Let Freedom Ring

(A report on the UPF Bromley event to commemorate the UN Day of Remembrance of The Victims of Slavery & The Transatlantic Slave Trade on 25.03.11)

Paraphrasing the well‐known saying from the French historian, Alexis de Tocqueville speaking of America, Ted O’Grady stated in his opening address:

“Great Britain is great because Great Britain is good, and when Great Britain ceases to be good she will cease to be great.”

He referred to us gathering “to acknowledge and venerate that history of sacrifice which allows us to gather together without fear and in hopes for a better future for all of our fellow human beings” and went on to remark that the five core principles of the Universal Peace Federation (that we are one human family created by God; that the highest qualities of the human being are spiritual and moral; that the family is the “school of love and peace”; that living for the sake of others is the highest expression of love; and that peace will be achieved only through cooperation beyond boundaries of ethnicity, religion and nationality) are congruent with the stated purposes of the United Nations to “maintain international peace and security”, “develop friendly relations among nations based on respect of the principle of equal rights”, “achieve international cooperation in solving international problems” and, “be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends”.

He went on to speak about the UK leading the worldwide effort to establish the United Nations InterFaith Council which will serve as humankind’s moral compass in the building of “One World Under God”, very soon, now, in the 21st Century.

“What we propose is nothing less than a fundamental paradigm shift, a revolution of the heart from selfishness to unselfishness. That revolution needs to take place on all levels, from the individual to the world.”, he stated

This small meeting was introduced my Mr. Edward Hartley, the local UPF coordinator who spoke about the great work of UPF worldwide in 2010, followed by Mr. O’Grady and then there was a thoughtful talk by Professor Ian Hall of the Bloomsbury Society for Interracial Harmony. He spoke about changing attitudes to black people (he is himself originally from Guyana) but of how it is possible to see the value of the person inside.

One other speaker unfortunately could not make it but we were fortunate to have something prepared about modern slavery which quoted the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. State Department, in the Trafficking in Persons Report, 2009:

“Around the world, millions of people are living in bondage. They labour in fields and factories under brutal employers who threaten them with violence if they try to escape. They work in homes for families that keep them virtually imprisoned. They are forced to work as prostitutes or to beg in the streets, fearful of the consequences if they fail to earn their daily quota. They are women, men, and children of all ages, and they are often held far from home with no money, no connections, and no way to ask for help.”

It was altogether a meaningful event.

UPF Bromley UK will continue to regularly celebrate UN world days such as:

the UN Day for the Families on 14 May and the International Day of Peace on 21 September and other days.

Through supporting the UN in this way and bringing key matters to peoples’ attention we hope to empower people live a life which will promote peace and influence others.

Edward Hartley Bromley UPF Coordinator 28/03/2011