Speeches
- Written by: Tan Sri Datin Paduka Zaleha Ismail, Chair, Chairman, National Population and Family Development Board, Malaysia
- Written by: Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Co-Chairman, Universal Peace Federation
Address at the Global Peace Festival, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 19, 2008
It is a great honor and pleasure to be with you today to celebrate a vision of everlasting peace. Your being here this evening in such numbers is a clear sign that the Global Peace Festival is indeed bringing a new breath of hope to a world yearning for an end to the cycle of war, conflict and poverty!
- Written by: Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, Prime Minister, Malaysia, 1981-2003
We know that the world is divided into people of different faiths, but basically the faith of all these religions is the same. Religions preach and promote peace and brotherhood. There is no religion which says that you should go forth and kill those who are not of your own faith. I’ve studied the Qur’an and I couldn’t find any verse which directs Muslims to kill non-Muslims. In fact, we are told to live at peace with peoples of other religions. Surah Al-Kahfirul refers to the different religions professed by different people, and says that you have to accept them—"to them their religion, to you your religion." It doesn’t say “to them their religion, and therefore you should fight them.”
- Written by: Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Co-Chair, Universal Peace Federation
Excerpts of keynote address at the Global Peace Festival, Ottawa, Canada, October 4, 2008
- Written by: Heyam Qirbi, Mothers for Peace
Poem by Heyam Qirbi, Mothers for Peace, read at the Canadian Leadership Conference in Ottawa, Canada, October 2-5, 2008
- Written by: Hans Sinn, Chair, Civilian Peace Service, Canada
- Written by: Dr. Bill Bhaneja, Co-Chair, Canadian Department of Peace Initiative
In the early part of the twenty-first century, the peoples of the world are experiencing an intolerable level of insecurity and violence on the parts of states and non-state actors. At the same time, there has been a re-energizing of the peace movement and citizen initiatives in seeking innovative, nonviolent and enduring resolution of conflict through peacebuilding activities of many kinds. One of those initiatives is a growing international movement for the creation of departments of peace in all nations. Canada, as a middle power with a long history of peacekeeping and negotiated outcomes to conflict, stands in a unique position to become the first country to proclaim a Department and Minister of Peace.
- Written by: Dr. Alvin Curling, Former Speaker, Ontario Legislature, Canada
For over 2,000 years this plea has been on the books and has been issued millions of times from pulpits the world over to many millions of faithful parishioners, many of whom have become the perpetrators of war, the starters of war, the losers of war, and — dare I say it — the winners of wars for there are those who profess that in war there are no winners.
- Written by: Hon. Raila Odinga, Prime Minister, Kenya
Hon. Raila Odinga, Prime Minister, Kenya: Address to International Leadership Conference, Nairobi, Kenya, August 29-31, 2008
- Written by: Hon. Jose de Venecia, Jr., Chairman, CDI-Asia Pacific
Hon. Jose de Venecia, Jr., Chairman, CDI-Asia Pacific Address to the Global Peace Festival Cagayan De Oro City, Mindanao, Philippines September 21, 2008
- Written by: Hon. Song Yeong Sun, Member, Korean National Assembly
Speech delivered by Hon. Song Yeong Sun, Member, Korean National Assembly at the International Leadership Conference and Global Peace Festival, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 9, 2008
- Written by: Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Co-Chairman, Universal Peace Federation
Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Co-Chairman, Universal Peace Federation keynote address at the Global Peace Festival Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 9, 2008