Paris, France—Ambassadors for Peace were invited to a meeting to hear about activities in the first quarter of 2022.
The meeting was held on April 9, 2022, at the Espace Barrault, the headquarters of UPF-France, and simultaneously broadcast online for participants around the country.
The objective was to share information about the federation's national and international activities during the first quarter of 2022. Patrick Jouan, vice president of UPF-France, moderated the event.
Jacques Marion, president of UPF France, reported on activities in support of Ukrainian refugees: the offering of accommodation to Ukrainian families, the distribution of donated goods by volunteers, and the weekly interfaith prayer meetings jointly organized throughout Europe and the Middle East by UPF and the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), an affiliated organization.
He then reported about the UPF World Summit for Peace on the Korean Peninsula, held in Korea in February 2022, co-chaired by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Many world leaders – including current and former heads of state, parliamentarians and scholars – attended the meeting in Korea or sent speeches expressing support for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
Mr. Marion also reported about the Balkan Leadership Conference jointly organized on April 2, 2022, in Tirana, Albania, by UPF and the Podgorica Club of former heads of state of the Western Balkans. Seven former heads of state from the region, as well as representatives from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) in Albania, attended the event, which focused on the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Balkan region.
Brigitte Wada, president of the French chapter of the Women’s Federation for World Peace, reported on the ongoing series of online women’s forums “Parcours au Féminin” (A Woman’s Journey). She then described the events held by WFWP on the occasion of the 66th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and the programs with first ladies and women leaders organized in the framework of UPF’s International Association of First Ladies for Peace.
Miguel Antonio, president of the French chapter of the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP), another organization affiliated with UPF, reported on the volunteer work organized by IAYSP in support of Ukrainian refugees in countries neighboring Ukraine.
Jean-François Moulinet, vice president of UPF-France, explained about the recent publication of the French version of World Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts, and about the programs of Scriptural Reasoning organized monthly with prominent religious leaders from different faiths.
The meeting concluded with reports from Ambassadors for Peace.
Dadastone Ipoma Nkanga, founder of the Ipoma Association, who is active in health-related humanitarian activities, spoke about the social work he is undertaking with other NGOs and women leaders.
Father Daniel Foucher, a Catholic priest from the city of Nantes who is active in ecumenical dialogue, spoke online about his newly published book on Eastern religions.
Sheikh Mouslim Fidahoussen, a scholar and translator of the Koran, who contributed to the publication of the French version of World Scripture, also gave his greetings online.
Those attending the meeting in Espace Barrault included Professor Soraya Ayouch, a clinical psychologist and a professor at Paris Descartes University; Venerable Michel Thao Chan, founder and president of the Cercle de Réflexion des Nations; and Sheikh Mohammed Achour, the imam of the Omar Mosque in Paris’ 11th District.