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D. Traore: Address to Africa Summit and Leadership Conference 2019
Written by H.E. Dioncounda Traore, President of Mali (2012-2013)
Friday, June 7, 2019
Address to Africa Summit and Leadership Conference 2019
Excellencies. Distinguished delegates at this Africa Summit and Leadership Conference.
It is my privilege to say a few words of introduction to our host for this most important gathering, none other than Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, known fondly and respectfully to many of us Mother Moon, or True Mother.
She now leads a worldwide movement that spans the globe, reaching every corner, east, west, north and south, managing a wide portfolio of programs, organizations and initiatives that relate to government, religion, the media, academia, the arts, sports and civil society. UPF stands at the forefront of this movement, as a global network of Ambassadors for Peace who are drawn from every walk of life.
To command such an enterprise is no small task or undertaking. In fact, only about seven years ago her long-time companion and husband, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, passed away, leaving her at the head of one of the largest and most significant movements of the 21st century. Undaunted, however, she has led the movement forward with brilliance and wisdom and commitment.
It is hard to believe that her roots are in North Korea when Korea was known as a hermit kingdom, unknown to most of the world. She lived under brutal occupation by the Japanese, a period in the early 20th century that has left many scars on Korea. She endured. The defeat of Japan during WW II led to the liberation of Korea, and establishment of national sovereignty in 1948. However, it was not long before the Korean War broke out, at the very epicenter of what came to be known as the Cold War. She escaped with her devoted mother form North Korea to the South. As she often says, God protected her, knowing the world-level spiritual mission that was her destiny.
She met Father Moon in the 1950s and they married in 1960, marking a major turning point in her ministry. They worked side by side for 52 years, as the “True Parents.” And, since Father Moon passed, she has been his greatest champion and indeed a heavenly and only begotten daughter of true love and peace.
She stands before us today to provide a profound spiritual message. Please give your full and respectful attention.
And a very warm welcome to the founder of the Universal Peace Federation, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon!
To go to the Africa Summit and Leadership Conference 2019 Schedule page, click here.