Stuttgart Seminar Stirs Awareness of Paths to Peace
- Apr 18
- 2 min read
Stuttgart, Germany – An afternoon seminar on finding paths to peace proved deeply engaging for participants, who were challenged to consider how each individual can contribute to peace based on spiritual, ethical or religious values. The event was held in Stuttgart on April 18, 2026, organized by UPF-Germany and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification of Stuttgart and Nuremberg. The program focused on ways to prevent or resolve conflicts, build trust, and foster harmonious relationships between communities and religions.
The seminar was structured into three lecture blocks, each lasting 25 minutes, presented by Ms. Gudrun Hassinen, deputy chairperson of UPF-Germany. Each block was followed by 25 minutes of discussion and reflection in small groups.
The first lecture addressed the relationship between religion and science with regard to the question of our common origin and the universal spiritual laws that govern our lives. During the discussion following the lecture, participants shared positive experiences they had with the Golden Rule, “living for others,” and asked how important the question of God or no God is, personally considered.
The second lecture, peace within the individual and in the family and society, began with a quote from the preamble to the UNESCO constitution: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.”
Ms. Hassinen proposed that lasting peace in society and the world requires that peace be firmly established within individuals and families. Additional topics included the significance of parenthood, marriage and family for the spiritual growth of each person, and how these institutions are viewed in the world religions.
The final lecture focused on the causes of conflict and paths to peace, addressing questions such as: What can we do? How can we truly love, and how can we achieve real peace? It also explained why the Universal Peace Federation places value on reconciliation and cooperation among religions and is committed to interreligious exchange and understanding.
Ms. Hassinen concluded by quoting two prominent figures. Dag Hammarskjöld, the second secretary-general of the United Nations, warned: “If the world does not experience a spiritual rebirth, this civilization will fail.”
And American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love, and when we do that, we will be able to make of this old world a new world. We will be able to make men better. Love is the only way.”
