Vienna, Austria - UPF-Austria is hosting a special consultation in Vienna on the proposal for an interreligious council at the UN in the afternoon of December 8.

Among the speakers will be academics, diplomats, and religious leaders. There will be reports on ongoing consultation meetings in different regions in the world. We will be informed on developments in projects similar to this initiative such as Weltethos, the Parliament of the World's Religions, and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. World Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts will be introduced. Some lectures will be presented in German language.

The United Nations was founded in 1945 to protect succeeding generations from the scourge of war, poverty, hunger and disease and to work towards the realization of world peace. Despite its inception with such lofty ideals and the investment of tremendous resources, there are many challenges in the path to peace.

Member States and many Secretaries-General have all agreed that the United Nations needs reform and renewal. The founder of the Universal Peace Federation, Dr. Sun Myung Moon, introduced a proposal in 2000 to strengthen the UN to help it fulfill its original founding purpose, principles, and ideals as the embodiment of humanity's aspiration for peace:

"The existing United Nations structure, composed of national representatives, may be regarded as a congress where the interests of each member nation are represented. However, I submit that serious consideration should be given to forming a religious assembly, or council of religious representatives within the structure of the United Nations. This assembly or council would consist of respected spiritual leaders in fields such as religion, culture, and education."

For more information contact Peter Haider, Tel.: 0650/2588846; E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it