Bering Strait Project
UPF INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
April 4, 2008 • Seoul, Republic of Korea
We, more than 300 Ambassadors for Peace gathering in Seoul from 80 nations, and representing various religions, ethnicities, cultures and civilizations of the world, sincerely and with an open heart support the idea of the US-Russian cooperation on the Bering Strait Tunnel project.
It is in the light of our mission for global peacebuilding that Universal Peace Federation advocates the construction of a Bering Strait crossing, what we call the Bering Strait Peace King Tunnel. Although a vision of a Bering Strait tunnel has existed for well over 100 years, now, in the early 21st century, the time is ripe to bring about its realization. First articulated recently by the UPF Founder Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, this project, once complete, would physically interconnect humankind, facilitating the free flow of people and products, from Santiago, Chile, across Eurasia, to London, Paris or Rome.
This project is significant in two ways: It has high moral, social and symbolic value for peace, in particular by linking the former enemy nations of the US and Russia and bridging two continents. It has immense practical value by greatly facilitating the global transport and exchange of goods. Certainly the increased interaction and engagement among the world’s peoples will be very positive for world peace.
We are at a significant juncture in human history, where the world is ready to break down old barriers and create new linkages. Today, with the advent of the Internet and the age of globalization, no nation can survive through isolation from its neighbors.
The Bering Strait Peace King Tunnel will have the most immediate impact upon the regions to be interconnected, that is, Alaska and eastern Siberia, two regions which have enormous untapped reserves of natural resources, such as oil, gas, coal, and timber. These resources can be utilized for the benefit of humankind.
We encourage US President George W. Bush, and President of Russia Vladimir Putin to secure the future success of the international work on the Bering Strait Tunnel project.