Youth and Service
Kathmandu, Nepal – Thirsty pilgrims and visitors at the Swayambhu Stupa in Kathmandu quenched their thirst on the occasion of Buddha’s 2555th birthday at a Juice Distribution Program on May 10, 2011.
Moscow, Russia - UPF-Russia initiated programs during the fifteenth annual Spring Week of Goodness April 16-24. Events with the slogan “We Create Our Future Together” took place throughout Russia. UPF and its Young Ambassadors for Peace were enthusiastic participants in events in a number of cities.
Tokyo, Japan - After training of 50 Youth Ambassadors for Peace to help clean up after the March 11 tsunami, trainers traveled to northern Japan on April 3, 2011, to visit the teams at work and train 34 more volunteers in Sendai.
Ufa, Russia - Young Peace Ambassadors have taken up the "Run Hour” program that began in Yekaterinburg in 2008. On April 4, the sports event started in Yekaterinburg at 2:00 pm, and then the baton was picked up in Ufa.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Members of UPF-Malaysia were deeply saddened and shocked by the tragedy that recently fell upon the nation of Japan. A team of UPF members led by Sam Yeoh visited the Embassy of Japan in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on March 23 to convey condolences to the government and citizens of Japan. At the embassy, they signed the official condolences book.
Gangtok, Sikkim, India - UPF-India organized an outdoor prayer ceremony in Gangtok on March 19 for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The UPF-Sikkim committee was joined by the Mayor of Gangtok and devotees of Brahma Kumaris.
Moscow, Russia - At the Moscow Academy of Economics and Law, UPF organized a round-table discussion on the “Causes and Ways of Solving International Conflicts in the Youth Milieu” on March 11. The discussions stimulated further collaborations among students, UPF representatives, and experts in international relations.
Tirana, Albania - Women from the Kosovo and Albania Cultural Friendship Association visited Vlora, Tirana and Elbasan bringing gifts and cheer to the children and staff of orphanages March 18-23, 2011.
At this time when the Japanese people are facing a disaster of monumental proportion, our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. The destructive path of the tsunami, shown vividly on our television and computer screens, leaves us speechless and deeply saddened.
Valletta, Malta - UPF Ambassador for Peace Mrs. Sanaa El-Nahhal, president of the Arabic Culture Information Society in Malta, is collecting supplies for people stranded by the upheavals in Libya. A bishop of the Catholic Church has proposed that donations at Ash Wednesday services be used to offer humanitarian aid to people on Libya's borders.
Yekaterinburg and Ufa, Russia - Youth Ambassadors for Peace in Yekaterinburg have been promoting the monthly "Run Hour" sports initiative since 2008. Since then the project has spread to more cities in the Urals, and athletes in Ufa, the capital of the Bashkir Republic of the Russian Federation, took the program over.
Swazi Observer - AN HIV/AIDS youth training program for Swaziland youth has been launched. The training will be done in collaboration with the Washington AIDS International Teens (WAIT) and the Swaziland Chapter of UPF, as well as the global Next Generation Academy (NGA). The training will be conducted at selected constituencies, schools, communities, churches and other institutions through March 23. It will be run through peer-educators from various parts of the United States.