Religions and their contribution towards a peaceful world community was the topic of an inter-religious event held on 9 February 2026 by UPF Düsseldorf to commemorate World Interfaith Harmony Week.
After his welcoming remarks, Sergio Brina reported with sadness the death on 7 February, of Dieter Blumfeld, a valued and longstanding Ambassador of Peace, and showed several photographs of his impressive life and works.
This was followed by an explanation by Anja Brina of the significance of Interfaith Harmony Week, an initiative of the United Nations established in 2010. This annual event is held in the first week of February with the purpose of encouraging interreligious harmony and dialogue and thus to strengthen mutual understanding between different faith groups, to dismantle prejudice and consolidate world peace.
Ms Brina drew attention to the situation of Dr. Hak Ja Han. The 83-year-old co-founder of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) has been held in Seoul Detention Centre, South Korea, since 22 September.[1] According to reports, she is being held in a cell of about six square meters, with little to no daylight and without a proper chair or bed. She has several chronic illnesses such as vision-impairing glaucoma, hypertension, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation (heart rhythm disturbance). In addition, she has sustained injuries due to falls and has hip and pelvic pain which severely restrict her mobility. Information sources report that the medical care which she receives is very basic.[2] Visits are restricted to ten minutes daily and take place under supervision with communication through a glass partition and at the end of a telephone. Visiting is prohibited at the weekend. The audience reacted with great consternation to this information.
The next speaker was Archbishop Gino Collica of the European Catholic-Apostle Church who reported that he had sent letters about Hak Ja Han’s situation to Seoul Central District Court, the Korean Consulate, and to the Republic of Korea’s Ambassadors in Germany and the United States. Furthermore, he sent a written humanitarian appeal and a statement to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). He stressed the great importance of taking a stand for justice and speaking out in the face of injustice. At the same time, he pointed out that religions have contributed historically to conflicts by insisting that their theology is absolute and disrespecting others. It is all the more important today that religions engage in dialogue with each other and develop joint initiatives. To this end, UPF offers a valuable platform. Ultimately it is inter-personal exchange and mutual support which are decisive.
Ulrike Pohlmann from the Scientology Church then introduced the ARC triangle as developed by Ron Hubbard. ARC stands for affinity, reality and communication, and this model describes the close connection between these three elements and how they influence each other. The strengthening of one of these elements has a positive effect on the others. Improved communication, for example, leads to greater affinity and improved mutual understanding of reality.
Pastor Edna Noupa of the Salvation Revival Bible Ministry stressed that faith in God unifies. If we strive for peace between religions, communication and exchange are essential. Prayer holds for her a central significance, especially her prayers for the health and release of Dr. Hak Ja Han.
Frank Bernhardt, an Old Lutheran theologian, emphasised the importance of being steadfast in one own’s religious tradition, to recognise differences while prioritising similarities.
Ulrich Tuente of the Family Federation, an affiliated organisation, opened his talk with one of Rev. Moon’s central themes - religion is not understood as something good to be desired in itself, but rather as a necessary medicine or surgical procedure. Its purpose is to heal mankind and to restore our original, healthy relationship with God and our true (original) nature.
As for the path to human unity, he referred to the basic teachings of the Family Federation: unity with God is a pre-requisite for true unity between people. This is not only because God should be respected, but also because the Creator holds the knowledge necessary for peaceful coexistence. The question as to who has the authority to convey this knowledge remains open, but humanity must actively search for it.
To bring the event to a close, Rev. Moon was once more quoted: whether our life is a success or failure depends on how much love we are able to express in our physical life. Here lies the core goal of religion: not to primarily impart doctrine but to show concrete ways in which ‘true love’ may be manifest. This is particularly important considering that man has free will and may not be subject to compulsion. Only thus can man fulfil his original purpose of creation.
This event generated an appreciative and constructive atmosphere and all presentations received much applause. Many thoughts and concerns were addressed in the following question and answer session. Then Ulrike and Uwe Pohlmann were recognised as Ambassadors for Peace for their many years of commitment to numerous peace projects.
Finally, refreshments were served and there was the opportunity for further discussion and exchange.
[1] Her trial began on 1 December
[2] As of 11 Feb., she was granted a stay of detention until 21 Feb. for hospital care.