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Balkan Ambassadors for Peace Study Peace Principles
Written by UPF-Albania Secretariat
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Tivat, Montenegro—Ambassadors for Peace from Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro met at a town on the Adriatic Sea to attend a seminar on the UPF Principles of Peace.
“Love God, Love People, Love Nation” was the theme of the seminar, which took place from November 10 to 13, 2016, in the resort town of Tivat.
In addition to 33 Ambassadors for Peace from Albania, three came from Kosovo and two came from Montenegro, both delegations representing ethnic Albanians in those nations. Approximately 70 percent were hearing the Peace Principles for the first time.
The goal of the seminar was to present the UPF Principles of Peace to those Ambassadors for Peace who are interested in studying more deeply the teachings of UPF founders Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon.
Almost all the members of the Albanians’ Peace Council attended the seminar, representing Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan, Shkodra, Lezha, Vlora, Fier, Kukës, Pristina and Montenegro.
On the first evening Mr. Ali Lacej, the chair of the Albanians’ Peace Council, moderated the Opening Session, at which Mr. Gaqo Apostoli, the chair of UPF-Albania, gave the welcoming message. The secretary general of UPF-Europe, Mr. Jacques Marion, also greeted the participants. The session concluded with an Introduction to the Principles of Peace given by Mr. Gani Rroshi, the president of the Albanian chapter of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), an affiliated organization.
On the second day the first two sessions were presented by Mr. Gani Rroshi and moderated by Dr. Niko Veizaj, one of the first Ambassadors for Peace in Albania, and Mr. Myzaljen Hoxha, the chair of the Fier Peace Council. The third session was presented by Mrs. Manjola Vasmatics, vice president of FFWPU-Albania, and moderated by Mrs. Eva Cipi, chair of the Vlora Peace Council.
At the end of each session the participants offered questions and comments, which contributed to the exciting and special atmosphere.
On the third day the first two sessions were presented by Mr. Jacques Marion and moderated by Mr. Ali Lacej and Professor Flamur Shehu, the vice chair of UPF-Albania. The third session was presented by Mr. Gani Rroshi and moderated by Mrs. Ejona Icka, the secretary general of UPF-Kosovo.
During the first three days of the conference there was a lot of rain; however, the final day was beautiful and sunny.
The first session, about the lives and accomplishments of the UPF founders, was presented by Mr. Gani Rroshi and moderated by Professor Dr. Bilal Shkurtaj, the former rector of Vlora University. Some Ambassadors for Peace were in tears during a video tribute to the founders, which included the passing of Rev. Dr. Moon in 2012.
The final session of the seminar, concerning the Interfaith Peace Blessing, was presented by Mrs. Manjola Vasmatics and moderated by Mr. Gaqo Apostoli. The talk about the marriage rededication ceremony brought an atmosphere of joy and hope. The many participants who attended as couples were invited to attend the next Interfaith Peace Blessing, which was scheduled for December 11.
At the closing ceremony, six new Ambassadors for Peace were appointed. All of them were the spouses of existing Ambassadors for Peace, and each was introduced by his or her spouse, who explained why he or she deserved to be an Ambassador for Peace. Tears of joy and gratitude could be seen on the faces of most of the participants, while the spouses articulated sincere and deep loving gratitude for their partners and how lucky they were and how much they loved them.
Excerpts from the Participants’ Reflections
“God was alive in the spirit of this event, in the people of this gathering, in the spirit of the lecturers and during the whole time.”
“I felt honored to be able to join this seminar during these days. A wonderful audience of Ambassadors for Peace from all over the country! Thank you for conveying so movingly the content of the Peace Principles. The period after this seminar will be reflective on what we were informed, heard and learned. Proud to be part of the family of Ambassadors for Peace.”
“I believe it was a perfect program, in which we learned and deepened our understanding of the Peace Principles through professional presenters and well-combined topics.”
“It was a very deep and emotionally moving seminar while conveying the teaching of the UPF Principles of Peace. I would suggest that these lectures be given to high school students, since it would teach them about morality, behavior, tolerance and human understanding.”
“I am proud to be part of UPF. This four-day seminar was very valuable for me. I wish that UPF will expand endlessly until it realizes its goals: peace – love – happiness for all the people of the world because of the UPF founders.”
“It was a very high-quality seminar. … It contributed to the spiritual education of people, growth of the awareness of human responsibility and development of the family and society.”
“At this time of crises, it is a great fortune to be part of a group of people who work and contribute to world peace. A human being has as much value as he contributes to the society. … The seminar was a great contribution which taught us how to overcome selfishness.”
“It was a special joy for me to be part of this seminar on the UPF Peace Principles which filled me with emotion and reflection about my life, family and the future. The seminar fulfilled all my expectations. Finally we felt we became united as one big family together.”
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