An International Leadership Conference held at Brazil's National Museum included participants from both North and South America.
Seven hundred people attended a meeting at the main conference hall of the Brazilian congress. The Speaker of the House, Hon. Nelson Marquezelli, presented a plaque in recognition of the Global Peace Festival activities in 18 countries so far in 2008. The session closed with prayer.
The opening banquet of the International Leadership Conference, held at Brazil's National Museum, included participants from both North and South America. Brazilian Christian leaders were inspired at the opportunity to meet visiting North American religious leaders.
Dr. Hyun Jin Moon talked about a new future opening up for Brazil and urged participants to help bring together people from North and South America centering on that vision.
Mrs. Debby Swilley gave a testimony about the Global Peace Festival held at The Church In The Now in Atlanta in the USA, a church which she pastors with her husband, Bishop Jim Swilley. Speaking on behalf of Islam, Haitham Bundakji from California cited Rev. Sun Myung Moon's statement that there will be no world peace without peace in Middle East and described the activities of the Middle East Peace Initiative. Dr. Moon then talked about core values and his vision of an interreligious movement.
At the Opening Ceremony of the Conference, Dr. Moon spoke about his father's lifelong commitment to embracing his enemies and overcoming difficulties in his determination to accomplish God’s dream. He talked, for instance, about visiting him at the prison in Danbury, Connecticut, USA: “Every time we visited, he always assured us that God had greater plans and that, through these trials, greater blessings would come as a result.”
Quoting Victor Hugo’s statement that “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come,” he called One Family Under God a message whose time has come. He invited everyone to become owners of the dream of One Family Under God and to encourage people in their communities to become owners of this dream as well.