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 - Italy
UPF-Italy organized World Interfaith Harmony Week commemorations in Bergamo, Milan, and Torino.
- Written by: Michael A. Stovall, UPF - USA
Salt Lake City, USA - The Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable’s annual Interfaith Month officially began on February 2 with an invitation-only prayer breakfast at the Salt Lake Marriot Downtown Hotel. The Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable has celebrated February as Interfaith Month since 2002 because the members of the 22 different religious groups who served as chaplains during the 2002 Winter Olympics wanted to continue meeting as they knew they had an important statement to make and wanted to highlight the diversity of faiths in Utah.
- Written by: UPF - Czech Republic
Prague, Czech Republic - UPF-Czech Republic held a conference on interreligious dialogue in Prague on February 3 as part of World Interfaith Harmony Week.
- Written by: UPF - International
Seoul, Korea - A commemoration of World Interfaith Harmony Week took place at the Cheon Bok Gung interfaith sanctuary in Seoul on January 22 as part of UPF's International Leadership Conference.
- Written by: UPF - Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand - UPF-Thailand joined hands with other religious organizations to organize a World Interfaith Harmony Week program at its Peace Embassy in Bangkok on February 7. The 300 people in attendance included Buddhist monks, religious leaders, civil society leaders, NGO representatives, military and government representatives, Ambassadors for Peace, and youth leaders.
- Written by: UPF - Germany
Celebrations of World Interfaith Harmony Week took place in Munich and Stuttgart.
- Written by: UPF - Austria
Vienna, Austria - UPF-Austria organized a World Interfaith Harmony Week commemoration on January 22 and a youth forum about world religions on February 9.
- Written by: Zakaria El hamel, Ambassador for Peace
Oujda, Morocco - Youth for Peace invited many religious and spiritual leaders to a meeting at the Moulay Slimane Fondation to celebrate the second World Interfaith Harmony Week. We celebrated by gathering together and strengthening our ties, sharing news of our interfaith activities and our future plans; it was an occasion for meeting new friends and creating new partnerships.
- Written by: UPF - International
The first World Interfaith Harmony Week, the first week of February 2011, was marked by a variety of types of observances organized by the Universal Peace Federation.
- Written by: UPF-International
- Written by: Barbados National Peace Council
Bridgetown, Barbados - The playing of the National Anthem of Barbados opened the January 22 Interfaith Rally at the headquarters of the Barbados National Peace Council on the theme of Interfaith Activism for Peace and Harmony.
- Written by: Robert Duffy and Melissa Brosseau, UPF-Canada
Montreal, Canada - The World Interfaith Harmony Week was observed on January 26 in Montreal with readings from various faith traditions, a report by Sikhs advocating for religious rights for minorities, and a speech by a Ghanaian Lutheran minister about what his mother taught him about getting along with people from different cultures.
- Written by: Hon. David Kilgour, former MP, Canada
Ottawa, Canada - In support of Interfaith Harmony Week the National Capital Peace Council of the Universal Peace Federation met on January 25 to hear the Chair of the Capital Region Interfaith Council, Father Jacques Kabangu, speak on “Social Sin: How All Believers Can Unite to Eradicate Institutional Evil.”
- Written by: Qamrul A. Khanson, Recording Secretary, UPF-Toronto, Canada
Toronto, Canada - A World Interfaith Harmony Week celebration was organized by the Central District Chapter of UPF-Canada on January 29 in Toronto. A solemn ceremony promoting interfaith harmony was followed by a presentation by Rev. Earl Smith on human rights.
- Written by: UPF - Cote d'Ivoire
Grand Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire - In the midst of turmoil following last November's presidential elections, UPF-Cote d'Ivoire held an interreligious rally at a mosque in the colonial capital Jan. 29, 2011.
- Written by: UPF - Cote d'Ivoire
Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire - On January 22 the peace campaign in Côte d’Ivoire reached a second step in Yamoussoukro, the political capital of Côte d’Ivoire. It happened in a very delicate occasion, as the country is passing through a very serious crisis after the presidential elections on November 28, 2010.
- Written by: Robert Bentele, UPF-Munich, Germany
Munich, Germany - On the occasion of the World Interfaith Harmony Week that was proclaimed by the UN, the Universal Peace Federation-Munich organized an interreligious conference on February 1. The topic of the event was Living with the one God – Foundation for a Culture of Peace? / Who is God, Jahweh, Allah?
- Written by: UPF - Germany
Stuttgart, Germany - The UPF chapter in Stuttgart, Germany celebrated an interreligious event on February 5, which connected to the “UN World Interfaith Harmony Week.”
- Written by: UPF - India
New Delhi, India - In support of UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, UPF-India invited youth from many backgrounds to join in interfaith prayers for peace and a cleaning project on February 6. The program was chaired by Ambassador for Peace and Vice Principal of St. Stephen’s College of Delhi University, Rev. Clement Rajakumar. Approximately 30 youth leaders from different faiths attended the program.
- Written by: Dr. Michael Balcomb, Director of Communications, UPF
Seoul, Korea - An International Leadership Conference in Seoul marked the first UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, emphasizing the responsibilities of religious and spiritual leaders to defuse long-standing tensions between different ethnic and minority groups.
- Written by: Ursula McLackland, UPF-Asia
Jakarta, Indonesia - In support of the World Interfaith Harmony Week, UPF worked with The Wahid Institute, the Indonesian Conference for Religion and Peace, and the IPMI Business School to organize a conference on January 27 about “Building Bridges of Peace through Interfaith Leadership.”
- Written by: Jeremy Jordan, Secretary General, UPF-Israel
Daliet el Carmel, Israel - At a Jan. 26, 2011 meeting in Daliet el Carmel honoring Israelis working for interfaith understanding, an interfaith peace council in Israel was promoted.
- Written by: UPF - Japan
Tokyo, Japan - A commemorative event of the United Nations’ annual “World Interfaith Harmony Week” was hosted by UPF-Japan on January 29 in Tokyo as an opening program of an Ambassadors for Peace Council Meeting.
- Written by: UPF - Kazakhstan
Almaty, Kazakhstan - UPF held a small event dedicated to the celebration of the UN Interfaith Harmony Week on January 29 at the Peace Embassy in Almaty.