tribute to the bridge of peace
TRANSCRIPT
Tribute to theFounder
The credit for this project goes first and foremost to the Founders of WFWP I– to Rev. Moon and his wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who have been and still are tirelessly at work to inspire people to becoming peacemakers.
The Bridge of Peace is a unique, innovative and effective tool for healing wounds of abuse, misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and war and is the beginning of a sustainable development of a culture of peace.
Bridge of Peace in Europe
• Many Bridge of Peace ceremonies have been celebrated in Europe. A good number of them were embedded in conferences and meetings.
• So far we have no complete register, therefore it is not possible to mention each one of them individually, even though all were crucial for Europe.
I hope all the countries concerned can nevertheless feel the appreciation and
gratefulness for their investment and be inspired by the celebrations mentioned.
1994 - 1995
• East- and West-Germany Friendship meeting 1994 Surinam –Netherlands 1994
• Switzerland - Albania 1995• Netherland : Dutch Women who had been in Japanese
prisons and Japanese Women 1995• Austria – Czech Republic 1995• Czech Republic– Austria 1995 • Albania – Switzerland 1995• 50 years End of World War II Celebration in Germany• 50 years End of World War II Celebration in Netherlands• CIS countries - Germany 1995
1996
• United Kingdom - Irleand 1996
• Stockholm 1996
• Hungary - Slovakia 1996
• Germany - Poland 1996 Poland - Germany 1996
• Russia - Germany 1996
• Czech Republic - Germany 1996
• Czech Republic – Slovakia 1996
1997-1998
• Finnland – Russia 1997
• Austria – Slovenia 1997
• Slovenia– Austria 1997
• Austria– Hungaria 1997
• China- Germany 1998
• North- South Ireland 1998
• Netherlands: Interfaith 1998
1999-2001
• Germany Welcome to Resettlers from Russia 1999
• Japan - Germany 1999
• United Kingdom - Germany 2000
• East and West Germany 2000
• Netherlands Different NGOs 2001
2002-2004
• Austria - Germany 2002• Jewish German Reconciliation 2002• UK, Watford Muslim-Christian 2003• Germany International Bridge 2003• Jewish - German 2003• France - Germany 2003 • France - United Kingdom 2004• Hungary - Germany 2004 • Belgium- Germany 2004
Tworepresentativesfrom German WFWP took lettersand presents toHungary andcelebrated a Bridge of Peace with theHungarian ladies, passing the lettersand gifts to themand taking gifts andletters back toGermany.
Budapest
2005
• Germany - Austria 2005• International Bridge at Educational
Seminar Düsseldorf, Germany 2005• International Bridge at Educational
Seminar Stuttgart, Germany 2005• Jewish - German 2005• International Bridge at Educational
Seminar Nienburg, Germany 2005 • France - United States of America 2005• Hungary - Japan 2005
2006 -2008
• International Bridge at Educational Seminar Nürnberg, Germany 2006
• Austria - - Germany - Slowakia 2006
• Belaruss - Japan 2006
• France - Germany 2007
• Austria- Germany-Switzerland-Lichtenstein in Bregenz 2008
• Slovenia - Austria 2008
• Interreligious UK, Birmingham 2008
2009-2010
• Uk Birmingham BOP anniversary 2009
• Slovenia – Italy – Austria 2009
• Jewish German Family level 2009
• Netherlands – Culture of Peace and Spirituality 2010
UK, Birmingham 2009
300 women from all faiths, races, cultures and social positions in society attended the July 2009 Bridge of Peace anniversary event
• Nationalities represented :
• Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Congo, Finland, Germany, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Macedonia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Phillipines, Poland, Rwanda, St Kitts, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Zimbabwe
• Religions represented:
• Christianity 115
• Islam 75
• Judaism 3
• Hinduism 35
• Sikhism 30
• Buddhism 3
• Jainism 1
• Sufism 1
• Zoroastrianism 1
• Unificationism 30
• Other 6
2011-2014
• Spain- Inter-European BOP 2011 WFWPEuropeConference
• Slovenia-Italy-Austria 2011• German – Muslim Germany 2012 • Czech Republic – Austria 2012• Germany - France 2013• Germany - Slovenia- Austria 2013• Hungary:
Interfaith Jewish –Muslim BOP 2013• Spain – India 2013• Czech Republic - Russia 2014• Scotland Intercultural 2014• UK Watford Intercultural 2014
Offering prayer and flowers to Russian soldiers - victims of 2nd world war
and Soviet Union occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968
Many more meaningful and important Bridges ofPeace have been celebrated over the years. Thiswas just an impression of some examples.
We have experienced the power of the Bridge ofPeace in conflict resolution as well as betweengenerations, neighbors and also betweenhusband and wife.
We all need to cross the bridge of peace within ourselves, within myself and my creator, in
order to be a dedicated ‘bridge of peace builder’ in daily life.