World Interfaith Harmony Week
This age of globalization needs enlightened people in each faith who can examine their sacred writings and traditions and identify the aspects that can benefit all humanity as well as those that preserve each religion's identity. The UN designated the first week of February every year as World Interfaith Harmony Week with the motto of "Love of God and Love of the Neighbor" / "Love of the Good and Love of the Neighbor." UPF calls on people of faith to honor the Divine indwelling in a way that encourages understanding, respect, and cooperation among people of all faiths for the well-being of our communities and peace in the world.
- Written by: UPF - Colombia
Bogota, Colombia - World Interfaith Harmony Week 2014 was observed with visits to various religious communities in Bogota.
- Written by: UPF - Brazil
São Paulo, Brazil - World Interfaith Harmony Week was celebrated at the São Paulo Municipal Chamber, on Feb. 10, with the support of City Councillor Gilberto Natalini and the interfaith group of the Paulistanos Movement for Peace.
- Written by: UPF - Philippines
Manila, Philippines - In support of UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, UPF-Philippines organized a program on Feb. 7 at the UPF Peace Embassy in Manila in which prayers from many traditions were read.
- Written by: Greg Stone, Secretary General, UPF-Oceania
Sydney, Australia - UPF-Australia held its bimonthly meeting on Feb. 3, 2014 in observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week.
- Written by: Dr. Juraj Lajda, Secretary General, UPF-Czech Republic
Prague, Czech Republic - Over 50 people from different denominations came to an interreligious conference celebrating World Interfaith Harmony Week at the Community of Christians in Prague on Feb. 3, 2014.
- Written by: UPF International
UPF and its network of Ambassadors for Peace celebrated UN World Interfaith Harmony Week 2014 with programs at UN offices, UPF peace embassies and a variety of places of worship.
- Written by: Dr. Kazi Nurul Islam, Professor and Chair, Department of World Religions and Cultures, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh - During UN Interreligious Harmony Week, an interreligious harmony rally took place on Feb. 2, 2014 on the campus of the University of Dhaka.
- Written by: Steinar Murud, UPF-Norway
Oslo, Norway - An observance of the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week on the theme of Peace in Syria and the Middle East took place at Central Jamaat e Ahi-e Sunnat in Oslo on Feb. 6, 2014.
- Written by: UPF - Indonesia
Medan, Indonesia - World Interfaith Harmony Week was observed at a program at the UPF center in Medan, North Sumatra on Feb. 2.
- Written by: Franco Famularo, Secretary General, UPF-Canada
Montreal, Canada - Ambassadors for Peace gathered in Montreal on the evening of Feb. 3, 2014 to celebrate the UN designated Interfaith Harmony Week. The evening included prayers, the reading of sacred scriptures by representatives of different faiths and a water pouring ceremony by representatives of Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist and Unification traditions. The evening concluded with reflections on scriptures read from the holy texts by those in attendance.
- Written by: Hiromi Mishima, Secretary General, UPF-Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador - Interfaith leaders gathered on Feb. 4, 2014 at the Peace Embassy in Quito to exchange views about ways to cooperate to establish a peaceful world based on the practices of each religion. Participants included religious leaders from the Catholic, Evangelical and Episcopal churches and Hinduism.
- Written by: UPF - Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina - World Interfaith Harmony Week was observed at the UPF Peace Embassy in Buenos Aires on Feb. 6. The theme was "Peace in Syria, the Middle East and the World."
- Written by: Christa Kamga, Youth UPF - UK
London, UK - World Interfaith Harmony Week was commemorated in the House of Lords Feb. 5, 2014 by Youth UPF- UK with an evening of music and presentations on interfaith harmony from the perspectives of young adults of different faiths.
- Written by: Peter Haider, Secretary General, UPF-Austria
Vienna, Austria - An observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week took place at the Vienna International Center on Feb. 7, 2014 on the theme of the Role of Religions in Promoting a Culture of Peace.
- Written by: Sudesh G. Balasubramaniam, UPF - Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - An observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week 2014 took place at the Malaysia Peace Embassy on Feb. 9.
- Written by: Dr. Robert S. Kittel, Director of Education, UPF-Asia, and photojournalist
New Delhi, India - An overflow crowd gathered at the United Nations Information Centre in New Delhi, India on Jan. 4, 2014 for an event linked to the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week.
- Written by: UPF - Brazil
Sao Paulo, Brazil - The Sao Paulo Municipal Chamber passed legislation on March 13, 2014, declaring World Interfaith Harmony Week, the first week of February, to be an annual observance. UPF-Brazil has organized UN World Interfaith Harmony Week events at the Sao Paulo City Hall in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
- Written by: Nobuhiro Igarashi, UPF - Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark - UPF-Denmark held its second Interfaith Religious Leaders Meeting on Feb. 2, 2013. As the event coincided with the World Interfaith Harmony Week established by the United Nations, the theme of the meeting was interfaith harmony. Participants included two Christian pastors and two evangelists, two Muslim leaders and the national leader of Scientology in Denmark.
- Written by: Colleen Scott, Salt Lake City Interfaith Roundtable
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA - The Salt Lake City Interfaith Roundtable officially kicked off Interfaith Month 2013 with a special breakfast meeting on January 31 at the Salt Lake Downtown Marriott Hotel, which also recognized the annual World Interfaith Harmony Week, February 1-7.
- Written by: UPF - Japan
Tokyo, Japan - Around the second anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on March 11, the Japanese Archipelago was the setting of prayers for the victims, who number 20,000, including the missing, as well as for reconstruction from the devastation. UPF-Japan organized two such events, on January 24 and February 2.
- Written by: Genie Kagawa, UPF Office of UN Relations
United Nations, New York - A celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week took place at the UN General Assembly on Feb. 14, 2013. The theme was "United for a Culture of Peace through Interfaith Harmony."
- Written by: Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Jordan
Amman, Jordan - The Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Jordan announced on March 18 their selection of the three most notable World Interfaith Harmony Week programs. The prizewinning events took place in Nigeria, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
- Written by: UPF - Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand - The Chairman of the Committee of Religions, Art and Culture of the House of Representative of Parliament of Thailand gave the keynote address at a Feb. 7, 2013 conference in Bangkok on "Interreligious Principles for Strengthening Families."
- Written by: UPF - Ukraine
Kiev, Ukraine - Ambassadors for Peace gathered in Kiev on Feb. 7, 2013 on the occasion of World Interfaith Harmony Week.