Toronto, Canada—UPF-Canada held a dinner meeting on April 30, 2019 in follow up to the launch of the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD) in Toronto on February 3. Twelve Ambassadors for Peace and staff members of UPF-Canada attended the event, which was hosted by Dr. Moonshik Kim, president of UPF-Canada. The opening prayer was offered by Imam Qamrul Khanson.
Rev. R. Thillairajan, director of interreligious affairs, and who was the emcee for the event, led participants to share their thoughts on developing the IAPD’s interfaith work in the Toronto area.
The participants suggested interfaith and character education programs for schools, churches, mosques, and other places be created as well as programs that promote family values and abstinence before and fidelity in marriage. Another idea was to have an events calendar of the special holidays of different religions and visit the religious group to celebrate their holiday, and share with them.
These suggestions, if carried out, would help develop greater trust and confidence among interfaith partners while at the same time help in building a reality of brotherhood among faith members.
One participant expressed delight and hope in the UPF’s leadership as welcome and needed in the “development of a meaningful future for the realization of peace and goodwill among members of the faith traditions. This is the essence of our work for world peace in the IAPD project.”