IAPD – The first Global Interfaith Prayer for the Nation and the World: “Spirituality and the Principles of Happiness” was sponsored by the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD) on June 25, 2026. Participating in the virtual program were 65 people from different parts of the world. Three faith leaders shared their thoughts about the principles of happiness. Patriarch George A. Stallings, Jr., a board member of the World Clergy for Leadership Conference (

As June 2026 draws to a close, the calendars of several religious and spiritual traditions converge around themes of fasting, remembrance, purification, prayer, gratitude and responsibility. These observances do not diminish the distinct identities of the world's faiths. Rather, they reveal common moral concerns through which human beings are invited to cultivate self-discipline, deepen compassion, honor what others hold sacred, and strengthen the habits upon which peaceful s

When the United Nations Peacebuilding Week 2026 opens in New York from June 22 to 26, much attention will naturally turn to institutions, financing, inclusion and impact. These attentions are necessary. Peacebuilding requires structures that can survive political pressure, respond to local realities and support communities before violence returns. Yet one part of peacebuilding is often less visible because it does not begin with a signed accord. It begins earlier, in the peri

The United Nations has proclaimed June 18 as the International Day for Countering Hate Speech. On this day, UPF offers this reflection on the power of language. A word can open a door, or close one for many years. It can preserve the dignity of another person, or quietly make that person easier to ignore. Before violence enters institutions or homes, it passes through language. It learns to name a neighbor as a threat, a stranger as a burden, a believer as a danger, a nation

On June 5, the world observes World Environment Day 2026, led by the United Nations Environment Programme. This year, the global observance is hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijan, with a focus on climate change and on the signals the Earth is sending to humanity. The language of World Environment Day 2026 is direct. The planet sends signals through rising seas, wildfires, heatwaves, melting glaciers, damaged ecosystems and changing seasons. Yet another signal is also rising.

By the time the United Nations Global Day of Parents arrives on June 1, UPF’s 100-day campaign has already passed through many rooms: an iftar table in Washington, D.C., a charity market in Madrid, a remote school in Sri Lanka, a public hall in Lima, a family gathering in Paris, youth service in Asia, celebration of Africa Day in Benin, and community conversations in Latin America and Nepal. In each place, people tried to serve someone beyond their own circle. This is a fitti

On Africa Day, the Universal Peace Federation joins people across Africa and around the world in honoring the founding of the Organization of African Unity on May 25, 1963. This day recalls the long journey toward African unity, freedom and dignity. It also invites a renewed look toward the future. Africa is a continent of spirit, memory, family, youth, courage and promise. In 2026, Africa Day stands within a strong continental and international focus. The African Union 2026

In the closing days of “UPF’s Month of Family,” Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Bahá’í and Buddhist observances form an unusual sequence that points toward memory, sacrifice, spiritual renewal and care across generations. For several days at the end of May 2026, the calendar seems to slow down and listen. One religious tradition after another enters a sacred season. Jewish families gather for Shavuot. Christians celebrate Pentecost. Muslim communities prepare for Eid al-Adha. Bahá

On May 21, 2026, the international community observes the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, a United Nations observance led by UNESCO. It was declared by the UN General Assembly in 2002 following UNESCO’s adoption of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. The day draws attention not only to the richness of the world’s cultures, but also to the role of intercultural dialogue in peace and sustainable development. It recalls a central truth

On the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Families, the Universal Peace Federation reaffirms the enduring truth that the family is the first school of peace. It is within the home that human beings first learn dignity, conscience, compassion, responsibility, cooperation, and care for others. Strong and healthy families cultivate the moral and social foundations upon which peaceful societies and nations are built. The United Nations has long recognized the fam

As May 2026 begins, the Universal Peace Federation enters the third and final full month of its 100 Days of Serving Community campaign, running from February 20 to June 1, 2026. March emphasized partnerships to strengthen local impact. April emphasized volunteer service that communities could recognize and welcome. May brings this public work to its center: the family and values-based education. This leads directly to the Global Day of Parents, and raises a practical question

Each year on April 22, the United Nations marks International Mother Earth Day. The message is direct: human life and the natural world cannot be separated. When the land is degraded, forests are lost, water is polluted, and climate pressure grows; the consequences do not stay in nature alone. They reach homes, food systems, health, livelihoods, migration and social stability. That is why this day belongs naturally within UPF’s Month of Service. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainabl

As the United Nations moves toward selecting its next Secretary-General for the term beginning January 1, 2027, member states face a decision of both moral and strategic consequence. The central question is not simply one of representation or managerial competence, but whether the chosen candidate can restore credibility, strengthen institutional effectiveness, and embody the moral authority required to serve the whole human family in a fractured age. Public discussion has in

From April 14-16, 2026, the United Nations will convene the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2026 at its headquarters in New York. Held in the context of the 2026 ECOSOC theme and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development , the forum will support transformative, equitable, innovative, and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. Among the goals under review, SDG 11, sustainable cities and communities, is

Washington, D.C., United States – As the arrival of spring brought pink and white cherry blossoms to adorn the streets, the Global IAPD Peace Initiative hosted a Japanese tea ceremony and Ambassadors for Peace appointment program in the nation’s capital on April 11, 2026. Friends and supporters of IAPD from the interfaith communities of Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland gathered in the Founders Room at The Washington Times building to participate in this annual progra

Pope Leo XIV called the faithful to Saint Peter’s Basilica on April 11 as the Middle East searches for a path from fragile ceasefire to durable dialogue. On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo XIV turned a liturgical appeal into a concrete public act. In his Urbi et Orbi message of April 5, 2026, he urged those with weapons to lay them down and invited the faithful to join him for a Prayer Vigil for Peace in Saint Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, April 11. On April 8 he renewed that invita

Easter is a profoundly Christian celebration of the Resurrection, yet its spirit also has the power to open hearts to reconciliation, mutual respect, and a deeper awareness of our shared human calling. It is one of the most sacred and beloved seasons in the Christian world, a joyful proclamation that Jesus Christ is risen; that love is stronger than hatred, life stronger than death, and that no darkness is so deep that God cannot bring light into it. For Christians, Easter is

Dr. Hak Ja Han, co-founder of the Universal Peace Federation, has been nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in the category of Peace and Fraternity between Nations. The nomination was formally submitted by Dr. Jan Figel, former European Union Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief and acting president of the Forum for Religious Freedom (FOREF) Europe. In his nomination, Dr. Figel pointed to Dr. Han’s decades of work in interreligious dialogue, humanitarian cooper

As April 2026 begins, the Universal Peace Federation enters the second full month of its 100 Days of Serving Community campaign, running from February 20 to June 1. March was the Month of Partnerships; April is the Month of Service. Partnerships build trust through practical action in society. Service reaches beyond charity: it reduces social isolation, renews shared public spaces, supports vulnerable families, assists those in need, and builds interpersonal trust. This focus

As the United Nations marks the International Day of Zero Waste on March 30, this observance closes March, dedicated to partnerships, and opens April as UPF’s month of service within its 100 Days of Serving Community campaign from February 20 to June 1, 2026. The International Day of Zero Waste is a reminder that waste is not only a technical issue but a human one. In 2026 the day focuses on food waste, placing it squarely within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,