Partnerships That Deliver for Communities

As March 2026 begins, the Universal Peace Federation launches the first full month of its 100 Days of Serving Community campaign, running from February 20 to June 1, 2026, and culminating on the Global Day of Parents. The purpose is intentionally practical: rebuilding community trust through visible cooperation, hands-on service, and concrete support for family life.

UPF works internationally as an NGO in general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Our work supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with special attention this month to Sustainable Development Goal 17 on Partnerships for the Goals. This aligns with the 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum, held at United Nations Headquarters on January 27, 2026, which convened stakeholders to accelerate SDG partnerships and build momentum toward the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

Our founders, Dr. Hak Ja Han and the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, have framed peace as a responsibility practiced in public life, and rooted in strong families, as the first school of love and respect. They have taught living for others through practical service, including UPF’s long-standing service projects in which youth serve their own and other communities. In this vision of peace, the concept of One Family under God is not rhetoric. It is a daily reminder that every person is a precious child of God, far more than a category, a constituency, or a statistic.

Where social trust is fraying and polarization deepens, partnerships offer a proven alternative. They combine legitimacy, competence, and shared responsibility, and they deliver results that communities can see and feel.

We therefore designate March as the Month of Partnerships. This is the month to renew relationships, build new ones, and agree on a small number of joint actions that communities can recognize. UPF welcomes cooperation with municipalities and local institutions, civil society organizations, educators and youth networks, faith communities engaged in service, professional associations, and responsible businesses. Partnership, in this campaign, follows a simple discipline: agree on one shared priority, contribute real capacity, and document outcomes transparently, so the public can see exactly what cooperation achieves.

This month aligns directly with key UN observances that lend themselves to local cooperation. World Wildlife Day on March 3 highlights stewardship of biodiversity. International Women’s Day on March 8 underlines the social value of women’s leadership and equal dignity. This focus resonates with the International Year of the Woman Farmer, 2026, highlighting women’s leadership in building resilient communities. The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), convening at United Nations Headquarters in New York from March 9-19, 2026, places global attention on access to justice for women and girls and on participation in public life.

These gatherings advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and prepare the ground for April’s emphasis on visible volunteer service in line with the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development and UPF’s long-standing Service for Peace projects.

The International Day of Happiness on March 20 reminds public leaders that well-being is a legitimate policy goal. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, alongside the International Day of Forests, reminds us that social cohesion and environmental stewardship are not separate efforts. They require the same ethic of shared responsibility. World Water Day on March 22, with the 2026 theme Water and Gender, invites partner-led initiatives on water stewardship that advance gender equality, including practical cooperation with women farmers and rural communities. The International Day of Zero Waste on March 30 offers a practical frame for visible action through schools, local governments, and civic groups.

Alongside these observances, March 2026 includes major UN policy processes where partnerships are tested in practice. The 61st session of the Human Rights Council meets in Geneva from February 23 to March 31, 2026, highlighting the importance of dignity, lawful governance, and social stability. UN forums such as the 69th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (March 9-13, 2026, in Vienna) convene during the month. Parallel to the Human Rights Council, the NERPS 2026 Conference at the United Nations University Headquarters in Tokyo from March 4-7 advances partnerships on how technology can strengthen multilateralism for peace and sustainability.

During March, partners may choose to coordinate a dialogue forum, a service project, a skills-based volunteer initiative, a youth-led community activity, or a family-support program that is feasible to repeat.

These are not one-off gestures. A river clean-up with local government, a skills-sharing workshop with educators, an interfaith dialogue on family support, each builds on proven UPF models. We thank every partner who invests time and credibility in this shared work. April will highlight visible volunteer service, and May will focus on family and values-based education as we approach the Global Day of Parents. In March, the starting point is clear: partnerships that deliver measurable benefit and strengthen trust.

Dr. Tageldin Hamad, President, UPF-International March 1, 2026