On Saturday, November 9th Universal Peace Federation – Connecticut (UPF-CT) and American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) formed a spiritual, joint venture in creating a unique conference, and Ambassadors for Peace Forum that brought together about 70 religious, civil and academic leaders to discuss the impact of good families on creating a peaceful, prosperous and healthy world at the Margaret E. Morton Government Center in Bridgeport from 2 to 6 pm.
Mr. Steven Boyd who served as the facilitator led everyone through the program which started with a sincerely moving invocation by Archbishop Russel J. Davenport, founder of the Arrow of Yahweh Ministries in Queens, NY. Mr. Antonio Battilocchi, Executive Director of ACLC welcomed the guests in attendance from all walks of life and religions, and Mr. Roger Wetherall, Executive Director of UPF in Connecticut presented a brief introduction of some of the philosophy, history and activities of UPF.
Mr. Boyd then set the tone for the forum by reading a Poem
about Peace provided by Mike Theebs, the poet Laureate of the City of Milford,
which reads in part:
Does it sprout from the barrel of a gun? Is there enough of it for everyone? Perhaps it’s one, or none, or all of the above. Perhaps it’s an olive branch in the beak of a dove. Whatever it may be, one lesson is clear: There will never be peace wherever there is fear.
These words led us into the Peace Forum where three
outstanding presenters took to the podium to share their inspiring messages:
Rev. Hopeton A. Scott,
Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Bridgeport who spoke on peace in
the family under the title “Violence No More!”.
Mr. Bruce A. Barrett,
Executive Director, IWagePeace Inc., CT who spoke on Faith and Peace and
provided a deep insight into the personal challenges that he had to face in
overcoming his reluctance to work together with other faiths. Mr. Barrett has
been instrumental in working with veterans and survivors of the conflict in
Israel and Palestine to bring about reconciliation and healing and he organizes
annual Day of Peace Activities in Connecticut.
Apostle Glenda Phillips-Lee,
International Gospel Helpers, NYC and ACLC Co-chair, CT, delivered her powerful
message on Peace in the World and emphasized the incredible work that Dr. Hak
Ja Han Moon is doing in bringing her message of peace and love to people
throughout the world.
The presenters offered their unique understanding on the
importance of peace in the family, in the nation and in the world and provided
good material for the questions and discussion that followed. The table discussion
proved to be essential for networking, as it provided a safe place for
attendees to express their thoughts and listen to what others shared.
Though the Hon. Joseph Ganim, Mayor of Bridgeport who previously attended the Parents’ Day celebration could not personally attend this event, he sent his Community Liaison, Ms. Carolyn Vermont to deliver congratulatory remarks to the 10 Ambassadors for Peace that we recognized in this event. This portion of the program began with a short presentation on the meaning of the Ambassador for Peace Award. It is paramount to understand that this award is a not just a recognition for what an individual has accomplished but for what they commit to accomplish in the future. For this reason, we introduced an ‘AfP Spotlight’ segment to give an opportunity for one of our long-standing AfPs to talk about what they have been doing. Dr. Elaine Golden, who was appointed an AFP in Connecticut 15 years ago, gave a moving presentation on what she has been working on and has accomplished over the last 15 years in India, Africa and Connecticut. She testified to how empowering it has been to her to know that she is an Ambassador for Peace and she is very proud of this recognition.
During the Ambassador for Peace ceremony, 10 Individuals received
their awards and after the ceremony, Mr. Wetherall called on everyone present
to become a UPF member and attend the “Peace Starts with Me” Rally on December
28th, to hear the address that will be delivered by Mother Moon, the Mother of
Peace. Many of the participants signed up immediately to get tickets and to
bring their friends.
Overall the participants were really engaged in the program and several new people indicated their intention to continue working with us in the future to organize more programs like this. Rev. Pettway of the Friendship Baptist Church in Stratford said, “I learned a lot and appreciated the invitation and the appointment I have received.” Archbishop Davenport said, “I really had a great time and could see many of my church members asking great questions!”
We also offer our gratitude to all those in our community
who contributed to the set-up and clean-up, who helped with the sound system,
who prepared the food and above all, who invited and brought guests. We could
never have put on such a great program without the help of so many caring and talented
people.
Contributed by: Roger Wetherall, UPF-CT Executive Director
Bridgeport, CT – The Universal Peace Federation – Connecticut chapter held a peace forum on marriage on Saturday, February 23rd in the pleasant atmosphere of the conference room of the ABCD Building. “This was by far the most challenging forum event that we have organized. The date had to be changed several times due to unforeseen circumstances, but we were determined to host this event before the end of the winter season,” confessed Roger Wetherall, the Executive Director. That week also coincided with the end of the public-school winter break and many of our guests, both teachers and parents, were actually travelling during that time. Still, they resolved not to postpone the event and were glad to welcome about 40 participants, including both guests and staff.
