Ukraine Crisis: Appeal for Peace and Reconciliation

The events currently unfolding in Ukraine are deeply troubling.  UPF joins with others around the world in calling for an end to violence, the withdrawal of military troops and a renewed effort to search for a diplomatic solution.

UPF remains committed to the promotion of mutual respect, cooperation and peace among the peoples and nations of Europe, Eurasia and the world.  We call upon our political leaders, including heads of state and parliamentarians, as well as representatives of civil society and religious leaders—Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and others—to come together in dialogue, raising their voices in a call for peace.

UPF, an NGO in General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, affirms the efforts of the United Nations’ Security Council and General Assembly to bring about a diplomatic solution to this crisis.

In addition, the UPF community is committed to doing all that it can to bring about a swift resolution of this tragic conflict. In particular, we encourage, and are prepared to support, programs dedicated to the search for a cease-fire, withdrawal of military forces, and a return to dialogue.

UPF’s primary associations—International Summit Council for Peace; International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace; and Interreligious Association for Peace and Development—are prepared to engage with partners toward this end.

If we engage together in constructive, respectful dialogue, we can make a difference.

Thomas G. Walsh, Chairman, Universal Peace Federation International