Crown of Peace Event | July 05, 2004

On March 23, 2004 in the US Dirksen Senate Office Building the IIFWP sponsored an awards ceremony and a night of religious reconciliation among Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Native American Indians. This “Crown of Peace” ceremony was the culmination of an international conference on the theme, “Forging a Path to Peace and Reconciliation at a Time of Global Crisis.”

Honorees included local activists, national and international statesmen, and women and elected officials. Special recognition was given to Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon. It was a genuinely joyful and inspiring event. Several weeks after the event an independent journalist mischaracterized the event on a personal blog, and then in The Gadflyer which describes itself as "a new progressive Internet magazine." This was followed by pressuring the Congressional offices of every participant with this mischaracterization, leading certain elected officials to respond self-protectively. With this a story was born. Reportage spread to major world media, but unfortunately it was rooted in the deeply negative misrepresentation of the original blogger and free lance journalist. Given the instantaneous nature of internet communication, it is likely that versions of these misrepresentations might be reprinted in your own local media outlets or circulated among friends and supporters of IIFWP. Since IIFWP has worldwide activities in more than 160 nations, our rebuttal titled, the “Statement on the March 23rd, 2004 ‘Crown of Peace’ Program” is being placed on the IIFWP website in order to set the record straight.

Statement

Please read about the press conference which was held in the National Press Club building, June 30th , 2004.

Press Conference