The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) concluded its second Rally of Hope on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. The 3-hour event, held in Korea and broadcast online to the world, hosted 12 distinguished world leaders, along with first-class entertainment. According to the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Mr. Yun Young-ho, two million people from 194 nations were given tickets to watch online, while millions of other viewers observed the Rally via various broadcast providers and internet platforms.
On Sunday afternoon, at 16:00 Central European Time, a special broadcast of the Rally of Hope’s Highlights was organized by UPF Europe & Middle East for those in the Region who were not able to watch live the Korean event during the night.
The theme of the Rally focused on realizing a world of peace through interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values. The gathering served as a wake-up call to national and world leaders that the well-being of humankind and the destiny our planet rests in the hands of responsible leaders.
Peace messages and prayers were given by:
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The Right Reverend Munib A. Younan, Bishop Emeritus of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, 2020 Sunhak Peace Prize Laureate Bishop Emeritus Younan is the former President (2010-2017) of the Lutheran World Federation, a global communion of Christian churches with 148 member churches in 99 countries representing more than 75.5 million Christians. He is past president of the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches and provides leadership for the ecumenical Patriarchs and Heads of Local Christian Churches in Jerusalem, as well as for the Council of Religious Institutions in the Holy Land, comprised of leaders of Jerusalem’s Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities. |
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His Eminence Kelvin Edward Felix, Cardinal, Archbishop emeritus of Castries His Eminence Kelvin Felix is the Roman Catholic Archbishop emeritus of Castries, the capital of the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia. Born in Dominica and ordained a priest, he graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, the University of Notre Dame in USA and the University of Bradford in England. He served as the Principal of the Roman Catholic High School in Dominica and Associate General Secretary of the Caribbean Conference of Churches. He was consecrated archbishop in 1981 and as cardinal in 2014. Since his retirement, he has returned to his native Dominica, where he assists in smaller parishes. |
Welcome remarks were delivered by:
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Dr. Thomas Walsh, Chairman, UPF International Dr. Walsh is the Chairman of UPF International, Secretary General of the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation and President of the World Peace Road Foundation. He has been a teacher, author, and editor specializing in the areas of interfaith, religious studies, peace studies, philosophy, and social theory. Dr. Walsh serves on the International Council of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations and the International Coalition for Religious Freedom. He has contributed to and edited more than 30 books related to interfaith, peacebuilding and renewal of the United Nations. He is also the President of the World Peace Road Foundation. |
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H.E. Goodluck Jonathan, President (2010-2015) Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan is a renowned Nigerian politician who served as Vice President of the country from 2007 to 2010, and as President from 2010 to 2015. During his tenure as President, he worked tirelessly to strengthen the capacity of ECOWAS to respond to several challenges and personally led efforts that resolved the political crises in Côte d’lvoire, Niger, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Benin and Togo. He founded the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) with a vision to strengthening democratic governance, consolidating peace and stability as well as promoting prosperity through youth empowerment in Africa. He is currently the Chair of the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP). |
Congratulatory remarks were offered by the Co-Chairs of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace:
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Hon. Dan Burton served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1983-2013). During his time in Congress, he served as either Chairman or Ranking Member of the subcommittees on, Asia and Pacific, Middle East, Europe and Eurasia, Africa and Western Hemisphere as well as Chairman of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee. Currently he is Co-Chairman of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace. |
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Hon. Jose de Venecia is Co-Chair of International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace; and Chairman-Emeritus of Universal Peace Federation. Hon. Jose de Venecia was elected five-times as Speaker of the House of Representatives. He is the Founding Chairman and Chairman of Standing Committee of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, composed of more than 350 ruling and opposition parties from 52 countries in Asia. |
Before the Founder’s speech, the program featured three Keynote Speakers:
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H.E. José Manuel Barroso, Prime Minister of Portugal (2002-2004), President of the European Commission (2004-2014). Jose Manuel Barroso enjoyed a successful and varied academic career embracing law, European Studies, Political and Social Sciences and became Assistant Professor of Law at Lisbon University and later Director of the Department for International Relations at Lisbon's Lusiada University. In the 1980s he rose through the Portuguese Foreign Ministry to become (in 1992) Minister of Foreign Affairs for 3 years before entering Parliament and in 1999 becoming the leader of his political party and de facto Leader of the Opposition. In 2002, Barroso became Prime Minister. 2 years later he was appointed as President of the European Commission, in which post he served for 10 years, until 2014. He is currently Chairman of Goldman Sachs International and teaches at various American and European universities on issues related to the EU, international business and international affairs. |
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Hon. Richard (Dick) Cheney, 46th Vice President of the United States (2001-2009) Hon. Richard (Dick) Cheney served as Vice President in the administration of President George W. Bush; previously he was Secretary of Defense (1989-93) in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. He studied at Yale University and earned bachelor’s (1965) and master’s (1966) degrees in political science from the University of Wyoming and was a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin. He worked in the administration of President Richard Nixon and became a deputy assistant to President Gerald Ford in 1974 and his chief of staff from 1975 to 1977. In 1978 he was elected from Wyoming to the first of six terms in the United States House of Representatives. |
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H.E. Evaristo Carvalho, President, Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe H.E. Evaristo Carvalho has been President of São Tomé and Príncipe since 2016. He was previously the Prime Minister of the Central African island country on two occasions (1994 and 2001- 2002). As president, H.E. Carvalho has been diligent in fighting poverty which affects two thirds of the population. The U.S. Department of State praised the election of President Carvalho stating that "This election is a yet another demonstration of Sao Tome and Principe’s long-standing commitment to democratic values. Through their exemplary conduct, the people of Sao Tome and Principe continue to serve as a beacon of democracy for other countries.” In 2019, UPF-Co-Founder, Dr Hak Ja Han Moon, addressed an international summit in São Tomé hosted by President H.E. Carvalho. |
After UPF Founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon gave her Founder’s Address, some musical entertainment was performed by the well-known Korean artist Kim Myung-Gon, Minister of Culture and Tourism (2006 -2007).
