Clifton, United States  – Two UPF-USA events in New Jersey celebrated interfaith harmony in the month of February; both were embellished by musical harmony provided by an enthusiastic youth choir.   Mr. Fortune Winter , the newly appointed secretary general of UPF-USA, was the keynote speaker at an event in Clifton, New Jersey on February 21, 2026, focused on interfaith cooperation and religious freedom. Mr. Barry Geller , the UPF regional director, presented six Ambassador f

From February 20 to June 1, 2026, UPF invites cross-sector partners to advance community trust through cooperation, volunteer service, and strengthened family life. This period marks UPF’s 100-day campaign entitled, “100 Days of Serving Community.” The campaign culminates on June 1, the  Global Day of Parents . As an organization in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council , UPF connects local peacebuilding with the United Nations agenda and th

Manila, Philippines  – A UPF delegation traveled to the Philippines to pay solemn tribute to Hon. Jose de Venecia Jr., five-time speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and ambassador for peace, who passed away on February 10, 2026, at the age of 89. Forty distinguished representatives from UPF, FFWPU, and the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference (ISC) – including Dr. Charles Yang, Hon. Ek Nath Dhakal, Rev. Yutaka Yamada, and Ms. Ursula McLackland – par

Washington, D.C.. United States  – The International Religious Freedom Summit 2026 gathered the world’s top advocates for religious liberty in Washington, D.C. from February 1-3, 2026. For the third year in a row, Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and The Washington Times Foundation (TWTF) served as title partners for this event. The summit drew over 1600 participants from 87 countries, representing dozens of faiths and beliefs. Pastor Paula White-Cain, senior adviser at the

Munich, Germany  – To mark World Interfaith Harmony Week 2026, UPF-Munich hosted a prayer breakfast under the theme, "The Goal of Religion in the 21st Century," on February 14, 2026. Speakers included a retired Roman Catholic priest, an African Evangelical pastor, a theologian, a university professor, and members of UPF and the Family Federation for World Peace Germany, an affiliated organization. Above all, the question that resonated was: What future do religions or religio

Kathmandu, Nepal  – To commemorate the World Day of Social Justice, UPF-Nepal hosted an event at the Peace Embassy Building in Kathmandu on February 21, 2026. Under the theme, “Social Justice through Ideal Families,” the program was jointly organized with the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification-Nepal. Mr. Prakash Babu Thapa , regional director of UPF-South Asia, served as MC and conducted the event with dignity and purpose. The program began with a musical perfo

Beirut, Lebanon  – At the Palm Beach Hotel near the seafront in Beirut, UPF-Lebanon organized an interreligious gathering on February 11, 2026, to commemorate World Interfaith Harmony Week. Among those in attendance were eight distinguished clergy leaders from different backgrounds.   These included Sheikh Mohamad About Zeid, a judge of the Sunni court in Saida, and Sheikh Abou Al Kotaa, who is registered with Dar Al Fatwa, the central authority of Islamic law, and also ser

On behalf of the founders of the Universal Peace Federation, Dr. Hak Ja Han and her late husband, Dr. Sun Myung Moon, we extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Georgina de Venecia, Hon. Christopher de Venecia, and the entire De Venecia family on the passing of Hon. Speaker Jose C. de Venecia, Jr., an extraordinary statesman of the Republic of the Philippines, who passed away on February 10, 2026. Speaker de Venecia devoted decades of his life to distinguished pu

Montreal, Canada  – To mark World Interfaith Harmony Week, on February 8, 2026 – a cold day typical of Quebec – 40 people gathered to reflect together on the challenges facing our societies in preserving freedom of belief, which is central to the harmony of any society. Those attending in person in Montreal were joined via Zoom by participants from across Canada – Nova Scotia, Toronto area, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Québec City and Vancouver. Among the participants were leaders fro

Quito, Ecuador  – A group of 20 religious leaders from different faiths gathered in Quito on February 7, 2026, for an event organized by UPF-Ecuador to celebrate World Interfaith Harmony Week. Priests from the Anglican and Orthodox churches joined Catholic missionaries, Protestant pastors, and representatives of Hinduism, Islam and Family Federation for World Peace in sharing their messages of peace and harmony. Archbishop Luis Moreno of the South America Anglican Church, who

Washington, D.C., United States  – Two diaspora communities – Japanese and Pakistani – came together on February 7, 2026,  for a shared experience at The Washington Times building in Washington, D.C. UPF’s Global IAPD Peace Initiative hosted a Japanese tea ceremony for the Pakistan diaspora in observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week, as an approach to fostering peace, harmony, and understanding between peoples of different faith and cultural traditions.   Ms. Tomiko Dugga

Dübendorf, Switzerland  – The Zurich chapter of UPF-Switzerland, in cooperation with Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), marked World Interfaith Harmony Week in Dübendorf on February 7, 2026. Representatives of diverse religious traditions gathered to promote dialogue, cooperation, and shared responsibility for peace in an increasingly multicultural society. The program featured faith-based reflections, musical contributions, a symbolic interfaith ceremony, and the nom