International Media Association for Peace
The International Media Association for Peace (IMAP) is one of the primary associations of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF). It brings together journalists, editors, and publishers committed to strengthening professional standards and examining the public consequences of communication.
IMAP operates through UPF’s international, regional, and national structures. Its programs connect media professionals with scholars and public officials, and it collaborates with other UPF associations whenever questions of public policy, religion, or culture call for interdisciplinary expertise. Peter Zoehrer serves as global coordinator of IMAP and as IMAP coordinator for Europe and the Middle East.
-
IMAP Programs and Reports More
Korea-2020-02-05-Media Association Launched at World Summit 2020
Inauguration at World Summit 2020
UPF inaugurated IMAP in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on February 2, 2020, during the opening media program of World Summit 2020. Approximately 520 participants from 72 nations took part; more than 400 were working media professionals, and more than 500 signed the Inaugural Resolution.
The program was organized by UPF in partnership with Segye Ilbo, Sekai Nippo, and The Washington Times. Four expert sessions examined technological change and the media business. Further discussions addressed press freedom, professional responsibility, and the purpose of an international media association. Participating journalists gained access to the wider summit for interviews and reporting, producing roughly 1,000 articles, broadcasts, and videos. The Inaugural Resolution gave these professional contacts an institutional home within UPF.
Dr. Hak Ja Han inaugurated IMAP on the foundation of decades of media work developed with the late Dr. Sun Myung Moon. The new association gathered that experience into a structure suited to the digital age and UPF’s international association system.
UPF Media Association Launched at World Summit 2020
Freedom, Responsibility, and Human Dignity
The IMAP Inaugural Resolution defines journalism as a public responsibility. It calls for accuracy, clear attribution, and credible sourcing. It affirms fairness, the inclusion of opposing viewpoints, and a clear distinction between news and personal opinion.
The resolution links professional freedom with self-governance. It encourages media institutions to protect privacy, resist degrading content, pursue continuing education, recognize excellence, and build international professional networks.
In this framework, “peace” acquires a professional meaning. Journalism contributes to peace when it verifies facts, supplies context, and treats people with dignity. Careful reporting can examine conflict fully while reducing the language of dehumanization and collective blame. IMAP approaches peace journalism through editorial independence and factual scrutiny, inviting media professionals to reflect on how reporting choices shape public understanding, social tension, and confidence in institutions.
Washington DC-2014-11-19-Peace & Security Forum on Ebola
The Washington Times, Washington DC
Media Institutions That Prepared the Ground
Although IMAP was formally established in 2020, its professional roots reach back to newspapers, magazines, and news-distribution projects initiated by the UPF founders from the 1970s onward. These institutions operated in different languages and served distinct readerships.
-
Sekai Nippo began publication in Tokyo on January 1, 1975, developing an international focus and a network of correspondents.
-
News World Communications was established in New York in 1976. Its first major publication, The News World, later became the New York Tribune and then the New York City Tribune.
-
The Spanish-language Noticias del Mundo began publication in New York City in 1980, serving Hispanic readers for more than two decades and expanding to other U.S. cities.
-
The Washington Times published its first issue in Washington, D.C., on May 17, 1982, establishing itself as a national newspaper attentive to government and international affairs.
-
The Middle East Times began publication in Cyprus in 1983, reporting regional affairs for an international audience.
-
By the mid-1980s the Washington operation included Insight and The World & I.
-
Segye Ilbo began publication in Seoul in 1989.
-
Latin American publishing expanded with Tiempos del Mundo, launched on November 21, 1996, with a central operation in Buenos Aires that distributed material to 17 production centers across the Americas.
-
In May 2000, News World Communications acquired United Press International, extending the work from newspapers and magazines into international news distribution.
This history encompassed daily newspapers, magazines, and a wire service. It created practical experience with local reporting, foreign correspondence, and the economic and ethical pressures that shape media institutions.
The World Media Association
The clearest programmatic predecessor of IMAP was the World Media Association, established in 1978. Its conferences examined press freedom, credibility, and professional responsibility. Its fact-finding tours gave journalists direct access to countries often viewed only through ideological or geopolitical narratives.
The first World Media Conference met in New York City in 1978 under the theme “The Future of the Free Press,” drawing journalists from 16 countries. Subsequent conferences in New York (1979–1981) addressed responsibility in the international information order, the character of the press, and the information crisis. The fifth conference, held in Seoul in 1982, brought together 230 journalists and scholars from 73 nations. Later meetings took place in Cartagena (1983), Tokyo (1984), and Seoul (1987) under the theme “Media Responsibility in a Divided World.” By the late 1980s the network included journalists from democratic and communist countries as well as developing nations.
