Moscow, Russia - On April 10, an international conference was held at the Peace Embassy in Moscow on the theme of “East-West Dialogue: 20 Years after the Fall of the Iron Curtain.”

Representative Ambassadors for Peace from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine were invited to participate, along with those from the Moscow, St. Petersburg, Urals, and South Russia regions. Exhibitions of activities in Russia and Eurasia inspired by the peace vision of Dr. Sun Myung Moon filled the lobby of the Peace Embassy, where the conference took place.

After a video in Russian introducing the Universal Peace Federation, two former communist leaders described how a God-centered vision for peace has changed their life:

• Mr. Chimit Ondar, Chairman of the Assembly of Peoples of Russia and former President of the Russian Republic of Tuva, reflected on some of the historical struggles in Russia, including World War II. When he met UPF one year ago, he realized that Dr. Moon offers a true solution for peace, because he puts God and the family at the center.
• Mr. Marat Egorov, President of the Belarus Peace Fund, a war veteran, and respected figure in his country, said that after his first meeting with Dr. Moon at a 1991 conference in the US, his life completely changed. For the first time, he understood the importance of religion for building peace, and that without God there can be no real peace.

Then Jacques Marion, Secretary General of UPF-Eurasia, gave a slide presentation reviewing the historical visit of Dr. and Mrs. Moon to Moscow. Dr. Katsumi Ohtsuka, chair of UPF-Eurasia, gave the keynote address describing the context of those events.

From April 8 to 13, 1990, three major international conferences took place in Moscow: a World Media Conference, a Summit Council for World Peace, and an International Conference of the Association for the Unity of Latin America. Dr. Moon and his wife, Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon, participated in these events, which were part of a series of conferences carried out by peace organizations they had founded. Participants included elder statesmen, senior diplomats, and top journalists. Dr. and Mrs. Moon met with President Mikhail Gorbachev at the Kremlin, initially together with 28 former heads of state who were attending in the conferences and then in a private meeting at the Presidential Office.

It was remarkable that Dr. Moon, a religious leader noted for his anti-communist work, was welcomed in Moscow, at the heart of the communist world. Furthermore, he delivered a message that clearly proclaimed the centrality of God and religious values, and he encouraged the Soviet Union to open the way to freedom of religion and freedom of speech. This message, and the global attention brought to the Soviet Union by these conferences, contributed to the opening up of the communist world.

Plaques and gifts of appreciation were presented by Dr. Oleg Mironov, former Ombudsman of Russia, and Mr. and Mrs. Mehman Aliyev, Ambassadors for Peace from Azerbaijan. The session concluded with a touching performance by four young children singing “Father and Mother, I love you,” presentations of Ambassador for Peace certificates, and a celebration cake.

The afternoon session began with Alexei Savelev, President of the Family Federation for World Peace in Russia, talking about plans to recruit volunteers for international peace activities. Then several Ambassadors for Peace described their vision for peace and how they are carrying it out. A report was also made about the Women’s Federation activities and their plans for this year. The event concluded with a dance performance by a young laureate of the 2009 Mr. and Ms. University pageant.

To read Dr. Katsumi Ohtsuka's keynote address, click here.