FOLLOW US
T. Walsh: Address to Africa Summit and Leadership Conference 2019
Written by Dr. Thomas Walsh, Chairman, UPF International
Friday, June 7, 2019
Address to Africa Summit and Leadership Conference 2019
Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, True Mother, after your message, given with so much grace, power and beauty, if we take that to heart then we’ve accomplished the mission of this conference. So once again, let us show our gratitude and indebtedness to True Mother.
I just want to share a few words about the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP) because we are about to inaugurate the ISCP for Africa. About four months ago some of us were together in Korea. True Mother has really been integrating, consolidating and refining the global mission of UPF and creating institutional frameworks for incredible momentum-building and advancement of our peace work throughout the world. In 2016 she launched the IAPP, the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace. This brings together parliamentarians from around the world. There are as many as 5,000 who have already participated in an IAPP program around the world in 80 nations which has lead to inaugurations or launching of IAPPs in parliament houses around the world.
True Mother then created a companion or sibling organization associated with IAPP known as the IAPD; you’re going to have to learn a lot of acronyms by the way. IAPD is the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development. In other words, it is an interfaith organization grounded in bringing people together for dialogue, cooperation, collaboration and partnership to address the critical problems that we face. The leaders are President Jonathan, President Ousmane, the beloved chairman of the ANC, H.E Mantashe and Prophet B.S. Radebe, so we are having a partnership of the religious and political sphere. On this occasion today True Mother is launching really a crowning organization or entity within the UPF framework. It’s very exciting.
I want to acknowledge the work of Dr. Young-ho Yoon, recognized as assisting our True Mother. Also I want to acknowledge the presence of UPF Korea’s chairwoman, Prof. Yeon Ah Moon, leading our flagship chapter in the region in Korea, and Chief of Staff of True Mother, Mrs. Wonju Chung McDevitt.
This ISCP becomes a crowning moment. It brings together the current and former heads of state. In Korea True Mother convened approximately 40 current and former heads of state on the stage who learned of this initiative working together in partnership. These are heads of state from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, from Iran, Lebanon even Israel, from Colombia, Paraguay, from European nations, and the Balkans, in northern and southern Europe, and the United States of America – former vice president Dick Cheney was with us – across the political spectrum, across political parties, working together, centering on this vision that we heard this morning – there is one God, we are members of one human family. Let us work together, let us work for one Africa. Today is really important. I commend Mrs. Rigney and Rev. Camara. Here you are at the first regional-level inauguration of ISCP. I congratulate you. I congratulate you, True Mother and UPF Africa.
We will be convening under True Mother’s leadership in February 2020. We will have the grandest and greatest gathering. It’s the centenary of Father Moon’s passing. It will be a grand celebration. True Mother will guide us and convene us. We will have well over 120 former and current heads of state together with us there. Many of you will join us there I am sure. So without further ado, UPF is creating instruments of peace – IAPP, IAPD and now ISCP. The superpowers are creating the weapons of warfare. We are creating instruments of peace. Why? So we never have to use those weapons. Let us build these institutions. Let us work together. Let’s overcome our differences. Let’s cross the boundaries and work together for peace. Truly this vision inspired us this morning. Let us work together. We will now have a brief program centered on True Mother. Thank you for being here today. God bless you.
To go to the Africa Summit and Leadership Conference 2019 Schedule page, click here.