Erna Košmrlj, the president of UPF-Slovenia. She explained about the vision and work of UPF founders Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and his wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon.
Mr. Danijel Krivec, a member of Parliament, gave a talk on “Patriotism in Our Time.” He described his own experiences as an elected representative of the people, trusting the internal voice of his conscience to guide him through challenges. He said he was motivated by the desire to practice righteousness and unselfishness in everyday life.
The next speaker, Mr. Jacques Marion, the regional vice president of UPF for Europe, briefly explained about IAPP and its perspective on creating peace in the world. He emphasized the necessity of cooperation among the leading figures of our time.
The main message was given by Dr. Katsumi Otsuka, the regional chair of UPF for Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East. He encouraged the participants to follow the life-philosophy of the founder: “living for the sake of others.” In the huge task of renewing our wounded world, he invited everyone to be active participants.
A musical interlude followed, in which a pianist provided the atmosphere for the participants to reflect on the message they had just heard.
The second part of the program featured the inauguration in Slovenia of the Global Women’s Peace Network, a project of the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), an affiliated organization.
Mrs. Sonja Grčar, the president of WFWP-Slovenia, welcomed the participants, especially the women leaders. Then Mrs. Carolyn Handschin, the regional president of WFWP-Europe, gave an overview of the GWPN project.
At the end of the inauguration ceremony the participants read aloud and then signed the resolution for the establishment of IAPP. Mrs. Vida Raztresen, the leader of a local community, was awarded an Ambassador for Peace certificate.
UPF-Slovenia thanks all the organizers, staff and participants for their efforts in making this inauguration a success.
