Oslo, Norway—UPF observed International Day for Tolerance with a "Nordic seminar” titled “Principles of Peace.”
Twenty-seven participants from 15 nationalities, including the Nordic nations of Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway, attended the seminar on November 12, 2022—indeed a diverse group, but sharing the same hope for peace and tolerance.
On the International Day for Tolerance, which UNESCO declared in 1995, it is relevant to address such issues as discrimination and racism.
However, our presentations addressed the topic from a different and more fundamental perspective: the fact that we all belong to one universal family, one family under God, across our national or religious backgrounds.
As this vision and consciousness expand, the walls between people will come down. This vision also provides us with a common identity as children of the same “Heavenly Parent,” an identity that promotes tolerance and in the end will wipe away all forms of discrimination.
The group took the time to visit a Korean peace pagoda that had been donated by South Korea’s Hwacheon municipality, to ring the peace bell, take a photo and send a message for peace and tolerance on the Korean Peninsula.
The fact that the conference venue was located on Voksenåsen Hill, 500 meters above sea level with a perfect view over Oslo and a crystal-clear sky, lifted the enthusiasm of the participants even higher.