Minsk, Belarus—"The Role of NGOs in Promoting World Peace" was the title of an international conference held on July 16, 2016.
The conference was organized by UPF-Belarus in partnership with the international public association known as Cultural Exchange and the Belarusian Peace Foundation.
The date of the conference was chosen to honor Nelson Mandela International Day (July 18), in recognition of the late South African president’s peacemaking services to humanity.
Among the 50 guests and speakers who attended the meeting in a conference room of the Crowne Plaza Minsk hotel were representatives of different cultures and activists of public and youth organizations.
Vitaly Maximov, chair of UPF-Belarus, opened the conference. He thanked the participants for their cooperation in pursuit of peace and explained the philosophy of the Universal Peace Federation. He said that men and women working together at all levels of public life, regardless of their racial, cultural or religious differences, supporting each other in the effort to create a happy family, are able to find solutions to the complex problems of society and the world. Global peace begins with goodness in every human heart, Mr. Maximov said.
Tamara M. Masko, a teacher at the Vitebsk State College of Industrial Technology, gave a presentation about the work of her volunteer group in promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Tatiana V. Tumanova, chair of the Vitebsk regional department of the Belarusian Peace Foundation, emphasized that “love is a conscious choice, and life finds its true meaning when there are people we really love.” We need to elevate our souls and fill our hearts with tranquility, peace and love, she said.
In his closing presentation, Konstantin V. Krylov, the regional secretary general of UPF for Eurasia, spoke about UPF founders Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. He described their exemplary life of service lived for the sake of establishing a culture of peace.
The conference provided an opportunity for the participating NGOs to take important steps toward building a new harmonious relationship and working cooperatively for world peace.