Moscow, Russia—Ambassadors for Peace and other public figures joined a UPF celebration of the UN International Day of Peace 2020.
After months of online meetings because of the coronavirus, the event was held “in person” at the Moscow Peace Embassy on September 17. The participants reported on their peacekeeping activities and discussed possible formats for joint work to promote the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition, many UPF associates in different cities of Russia participated in the event via the Internet.
As the master of ceremonies, Dmitry Samko, the leader of UPF-Moscow, drew the attention of the audience to the theme of the 2020 International Day of Peace, “Shaping the World Together.” He presented a special message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the occasion.
Sergei Dvoryanov, the president of the Amicability international diplomatic club, quoted the well-known biblical words about peacekeepers, who at this difficult time bring good to their neighbors and set an example of fortitude.
Vyacheslav Nikitin, deputy editor-in-chief of the Union of Nationalities magazine, spoke about journalism in the post-Soviet era, how editors are promoting the value of soft power, and the prospects for the magazine, taking into account translation into UN languages.
Alexander Shapiro Suleiman, the president of the International Alliance of the Peoples of the World and a UPF Ambassador for Peace, reported on his peacekeeping and international work. He also introduced his associate Ishkhan Rasoev, the president of the Yezidi Federation of Peace, whom he recommended for the honorary title Ambassador for Peace for his services.
Konstantin Krylov, the vice president of UPF for Eurasia, gave a detailed report on the enormous amount of work that UPF has accomplished in this difficult year. Mr. Krylov’s report included the World Summit that was held in Seoul, Korea, in February; numerous online programs; the already begun work of six international associations of UPF; and local Russian projects aimed at bringing people together and erasing barriers between peoples.
Hon. Gadzhimurad Omarov, a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, highly appreciated the peacekeeping activities of UPF. He congratulated the participants on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and the 100th anniversary of the birth of UPF founder Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon. Hon. Omarov stressed that for all of us peace is associated with family, the values of which are so important to preserve and increase.
At the end of the conference, a solemn ceremony took place in which new Ambassadors for Peace were awarded certificates. Congratulations from the bottom of our hearts to Alina Saayakyan, Anastasia Paramonova, Natalia Korolkova and the Youth Ambassador for Peace Maria Grigorieva.