The Global Peace Foundation (GPF), originally called the Global Peace Festival and then the Global Peace Festival Foundation, is an international non-profit organization intended to promote world peace and cooperation under the motto “One Family under God.” Hyun Jin Moon, who is a son of the Unification Church's founder, Sun Myung Moon, is the founder of GPF, begun in 2007. In 2008 peace festivals sponsored by the GPF were held in North America, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Its London 2008 festival was organized by the Universal Peace Federation, which was founded by Sun Myung Moon. Ida Odinga, the wife of Kenya’s Prime Minister, spoke at the festival in London that year and praised an earlier festival held in her country.
A November 2008 festival in Roxas City in the Philippines was criticized by the Catholic Church but supported by local business people. The president of Taiwan Ma Ying-jeou spoke at the festival which was held in Taipei October 31, 2009. He addressed the importance of freedom, democracy and peace; and said that his government was a "peace maker."
A Global Peace Convention, sponsored by the GPF, was held in November, 2010 in Kenya. Among the speakers was Kenya's president, Mwai Kibaki. The South Asia Regional Level Global Peace Festival was held in Nepal from 30 September to 2 October 2010. In 2012 the GPF held its annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
The GPF theme song, "Where Peace Begins," was written by Trina Belamide of the Philippines.
Famous quotes containing the words global, peace and/or festival:
“As the global expansion of Indian and Chinese restaurants suggests, xenophobia is directed against foreign people, not foreign cultural imports.”
—Eric J. Hobsbawm (b. 1917)
“The great thing in the world is not so much to seek happiness as to earn peace and self-respect.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)
“Don’t you know there are 200 temperance women in this county who control 200 votes. Why does a woman work for temperance? Because she’s tired of liftin’ that besotted mate of hers off the floor every Saturday night and puttin’ him on the sofa so he won’t catch cold. Tonight we’re for temperance. Help yourself to them cloves and chew them, chew them hard. We’re goin’ to that festival tonight smelling like a hot mince pie.”
—Laurence Stallings (1894–1968)