» Welcome Guest
[ Log In :: Register :: Search :: Help ]

Click here to add a report from another organization.
new topic
Organization: UNIVERSAL PEACE FEDERATION
The following information may be cited or quoted as long as the source is accurately mentioned and the words are not taken out of context.
Posted: May 07 2010,10:01 If you wrote this report, you will find a button here that you may click
in order to make changes in the report.

Postal address of organization/institution

155 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, New York  10591

E-mail address of organization/institution

unoffice@upf.org

Website address of organization/institution

www.upf.org

Telephone of organization/institution

1-914-631-1331

PRIORITIES: All of the organization's domains of culture of peace activity

EDUCATION FOR PEACE
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
WOMEN'S EQUALITY
UNDERSTANDING, TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY

TOP PRIORITY: The organization's most important culture of peace activity

EDUCATION FOR PEACE

PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS: What partnerships and networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the global movement for a culture of peace?

The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and works with the CONGO Committees on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, Family, Human Rights, and is represented as the Chair of the CONGO Committee on HIV/AIDS.  UPF has branches in 192 countries around the world, and 10,000 organizations and individuals receive its newsletters worldwide. UPF partners with governments, with bodies such as parliaments, commissions, and agencies, to conduct Leadership, Good Governance and Peace Conferences.  Currently, UPF is partnering with the African Union to celebrate Africa Day. UPF reaches out to top level leaders in academe, media, education, government and NGO’s, such as the World Association of NGO’s, Women’s Federation for World Peace, and International Relief Friendship Foundation.  UPF’s flagship project is the establishment of an Ambassador for Peace network of elder statesmen and senior diplomats.

ACTIONS: What activities have been undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence during the ten years of the Decade? If you already made a report in 2005, your information from 2005 will be included in the 2010 report.

Universal Peace Federation (UPF), formerly IIFWP, was founded in 1999 as a global network of individuals, and organizations dedicated to building a world of peace in which everyone can live in freedom, harmony, cooperation and prosperity.  Peace is an essential quality that should characterize all relationships, in the family, in society, nation and the world.

UPF is committed to attaining the following objectives:  
• Support and cooperation with the United Nations in promoting
  universally shared values;      
• Partnerships among governments, religions and civil society
  fostering development grounded in universal values;          
• A culture of peace through education, sports, arts, media and
  service;
• A framework for inter-religious cooperation
• Conflict prevention and resolution through education in areas
  of mutual respect, dialogue, good governance, character
  development, and universal values;
•  Sustainable development through long-term grassroots
   capacity-building initiatives;
•   Promote and contribute to the achievement of the UN MDG’s.

The following are several programs of action carried out from 1999 to 2009, based on the objectives of the organization :

1)Since 1999, UPF has conducted more than 120 Leadership,
  Peace and Good Governance conferences that foster
  cooperation, development and peace throughout the world.
  Conferences are organized for parliamentarians, government
  officials, religious leaders, as well as leaders in the media,
  academe, and civil society.  The following is the breakdown of
  participation:

Conferences on Family Values as a Basis for Peace – 2587  
                                                                            participants
Conferences on Building a Culture of Peace – 2742 participants
Conferences on Leadership and Peace – 10,750 participants
Conferences on Interreligious Dialogue – 2,531 participants
Conferences on Good Governance – 5,403  participants
Total:   24,013 participants

2 From 2004 to 2008, more than 4800 participants from 6 regions of the world, including Africa and Oceania, participated in the Middle East Peace Initiative. The Middle East Peace Initiative was designed to bring increased understanding, tolerance, and cooperation among Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the Holy Land.  The journey included trips to the West Bank to meet with Palestinians, service projects, reconciliation seminars, as well as inter-religious dialogues among the diverse religious leaders in Israel and Palestine. Additionally, 500 youth took part in youth service and leadership projects, while other peace efforts, such as art, cultural programs attracted 342 participants.  More than 800 youth participated in Inter-religious Sports for Peace competitions in Israel and Jordan during the past two years.  

3 The UPF Character Education Initiative has developed programs in the Philippines, Nepal, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Micronesia, USA, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and other Asian and South American countries.  Text books entitled “Discovering the Real Me” were distributed to elementary and secondary schools, with substantial results.  In the Philippines, the Department of Education adopted the manuals as material for their moral education courses in 3 provinces, reaching more than 200,000 students.  UPF’s approach to moral education uses a universal approach based on classic stories, and cultivation of core virtues.  

