Western Europe

Geneva, Switzerland - UPF convened a special program entitled “Geneva: Track II” in Geneva, Switzerland on Jan. 23-25, 2014, concurrent with the “Geneva II” inter-governmental conference that aims to bring about a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Syria.

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.

Vienna, Austria - Nobel laureate Rigoberta Menchú delivered the keynote address at a celebration of the International Day of Peace on Sept. 20, 2013, at the Vienna International Centre.

Vienna, Austria- "Culture and Creative Economy as Basic Elements for Sustainability" was the topic of a forum at the Vienna International Center (UN headquarters in Vienna) on July 5, 2013.

Brussels, Belgium- The UPF, Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP), and the European Economic and Social Committee organized a European Leadership Conference at the European Parliament in Belgium on the theme "What More Can Europe Do to Advance Human Rights?" December 4 and 5, 2012.

Is there a distinction to be made between “cults” or “sects” and religions? Should religious freedom be only accessible to so-called historical religions and their members? Should other minority religious or spiritual movements called “sects” or “cults” be denied the enjoyment of the provisions of international declarations and covenants guaranteeing freedom of religion or belief?

I would like to use these brief remarks to offer some perspectives on the notion of “multiculturalism,” and to share my concerns, as a human rights advocate, about threats to fundamental human rights in Europe posed by some interpretations of multiculturalism.

The UN Convention  on the Rights of the Child (United  Nations  1989, CRC) is a binding international  contract in the framework of the United Nations, and thus obliges legally the ratifying  nations  – indeed  all UN  members  besides  the  United  States  and  Somalia  – to implement  its  provisions.  This  is a mayor  milestone  to  recognise  children,  i.e.  everyone under  the  age  of  18,  as  citizens  with  human  rights,  and  consequently  responsibilities. Through  this  convention,  children  are  conceived  as subjects  of society  – like  all human beings  – and  not anymore  as mere  objects  of protection  (Verhellen  2000).

Ms. Illario Esposito, member of the Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth and Trainer in Human Rights Education, first showed a video about the Advisory Council on Youth for the Council of Europe dealing with human rights (see www.coe.int/enter). She explained that In terms of human rights education, the Council of Europe speaks about all the issues that young people are facing today.

The European Union is often criticized by people like me for a wide range of alleged policy and administrative failures regarding human rights.  Today, however, I would like to use this opportunity to attest to the importance of Europe’s role in promoting and protecting human rights, which I can do on the basis of my own experience and reflection.

Distinguished guests, Ambassadors for Peace, Ladies & Gentlemen! As Chair of Universal Peace Federation in Europe, it is truly an honour and a privilege to be able to extend a warm welcome to you all to the European Economic and Social Committee here in Brussels and to our European Leadership Conference on the theme “What more can Europe do to improve Human Rights?”

Mrs. Carolyn Handschin, who started by citing the courage of the Mirabal sisters, four Dominican political dissidents who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. On November 25, 1960, three of the sisters were assassinated. In 1999, the sisters received recognition by the United Nations General Assembly, who designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in their honour.

Mr. Jura Nanuk, founder and president of the Central-European Religious Freedom Institute (CERFI) based in Budapest, Hungary, spoke on the topic of “Religious Freedom in Hungary and the New Law on Minority Faiths”. Mr. Nanuk said he was inspired to start his institute by an anonymous quote, “Sometimes I want to ask Godwhy He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world, but I’m afraid He may ask me the same question.”

Mankind is not reduced to citizenship. A superior power prevails over men’s power. Human rights are untouchable and more important to singular identities In front of a unique God that mankind can be one, and greater than each man in his family. Mankind remains forever under God’s supervision, even if some people forget it.

Berlin, Germany - A European Leadership Conference in Berlin November 15-17 addressed the issue "What Kind of Europe Do We Want in the Future?" (Wie soll das Europa der Zukunft aussehen?). Some 80 participants listened to and discussed 20 presentations assessing and presenting possible solutions to the current crisis of Europe in general and the European Union in particular.