Address to Peace Summit 2023
May 2-5, 2023
Dear Dr. Hak Hak Ja Moon, Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen present at this memorable meeting organized by the Universal Peace Federation. For me, as a Cuban who believes in freedom and peace, this will be an event and a meeting that will remain forever in my memory. For this reason, I wish to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Moon, on behalf of all who yearn for freedom and peace, for welcoming us to this great event.
The most universal Cuban, José Martí, said: “Freedom and intelligence are man’s natural environment.” We have no doubt about it, but are we really that free and that smart? Are the powerful world leaders of some developed countries somehow free and, above all, free to freely choose convenience and profit?
Through our intelligence, we are manufacturing high technology, but in the end this same technology ends up dominating us. We are manufacturing intelligent bombs, which in the end also end up being a clear example of how clumsy we are, jeopardizing our reasoning, putting the human species in danger.
It doesn’t make much sense to be born, live and die, if by living we do not educate the soul for disinterested service and in favor of the most needy, if values and principles are not placed at the service of the lives of many oppressed human beings, if the fight against hunger and improving health are not a priority over red carpet events. Do we always take into account our religious foundations and the legacy and teachings of those who, with their sacrifice and their lives dedicated to the good of others, raised us to be here today (for example, Father Moon)?
It can be as simple as correctly interpreting the meaning of words like respect, tolerance, charity and love. Peace sometimes becomes a word much more used than practiced. We all aspire to be happy, but can we be happy if there is no peace? It seems that the suffering caused by events and atmospheric accidents is not enough, so we add wars and conflicts to our painful lives. I say painful lives because as long as there is so much pain, hunger, injustice and lack of freedom, it has to be painful for the living. We are distracted with so much glamour, fashion, soap operas and romantic theories. However, if we thought more with our hearts and reasoned less, we would have more peace. We should get more involved and not think that it is always the fault of others. Everything concerns us all and love is the only medicine that cures everything. When peace is broken, everyone loses and we move further away from heaven. Peace is not the end to glory, but the only path that generates it.
Gandhi taught us to forget grudges and forgive. This gives us an excellent basis to understand the importance of peace. If we do not become aware of this, we will have to understand that we are close to the extinction of the species. We always wish much peace to the deceased. We have to wish the living much more peace or we will definitely rest in peace forever.
If these peace forums did not exist, with so many wars and violence, we would forget the essence of human life. Let’s build fewer weapons and arm ourselves more with the spiritual world. Let’s imitate good examples. Let’s maintain the solidarity that COVID left us, after the great suffering and loss of human lives that it also left us.
Those of us in the Central America and Caribbean region take note of the frequent visits of Foreign Minister Sergei Labrov and other Russian leaders to Cuba and Venezuela, under the watchful eye of the US; the President of Mexico who is increasingly strengthening ties of friendship with the Cuban President and strongly criticizes the US positions; and the current President of Brazil expressing his union with Russia and China. The future of our region seems to have a certain tension against Peace. We must trust more than ever on the Creator to hold our hand and lift our voices in prayers for Peace.
Let’s reflect and wake up from this sleepy lethargy before we fall. Let’s not give up on life. It’s never too late to defend it and accept all the blessings that the Creator gives us.
Glory is still waiting for us, and it seems to be in a hurry. Let’s not make it wait any longer. When we do decide to go ahead, it may be a little late.
Thank you.
To go to the Peace Summit 2023 Schedule page, click here.