Singapore, Singapore—The chair of UPF International and a co-chair of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) spoke at a global business forum and met with the Ambassador of the Philippines to Singapore during a visit to the country in August.
Meeting with UPF Representatives in Singapore
Prior to the forum, Dr. Thomas Walsh, chair of UPF International; Hon. Jose de Venecia, Jr., a co-chair of the IAPP and special envoy for APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and for intercultural dialogue of the Philippines; and Dr. Quan Yi Zhang, an Ambassador for Peace and a professor at Zhejiang Wanli University in China, met with UPF’s representatives in Singapore. The possibility of inaugurating a UPF chapter that can contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the nation was discussed.
It was highlighted that given its geographic location and infrastructure1, Singapore has what it takes to become a gateway to foster peace among nations in Southeast Asia, as well as has the potential to become a model of peace for the world.
Business Forum
The Business Forum, co-organized by the Global Citizen Forum (GCF), a UPF partner, and the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SICCI), took place on August 10, 2017 at the Smart Innovation Centre in Singapore.
Dr. B.K. Modi, an Ambassador for Peace, is the founder and chairman of the GCF. He is a social entrepreneur, philanthropist and author with more than 30 years of business leadership experience. He is also recognized as a pioneer in the areas of office automation, telecommunications, healthcare, electric vehicles, global citizenship and omniscience.
At the event, Dr. Walsh spoke on the topic, “Alternative Global Views for Belt and Road Initiatives.” He introduced UPF Founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s vision of an international highway that would connect the entire world. He also explained the Bering Strait Tunnel initiative, which proposes a tunnel system be built under the Bering Strait, and highlighted the importance of embracing diversity for a common understanding towards freedom, peace and harmony. He emphasized that military equipment would not be allowed to be transported on the international highway.
In his speech, Hon. de Venecia proposed the world join hands in developing a common road for peace and prosperity.
Dr. Zhang, who also spoke at the forum, highlighted the concept of “One Family Under God.”
Two days after the event, on August 12, 2017, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a message to the Global Citizen Forum in which he expressed that he was “delighted to learn that the Global Citizen Forum and the SICCI, along with other associations [are] organizing a series of programmes in Singapore…” To read the message, please click here.
Visit to the Philippines Embassy in Singapore
Also on their trip, Dr. Walsh, Hon. de Venecia and Dr. Zhang visited the Philippines Embassy in Singapore, where they met with the Philippines Ambassador to Singapore Antonio A. Morales.
1 In 2017, Singapore topped a ranking of 231 cities in the world in terms of offering the best infrastructure.