Peace road walk and forum to be held in Derry in September on UN Day of Peace

The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Ireland are to hold a peace road walk and forum in Derry next month.
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The event will be held to coincide with the UN Day of Peace.

The UPF is an international and interreligious network of individuals and organisations, including representatives from religion, government, civil society and the private sector, dedicated to achieving world peace.

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The NGO supports the work of the United Nations, particularly in the areas of interfaith peacebuilding, peace education, and the strengthening of marriage and family.

The Peace bridge in Derry at sunset.The Peace bridge in Derry at sunset.
The Peace bridge in Derry at sunset.

The peace road walk and forum, entitled “Ending Conflict in Ireland - Lessons for the World?” will take place on Sunday, September 26.

It is the first event the organisation has been able to hold since 2019 as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.

Previous peace road walks organised by UPF Ireland have taken place in Downpatrick and Oldbridge, County Meath.

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The orgAnisation said that they chose to hold this year’s even in the city as “Derry has always been at the centre of great changes and upheaval in Ireland.”

They added: “This year, as we celebrate the 1500th year of St. Columcille’s birth and commemorate the centenary of the partition of Ireland and founding of Northern Ireland...What better place to gather and pay tribute to the legacy of our successful Peace Process and celebrate its ‘dividends’ by outlining the diversity and prosperity of our new Ireland?”

UPF Ireland hope the event will mark the organisation’s continuing efforts to bring disparate identities together in mutual peace, respect and understanding through walking and talking together in a prayerful and respectful manner about shared ideals of peace.

The peace road walk at 12.15pm will take approximately half an hour and will include a guided walk around the city which takes in sites of historic and religious significance, such as the city walls and the original civil rights march route. There will also be stops for brief interfaith prayer reading from the World Scriptures at places of religious significance.

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A forum will then convene after lunch at 2pm in the City Hotel later that afternoon, with key note speakers and panellists reflecting on the success and benefits of the peace process and drawing on their own experiences of dealing with conflict.

The panellists will also share their experiences of transcending the difficulties of division and discuss how our shared experience in Ireland can serve as a model for other societies in historic turmoil and division. There will also be a question and answer session and Peace Ambassador award presentations during the event.

UPF Ireland will share their founder’s desire for world peace and unity with the participants during the forum and reflect on the peace process and ways we can continue to  work together for harmony and unity in Ireland, the Middle East, Korea and other conflict areas.

The organisers hope as many as possible will join the celebration and enjoy the traditional Irish music, by Martin Donohoe, during intervals.

*For bookings or further information e-mail: [email protected] or visit the website at: www.unification.ie