The topic lent itself to a lot of interest and criticism alike because over the last few decades, marriage has really come under intense attack. In Connecticut, this is a special issue as it is one of the lowest marriage rates of any state in the US. Nevertheless, the organizers felt that it was important to make a public statement on the importance and benefit of marriage as an institution that not only allows for God’s unique blessing and grace to take place but that also forges a deeper commitment for the couple entering into this covenant, and their eventual progeny.
There are many social, economic, legal, spiritual and
philosophical issues that need to be considered when dealing with the issue of
marriage. The speakers all approached this from a different perspective. Mr.
Bill Hawthorn, an executive with the Church of Scientology in CT, shared an interesting,
practical formula to foster deeper communication and understanding within a
marriage. Mrs. Lynn Walsh, the Director of the UPF Office of the Family, and
Mrs. Cheryl Wetzstein, an award-winning journalist on marriage and family
issues gave presentations that ranged from practical tips to daunting UN statistics
of the adverse affects of non-marriage on children. They also gave some
practical steps that we can take to help our families and communities.
Mrs. Wetzstein emphasized the need to re-institutionalize
marriage in society. Some of the ways that this can be done are:
Have national conversations about “what
marriage is.”
Increase the 58% rate of successful first
marriages to 75%. Please talk about your own happy marriage. Encourage
others to do the same.
Decrease the rate of unwed childbearing from
39.8% to 30% (circa 1990).
Monitor efforts to further change U.S.
marriage laws such as Pro-polygamy bills. Marriage age-limit laws (e.g., will it encourage child brides?)
More bioethics oversight and public education
about selling/donating sperm and eggs and hiring of surrogate mothers. Children
are not commodities.
Create
more programs for both premarital and married couples.
As Mr. Greg Breland pointed out, we were struck by how much
lawyers and child therapists actually benefit from the scourge of divorce and
broken families. As Mr. Breland’s further commented, “The need for a spiritual awakening has never been stronger in this
country!”
The Q&A after each presentation gave a chance for everyone to direct questions and comments to the presenter, and the round table discussions at the end were both engaging and valuable. Some of our younger guests commented on the fact that nowadays, many young people don’t entertain the idea of marriage because they financially seem to depend much more on their parents and also because the pursuit of their career becomes predominant in their life. Yet, the rise in cohabitation versus marriage underlines a basic lack of commitment and respect that are fundamental in creating a stable family which indeed is (and always has been) the pillar of a healthy and flourishing society. After all, the family is the School of Love!
Contributed by: Roger and Daniela Wetherall, Executive Directors, UPF-CT
Fairfax, Virginia – A Peace Road event with approximately 45 participants was held on Saturday, September 29, 2018 under the theme, “The Right to Peace: Connecting the World Through Peace Road.” The program was organized by UPF-Virginia in partnership with the local chapters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) and the American Clergy Leadership Conference.
The event commenced at the NOVA Family Learning Center with welcome remarks from UPF Virginia executive director, Mrs. Barbara Moseley-Marks, who expressed gratitude to all the participants for attending the inaugural event of the Peace Road in Virginia. She gave an impassioned call for the end of violence, not only in far off nations around the world, and she pointed to the child soldiers who are forced to serve in suicide missions, but also local children who are victims of drive-by shootings. Mrs. Marks also explained that the day’s Peace Road honors the International Day of Peace and the 70th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, milestone programs of the United Nations.
Barbara Moseley-Marks welcoming participants
Alex Cromwell sharing his peacebuilding efforts in with youths in Pakistan and Afghanistan
Alex Cromwell, an instructor at American University shared about his work in peacebuilding with youth groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan and the significance of the UN International Day of Peace. He said that when young people are taught to hate others, for example in the case of Israeli and Palestinian youth, they tend to carry those values throughout their lives. He shared a moving story about a Palestinian whose perspectives changed when he attended a school with Israelis and came to have first-hand experiences. “We have a choice,” Alex said,“to repeat the cycle of violence or begin to see others with compassion and love.”
Dr. Bill Selig explaining the history of Peace Road
Interfaith Water Ceremony
Dr. William Selig explained the initiation and history of the Peace Road, which is based on the philosophy of UPF founders, Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. The Peace Road, which begins from South Africa, is intended to link the world’s nations together in the name of peace and to encourage people to live as one family under God.