The program concluded with keynote speeches by:
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H.E. Dan Quayle, 44th Vice-President of the United States (1989-1993) Hon. Dan Quayle was the 44th Vice President of the United States of America to President George H. W. Bush from 1989 through 1993. Previously he served in the U.S. Congress as a representative and senator from the state of Indiana. He is the author of three books, including Standing Firm: A Vice-Presidential Memoir, which was on The New York Times’ Best Seller List for 15 weeks. He was a distinguished visiting professor at Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management for two years. Currently, he is the Chairman of Cerberus Global Investments, LLC. |
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Hon. Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia H.E. Samdech Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia since 2006. A member of Parliament since 1993, he previously served as General Secretary of the Kampuchean People’s Revolutionary Party and Chairman of the People’s Revolutionary Council. |
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H.E. Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, 18th Prime Minister of Pakistan (2008-2012) H.E. Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani served as the 18th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2008 to 2012. He is the first and, thus far, the only prime minister that holds the distinction of successfully presenting five consecutive federal budgets. He previously served as Minister of Tourism and Minister of Housing and Work Force. Mr. Gilani also served as the 15th Speaker of the National Assembly, a post he held from 1993 to 1997. As Prime minister, he formed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, rehabilitated the troubled and war-torn tribal belt, and made great efforts to reduce the federal budget deficit, as well as to improve the system of education. He currently serves as the vice-chairman of the central executive committee of the Pakistan People’s Party. |
The Rally of Hope’s Highlights program, broadcast on Sunday afternoon for the Europe & Middle East audience, featured a Muslim Prayer for Peace given by Mrs. Asmaa Kftarou, from the Women’s Advisory Board and a UN Special Envoy to Syria.
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Mrs. Asmaa Kftarou, Women’s Advisory Board, UN Special Envoy, Syria A native of Syria, Asmaa Kftaro is actively involved in interfaith work. She is working with the UN as a consultant on Gender Equality with a specific focus on the empowerment of Syrian women after the war. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies from the Daawa college in Damascus (2004). She established the Syrian Islamic Forum to work in civil society for women's and children's rights, the empowerment of women and the promotion of the language of dialogue and peace in Damascus. She is the granddaughter of Sheikh Ahmad Kftaro, the late grand Mufti of Syria. She is living in the UAE. |
In addition, special greetings were offered by public figures and UPF Ambassadors for Peace from the Region, expressing their support for the Rally of Hope and congratulating the Universal Peace Federation on its 15-year anniversary.
They included: Dr. Elena Drapeko, Member of the State Duma, Russia; Mrs. Noshaba Hussain Syed, Lawyer, UK; Mrs. Tamam Wakkid-Dabbah, School Principal, Israel; Archpriest Vladimir Fedorov, from the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church; Ms. Srruthi Lekha Raaja Elango, WFWPI UN Representative to the Human Rights Council in Geneva; Baroness Sandip Verma, House of Lords, UK; Professor Viviana Gaballo, University of Macerata, Italy; The Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal, Emeritus Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem; Mrs. Carole Stone, Founder, The Carole Stone Foundation; Hon. Allal Amraoui, Member of Parliament, Morocco; and Dr. Soumia Guennoun, Professor, Euromed University, Fez, Morocco.
Click here for details of the special greetings from the highlights replay
Moving forward, these rallies will be conducted monthly throughout the remainder of this year. Each event will focus on a specific group of leaders: parliamentarians, academicians, entrepreneurs, media persons and religious leaders.
UPF plans to continue organizing the “Rally of Hope” world-level virtual events, which bring thousands of world leaders and concerned citizens from around the globe together in search for the “Realization of a Heavenly Unified World.”
Following are summaries of the Keynote Speeches given during the Rally of Hope.
Hon. Jose Manuel Barroso, former President of the European Commission (2004–2014), spoke of the conflicts and global environmental and economic problems that continue to present themselves in the 21st Century. He emphasized the importance to commit to international cooperation and multilateralism. Climate change, trade issues, and global pandemics all require an international response, he said. The vocabulary we use to talk about these issues—calling them “threats” that have the potential to cause “extinction” —is unnecessarily pessimistic. It is necessary to convince the world that these problems can be solved, and that cooperation can be productive and reliable. We must convince the world that hope is stronger than fear, he concluded.
H.E. Richard Cheney, former Vice President of the United States of America (2001–2009), was the next keynote speaker. He congratulated the Universal Peace Federation for its illustrious collection of speakers. COVID-19 has constituted a great test of global leadership and cooperation, he said. While the rules-based system of good-faith dealing is vital, it is also necessary to recognize that not every regime will operate in good faith and follow the rules of international order. Credibility is one of a country’s most vital resources; to participate in good faith, countries must follow through on their commitments and stated ideals.
H.E. Evaristo Carvalho, President of Sao Tome and Principe, was the third keynote speaker. He named climate change, armed conflicts, and COVID-19 as major challenges to nations and international organizations today. He reiterated the importance of learning to live alongside one-another and overcome national and religious conflicts. He emphasized the importance of education in the process of achieving peace, prosperity, and cooperation. This education must affirm the dignity and value of each human being. The family is a key point at which education occurs. Through our interactions with our family, we learn how to interact with our community and the world. Peace, prosperity, and happiness will be a reality in the near future if we can achieve positive cooperation.
Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, Co-Founder of the Universal Peace Federation, delivered the Founder’s Address. She recognized the Korean Thanksgiving holiday, Chuseok, coming later this week. The COVID-19 crisis shows humanity’s fundamental frailty, both our physical vulnerability and the vulnerability caused by our failure to cooperate with and tolerate one-another. We are dependent on our environment, yet through pollution and exploitation we are destroying it. We must let go of self-centeredness and greed and resist the temptation to divide ourselves from our fellow humans. She addressed the government and people of China, expressing hope that modern technology might someday transform the Gobi Desert into a verdant forest, proving it possible to reverse desertification. If the resources that countries pour into weapons were instead used for social, environmental, and technological investments, much could be accomplished. A nation’s blessings are not for the enjoyment of that nation alone. Due to climate change, the livable parts of the earth are shrinking. Dr. Moon called on us all to let go of selfishness, embrace our status as children of God, and begin efforts to repair the damage our species has caused to the environment.
H.E. Dan Quayle, former Vice President of the United States of America (1989–1993), spoke next. He praised The Washington Times for its continuing commitment to truthful, values-oriented journalism. He praised UPF’s commitment to universal values. The message that we are One Family Under God is key to understanding how to move towards peace. The Cold War ended, during H.E. Quayle’s tenure as Vice President, due to an international commitment to freedom and a peaceful resolution to the problem. Similarly, the ongoing division on the Korean Peninsula can be resolved peacefully for the security and prosperity of all. He called on the audience to build a new movement for peace, aligned with the ideals of our Creator.
Hon. Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia, was the next keynote speaker. He commended UPF Co-founder Dr. Moon for providing this forum for politicians, religious leaders, and civil society members to discuss solutions to global challenges. Cambodia has responded effectively to the COVID-19 crisis and managed to control the disease without a single death, he said. The role of parliaments is increased in times of crisis, and the present crisis is no exception. Parliaments need to plan for the arduous recovery process, recognizing many possibilities for how this recovery will play out, and for the re-ignition of global trade and travel. He concluded by wishing for all present a blessing of prosperity and health.
H.E. Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister of Pakistan (2008–2014), gave the last keynote address. This is a critical point in history, he said, and the lessons we take from this experience will shape the coming century. Himself a survivor of the novel coronavirus, he called his battle with the disease, a battle which so many have lost, a humbling experience, and said that the crisis presents the opportunity for us to realize the common bonds of our humanity. He spoke with pride of Pakistan’s response to the health and economic crisis, and of the bravery and sacrifice of his country’s doctors and nurses. He called for debt restructuring for small countries that have needed to take loans for pandemic response. He urged that the COVID-19 vaccine, when available, be provided for free.