Arras, France – In the morning of October 3, 2026, about thirty people from northern France and Belgium met on Vimy Ridge, near Arras in northern France, where bloody battles took place in April 1917 between the Germans, who were occupying the ridge, and the forces of France, the United Kingdom and Canada, who wanted to liberate it. The group first visited the Canadian Museum, which depicted the trenches in which soldiers huddled, the lack of hygiene and sanitation, and the c

The General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly heard from 194 delegations, speaking from very different national and political perspectives about the world as they see it. Some disagreements were substantial, yet peace stood foremost among the concerns identified in the president of the General Assembly’s closing assessment. As I listened to those many voices, one question stayed with me: What can people reasonably count on after we have spoken?

Lusaka, Zambia – UPF-Zambia held a commemoration of the UN International Day of Peace and the 21st anniversary of UPF on October 1, 2026, at the Peace Embassy in Lusaka. Attendees included ambassadors for peace, senior citizens, youth representatives, representatives of Christianity, Islam and Judaism, leaders of NGOs and professional organizations, students and members of the general public. The broad attendance reflected UPF’s commitment to inclusive, interfaith and multise

Biel, Switzerland – To commemorate the International Day of Peace, the local Biel chapter of UPF-Switzerland organized an outing of ambassadors for peace on September 30, 2026. Thirteen people spent eight hours on a boat touring the three lakes of Biel, Neuchâtel and Morat. For the first 3 ½ hours they met in four different groups of three and discussed the following four topics simultaneously: Sharing universal principles and values Contributing to the well-being of youth E

Bangkok, Thailand – More than 600 schools, educational institutions and government agencies nationwide took part in the annual commemoration of the International Day of Peace in the month of September, organized by UPF-Thailand. The event, "Reading of the Peace Messages and 1-Minute Silence for Peace," followed the theme given by the United Nations, “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” and was supported by the Ministry of Education and the Royal Thai Gover

Jerusalem, Israel – The Har-El Congregation in central Jerusalem hosted the fourth annual "Sukkat Shalom" (Tabernacle of Peace) interfaith gathering on September 29, 2026. Organized in close collaboration with UPF-Israel, the event brought together individuals from various faiths to share their visions for harmony and discuss ongoing projects aimed at promoting a culture of peace. This year's gathering was specially dedicated to marking the United Nations International Day of

South and Central America – In line with the commemoration of the International Day of Peace, UPF-Latin America and the Caribbean (UPF-LATAMCA) held an online forum on September 29, 2026, with the collaboration of the coordinators and national representatives of the UPF associations representing religious leaders (IAPD), academicians (IAAP), media professionals (IMAP), and artists and cultural managers (IAACP), of Peru, Honduras, Ecuador and Argentina. The webinar was themed

Prague, Czech Republic – To mark this year’s International Day of Peace, on September 24, 2026, UPF-Czech Republic organized a panel discussion on the topic “What is Peace?” This question was explored from the perspectives of speakers from four different backgrounds: the academic community, a non-governmental organization, political science and journalism. The first speaker, Dr. Roman Joch, director of the Civic Institute, spoke on the topic: “Three concepts of peace.” The fi

Jerusalem, Israel – UPF-Israel and the International Association of Arts and Culture for Peace (IAACP) hosted a landmark "Art for Peace" gathering at the gallery of the prestigious Jerusalem Theatre on September 28, 2026. This inaugural event marked a historic milestone as the first official IAACP program in Israel, launched under the leadership of renowned artist Dr. Miriam Jaskierowicz Arman, in her capacity as IAACP's official representative and a UPF ambassador for peace.

Stockholm, Sweden – A special Peace Road walk took place on September 27, 2026, in Stockholm, organized by UPF-Sweden to commemorate the visit of UPF co-founder Dr. Hak Ja Han to the city in 1993. The route followed part of the journey associated with her visit, taking participants through Stockholm’s historic Old Town and city center. The walk began at the Grand Hôtel, where Dr. Han stayed during her visit, and concluded at the former Nordic Crown Hotel, now the Hilton Stock

Quito, Ecuador – UPF-Ecuador held its annual International Day of Peace event at its headquarters in Quito on September 26, 2026, on the theme: “Investing in Peace: From Family to Nation, from Nation to the World.” Participants were primarily UPF ambassadors for peace. In addition to those present in person, many joined via Zoom this year as well. In this way the event served as a reunion for peace ambassadors across Ecuador. The event began at 10:00 a.m. with a one-minute si

IAED, United States – An integral society of the future – i.e. a sustainable, peaceful world – will be realized when the cultural, political and economic spheres are harmonized to enable individuals to attain personal autonomy and freedom. Since the Renaissance and Reformation, the political sphere has shifted from top-down rule by kings to political democracy, and the cultural sphere, previously ruled by popes and bishops, to personal accountability in religion. The economic