The Interfaith Water Ceremony followed with representatives of different faiths. One by one, the clergy poured water into a large bowl and offered powerful prayers for peace and good will. Faith leaders included: Bishop John Allen, Sr., founder of the Greater Pentecostal Temple of Christ, Fairfax, VA; Mrs. Rhonda Williams, art teacher and interfaith activist; Pastor Sunday ThankGod, Senior pastor at Jesus Saves Deliverance ministry in Columbia, MD; and Rev. Werner Seubert, Pastor, NOVA Family Church.
Peace Road March
Group Photo
The participants posed in front of the Learning Center for a group photo, then Mrs. Marks began the Peace Road with a “flag off.” Yoshi Takashima and Tetsuya Nomura led the marchers from the Learning Center to Gateway Regional Park. Yoshi, who recently completed a 2-year GAP program in Europe was pleased with the day’s events. He said, “Peace has to begin in the family, then it can spread to the community.” Tetsuya, a sophomore at Northern Virginia Community College, hopes more young people can recognize the importance of the Peace Road and its value to raise awareness about our global situation.”
Seattle, WA – Under the theme “The Right to Peace, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70” a great group of persons interested in peace gathered in Windermere House to celebrate the UN International Day of Peace 2018 on September 27th.
The program commenced with an invocation given by AFP Mr. Norberto Caoili, followed by a brief sharing by UPF-WA Executive Director Ray McCready about the Day of Peace founded in 1981 and the relationship of the Universal Peace Federation’s works for education and action for peace to the spirit and purpose of the UN Day of Peace. We recounted the UPF core concept of “All Humankind is one family created by God”, along with information on the founding of the Ambassadors for Peace program in 1991, the Sunhak Peace Prize in 2013 and the international Association of Parliamentarians for Peace in 2016.
Appointed as a new Ambassador for Peace, Ms. Cheryl Lynn Grunenfelder of Washington state shared a short testimony of the work she has be doing over the past three years with her non-profit organization to build wells bringing clean water to the people of Agodjor village in Ghana, with the vision to expand to other villages thereafter.
Mrs. Sarah Nishioka, Director of Women’s Federation for World Peace of WA then gave a talk on “The Meaning of Peace”, using imagery of pebbles dropping into water and the ripples spreading, saying that in a sense each one of us is a pebble dropped by our Creator into this world to make a difference for goodness. Mrs. Nishioka asked us to reconsider the original goal of the Creator and our relationship to that goal. She spoke to her roots as a person of European-Jewish ancestry, now married to a person who came to the US from Japan, and reminded us of the recent Jewish holiday the Day of Atonement over September 18~19, a time to focus on reconciliation between ourselves and the Creator and also with one another.
Hon. Chad Magendanz of Issaquah, a Navy veteran who thereafter worked for Microsoft in internet security, headed his local school board, and was elected to represent the 5th legislative district at the Washington state House of Representatives for 2 terms gave an interesting presentation on “What makes for peace in my town and district?”
Mr. Magendanz, who is running as representative on the State House of Representative, referred to his upbringing in a family with one parent a Democrat and the other a Republican, in which he and his siblings were taught to respect the opinions of others. In his religious upbringing he noted the theme of seeking the truth but also in searching for common ground in all situations. Mr. Magendanz made the point that seeking for peace does not mean that conflict is absent, but that we seek to resolve differences through respectful debate and civil discourse. At the end of his talk, Mr. Magendanz challenged everyone to soon find some person with a different perspective from one’s own and engage in respectful debate and discourse, as an exercise of getting outside of one’s personal “echo chamber”.
After some discussions, AFP Mrs. Lavanya Reddy lead the group in a meditation for peace, which was a great preparation for the final activity which was offering “prayers for peace”. As a usual custom everyone went outside with candles and having both representative and individual prayers centering upon the theme of the International Day of Peace.
Contributed by: Raymond McCready, Executive Director, UPF Washington
Lincoln, NE – Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rang the bell of peace on Sept. 21, 2018 at United Nations headquarters in New York to celebrate and pray for peace around the world and its vibrations were felt in Lincoln, NE on Sat. Sept 22, 2018 at Rabbi Michael Weisser’s home where 10 participants gathered to participate in the UPF sponsored International Day of Peace 2018.
Following the theme of “Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” and focused on the idea that everyone has a “Right to Peace” the Nebraska gathering prayed about, heard and discussed thoughts and ideas on how we could actively build a world of true peace.
After interfaith prayers, Rabbi Weisser taught the group a Hebrew song of peace and shared a story about his experience during a visit to the West Bank with UPF during the Peace in the Middle East initiative.
