In August 2015, UPF-Cambodia held an Interfaith Peace Blessing Ceremony in the capital, Phnom Penh. One of the participants was so inspired, he organized another Marriage Blessing in his remote village shortly thereafter.
Phnom Penh
The Ministry of the Royal Palace was the co-host of an Interfaith Peace Blessing Ceremony held in the capital of Cambodia.
The event, held on August 1, 2015, followed another Marriage Blessing held one month earlier in Battambang city, and an International Youth Convention, also held in Battambang city two months earlier.
The Interfaith Peace Blessing Ceremony was organized jointly by UPF with the Cambodian chapter of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), an affiliated organization.
The ceremony was timed to honor the third anniversary of the passing of UPF Founder Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon. The organizers set a goal to hold Interfaith Peace Blessing Ceremonies in all 24 of Cambodia’s provinces.
The chief guest at the event, which was held at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia in the center of Phnom Penh, was Minister of the Royal Palace H.E. Chhea Horn. Dr. Chung Sik Yong, chair of UPF-Asia, and Dr. Lek Thaveetermsakul, vice chair of UPF-Asia, also attended the event. In his opening speech Dr. Yong encouraged his listeners to follow the vision of Dr. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon as they would have a life-transforming opportunity.
As the pre-program, Mr. Chamrouen Sophal, secretary general of UPF-Cambodia, gave a presentation entitled “The Family Is the School of Love and Peace,” which, among other things, explained the significance of the Blessing Ceremony and seven steps to becoming an ideal family.
The highlight of the event was the Invocation of the Blessing, which consisted of a videotape of the prayer that Rev. Dr. Moon had given in March 2012 at a Blessing Ceremony at the Cheongshim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, Korea. The deep content of the prayer inspired and gladdened the participants, and many contacted the UPF office afterward, hoping to study the Principles of Peace in greater depth.
In addition to Dr. Chung Sik Yong and Dr. Lek Thaveetermsakul of UPF-Asia, UPF-Cambodia would like to thank H.E. Chay Chap, counselor to the Royal Cambodia Government; Mr. Sok Seng Yan, president of UPF-Cambodia; Dr. Sumio Ishiyama, professor of Sun Moon University in Korea; H.E. Neang Chhayana, adviser to the Cambodian branch of Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), another affiliated organization; H.E. Neang Sopang, chair of 9th the Ninth Committee of the National Assembly; and Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Masumi Schmittat, advisors to UPF-Cambodia.
Preah Sdach District, Prey Veng Province
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An attendee at the Phnom Penh Interfaith Peace Blessing Ceremony on August 1, 2015, organized another Blessing in his village less than two weeks later.
Mr. Sam Chay, who with his wife attended the Interfaith Peace Blessing Ceremony in the capital, Phnom Penh, was determined to share the experience with the people of his village, which is located in Preah Sdach District in Prey Veng Province near the Mekong River.
The village is a drive of 2.5 hours from Phnom Penh and one hour from the border with Vietnam. The newly constructed Neak Lueng Bridge has made crossing the river much easier.
The people of this village have had a relationship with UPF and its affiliated organizations for about 10 years, when students from Sun Moon University came from Korea to do service activities here. Because of this relationship, many villagers display a photo of UPF Founders Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon in their home.
The leaders of the Blessing Ceremony organization were Mr. Sam Chay, who just came back from Australia for study, and Dr. Sumio Ishiyama, an assistant professor at Sun Moon University in Korea. With only a week to prepare, they mobilized and educated villagers to attend the Blessing Ceremony. Although most of the residents are Buddhist, villagers from the Muslim community and the Chinese Buddhist community also attended the ceremony.
The leader of the Preah Sdach District gave the opening speech at the ceremony, which took place on Wednesday, August 12, 2015, at a primary school in front of the Buddhist community center. Mr. Sam Chay gave the welcoming remarks. This was followed by UPF-Cambodia Secretary General Chamrouen Sophal, who gave a presentation on “The Family Is the School of Love.” Following the ceremony, Dr. Sumio Ishiyama of Sun Moon University gave a congratulatory speech.
UPF-Cambodia wishes to thank Dr. Sumio Ishiyama, professor of Sun Moon University: Mr. Yasuaki Ito, director of the Japanese Secondary School Department; Mr. Bun Lim, counselor of Preah Sdach District, Prey Veng Province; Ven. Mok Sabarn, a representative monk of Prey Veng Province; Imam Sou Sary, chief of the Muslim community in Preah Sdach District; and Mr. Lay Teu, director of Kong Si Im Temple.