The tenth conference met in Washington, D.C., in March 1989. Fact-finding tours to the Soviet Union began in 1982; a 1987 tour brought approximately 60 participants from eight countries to Moscow, Leningrad, and Samarkand. These exchanges gradually became reciprocal: Soviet journalists visited the United States and the Republic of Korea in 1989.
Media Dialogue in Moscow, 1990
The 11th World Media Conference took place in Moscow from April 9 to 13, 1990, jointly organized by the World Media Association and the Novosti Press Agency under the theme “The International Influence of Glasnost and Perestroika.” For the history of IMAP, the Moscow conference demonstrated a method based on direct observation and repeated professional contact. Journalists working within opposing political systems could discuss openness, responsibility, and the changing information environment as professional counterparts.
World Media Conferences continued in later years, with documented meetings in Seoul (1992, 1995), Washington, D.C. (1997), and Tokyo (2001).
April 1990 in Moscow: Dialogue Across the Iron Curtain
WMA Conference April 1990
Regional Development and Current Programs
IMAP began regional activity in its first year. On August 20, 2020, IMAP Argentina presented “Freedom, Responsibility and Values,” identifying press freedom, social responsibility, and journalistic ethics as central concerns. On November 7, 2020, the inauguration of IMAP Oceania connected ten nations and examined trustworthy journalism in the age of social media. IMAP Italy was inaugurated in May 2023 in connection with World Press Freedom Day, addressing source verification and the influence of social networks, with Vittorio Patanella as national coordinator.
In Vienna in May 2024, a conference on press freedom brought UPF Austria together with the United Nations Correspondents Association Vienna to consider digitalization, false information, and artificial intelligence. IMAP Philippines was inaugurated in Quezon City on October 24, 2024, with Bishop Romel R. Maraya appointed president; an anniversary program in December 2025 focused on media integrity and public service, introducing Mario Fetalino as vice president.
North American programs have emphasized practical education. “Elevate Your Message: Mastering Social Media for Nonprofits” (September 23, 2025) offered guidance on audience development and responsible digital content. “Journalism, Free Speech and Media Bias” (October 28, 2025) examined editorial selection and the blurred boundary between reporting and opinion.
On March 19, 2026, IMAP Zambia relaunched under the theme “Building a Peace-Driven Media Culture,” commissioning eleven media practitioners as Ambassadors for Peace and presenting a plan for professional training across all ten provinces together with public education against hate speech. On June 26, 2026, the Albanian Parliament hosted a Western Balkans conference on media freedom and digital governance that examined artificial intelligence, public confidence, and regional cooperation.
These programs illustrate several forms of activity: national chapters organize professional education; regional gatherings connect media with public institutions; and online series enable regular discussion among specialists across countries.
IMAP Webinar Offers Advice on Using Social Media
Balkan Leaders Address Media Freedom & Digital Governance
IMAP within the United Nations Context
IMAP’s work relates closely to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which affirm freedom of opinion and expression. It also aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 16, Target 16.10, which links peaceful and inclusive societies with public access to information and the protection of fundamental freedoms.
UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy initiatives address many of the same practical concerns—evaluating sources, understanding media systems, and encouraging responsible participation—that IMAP programs on false information and digital platforms seek to advance.
A Professional Network for the Present Media Environment
News now moves rapidly through digital platforms. Artificial intelligence can generate text, images, and audio that closely resemble human reporting. These developments increase the need for verification, transparent editorial standards, and human oversight. Economic pressure further affects the quality and reach of journalism: local newsrooms face reduced staffing, international reporting requires substantial resources, and media concentration can narrow the range of perspectives available to the public.
IMAP offers a place where media professionals can compare practical responses to these conditions. Its international network connects local experience with wider discussions on media ethics and the work of the United Nations.
UPF founders Dr. Hak Ja Han and the late Dr. Sun Myung Moon linked media work with the dignity of every person. Their vision gives IMAP a moral horizon while preserving the professional duties of evidence, inquiry, and editorial judgment.
IMAP welcomes cooperation with news organizations, journalism schools, and professional associations. Through accurate reporting and responsible communication, media can strengthen public understanding and the conditions for peace.
If you find this page helpful and informative please consider making a donation. Your donation will help Universal Peace Federation (UPF) provide new and improved reports, analysis and publications to you and everyone around the world.
UPF is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and all donations are tax deductible in the United States. Receipts are automatically provided for donations of or above $250.00.
Donate to the Universal Peace Federation:
Your donation to support the general programs of UPF.
Donate to the Religious Youth Service (RYS):
Your donation will be used for service projects around the world.
Donate to UPF's Africa Projects:
Your donation will be used for projects in Africa.