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Lebanon Peace Ambassadors Meet
Written by UPF-Lebanon
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Beirut, Lebanon - 20 Lebanese Ambassadors for Peace gathered at the Chase restaurant in Beirut on the morning of Saturday, October 13, 2007. Since the meeting coincided with Eid El Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, those Ambassadors for Peace who were able to attend sent special greetings to Muslim Ambassadors for Peace who were unable to be there.
A nation for dialogue
First to speak was UPF Global Peace Council member, Ambassador Fuad El Turk. Addressing Lebanon’s current state of political tension and impasse, Ambassador Turk presented a recently formulated project whose goal is to have Lebanon declared a center for dialogue between religions and cultures. Arguing that in over 50 years Lebanon has seen compromises and settlements, but no real solution to its multi-religious and ethnic mix, the ambassador made it clear that he sees the proposal as an avenue of hope for Lebanon precisely because the nation’s real importance is not geographical or political but spiritual and moral. The intention would be to have the nation recognized as a center for dialogue by the United Nations, ideally by encouraging a future government to formally present such a proposal to the UN.
Professor Georges Massé of the American University of Science and Technology spoke about the role of NGOs in promoting peace, not so much by ending wars (a more political process) but by contributing to the improvement of our way of life in myriad small ways that combine to provide a human solution.
Since UPF’s peace efforts focus consistently on the centrality of the family, this gathering also provided the opportunity to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the marriage blessing of two families. Mrs Hermine Schellen gave a short presentation emphasizing the importance of the family.
Regional Secretary General, David Fraser Harris, then provided an overview of UPF developments and programs in 2007 on both global and regional levels. This included the impressive series of International Leadership Conferences, held in Yong Pyong (South Korea), Hawaii, Washington, DC, Seoul and New York City; the opening of UPF’s new Peace Center in Pyongyang (North Korea), the special ILC held at Sri Lanka’s parliament in early August; and regional developments in Yemen, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The report concluded with an overview of the many events that made up UPF’s recent Assembly in New York City.
The meeting concluded with a hearty breakfast for all.
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