Rome, Italy—A major conference connected with the launch of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace was held in the Italian Parliament.
The conference, held on September 13, 2016, in the San Macuto hall of the Parliament building under the theme “Multiculturalism, Politics and Civil Society: Synergies, Training and Projectuality,” was a joint project of the Italian chapters of UPF and Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), an affiliated organization.
The very high-level audience of 63 guests included parliamentarians and other politicians, academics, leaders of NGOs, journalists, and presidents of important institutions.
The occasion was proposed and offered by the Italian parliamentarian Hon. Eleonora Bechis, who had attended the September inauguration in London of the European chapter of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace. Hon. Bechis was so enthusiastic about her experience in London that, even before coming back to Italy, she was planning the conference and taking steps to reserve one of the most beautiful and important halls in the Parliament. The location was the one where parliamentarians discuss the new laws.
An overview of the UPF vision was presented by Carlo Zonato, president of UPF-Italy, Elisabetta Nistri, president of WFWP-Italy, and Giuseppe Calì, president of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) of Italy, another affiliated organization. Gabriella Mieli, vice president of WFWP-Italy, as emcee of the event, read a speech of UPF Co-Founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon.
Several other speeches were presented on topics of peace and mass migrations, family, peace and sustainable development, women's role in preventing radicalization, and finally some case studies on good practices of peace federations. Giorgio Gasperoni, the national leader of UPF of San Marino, spoke about some recent projects in cooperation with the Italian and Israeli chapters of UPF, and Umberto Angelucci, the regional chair of UPF for the Middle East, gave a meaningful testimony of his work in Afghanistan.
Particularly significant was the speech given by Hon. Elena Centemero who, not being able to go to London, presented a paper on human rights to confirm her will to cooperate with UPF. Hon. Roberto Rampi gave an overview of the UPF conference in London.
The conference had meaningful presentations, deep discussions and suggestions, but also was full of hope, good will and spirit.
All the participants offered their cooperation for the development of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace and support of the Universal Peace Federation.