He shared how he overcame personal struggles and resentment by meeting and talking with Palestinian people and breaking bread together. After that and several other stories participants shared their ideas and strategies to create a world of peace, including the idea that “Peace Starts With Me”.
Mrs. Theresa Tsubaki, the executive director of UPF Nebraska explained about appointing Ambassadors for Peace as a way to recognize individuals for their accomplishments in building a world of peace on local levels.
Elizabeth, NJ – The local chapter of Universal Peace Federation (UPF) in New Jersey called leaders from various sectors of the community to pray for peace on September 22nd. This is in observance of the International Day of Peace promoted by the United Nations. The two-hour event attended by more than twenty people was co-sponsored by the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) Elizabeth and the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) Elizabeth. The theme was “The Right to Peace: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70.”
The program begun with a prayer by Pastor Darryl Franklin, Pastor of FFWPU Elizabeth followed by a warm welcome by Christine Rapada, the Chairwoman of WFWP Elizabeth. She shared some thoughts from Mother Theresa, “The fruit of Silence is prayer. The fruit of Prayer is faith. The fruit of Faith is love. The fruit of Love is service. The fruit of Service is peace” that sets the tone of the event.
Different leaders from the community were called to share brief messages and offer prayers. Bishop Marco Antonio from the New Life in Christ Prayer Ministry gave a moving prayer followed by encouraging words from Detective Darin Williamson of the Elizabeth Police Department. Pastor Ruben Rodriguez shared his ministry of creating personal relationships and strengthening these relationships towards peaceful coexistence. Meanwhile, Eliana Rapada, a 5th grader and a representative from WFWP Girls read the poem “Crown of Glory” written by Rev. Sun Myung Moon when he was sixteen years old.
Rev. Ralph Oppenheimer, the UPF-NJ Outreach Director then presented the Five Principles of Peace which prepared four individuals to receive their appointments as Ambassadors for Peace namely: Apostle Cesar Garcia and his wife Prophet Belle Plaza; Bishop Marco Antonio; and Mr. Stevenson Van Derodar, State President of Junior Chambers International – New York
In his response, Apostle Cesar Garcia, the Founder and President of Pastores Internacionales De America which comprises an 8,000 network of ministers in the United States including Latin America believe that planting the word of Christ is like sharing love that can take root and blossom.
Rev. Emiljun Rapada, the host and main organizer of the event announced the “Peace Starts With Me” Rally at Nassau Coliseum on November 12th. He encouraged everyone to save the date and bring their families to honor the men and women who gave their lives for peace and freedom and to join thousand others to pray for peace and healing in America.
The program concluded with a candle light ceremony coupled with a unison prayer from all the participants. Everyone broke bread together and continued the fellowship.
Albuquerque, NM – On December 16th with the theme:“End of Year Celebration! UPF Peace Events of 2017.” In commemoration of the 69th Anniversary of the of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the program began with reading the first two pages of the Declaration. Then Dr. Dale Garratt, UPF NM Executive director pointed out that this historic document was missing any reference to God. A presentation was then shown, with the first dozen slides from Principles of Peace. These slides are evocative of the universal yearning for Him that is within all faiths. It also explains the co-founders vision for Universal Peace Federation (UPF), to be a spiritual counterpart providing an internal perspective to the political structure of the United Nations.
The first of two 15-minute group discussions focused on how we can bring this message of UPF, needing God to realize our ideals and dreams, into our families and our larger community. The second session was brainstorming about what events to have next year, and several ideas were recognized as good possibilities. These included examining parallels between the past division between East and West Germany and the current division of North and South Korea.
The board chairperson of the United Nations Association of New Mexico came for the first time.
Contributed by: Dr. Dale Garratt, Executive Director, UPF New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM – The Universal Peace Federation (UPF), New Mexico, held its fourth monthly meeting on Saturday, October 21st, with eleven people attending including two newcomers. One is a community activist Daniel Vega who also served as a speaker. Daniel works with the New Mexico Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Justice as a staff member and is currently taking time off from his university studies in order to address the issues affecting so many of the immigrants living in New Mexico.
Daniel is a “Dreamer”, a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order; he is personally experiencing the uncertainty of immigration policies. He recounted the experience of an Iraqi refugee who saved many American troops during the Gulf War and now faces deportation. This man will almost certainly be executed if he is forced to go back to Iraq. Daniel also explained the diverse situations of many Mexican and Central Americans currently in detention here. Daniel shared how much Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi and Jesus had inspired him with their commitment to nonviolence and love and forgiveness rather than bitterness towards challenge.
Both Daniel and Abdullah, a fellow millennial and a Muslim business student from Saudi Arabia, shared that they had far more in common than differences during the question and answer discussion period after Daniel’s presentation.
