Daliet El-Carmel, Israel - Twenty-five Ambassadors for Peace as well three former presidents of Women's Federation for World Peace-Israel and their family members gathered on May 14 at the village of Daliet El-Carmel for the annual celebration of the UN International Day of Families.
The village is located among the forested hills of Mount Carmel in northern Israel, near the biblical site named after the Prophet Elijah. The participants came from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Nazareth, and were graciously hosted at the large home of the Druze Sheikh Ali Birani. Sheikh Birani, a senior Ambassador for Peace, gathered his family and tribe members, enhancing the scope of the event. In the warm atmosphere, all shared a variety of refreshments brought by each family and engaged in dynamic conversations.
The gathering began with a reading of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s official message on the International Day of Families. Following this was a beautiful slide show of photos from the recent Middle East Peace Conference in Turkey. As the photos were presented, people who had attended the conference shared their experiences with Father and Mother Moon, the founders of both the UPF and the WFWP, who spoke at the conference. All speakers acknowledged the valuable lessons gleaned from attending early morning sessions with the founders relating to true family values and their daily practice.
Sheikh Birani commented: "I was deeply moved by the profound filial heart displayed by Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, the International President of UPF, towards his parents. For me this is a living example of the tradition that is most needed today to preserve the family structure."
An educational counselor who participated at the meeting highly recommended the early morning family readings as taught and practiced by UPF and WFWP founders.
Mr. Jeremy Jordan, who moderated the gathering, gave closing remarks. He pointed out that both UPF and WFWP were adding a vitally important aspect to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, the need to safeguard the moral and ethical values of the family as the school of love.