Milan, Italy - Alberto Zoffili, secretary of UPF-Italy, and Stefania Maffei, President of UPF-Milan, organized a conference in Milan on Oct. 12, 2011, about the consequences of the 9/11 attacks on the US, seen ten years after.
"September 11th now belongs to history," read the invitation to the conference, "and the world was confronted with violence and fragility, making people aware that certainties can be easily and suddenly demolished. A tragic event like this can influence negatively our future if we do not learn how to overcome our ignorance and prejudice and start a dialogue in an open and respectful way. We are not destined to a clash of civilizations; we have to invest in reciprocal knowledge and relationships instead."
There were six speakers: Prof. Marco Lombardi and Prof. Emilio Asti from the Catholic University; Dr. Mohsen Mouelhi, an imam; Dr. Mohammed Ashraf Hnokhar, representating Minhaj Al Quran; Dr. Antonio Picasso, a journalist; and conference organizer Dr. Alberto Zoffili. Coming from the fields of religion, media, academia, and NGOs, they expressed their feelings about the uncertainties that humankind is facing nowadays. They agreed on the need for a new common base to re‐open dialogue based on universal values and expressed appreciation to UPF for promoting a culture of respect, peace, and global prosperity.
The proposal for an interreligious council at the UN, made by Rev. Sun Myung Moon in the year 2000 (13 months before the tragedy of 9/11) was cited as a way of enhancing the effectiveness of UN by drawing on the wisdom of the world's religions to address the challenges facing humankind.
The conference ended with the appointment of Dr. Gandini, president of the International League of Human Rights in Milan and Rector of University Umanitaria, and Dr. Mohammed Ashraf Hnokhar as new Ambassadors for Peace.