Lima, Peru - Many Ambassadors for Peace and their guests gathered in the Peace Embassy in Lima on July 20 to hear international news and to listen to distinguished speakers share their thoughts about the future of the nation, a few days before the inauguration of the new Peruvian president, Mr. Ollanta Humala.
Under the international 2011 banner of “Building a World of Peace at a time of Global Change” the theme for the evening was “Prospects for Peru.”
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The evening started with an introduction by Rev. Trevor Jones, current President of UPF-Peru, that included a short video about the work of UPF Founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon in 2010 and a PowerPoint presentation detailing his recent World Tour as well as activities in Peru that included three meetings in the Congress.
The first speaker, Dr. Antero Flores Araoz, former President of Congress and ex Minister of Defense, shared his thoughts with conviction, detailing many of the problems that Peru faces as a nation where 30 percent of the population is still below the poverty line, where drug lords and terrorists still work together in the remote frontiers with Colombia and Brazil, and also where recent violent demonstrations have taken place in the mountain towns whose people feel disenfranchised and manipulated by international companies and the remote, apparently disinterested government, located miles away on the coastal desert plain.
Second to speak was Arq. Luis Huarcaya, former minister for the indigenous peoples, who also shared his heart about their situation, calling for dialogue and inclusion as a way forward. (His speech is attached.)
The third speaker for the evening was Soc. Manuel Arana, professor in one of the National Universities - Vllla Real – and a man who has travelled the length and breadth of Peru in his role as a sociologist. He gave some insights into the way society is changing and concluded his remarks emphasizing that, strong, united, God-loving families were the key to resolving social problems.
Rev. Trevor Jones brought this part of the evening to a close with a few observations about the speakers’ comments, reminding all present that Peru is a nation that has been greatly blessed by God, with huge reserves of minerals and many other natural resources. His remark that it is only the misguided acts of human beings that have prevented the nation from realizing its full potential brought warm applause and nods of agreement from the audience.
The evening continued with a short artistic interval of poetry that touched the hearts of all present.
The meeting concluded with a short ceremony in which the presidents of commissions were recognized for their work, and a number of new Ambassadors for Peace were appointed. In the closing refreshment break, many guests applauded the initiatives of the speakers and expressed their desire to participate more actively in future programs.