“I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.” Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a quote of an African hero Nelson Mandela. Then how Africa can attain such peace with itself? We need responsible leadership and good governance to accomplish it.

One of the major concerns of the Universal Peace Federation is how to promote programs that encourage young people in particular with a vision of leadership to build peaceful societies. It is our firm conviction that good leadership requires good character as a foundation, together with well-developed management skills. So often in today’s world, however, management skills and methodologies are emphasized while the fundamental importance of good character and values are overlooked. How, then, does one develop the qualities of good character? We at the Universal Peace Federation believe that the family is a “school of love and ethics” and the foundation stone of a peaceful society.

Since the fundamental issue is one of values, Dr. Moon and UPF have initiated numerous programs in areas such as character education and good governance that stimulate discussion in this area and make people aware of the need to consider the value systems which underlie the way in which we run our politics and economies. I am convinced that through collaborative efforts we can make a vital contribution to the betterment of humankind’s situation and provide a hopeful future for our children and for generations to come.

An adequate leader in his domain is the one who has the support of most and fulfills the need of the people and nation without fear of persecution and terror among his/her people. From such an understanding, effective leadership is the ability to successfully integrate and maximize available resources within the internal and external environment for the attainment of organizational or societal goals.

We all agree on the importance of the family as a foundation for interreligious and international peace. The question is how to communicate these values to the families so that they can be the foundation of peace in the world.

The mission of the Universal Peace Federation is to establish a universal civilization of peace, a world in which people of all races, religions, nationalities, ethnicities and cultures live together in harmony, cooperation, mutual well-being, as one family under God, centered on universally shared values. UPF-Eurasia carries this vision with practical activities in the 15 nations of the former Soviet Union, Mongolia and China. UPF Peace Ambassadors strive to bring about concrete changes in all realms of society: politics, religion, economy, education, the media, etc.