The International Day of Peace 2012
“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.” (UNESCO Constitution, 1945)
The Universal Peace Federation, in celebrating the observance of the International Day of Peace 2012 with the theme “Sustainable Development for a Sustainable Peace,” gives emphasis to the inextricable link between sustainable development and a sustainable peace.
UPF calls upon the United Nations community, governments, and civil society to consider that the need for sustainable development, environmental stewardship, and social justice are but symptoms of a deeper human problem: we have not learned to live as one family, sharing this planet and caring for the natural world placed at our disposal by a loving Creator;
UPF affirms the value of democracy and free market economies. Corporations have a strong interest in promoting sustainable development and the development of a green economy because this is in everyone’s best interest.
UPF affirms that the family is the primary unit of society, the foundation of moral, spiritual, social, and political education. Families may be great allies in the effort to achieve sustainable development. Indeed, the UPF vision of “One family under God” serves as a guiding ideal that reminds us that the exercise of freedom should not disregard the needs of others.
UPF recognizes the wisdom of the world’s religions over millennia, which tell us in different ways that human beings have been given the blessing to inhabit this beautiful planet and to enjoy its resources. At the same time, we are here as stewards of this good earth, and we must use our freedom responsibly, giving due regard to the whole human family, including future generations. People of faith should rise above narrow sectarianism and join in making this earth our common home, a place of health, beauty, and sustainability.
UPF reminds the United Nations, governments, the private sector, and civil society that people of faith comprise more than 80 percent of the global population; they cherish the environment as a gift from a divine source and see themselves as stewards of a legacy of compassion and unselfishness to pass on to generation to come, countering prevailing values of self-centeredness and over-indulgence. The family being the primary unit of society, grandparents and parents can be encouraged to transmit this consciousness along with moral, spiritual, and social education.
UPF adheres to the principle that freedom of religion is a fundamental human right that must be protected in order to have sustainable peace.
On this International Day of Peace, let us all raise up our voices of peace, and let us work together to build a world that resembles our shared hopes and aspirations.