Sankhu, Nepal—Over 1,300 people participated in an Interfaith Peace Blessing that took place in the village of Sankhu, located just outside of the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, on November 19, 2016.
The chief guest and one of the main speakers of the program, which was sponsored by UPF-Nepal, was former prime minister of Nepal, H.E. Madhav Kumar Nepal, who emphasized that his country needed to protect their valued family traditions where three or even four generations living together is normal.
Speaking to Nepalese lawmakers, businessmen, religious and civil society leaders and hundreds of couples from Sankhu, he stressed, “In the eastern societies, in Nepal society also, living together in the family is our culture. We have to protect the family. Everything begins from the family. If the families are strong, the nation will be strong.”
Other members of parliament who spoke echoed similar concerns. Two-time minister of the government of Nepal, and chair of UPF-Nepal, Hon. Ek Nath Dhakal, highlighted the importance of lineage, saying, “A good lineage is an asset to the nation; a bad lineage full of promiscuity, prostitution, alcohol abuse and criminality is a burden to society.”
Later, local leaders of various faiths joined in a "Water of Harmony" ceremony, in which they poured water in a common vessel as a mark of harmony and oneness of heart.
The event also included the appointment of new Ambassadors for Peace and Youth Ambassadors for Peace.