Abuja, Nigeria—On the occasion of Children’s Day 2017 UPF-Nigeria held a one-day event to inform and inspire the children of Ambassadors for Peace.
More than 40 participants attended the event held at the Nigerian Peace Embassy on May 27. In addition to the children of Ambassadors for Peace and their guardians, the participants included the UPF staff in Abuja and children of members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), an affiliated organization.
The program was designed to allow the children of Ambassadors for Peace to understand the calling of their parents, as well as to prepare them to become future Ambassadors for Peace. It was applauded by the participants as a good initiative. There was a call for an association of children of Ambassadors for Peace to be established to ensure regular meetings and programs to spread the message of peaceful living, especially by young people.
The program began with an opening prayer, followed by the singing of the Nigerian national anthem. This was followed by a general introduction of all the participants, including the program MC, Mrs. Maria Dauda Jev, who encouraged the children to seek to know one another and to become peaceful friends.
Ambassador Babatunde Adegbesan gave the welcoming address on behalf of the Ambassadors for Peace. He welcomed the idea of their children coming together to form a network for peace. Ambassador Adegbesan commended the initiative and prayed that the program becomes a major project of the UPF, as engaging the children of Ambassadors for Peace surely will make their parents more committed.
Dr. George Ikpot, the secretary general of the Nigerian chapter of Professors World Peace Academy (PWPA), an affiliated organization, gave a goodwill message in which he encouraged the children to embrace the initiative and become the second generation for peace who will help to fulfill the calling of their parents and become peace leaders in the future.
This was followed by an introductory video about UPF and the activities of the Ambassadors for Peace. Both the children and their parents were inspired about the wide range of UPF activities and the quality of persons around the world who are involved with UPF.
Miss Soon-a Alice Ogurie, daughter of the national president of FFWPU Nigeria, performed a beautiful song to welcome the children of the Ambassadors for Peace. The participants applauded her presentation, and some of the children requested to learn from her too.
The secretary general of UPF-Nigeria, Dr. Raphael Ogar Oko, gave an inspiring, in-depth lecture about the aims, vision and goals of UPF, as well as the Children of Ambassadors for Peace initiative.
Participants were given opportunities to interact, ask questions and exchange ideas. The proposal for the formation of an association for children of Ambassadors for Peace was unanimously endorsed.
Miss Shin-sook Ikpot was introduced to the participants as the program officer responsible for developing the initiative. She will be working with other children to welcome more children of Ambassadors for Peace to the initiative.
The program concluded with the presentation of an Ambassador for Peace certificate to Mrs. Aisha Abdulkadir Yau, who attended the event with her father and her children. The presentation also served as a demonstration to the children in attendance of how their parents had been inducted as Ambassadors for Peace and the significance of the recognition.
Announcements were made about an upcoming program to launch the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace at the National Assembly, and the children of the Ambassadors for Peace were encouraged to serve as volunteers at the event. A meal was served to all the participants, and the program ended with a photograph session.
More online photos are available at: https://goo.gl/photos/qRr6D1S2SfmJQstK9