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Honoring a Legacy of Peace in Moscow
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Moscow, Russia - On June 10, the Russian branch of the Universal Peace Federation held a “Legacy of Peace” Festival to commemorate outstanding Ambassadors for Peace who passed away.
The meeting was held in memory of international and Russian public figures who participated in peacemaking projects of the Universal Peace Federation. Tribute was paid to the memory of Hédi Annabi, head of UN Mission in Haiti and 100 UN workers who died in the recent earthquake; Kim Dae Jung, President of South Korea (1998 – 2003), who made a breakthrough in relationships between the two Koreas; Abdurrahman Wahid, President of Indonesia (1998 – 2000) and co-initiator of Muslim summits of the Universal Peace Federation; and Rodrigo Carazo, President of Costa Rica (1978 – 1982), founder of the University of Peace, and member of the Global Peace Council of UPF.
The program in Moscow was held on the threshold of the Day of Russia, celebrated nationwide as a state holiday of the Russian Federation on June 12. The ceremony commemorated individuals who advanced democracy and freedom in the nation. During the meeting, Professor Andrey Volkov shared memories about his late wife Galina Starovoytova, a well-known human rights advocate and member of Parliament. Lyubov Yakovleva spoke about her husband, Edward Yakovlev, founder of the International Peace Super-marathon NGO and vice president of the Peace Council of Russia; he passed away in the course of UPF's South Caucasus Peace Initiative in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2008.
Among those who belong to the pantheon of peacemakers are Svyatoslav Fyodorov, founder of the Eye Microsurgery Medical Center and a famous Russian politician, and Roland Bykov, a famous movie actor and film director; both of them participated in UPF literary conferences. Tribute was also paid to Peter Nikolayev, Professor at Moscow State University, World War II veteran, and vice president of the Professors' World Peace Academy.
During the program, participants listened to a reading of the address "Honoring a Legacy of Peace" by the Universal Peace Federation founder, Dr. Sun Myung Moon. Flowers were then placed in front of the photos of the honorees, followed by a minute of silence. The meeting ended with a visit to the UPF museum and a commemorative tea party.
Initiated by the Universal Peace Federation, similar festivals were held beginning in March at the UN Office in New York and a number of cities in the USA, South Korea, and other countries.
For more information about Legacy of Peace programs, click here.