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

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

South and Central America – An online convocation for young artists and cultural leaders featured artist professionals as speakers, and attracted over 100 participants on September 17, 2026. The program, “From Barriers to Bridges: Challenges and Contributions of the Arts and Culture from Latin America” was organized by UPF-Latin America and the Caribbean and the International Association of Arts and Culture for Peace (IAACP). This program was part of UPF’s outreach to promote

Puerto San Julián, Argentina – Every year, one Argentine city is selected as the main venue for the national Peace Road event, organized by UPF-Argentina. On September 18, the southern city of Puerto San Julián in Santa Cruz province – where the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition landed in 1520 – was introduced as the main venue for Argentina’s 2026 Peace Road, at a lively event in the Teatro Talía Cinema. During the event, led by the municipality’s mayor M

Lima, Peru – Songs and dances from the African diaspora enlivened an event in Lima on September 4, 2026, organized by UPF-Peru to commemorate the International Day for People of African Descent. The event, which featured local speakers of African descent, took place in the auditorium at UPF headquarters in Miraflores, Lima, and was attended by 80 guests. The program opened with a prayer by Pastor Orestes Sánchez Luis of the Assemblies of God. Pastor Sánchez is Peru coordinat

South and Central America – UPF-Latin America and the Caribbean and the International Association for Peace and Development (IAPD) held an online forum via Zoom on September 11, 2026, titled "From Barriers to Bridges: Faith, Freedom and Development in Latin America – Family and Future," featuring distinguished men and women of deep spirituality, experience and leadership from various faith traditions across the region. The event was moderated by Mr. Mario Salinas, regional se

Banfield, Argentina – Eight couples who have been married more than 40 years received awards at the 18th “Family and Common Good” program organized by UPF-Argentina on August 22, 2026. The event was held at El Nuevo Amanecer Senior Center in Banfield, in the province of Buenos Aires. This recognition is given annually to couples married for 25 years or more, in celebration of the International Day of Families. Introductory speeches were given by Mr. Miguel Werner, presiden

South and Central America – Art and culture need no translation to communicate shared values, emotions and ideals across national borders. Speakers from Argentina, Costa Rica, Peru and the United States joined a webinar organized by UPF-Latin America and the Caribbean and the International Association of Art and Culture for Peace, on August 14, 2026, to share their views on the theme “From Barriers to Bridges; Art and Culture that Embrace Peace.” Welcoming remarks were given

Lima, Peru – In partnership with the Creerlo Vocational Training School, UPF-Peru organized the Second International Writers' Congress on the theme "Letters and Peace." The event took place on August 12, 2026, in the UPF auditorium in Miraflores District of Lima, attended by guests from six different countries. The event opened with a prayer by Monsignor Guillermo Cornejo Monzón, Auxiliary Catholic Bishop of Lima and president of Caritas Peru. Dr. Trevor Jones, president of U

Bogota, Colombia – To commemorate the UN International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, UPF-Colombia held an event at the Botanical Garden in Bogotá on August 8, 2026. This was the sixth such event under a joint project between UPF-Colombia and the Colombian Assembly of Religions and Spiritualities (ACRE). The gathering of indigenous, religious and spiritual communities included the Huitoto from the Amazon; the Nasa or Páez from Cauca, Muisca, Embera and Yanacona; Chris

San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina – The formal launch of UPF-Argentina’s 12th Peace Road in the city of San Salvador de Jujuy took place on August 5, 2026, at the NIDO Cuyaya community center. The launch was combined with a vigil for peace to mark the 81st anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima in Japan, an activity promoted by the Japanese Association of Jujuy and the municipal government, as part of a worldwide movement to abolish nuclear weapons. The event was organized by

Tegucigalpa, Honduras – In the context of the International Day Against Trafficking in Persons, El Global News (EGN) was officially launched as a specialized digital newspaper with global reach dedicated to informing, investigating and raising awareness of human trafficking and associated violence from a human rights, gender, diversity and inclusion perspective. The launch took place on July 30, 2026, at London Hall in the Clarion Hotel in Tegucigalpa. The International Media

Buenos Aires, Argentina – Puerto San Julián, a Patagonian town, has been selected as the main venue for UPF-Argentina’s 12th Peace Road series of activities, to take place throughout the year. The decision was announced during an event at the Golden Hall of Buenos Aires City Legislature on July 27, 2026. The town in Santa Cruz province, located more than 2,000 kilometers from Buenos Aires, was chosen by public vote, winning over the other proposals: General Roca (Río Negro),

South and Central America – A panel of young leaders from South and Central America and the Caribbean met in a webinar on July 17, to commemorate the United Nations World Youth Skills Day on the theme "Skills to Build Bridges and Break Down Barriers for Peace." The moderator, Mr. Mario Salinas, UPF secretary general for Latin America and the Caribbean, greeted the guests and panelists and shared the concept of the event. He explained that the UN agenda includes reducing the p

Lima, Peru – A special Pastor’s Day celebration at UPF-Peru headquarters in Miraflores on June 27, 2026, honored those who dedicate their lives to serving their faith communities. More than 70 religious leaders from Christian and other faiths joined the event, which was co-sponsored by UPF-Peru and the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD) Peru. The program began with congratulatory remarks from Dr. Trevor Jones, president of UPF-Peru, sent in a video fr

Bogota, Colombia – A group of twenty religious and social leaders representing different faiths – including Catholics, Unificationists and Taoists – participated in a forum entitled "Interreligious Views on Jesus Christ" on June 18, 2026, in Bogota. The event was a joint initiative between UPF-Colombia and ACRE (Colombian Assembly of Religions and Spiritualities), to promote universal values and profound theological reflections. Since 2025, the two groups have sponsored a ser

South and Central America – Continuing its webinar series commemorating UN international days, UPF-Latin America and the Caribbean held a forum on June 5, 2026, on "The Importance of Being a Good Role Model for Those We Are Raising." This event was timed to mark the Global Day of Parents on June 1. In his introduction Mr. Mario Salinas, secretary general of UPF-Latin America, who moderated the event, stated: “In accordance with the spirit of the Convention on the Rights of th

South and Central America – In the context of the UN World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, designated as May 21, UPF-Latin America held an online forum with expert panelists from Latin America and the Caribbean on the theme “Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and the Promotion of Peace for All.” The event was held on May 29, 2026, organized in collaboration with UPF affiliates – the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), the Inte

Buenos Aires, Argentina – UPF-Argentina and the Rotary Club recognized representatives of Volga Germans and Paraguayans in their fourth “Communities Honor the Homeland” meeting on May 29, 2026, at the Buenos Aires City Legislature’s San Martín Hall. The event, which recognizes the contributions of various immigrants who came to Argentina, was organized by UPF-Argentina, Rotary Club Montserrat and its Satellite Club of Communities, and Rotary Club Parque de los Patricios. Arou

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – To commemorate the UN International Day of Families, UPF-Dominican Republic held a seminar at the federation’s headquarters in Santo Domingo on May 17, 2026. The program addressed fundamental topics such as the value of the family, as well as the causes and consequences of family degradation. The 70 participants included distinguished figures of Dominican society. Mr. Bernardo Cruz, national director of the Family Federation for World Peace