Stockholm, Sweden—UPF’s Principles of Peace were at the center of the third Nordic Peace Seminar.
The one-day event united the UPF chapters of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The previous two seminars were held in Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark.
The more than 60 participants from the four Nordic nations, and a number of others, gathered at the Haymarket by Scandic hotel on October 7, 2023.
Ambassadors for Peace, religious leaders, academicians, artists, NGO representatives and UPF members made up the audience.
After an introductory video about UPF given by Steinar Murud, the secretary general of UPF-Norway and the Nordic UPF coordinator, three one-hour lectures followed:
- Universal Values as a Foundation for Peace
- The Root Causes of Conflict
- Bringing Peace and Reconciliation
Dr. David Hanna, the chairman of UPF for Northern Europe, presented the lectures in a moving way.
In these troubled times we need a new vision of peace that can give hope to a troubled humanity, Dr. Hanna said. It is a fact that we all belong to one universal family, one family under God, across our national or religious backgrounds.
In a fourth session, “The UPF Touch,” Dr. Hanna introduced the local projects of UPF in creating a new culture of peace and explained how to put the Peace Principles into practice.
A new Ambassador for Peace was introduced and received a well-earned certificate: Pastor Dr. Ezekiel Mtetwa, the founding pastor of the Spirit of Life in Christ Church and a doctor of African archaeology.
Afterward the participants offered positive feedback, expressing their appreciation for this seminar in Stockholm.
Here is a link to a 12-minute video about the UPF conference in Stockholm and some feedback the organizers received: