Europe Eurasia Dialogue

After the end of the socialist system in Europe, following the dissolution of the USSR, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, new sovereign states with new borders appeared on the map of Europe. In the context of the current geopolitical realities, participating nations of the Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) need to come to the negotiating table to revise the Helsinki Accords to reach a mutually acceptable understanding of the previous frameworks and discuss their possible modification. Panelists in this session will offer their perspectives on the role that may be played by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly – and by the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) – in this undertaking.

Vienna, Austria—More than 150 people attended the fifth Eurasia-Europe Dialogue, which took place on October 30 and 31, 2015, at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.

Vienna, Austria - The future of the Russian-European Union relationship was the subject of a discussion attended by approximately 120 guests.

Chisinau, Moldova- A conference entitled “Eurasia-Europe Dialogue for Peace” took place Dec. 5-7, 2014 in Chisinau, Moldova. Before an audience of 120 participants, in a major hotel of the Moldovan capital city, the conference was opened by the First Lady of Moldova Mrs. Margareta Timofti; she was followed by distinguished guest speakers from Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Moldova, Netherlands, Russia and Ukraine.

Paris, France - A conference on "Eurasia and Europe: Cooperating for a Culture of Peace and Human Development" took place in Paris, France, Dec. 3-4, 2013, calling attention to the new "Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures" that was inaugurated in August 2013 at the instigation of Kazakhstan and being spearheaded by UNESCO.

Consisting of young people as well as a professional working with youth, the Youth Panel aimed to explore the role that youth volunteering can have in enhancing a culture of peace between Europe and Eurasia. The opportunities and challenges of organising joint Europe and Eurasia youth volunteering projects as a way of enhancing peace between the regions was looked at through discussing existing projects, the impact these have, and through proposing possible new initiatives.

I want to start with a practical example of volunteering. This summer I was part of the Religious Youth Service (RYS). It took place in Estonia, Johvi, from the 1st to 10th of August, 2013. The project was supported by the Lutheran church of St. Michael, which provided us with accommodation, food and work support. 20 representatives from 13 different countries participated at this RYS projects, such as Germany, France, Austria, UK, Japan, USA, Canada, Italy, Greece, Estonia, and Philippines.

Distinguished Guests, Ambassadors of Peace, Ladies & Gentlemen, on behalf of the Founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, and the members of the Board of Directors and the Presiding Council of UPF International, it is my privilege to address you today here in Paris for this conference on Cooperating for a Culture of Peace and Human Development.

Through my work with the Family Forum and also being a partner in the Austrian Family Network, I feel that family is the key factor for human development to create a culture of peace. Having visited different countries in Europe and beyond, I learned that family is of great importance in the life of people in the East and in the West, and so, I maintain, that family is the primary vehicle of rapprochement.

The global agendas for the 21^st century are marked by an enhanced focus on the human being, on the citizen and on societies in addition to the traditional addressing of issues related to governments and states. Peace is not any more the achievement of governmental armament, defended borders and related policies but, as the title of our meeting indicates, the result of value structures of societal cultures carried by the human being and by societies.

An International Leadership conference on the topic "Europe and Russia - Partners in a Globalized World," was held in Vienna on October 12 and 13, 2012, organized by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) in cooperation with the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) and the Women's Federation for World Peace.

The eighth session consisted of reflections and the presentation of Ambassador for Peace Certificates.

The sixth session was chaired by Mr. Bogdan Pammer, Youth Director, UPF-Europe.

The fifth session was chaired by Mrs. Yoshiko Pammer, Youth UPF-Austria.

The seventh session was chaired by Mr. Peter Zöhrer, President of the Unification Movement in Austria.

Many former theoretical concepts about the inter-ethnic and inter-cultural interactions between different population groups in Europe are being revised. One such concept is multiculturalism.

The Second World War with its countless victims was a great tragedy for all humanity. One of the most important motivations for opposing any acts of aggression and violence should be the remembrance of millions of fallen, mutilated, and tortured victims of concentration camps.

Europe is a strange continent. Strictly speaking, indeed it is not a continent at all but a mere peninsula tacked onto Asia. Looking at the map, Russia west of the Ural Mountains is either the base or the beginning of this peninsula. But, because of its unmistakable cultural identity, this peninsula has become a continent on its own and Russia is without any doubt an indispensable part of it.

First of all, as Chair of Universal Peace Federation in Europe I would like to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to each and every one of you to this important conference on "Europe and Russia: Partners in a Globalised World". It is very good to see you all here today!

It is a privilege to participate in this European Leadership conference here in Vienna, co-sponsored by the Women’s Federation for World Peace and the Academic Council on the United Nations System.