European Scholars in Germany Discuss Shared Values

Meersburg, Germany – More than fifty participants from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein met in the small but internationally known town of Meersburg, on Lake Constance in Germany, for a discussion on the theme, “The World at a Turning Point – What Values Will Secure Our Future?” The conference took part from November 1-2, 2025.

The mayor of Meersburg, Mr. Robert Scherer, opened the conference with welcoming remarks, linking his motto, “Peace begins in the municipality, in associations – in small ways!” with UPF’s conviction that “Peace begins with me.”

The chairman of UPF-Germany, Mr. Karl-Christian Hausmann, gave an overview of the conference theme and delivered a talk entitled, "A New World Order and the Future Role of the UN." He also mentioned that 600 years ago in the town of Constance, opposite Meersburg, a council condemned the Czech reform preacher Rev. Jan Hus as a heretic and executed him, despite having promised his safety.

Swiss businessman, manager, former member of the National Council, and UPF ambassador for peace Mr. Claude Béglé presented a comprehensive overview of developments in global political affairs. As the influence of Christian culture and values – democracy, respect for minorities – continues to weaken in the face of an increasingly nationally egoistic and dangerously fragmented world, nations seek new alliances in an atmosphere of “I am stronger, I decide, the others must listen to me.” Mr. Béglé concluded with an appeal to Western nations to promote Christian values by working with the United Nations, engaging in multilateral dialogue and seeking solutions with both poor and wealthy countries, and refusing to leave the field to dictatorships such as China.

Mr. Peter Haider, chairman of UPF-Austria and its representative to the UN in Vienna, gave a presentation entitled, “The UN – 80 Years for Peace,” in which he described various events he has organized over the past 20 years in cooperation with the United Nations in Vienna. The UN, he said, has very good potential but has unfortunately lost much trust in recent years due to the growing “discourse of power.” The UN is evidently unable to prevent, decelerate, or end wars. Mr. Haider emphasized that a global order of peace requires a shared foundation, and he cited UPF’s mission to bring a spiritual component into political considerations and to advocate for a council of religions within the UN. For without reference to the living God, UPF believes, sustainable peace is impossible.

On the subtopic, “Human Dignity from Christian and Islamic Perspectives,” Mr. Abdel Hakim Ourghi, Islamic scholar and religious educator in Freiburg, highlighted different aspects of the Qur’an. He explained Islam’s Meccan and Medinan periods, as well as its humanistic-ethical and legal-political components. As a Muslim advocating for reform within Islam, he wished for enlightenment rather than cover-up among his fellow believers. When Muslims see themselves as “the only true believers” and all others as “unbelievers,” they violate both God-given freedom and the dignity God bestows on every human being, Mr. Ourghi said.

Religious scholar Dr. D. Zöhrer from Vienna presented human dignity from a Judeo-Christian biblical perspective, in which all human beings are created in the image of God, bestowed with equal value and dignity. Even from a non-biblical perspective, the philosopher Immanuel Kant argued that each individual bears responsibility to act morally, and that each person is an end in himself or herself, not a means to an end. Mr. Zöhrer then drew the connection to human trafficking, calling it “modern-day slavery,” which completely disregards human dignity and uses women and children as mere means. He praised UPF’s contribution to a more dignified and just life for all.

Swiss professor emeritus Dr. Adrian Holderegger traced the first discussions on human dignity back to Plato, Aristotle, and later Marcus Cicero. These thinkers attributed human dignity to the human capacity for reason, albeit only to men. As did Dr. Zöhrer, Dr. Holderegger cited the Italian philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, who in the Middle Ages promoted the groundbreaking thesis of self-determination as the key element of human dignity, which led to his execution as a heretic. Dr. Holderegger explained that only in the 20th century were human rights derived from human dignity, formulated and codified. He concluded, “Human dignity, for me, is a moral imperative, meant to guarantee a just world, a world of solidarity and peace, a world of peaceful coexistence.”

“The Family as an Indispensable Building Block of a Healthy Society” was the topic tackled by Ms. Gabriele Zöhrer, a family counselor working in Vienna, who emphasized the necessity of mature parents. The family can be the breeding ground of neuroses, but also a school of love where one can experience all forms of relationships that shape a lifetime. Core tasks of the family include ensuring the continuity of the human race, and also conveying values such as respect, responsibility, compassion, perseverance, honesty, diligence, generosity, and love. A healthy family also influences society economically and culturally; loneliness, addiction, crime, or social disintegration are well-known factors contributing to financial and social burdens.

Mr. Christoph Lindemann, community leader of the Family Federation in Gießen, Germany, said that family makes ethics concrete through lived relationships, creating trust, social spirit, and future. He said that family is not just a private matter. “What comes when family disappears?” he asked, describing the suffering caused by the painful absence of real love in many people’s lives. Thus, dysfunctional families have social consequences. Men and women must learn not to fight but to complement each other. “Family policy is peace policy,” Mr. Lindemann concluded.

“Quo Vadis, Humanity?” asked Dr. Helmut de Craigher. He outlined a historical arc from the biblical beginning of time to the present, drawing on his personal experience as a member of the Paneuropa Jugend, a German youth movement in the mid-1970s. He pointed out that monotheism means there is one Creator, one reason, one creation, and one cooperation between various laws of nature and ethics. He said “peace” is the goal for humanity, but many people today assign no value to faith and instead live with the hubris that humans are the new God. As a result, not only are values lost, but also love and humanity, and with them, peace. Dr. de Craigher ended with a call to return to Christian values, which, like the Ten Commandments, are simply natural laws.

Mr. Karl-Christian Hausmann noted that a hopeful, purposeful vision of history – a peaceful world of community and harmonious coexistence – is only possible through the globalization of morality as a complement to the globalization of the economy. The Calvinist idea of predestination cannot serve as the guiding principle, he said. More promising is the Unificationist concept of predetermined fulfillment of the original purpose of creation, which, however, can only succeed when man cooperates with the creator God, the original designer of the world.

Finally, Mr. Hausmann presented a resolution stating five values that UPF considers fundamental to a peaceful world and which many of the participants signed.

In the evening, Dr. Dieter Schmidt gave an impressive presentation marking “20 Years of UPF – an Extraordinary Peace Movement.” He highlighted a few of the many projects initiated by UPF: the Sun Hak Peace Prize, the International Highway, peace councils in Albania, and various activities in Europe and across the world. “Quo Vadis, UPF?” Dr. Schmidt asked in conclusion, emphasizing UPF’s core principles: interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values, as well as the pillars of peacebuilding through dialogue and cooperation, interreligious exchange, and grassroots work.

The conference convened again briefly on Sunday morning. With a short reflection, “Bringing God and the World Closer Together,” Mr. Walter Waldhäusl of UPF-Liechtenstein gave a presentation about his small principality, ending with the hopeful thought that a small, manageable country and system can achieve peace, justice, and contentment more quickly than a larger one.

Ms. Gudrun Hassinen from UPF-Berlin offered a passionate reflection on how an understanding of God as both father and mother – viewing men and women as equal, mutually complementary partners – could lead families, societies, politics, and economics toward greater balance and greater peace.

The conference attracted several younger attendees, and the youth organization Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) was introduced. It was inspiring to hear their impressions of the conference.

 The intellectual content was balanced and lightened at selected intervals throughout the conference with performances by the young soprano Ms. Ayano Hiro, who delighted participants with her wonderful voice and international repertoire.

By Gudrun Hassinen, Vice Chair, UPF-Germany November 2, 2025