ILC Mozambique 2023 : Executive Summary

Written by UPF-Africa

Saturday, 21 January, 2023

Africa - UPF Africa organized an International Leadership Conference (ILC) in Maputo, Mozambique on January 7 and 8. This meeting also saw the launching ceremony of the 2023 African Summit Organizing Committee, moderated by Mr. Adama Doumbia, UPF Africa President. Several ministers, religious leaders, and high-ranking personalities were present at this event.

Dr. Katherine Rigney, UPF President, was the first person to deliver the welcome address, saying, "Honorable Ministers, Honorable Parliamentarians, Distinguished Persons, Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you on behalf of the Universal Peace Federation, and on behalf of the Mother of Peace, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, Co-Founder of UPF, to this very special ILC Africa 2023 International Leadership Conference that brings us all here today. She continued, "Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon and her late husband, Dr. Sun Myung Moon, affectionately known as True Parents, dedicated their lives to peace and human development, guided by the ideal of one family under God. They proclaimed the vision of peace with love and care for each other as a family; transcending race, transcending religion, culture and nationalities then we could transform our way of life and create a world of peace." 

As she explained, all the peace summit series, including the family renewal festivals held since 2018, served as the basis for the launch of these important events taking place in Maputo, Mozambique. The launch of the 2023 Summit Organizing Committee. It is for this purpose that we are meeting here today. She concluded by urging participants to join UPF in supporting the objectives and flagship projects of the African Union for sustainable peace and to move forward to another dimension focused on putting Africa in its position of leadership in the world for which God has prepared the continent. After Dr. Rigney, H.E. Philemon Suazi, Deputy Minister of Justice of Mozambique, also shared his welcoming remarks and really expressed the willingness of the government of Mozambique to participate in this struggle for peace building.
 
The first speaker after the welcoming remarks was Reverend George Ogurie, UPF director in the sub-region west, who delivered the message of H.E. Goodluck Jonathan. In his message, President Jonathan emphasized UPF's work for peace and urged everyone to join the mother of peace in this way. He also called on people to make their best effort for the success of the upcoming conference in Nigeria. 

For H.E. Brigi Rafini, Executive Secretary of CEN-SAD, the time has come to provide our institution, the African Union, with the necessary resources to create a new paradigm of rules and approaches to cooperation based on the principles of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universal values. He Said "To build this much hoped-for new Africa and restore the intergovernmental institutions and inter-economic communities that comprise it. It is also urgent to raise the moral, ethical and leadership standards of its youth and to make character education, peace education and citizenship education of the youth the central axis of the continent's emergence and development."
Hon. Dan Burton resumed his speech by acknowledging the countless efforts of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon for her work for world peace. He stated that Africa is a very important continent that will play a very important role in the future. He ended by showing his support for the Africa 2023 Summit. 

The fourth speaker, the Honorable Maïmouna Yombouno, Vice President of the National Assembly of Guinea, showed great interest in UPF's mission to build peace in the world. She said, "In my capacity as the first vice president of the National Transitional Council, which is the transitional legislative body of my country at the moment, I want to express our support for the official establishment of the Universal Peace Federation office in Guinea. She then concluded by saying "I ask that through you, the decision makers, the parliamentarians, that Africa be a better Africa, an Africa of solidarity".

The congratulatory message was delivered by Imboni Dr. Uzwi-Lezwe Radebe, founder of Revelation Church and president of IAPD Africa. In his speech, he reminded the audience of all the achievements of the Mother of Peace and her words: "Let us make the African continent the place originally created by the creator, where healthy and beautiful people live. Today you are one with the only daughter, Mother Ture, we are one human family that attends the Heavenly Parent".

After recalling Mother Peace's work in Africa since 2018, he explained that she started the movement for a young and bright Africa, an Africa that is God-centered, whose people and children are respected in the world, an Africa of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universally shared values as before.  He continued, "I too believe in this Africa and I know that by supporting it, it can be built. With determination, he said, "As IAPD Africa, we will work together with True Mother to restore this continent and thus contribute to the building of a unified and peaceful heavenly world." "As IAPD Africa, we look forward to making our own contribution to its success." Mr. James Beeland Rogers, UPF Senior Advisor also had the opportunity to give a short message of encouragement on the organization of the Africa 2023 Summit. 

