United Nations Relations
As an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the Universal Peace Federation promotes interfaith understanding, sustainable development, strengthening of marriage and family, mediation of conflict, the empowerment of women and the revitalization of the UN. UPF supports the goals of the UN with programs on occasions such as:
- World Interfaith Harmony Week (first week of February)
- International Women's Day (March 8)
- International Day of Families (May 15)
- Global Day of Parents (June 1)
- International Day of Peace (September 21)
- 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.
- Written by: UPF - Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina - Fifteen young Americans from the Generation Peace Academy arrived in Buenos Aires Jan. 17, 2013, as part of a service-learning program designed to strengthen ties between people of North America and South America..
- Written by: UPF - New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand - New Zealand, like many countries, has become a melting pot of cultures and faiths. However, this multicultural environment has not always been harmonious, so a World Interfaith Harmony Week program on February 2 offered an opportunity to address this issue.
- Written by: UPF - Russia
Novosibirsk, Russia - A roundtable on "Promotion of intercultural understanding for creating a peaceful and inclusive society in Novosibirsk" on Feb. 7, 2013 adopted a resolution about interreligious harmony.
- Written by: UPF - India
New Delhi and Lucknow, India - A student debate competition on the theme of "Religion and Modernity: Complementary or Contradictory?" marked World Interfaith Harmony Week at Ram Lal Anand College of the University of Delhi in New Delhi, India, on February 7. Dr. Dinesh Sharma, Mayor of Lucknow, and Mrs. Bharati Gandhi, founder of the largest Montessori school in the world, were featured speakers at a World Interfaith Harmony Week program in Lucknow.