Port Vila, Vanuatu—Vanuatu’s first president joined Ambassadors of Peace and local residents at the presentation of a special award to the best model family in the region.
The honored couple, Chief Guy Shem and his wife, Mrs. Alice Shem, are from the village of Pango in Port Vila and were recommended by the Pango chief. Divorce and domestic violence are issues of concern in Vanuatu, and this couple is well respected and admired for living together faithfully and harmoniously with their children. They were presented with a certificate and a gift voucher for purchases at a supermarket.
The award ceremony, which also celebrated the birthday of UPF Founders Dr. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, was held on the morning of February 24, 2015, in the Acel Pako section of Port Vila, Vanuatu’s capital.
In a congratulatory speech Mr. Ati George Sokomanu, the first president of Vanuatu (1984-1989) and an Ambassador for Peace, illustrated well why the UPF founders, among so many religious leaders, have won respect on a global level. Mr. Sokomanu mentioned specifically the Middle East Peace Initiative, with its interfaith Peace March.