Message from the President of the Universal Peace Federation - Africa
By UPF Africa - Sept. 12, 2025
20th Anniversary of UPF (September 12, 2005 – September 12, 2025)
Dear Ambassadors for Peace, dear friends, dear partners, September 12 marks the anniversary of the founding of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF)! On behalf of UPF Africa, I wish you a Happy Anniversary!
Over the past twenty years, the world has faced many challenges to peace. Violent conflicts have erupted in several regions, political and social divisions have deepened within nations, and even major intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations and the African Union struggle to provide lasting solutions.
These realities remind us of a simple truth: governments alone cannot solve everything. This is why NGOs, and in particular the Universal Peace Federation, have a vital role to play, with an innovative approach to offer humanity what it needs most: peace and prosperity.
It is in this context that we celebrate today the 20th anniversary of UPF, founded on September 12, 2005, in New York by Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han. The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) is a global network of individuals and organizations committed to building a world of peace where all people can live in freedom, harmony, cooperation, and prosperity.
For the founders of the Universal Peace Federation, peace is not simply the absence of war, nor is it a concept limited to relations between nations. Peace is an essential quality that should characterize all our human relationships.
UPF advocates for a renewal of the United Nations, including the proposal to establish an Interreligious Council within it. It carries out its programs through a vast global network of Ambassadors for Peace.
UPF encourages religions to dialogue and cooperate for peace, based on the recognition that human dignity flows from a universal divine source, which is the foundation of harmony and unity.
UPF also offers humanitarian and relief programs, educational and service projects, character and sports training programs, with special attention to personal leadership development and skills for peacebuilding.
Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, in just two decades, UPF has become a globally recognized organization, active in more than 150 countries, bringing together heads of state, parliamentarians, religious, academic, economic, and cultural leaders around a universal vision: “One Family under God.”
In Africa, this vision has already borne much fruit. We have contributed to peacebuilding and human development by organizing international summits, interreligious dialogues, parliamentary conferences, reconciliation activities, conflict-prevention initiatives, and educational programs that have impacted millions of people. This remarkable journey was only possible thanks to the commitment of many actors. I wish to pay tribute to the successive regional leaders who have guided UPF Africa over the years, most recently Dr. Katherine Rigney, who profoundly touched our organization and its members with her leadership and love for Africa.
I express my gratitude to the leaders of UPF national chapters, who work with courage and perseverance in sometimes difficult environments.
Above all, I pay tribute to our faithful friends, the Ambassadors for Peace, from all sectors of society. Without you, these victories would not have been possible.
The 20th anniversary we celebrate this year is not only a time to remember. It is a new beginning.
For the next two years, UPF Africa will advance with three strategic priorities:
1. Sharing the vision and philosophy of the Founders – a selfless vision, based on interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values. This vision is a concrete response to the divisions of our time.
2. Promoting family values – The family is the first school of love and peace. It is where we learn to love, forgive, cooperate, and respect. Without strong families, there can be no stable society; without a stable society, there can be no nation at peace. This is why we seek to mobilize our partners, especially religious leaders and couples in their communities, so that thousands may join our Family Festivals – the next to be held in Korea in February 2026 – and so that these couples may become models of solidarity and peace in their nations.:
3. Preparing a new generation of young leaders – citizens who love peace, driven by a spirit of altruism, and trained in true leadership. These young people will be the builders of nations guided by integrity and a vision centered on True Love.
Dear friends, the role of UPF is unique and indispensable. Where conflicts divide, we build bridges. Where institutions struggle to find solutions, we awaken consciences. Where mistrust grows, we call for unity and cooperation.
On this 20th anniversary, I invite you, Ambassadors for Peace, partners, staff, and friends of UPF, to take ownership of these three priorities and advance with faith, courage, and determination. Together, let us make Africa and the world a land of strong families, visionary young leaders, and nations capable of cooperating with one another in dignity and peace.
Let us commit today to realizing the dream of a reconciled humanity: One Family under God.
Happy Anniversary to the Universal Peace Federation and to the Ambassadors for Peace! Long life to the Universal Peace Federation and to its Co-Founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han, the Mother of Peace!
Thank you for your loyalty and commitment.
Adama Doumbia
President, Universal Peace Federation – Africa
