Chisinau, Moldova—A UPF celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week included visits to six houses of worship and an interfaith roundtable.
From February 1 to 6, 2018, participants visited the Unification Church, the Islamic League, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Christian Orthodox Church in the village of Ghidighici, the Jewish community, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The visits were followed on February 7 by an interreligious roundtable, organized by UPF with support from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Participants actively used social media to promote dialogue about religious diversity. The official hashtag of the initiative was #youth4solidarity, and video live streams from each visit were organized for the benefit of those who could not come.
Father Maxim Melinti, a priest of the Christian Orthodox Church, stressed “the common values that religious communities share, such as love and kindness.” Diversity was ensured as well by great photographer Vlad Andreev, a person with a disability.
Olesea Perean, director of programs of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, attended the roundtable and encouraged youth and religious leaders to work together toward peace and harmony.
In conclusion, participants of the roundtable agreed that there is a need for a platform where religious communities can jointly address common problems, such as discrimination and hate speech. The participants agreed to meet again in the near future to discuss practical ways of collaborating.