Lima, Peru—UPF-Peru marked Earth Day 2015 with speakers offering four points of view on the importance of this international day of support for environmental protection.
On April 22, Ambassadors for Peace together with members of the Gran Fraternidad Universal (Universal Great Brotherhood) gathered with their friends and guests at the UPF headquarters. The main meeting room was overflowing with guests soon after the start, and the four speakers spoke with great conviction and passion on the importance of this day.
The meeting was inaugurated by Gen. Hector Jhon Caro, the vice president of UPF-Peru, who said that humankind should use wisely the resources that God has given us and commit to caring for the environment.
The next speaker, UPF-South America Regional Director Mr. Dong Mo Shin, was introduced by Mr. Jaime Fernandez, coordinator general of UPF-Peru, who read a short passage from the words of UPF Founder Dr. Sun Myung Moon on this topic. Mr. Shin reminded his audience that the earth is a blessing from God and that humankind has a big responsibility to take care of it well.
The main speaker, the biologist Mr. Sergio Utchitel, is the continental leader of the international organization Universal Great Brotherhood, which was founded by Dr. Serge Raynaud de la Ferrièrein 1948. Its motto is: “The peace of the individual will be the peace of the world."
Mr. Utchitel spoke about the laws and principles of the universe and said that humankind needs to live in harmony with nature and respect it. He emphasized that we are in a different era of consciousness in this century and we must respect the environment in which we live.
Peruvian Member of Congress Dr. Yonhy Lescano gave the concluding remarks, saying that in his native tongue (Quechua, the language of the Andean mountain people) the earth is known as Pachamama (mother earth)—it gives us life, and it feeds us and gives us everything we need. Even today religious leaders in the mountains guide their members in rituals and ceremonies offering thanks to the earth.
Following the speeches the assembly gathered to sign a “Letter to the Earth,” part of an initiative of one Ambassador for Peace who is connected with the Earth Charter Initiative.
Relevant websites:
http://www.granfraternidaduniversal.org/
http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/invent/images/uploads/echarter_english.pdf