Speeches
- Written by: H.E. Dr. Abdelaziz Hegazy, former Prime Minister of Egypt
As we build good marriages and strong families, we can transform this world, as families become the agents of development and social transformation for peace in this world.
- Written by: Dr. Hans-Martin Jaeger, Department of Political Science, Carleton University, Canada
- Written by: Dr. Ruta Pels, Chairman, People to People, Estonia
The family is a cell of society. It was written in many textbooks when I studied at school. Our generation was educated in very strong family-based values. Respect for our mother, father, grandmother and grandfather was unconditional and unquestioned.
- Written by: Hermenegilde Rwantabagu, Academic Affairs Leader, University of Burundi
Within the African tradition, it is often said that the family makes children by providing them with a livelihood and by molding their personality, while children make the family by giving it cohesion and a sense of mission and responsibility.
- Written by: Galina A. Kharitonova, President, Life NGO, Russia
Whoever recognizes the importance of peace in the life of the human being will surely strive and will achieve accord with all people and will cooperate with others for the sake of keeping peace among all peoples.
- Written by: Iso Iriarte, Senior Advisor, Pohnpei Council of Chiefs, Micronesia
My connections with UPF have helped me to really understand my duties and responsibilities within my family structure. Nowadays, with the encroachment of foreign influence, it is becoming clear that our family structure may one day cease to exist. UPF seeks to strengthen our existing family by defining and clarifying the duties and responsibilities of everyone in this structure.
- Written by: Rev. Shoshu Murei, Priest, Takamitamanomiya Shrine, Japan
I was born from a long line of traditional Shintoists and became a Shinto priest in 1963. I had an inborn gift for mediation and in 1983, I got a revelation from Takamimusubi, a creator god in Japanese religious tradition. At that time, my God became a golden pillar and entered my body in the course of my midwinter discipline, saying, “I have descended from heaven for the sake of world peace.” Until that time I had been praying only for Japan, so I was curious why I had to do something for world peace. Now I understand that my mission for world peace was predestined thirty years ago.
- Written by: Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, Secretary General, UPF
Paris, France - Humanity is indeed one family but remains a divided family. International institutions such as the United Nations and UNESCO stand in positions analogous to parents in a family.
- Written by: UPF International
Almost everyone in the world would agree that we are living in a time of global crisis. The attention of most governments, the G-20 nations, and the United Nations is currently focused on the ongoing worldwide financial chaos. On top of that, there is the continuing challenge of conflict and violence flaring up all over the world. Even more fundamentally, we face a growing moral and spiritual crisis at home and abroad, evidenced by the rise of family and social breakdown, and the current war against terror which could potentially escalate into a global religious conflict.
- Written by: Dr. Yvonne von Stedingk, former member, Directorate General of Human Rights, Geneva
Wars are fought between States, but States are made up of individuals, individuals who most probably, deep down, did not want anything more than peace, for their families, for their children and for themselves. How come then that individuals, people like you and me, have not been able to prevent wars, neither in the past nor those which are being fought today - although in different ways and by different means?
- Written by: Dr. Claude Gaudeau de Gerlicz, Chair, Bioespas, Bioinformatic and Biotechnology Laboratory, France
Humanity has always sought to gather around great projects to decrease social tensions or transcend political, ethnic, or religious boundaries. This has been particularly true since second half of the twentieth century.
- Written by: H.E. Mr. Hamid Al-Bayati, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Iraq to the UN
In 2000, 189 leaders from the world’s developed and developing countries launched an initiative to improve the lives of the world’s poorest people by eradicating poverty and its accompanying factors: hunger, disease, the lack of medical care, education, and the empowerment of women.