Eustace, Walters: Peace is needed

The spirit of peace is needed to fight against the scourge of crime and violence.

This was the message of both Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace and Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs Selmon Walters.{{more}}

Both men were guests at the Universal Peace Foundation (UPF) peace conference on Saturday, March 21, at the Sunset Shores Conference Room, under the theme “One Family Under God”.

Eustace told the small gathering that a cause for concern is that the last census showed that the majority of the population is under the age of 35 and it is the young people who are getting involved in unlawful behaviour.

Meanwhile, Minister Walters said that peace must begin with individuals and once individuals find peace, it will spread to families, communities, and by extension the country.

The conference, which was chaired by attorney Kay Bacchus Browne, also featured a speech prepared by Dr Hyun Jin Moon, which was read by Dawn Bacchus, entitled “One Family Under God: A new Vision for peace in the 21st century.”

In the address, Dr Moon called on people to exalt the importance of the family, which he described as the “most intimate of human relationships”, and said that marriage and family are “the fundamental building blocks of any society.”

“The social and economic cost of the breakdown of the family is staggering.”

He called for an interfaith effort and said this peace will come about with “tolerance of each other’s prayers and rituals.”

“A true interfaith experience is a celebration of the core principles, values, and aspiration that bind all people together as one family.”

The UPF was founded by Korean spiritual leader Dr Sun Myung Moon, who is the founder of the Unification Church (1954).(KJ)