Toronto, Canada—On the evening of January 18, 2020, the UPF Founders' Birthday Celebration and Ambassadors for Peace Service Awards Ceremony was held at the spacious Payal Hall.
Despite a snowstorm in the hours before the event, almost all of the 500 confirmed guests attended. Among the religious and civic leaders of NGOs and community organizations from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds in Canada were three sitting members of the Federal and Provincial Parliament, who each gave congratulatory remarks and encouraged the organizers to continue bringing people together.
Cultural performances interspersed the program adding delightful flavor and color. Following the welcoming remarks by UPF-Canada Chair Dr. Moonshik Kim, Rev. Franco Famularo, UPF-Canada president, introduced the core collaborative principles of UPF.
Thirty members of UPF’s Youth and Students for Peace group led the audience in a rendition of the song "Let There Be Peace on Earth."
We were honored to have a UPF Board member, Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, at this year's event. Having accompanied Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon on her World Tour throughout 2019, Dr. Kim shared with the audience the global efforts of Dr. Moon to reach out to national presidents and leaders on all continents. He also took time to commend the many community leaders in the hall for their admirable work on behalf of their fellow citizens in the Toronto area.
The gathering culminated with the presentation of the annual Ambassador for Peace Service Awards to five distinguished members of the greater Toronto area. Each received a glass plaque honouring their outstanding service to their respective communities, exemplifying the spirit of of “Living for the Sake of Others.”
Finally, Robert Duffy, secretary-general of UPF-Canada, oversaw the appointment of 12 new Ambassadors for Peace, explaining that they have demonstrated in their work the four principles of commitment that are the basis of the Ambassador for Peace initiative.
The program ended with a cake cutting in honor of the Founders' birthdays, followed by wonderful cultural performances and dances by members of the Nepalese, Japanese and Filpino communities.