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Peace Tour in Czech Republic Focuses on Development
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Brno, Czech Republic - The UPF hosted an international leadership conference on the topic “New Perspectives for the Development and Future of Europe and the World” in Brno, the Czech Republic’s second-largest city. The program was a joint project between UPF-Czech Republic and UPF-Slovakia.
The conference was divided in three panels. The first panel addressed the question of the origin of word and thought. Dr. Frank Kaufmann, director of Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace, editor of the magazine Dialogue & Alliance and editor in chief of the New World Encyclopedia, appeared as a special guest in this panel, together with Prof. Július Alexy from Bratislava.
A second panel discussed “Motives of Violence in Politics and Religion.” Dr. Dušan Lundy from the Masaryk University in Brno gave a brilliant presentation. He defined and analyzed precisely the factors which lead to the (mis)use of religion as a means to legitimize violence. He was joined on the panel by Dr. Juraj Lajda, Secretary General of UPF-Czech Republic.
Dr. Ladja examined the politics of non-violence as it was practiced in the 20th century by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Both men came to the conclusion that peace cannot be reached solely by the use of human resources and by human effort. It cannot be established only by political strength, by an economic system or economic reforms, or by military intervention. Peace is something beyond the borders of politics, economics, and military strikes. The quest for peace must also include the vertical spiritual dimension of the human being.
The third panel, “New Ways for Conflict Resolution in the World,” featured Mr. Ivo Kaplán, member of the federal council of the Union of European Federalists, and Mr. Zuheir Kotroch from the Association of Islamic Literature and Culture in Slovakia. Ivo Kaplán emphasized in his contribution the spiritual dimension of the financial crisis, which he illustrated with concrete examples. In closing he invited the audience to support a resolution for the upcoming G-20 Summit. Mr. Zuheir Kotroch, originally from Syria, offered in his presentation his view of religious conflict and explained that the Islamic world was seeking peace.
The conference concluded with the Global Peace Tour program. Eva Kantůrková, the nationally known writer, reminded the audience how important it is to make sure that our everyday lives do not lose a sense of holiness and value. The keynote speech was delivered by UPF-Europe Chairman Dr. Yong Cheol Song, in which he presented a vision for peace in the 21st century. “The world, caught in a moral crisis, is searching for solutions,” he said. “The common denominator of all possible solutions must be the realization that humanity is one family, whose origin is found in God.”
For the keynote address and more information about the peace tour, click here.