Vancouver, Canada—Members of the Vancouver Interfaith Forum, including Ambassadors for Peace and guests, gathered in Richmond, a suburb of greater Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada, to commemorate the UN International Day of Peace 2015 on September 26, 2015. The topic of the one-day event was “The Emerging Culture of Love and Compassion.”
After the interfaith candle lighting ceremony and prayers, Dr. Frank Kaufmann delivered the keynote address. He gave valuable insights on doing interfaith work, drawn from his many years of experience.
The program also included two lively panel discussions: one in the morning, which was moderated by Dr. Youri Pankratz, and one in the afternoon, which was moderated by Rev. Kati Brisebois. In the morning, Dr. Krishna Sharma; Ms. Connie Waterman and former UN diplomat, Capt. Augustine Rebello, presented interesting perspectives on the forum topic. In the afternoon, Rev. Katsumi Kamashi, Dr. Alan El-Sabbagh and Dr. Pankratz presented on the event theme.
Several of the speakers praised the work of UPF founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, and highlighted examples of Rev. Moon's vision for a more peaceful world. Also, two new Ambassadors for Peace were appointed: Dr. El-Sabbagh and Ms. Waterman.
The friendship among participants, the lively discussions and the hospitality provided by UPF volunteers, made the event a memorable and an inspiring one.