To close the congratulatory messages, the president of the Washington Times and IMAP's international coordinator, Mr. Thomas McDevitt, spoke in support of the continental summit. He is convinced that Africa can be the engine of global civilization with its people, its young talent, its great resources and its destiny. He concluded by saying "we also believe that the African summit can be a game changer and that it will help, motivate and advance African projects.

Keynote Address

Dr. Yun Young-Ho, director general of UPF International, was the first speaker. He began by reviewing recent events such as COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the consequences of the global crises we are witnessing today. He then presented the various initiatives taken by the mother of peace to address these crises, including actions taken in Africa such as the ILCs, think tanks, webinars, continental and world summits. 

According to him, Africa can help overcome the limitations of the UN and serve as a model for a world of sustainable peace. In particular, the vision of a unified and paradisiacal Africa: An Africa, a people of peace and an African culture of peace, will be the model for the world. A culture of sustainable peace, will be the model for the world. He presented how Africa can be the engine for the realization of a unified heavenly world. 
This unified world can be done by Africa becoming a continent that cares for God as a heavenly parent in,

- Adopting the Charter for Peace in the fifty-four (54) Nations and at the continental level,

- Promoting the Youth of Hope project which is undertaken by CEN-SAD and twenty-five (25) member nations,

- Promote the African model of youth ministers around the world and at the UN.

It was in his speech that Dr. Yun announced the 2023 summit in these words, "Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of Africa, it is my honor and privilege to announce the 2023 Africa Summit in Abuja, Nigeria. In May and September, I met with President Macky Sall, Chairman of the African Union, and he agreed to the summit. In September, President Buhari of Nigeria accepted the summit and sent an official letter in November. 
In September, President Buhari of Nigeria accepted the summit and sent an official letter in November."

He also announced the co-chairs of the Organizing Committee who are: Excellency Macky Sall, Chairman of the African Union and President of Senegal; Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria; Excellency Azali Assoumani, President of Comoros; Excellency Mahamadou Issoufou, Patron of Africa 2023 Summit.

Dr. Yun ended his speech by saying that the African continent will be the engine, the model of the unified heavenly world and a light of hope for the whole world. 
for the whole world. 

Sheikh Mansour Diouf, representative of the Khoff General of the Murids in Dakar, Senegal gave the message of H.E. Macky Sall as his representative. He started by saying that True Mother has always thought of Africa, even when everyone was facing its realities such as COVID-19, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and all the things happening in the world, the mother of peace has always thought of Africa. He highly praised the efforts of Dr. Yun who is working hard to make Mother Moon's vision real. He ended by reading the letter of acceptance from H.E. Macky Sall for holding the Africa 2023 Summit in Africa.

H.E. Muhammad Buhari was represented by Hon. Patrick Nathan Ifon, Member of the National Assembly of Nigeria. He also presented H.E. Buhari's letter of commitment for the holding of the summit in Nigeria and assured of the commitment of the Nigerian government to make the summit a success.

H.E. Beyon Luc Adolphe Tiao, former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, delivered the opening address. Demonstrating his commitment to the cause of UPF and its founders, he said, "We are the heirs of True Parents whose vision of the world gives us innovative perspectives to advance peace, the development of our continent, but also spiritual, cultural and family values.

H.E. Nevers Mumba, former Vice President of Zambia. According to him, development and peace on the African continent can only be achieved if the causes of conflicts and violence are identified in time. After a brilliant presentation of the conflict situation in Africa, he said that "the UPF regional peace summit and the one to be held in Abuja are called upon to play a central role in the establishment of peace on the African continent. He concluded by saying, "As a former vice president of my country, Zambia, and a church leader, I wish to offer my services to the cause of peace in Africa and beyond. I also wish to encourage my brothers and sisters who have had the privilege of serving their nations in this high position, to pool our experiences and resources to help Africa out of this situation of conflict and poverty, together we can make God bless our great continent.
 
Reverend Father Louison Mbila, chaplain of the African Union, also contributed by presenting three points about religious leaders and their mission: first, they are formators of conscience, second, they are awakeners of memory and third, they are experts in dialogue.  For him, by embodying this, they will truly be able to contribute to peace in the world and on our continent, Africa.

At the Launch organizing committee, Dr. Thomas Walsh, president of UPF International, spoke and showed his total commitment to the success of the Africa 2023 summit. After a few words of encouragement, he ended by inviting all present to fully support the work of UPF and the regional summit in preparation. 

The opening ceremony ended with the signing of the Maputo Declaration by the participants.