A deep and thoughtful event, participants agreed that immigration is a complex issue that, like any such issue, requires us to turn to God in sincere prayer and respectful dialog with each other in order to find answers.
Contributed by: Dr. Dale Garratt, Executive Director, UPF New Mexico
Las Vegas, NV – A Peace Forum was held at the CARP Learning Center, close to the University of Nevada in Las Vegas on Monday, October 16th. Fifteen participants attended to this very relevant forum. The topic came out of the recent tragic event in Las Vegas when 58 people died and more than 500 were injured. In the wake of this event, there have been numerous gatherings of people from all different backgrounds who have been affected directly or indirectly by this tragedy. These gatherings include prayer vigils, prayer services, candlelight vigils, meditations, a dedication of a peace garden and other expressions by public officials and business owners in Las Vegas.
Universal Peace Federation, Las Vegas was moved to have a forum where all participants could share their hearts and thoughts at this time. Leslie Rigney, executive director of UPF Nevada welcomed all the participants. There was a variety of people represented: entertainers, non-profit workers, refugees, students, mentors, and others. Two young ladies shared poetry about Peace, one entertainer spoke about finding value in comforting some of the injured people in the hospital, and another entertainer spoke of his commitment to bring healing through his music. A young lady who had been a victim of domestic violence was encouraged to see herself as a survivor. A lady who came as a refugee from Iran with her two children expressed how grateful she feels to be in America, that her children can become educated, at a high standard. Her daughters read a poem about peace she had just written. One man spoke about how stressful it was to grow up in Watts during the riots, as a child. He had been at the concert when the attack occurred and was reminded of this childhood trauma. Another woman who works for a civil rights organization expressed that we can all be part of the healing. Comiesha Monica Lenoir who moderated the event also spoke of the pain of losing two brothers to violence and her commitment to work for peace. Jim Rigney spoke about the Peace Principles, especially emphasizing the value of family and belief in a higher power.
Two Ambassadors for Peace were appointed: Jackie Sosa, with Congress for Racial Equality and Antonio Carnota, a professional musician. The evening ended with everyone singing “Lean on Me”, led by Little J Gambino and much sharing and warmth. We all felt empowered and hopeful for Las Vegas and for peace in the world!
Irvington, NJ – The Honorable Mayor Tony Vauss and the Township Council co-hosted the United Nations International Day of Peace celebrating the theme: “Together For Peace: Respect, Safety, and Dignity For All”. The program was held at the Town Hall Council Chamber on September 30, 2017 from 1-2:30PM.
The master of ceremonies, Emiljun Rapada called the program starting with an invocation given by Rev. Dr. Kenslio Ojentis, Senior Asst. Pastor of Nouvelle Jerusalem Baptist Church of the same town. Mayor Vauss then welcomed all the participants with a sincere heart and great enthusiasm.
Sharing about the significance and the importance of celebrating the occasion, Prof. Alan Saunders, Adviser to UNESCO Center for Global Education, emphasized the need for moral values education. He even offered his services to the town in order to support the efforts of the mayor.
After a song rendition by the FFWPU-based New Jerusalem Choir, Rev. Ralph Oppenheimer gave a very passionate presentation on the Five Principles of Peace. After years of mission work in Central Africa especially on peace and reconciliation, he shared his myriad of experiences and success stories of what UPF can accomplish centering on these principles particularly the idea of “living for the sake of others”.
Rev. Ricardo de Sena, UPF-USA President together with Mr. Tony Vozza, executive director of UPF New Jersey presented the appointment of Mayor Vauss as a new Ambassador for Peace and a UPF pin, respectively. Vauss in return responded with gratitude and vowed to continue the partnership with UPF and to even expand it as evidenced by his invitation to his own councilmen and other mayors in nearby towns. The honorable Councilmen-At-Large Charnette Frederic and October Hudley were also present when the mayor received his appointment.
The honorable Mayor Angela Garretson of Hillside NJ was among them who congratulated the new appointee. She praised her colleague for his outstanding work and also indicated her willingness to partner with UPF NJ for the same purpose – promoting peace among her constituents.
The program concluded with a very powerful Call to Action by Rev. Denneze Nelson, Chairwoman of WFWP NJ. Finally, the audience sang “Let There Be Peace on Earth” led by the New Jerusalem Choir. Muslim Imams, Americal Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) ministers and other diaspora community leaders of the Filipino International Community of America (FICA) and the African New Hope Association (ANHA) as well as a local media, Local Talk Weekly, were among the participants.
The program was made possible through the efforts of Rev. Alain Tamelessio with support from UPF NJ and UPF USA.
