By UPF Portugal
A long-standing collaboration, built on respect and the sharing of values, between the Municipality of Odivelas and UPF Portugal has resulted in numerous events, particularly in the field of inter-religious harmony. Thus, for the second consecutive year, UPF was invited to participate in various activities from October 2 to 8, 2023, including a series of guided visits to places of worship of various religions, to promote greater mutual understanding. In this context, the Peace Embassy welcomed a group of visitors on October 3rd, consisting of representatives from the Municipality, religious representatives, and various other participants in the event. Although not a religious entity, UPF has been collaborating in this type of event due to its longstanding work for peace, particularly through inter-religious and cultural dialogue.
For this occasion, an informative program was prepared about the work of UPF and the mission of its founders, Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, particularly in the religious field. After brief welcoming remarks, the program began with a prayer offered by Dr. Sérgio Neto, the national president of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFPMU), followed by the presentation of two videos: “18th Anniversary of UPF” and “Who is God?”
Subsequently, Dr. Sérgio Vieira, the national president of UPF, provided an overview of the founders and the different organizations they established, including the Unification Church and the FFPMU. To better illustrate the vision of a single God, Father and Mother of all humanity, and the source of many religions and paths of spirituality, excerpts from the book “World Religions and the Teachings of Sun Myung Moon” were presented. This work was produced at the request of Rev. Moon himself and published by UPF, becoming a reference work for inter-religious dialogue.
To conclude, all participants were invited to visit the “Cheonshimwon” prayer room and offer their prayers for peace and harmony among all peoples and their religions. During the subsequent social gathering, everyone expressed a desire to deepen their understanding of the teachings of the Moon couple and to participate in future activities organized by UPF.”
To highlight, in the extensive one-week program of activities, there was the launch of the book “Letter of the Religions of Odivelas” and the seminar “Odivelas, a Promoter of Religious Freedom Municipality,” which had the presence of representatives from the High Commission for Migration and the Commission for Religious Freedom.
The last two days, held in a park within the municipality, allowed all associations and churches to share their beliefs and activities. It was in this context that UPF could promote the autobiographies of its founders and their vision for a world of peace through the presentation of excerpts from the work “World Scriptures and Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon” in slide format.
This rich week of mutual understanding culminated in the moment of the Prayer for Peace. All the religious representatives, along with UPF in the presence of its national president, Sérgio Vieira, joined in a common prayer for peace, a symbol of the dream of a world shared by the human family.