4) Religious Youth Service, a program of UPF that brings together youth volunteers in a unique approach to service learning, held service projects in diverse communities in developing countries.  Youth are given opportunities to learn and experience another person’s culture and religious tradition.  RYS has hosted over 120 projects in over 50 nations over the last ten years.  It has an alumni base of over 6000 graduates from these projects.  

5) UPF is making concerted effort to promote the efforts of the United Nations in building a culture of peace by promoting the celebration of the UN International Days.   In 2008 and 2009, UPF chapters around the world organized over 200 celebrations in over 60 countries throughout the world, engaging a variety of partners and supporters.  In 2009, its chapters joined with international partners to celebrate the International Day of Families in 40 nations.  During 2008 and 2009, UPF hosted a meeting at the UN featuring diplomats and women who play roles in peacemaking. Individual chapters have celebrated other commemorative days, including the International Day of Holocaust Remembrance, International Day of Tolerance, and International Day of the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

6) During the past decade, UPF Publications include the following:  

Books:
Visions of Peace for Africa
Development, Social Justice and Civil Society: An Introduction to the Political Economy of NGO’s
New World Encyclopedia (10,000 articles)
Islamic Perspectives on Peace
Forging a Path to Peace At a Time of Global Crisis
The NGO Revolution
Renewing the United Nations and Building a Culture of Peace
The Millennium Declaration of the United Nations
Culture of Responsibility and the Role of the NGO’s
Discovering the Real Me (12 student textbooks and 12 teachers’ manual)
UPF Quarterly Magazine:  “UPF Today”
UPF Monthly Newsletters


UPF International Day of Families Celebration, UN Hq, May 18, 2009

PROGRESS: Has your organization seen progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of action and in your constituency during the second half of the Decade?

The initial negative influences at the start of the new century due to the war on terrorism and security issues posed great challenges towards the building of a culture of peace throughout the globe. High expectations were replaced with an atmosphere of fear and distrust among people at all levels of society.  However, progressively, due to consistent programs of peace-building, it has been very encouraging to see successful breakthroughs. There are several success cases which demonstrated that UPF’s involvement had influence in creating a turning point to avert violence in a province or a national platform, specifically, in Kenya in the aftermath of the violent elections; in Sri Lanka, during religious conflicts; in Nepal with the clashes of Maoists and conservative elements in the government; in Mindanao, Philippines, with inter-religious strife.  UPF’s work in promoting inter-religious dialogue has gained wide acceptance during recent years, and is becoming an accepted policy for multi-track diplomacy in several nations, as well as in the United Nations.

OBSTACLES: Has your organization faced any obstacles to implementing the culture of peace and nonviolence? If so, what were they?

Obstacles to the creating of a culture of peace is violent aggression caused by national policies, which cause set-backs to the grassroots work.  An example is our work in the Middle East which brought together religious leaders from the Abrahamic faiths, and succeeded in building increased trust among Christian, Jewish and  Muslim leaders.  However, the recent violence in Israel created renewed tensions.  In addition, as the work in peace education and service projects expand, and as positive responses increase, there is need for adequate funding to support those initiatives. Lack of funding for expansion is one obstacle.  There is also a need for social responsibility of media in reporting conflicts.

PLANS: What new engagements are planned by your organization in the short, medium and long term to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence?

The Universal Peace Federation is working to establish National Peace Councils in each nation, and 12 Regional Peace Councils, composed of governmental, religious, academic and NGO leaders who are committed to building a culture of peace.  The Councils act as “think tanks”  to the government, giving valuable advice on critical issues, which can solve the problems in the country. UPF continues to promote the concept of an interfaith body within the United Nations system, to provide an infrastructure for greater harmony and understanding to be established, as the means to lasting peace in the world.

GLOBAL MOVEMENT: How do you think the culture of peace and nonviolence could be strengthened and supported at the world level??

A mass movement on the grass roots level is the basis for all people to begin to recognize the need for a culture of peace, to avoid the future destruction of our world, and the future suffering of the people. The creation of partnerships among the organizations which adhere to the goals of peace-building is an important component in building the critical mass.  Once the culture of peace is popularized, governments will begin to take serious note of this issue, and will make official policies and guidelines to actualize the culture of peace in their nations.

In addition, the emphasis for countries to establish Ministries of Peace, and to implement “cease-fires” is an excellent campaign.  We should gather signatures or proclamations from the leaders of the various sectors in society.
Back to top
Organization: UNIVERSAL PEACE FEDERATION

Click here to add a report from another organization.
new topic