The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in collaboration with the Universal Peace Federation held a "ground-breaking conference that set a new level of cooperation between government and non-governmental organizations," said Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, Secretary General of UPF.

...Opening remarks were given by the Sri Lankan Speaker of Parliament, Hon. W.J.M. Lokubandara, who stressed that the life of an MP should be the same in public and private...The next speaker was Hon. M.H. Mohammed, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, who personally invited the Universal Peace Federation to partner with his ministry to hold this conference.

... Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka closed the inaugural session of the conference by noting the numerous definitions of 'good governance,' including that of the World Bank... In the end, Minister M.H. Mohammed said he was very pleased with the outcome of this maiden venture and hoped that UPF would continue its cooperation with the Sri Lankan government.

Back in January, the UPF awarded "Ambassador for Peace" status to Maurice Dahanayake, a prominent Sri Lankan singer; the title has also been given to D. L. Mendis, a Sri Lankan former Ambassador to the United Nations. Mendis believes that the UN should be reformed along the lines of Rev Moon's ideas on the subject.

Meanwhile, a UPF delegation was recently warmly received in Samoa:

The Prime Minister sent as his personal representative the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Tapasu Leung Wai. Also in attendance were the Minister of Police, Fire and Prisons Hon. Papali'i Petaia Samuelu; former Minister of Health Mulitalo Siafausa Vui; and Dr. Viopapa Annandale of the Pan Pacific South East Asia Women's Association. The Reverend and Mrs. Fepai Kolia and others brought the total to 72 guests, an overflow crowd.

While in Micronesia:

The Department of Education along with the Traditional Leaders of Pohnpei requested a three-day Teacher Training Workshop July 4-6, 2007 for 80 teachers from four selected schools in the local area... With 85 teachers and Department of Education staff members along with the workshop volunteer staff members, there were approximately 100 participants involved in the Teacher Training Program. All were highly impressed by the vision, scope and possibilities offered by Character Education.

The Sri Lanka event also included "Ms. Sujata Koirala, the special envoy (and daughter) of Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala".

The way that Rev Moon has used organisations like the UPF to gain credibility around the world is quite remarkable. I looked at a few other examples at Talk to Action here. Recent "Ambassador for Peace" awards have also gone to a member of the UK House of Lords, and to a Taiwanese athlete, who received the honour from Taiwan's vice president Annette Lu.

Also worth keeping an eye on is the situation in Zambia, where former Prime Minister Malimba Masheke is a Moon enthusiast, and where a group of married Roman Catholic priests have allied themselves with former Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, who has now embraced the doctrines of the Unification Church. The Times of Zambia reported earlier this month that

The Movement for Married Priests Now- Zambia Chapter had a rally last weekend to mark the commencement of its activities in Zambia with a call to all priests that have married secretly to come out in the open and renounce priesthood celibacy.

Father Anzanga Mbewe a married priest who was ordained to priesthood by late Ndola Catholic Bishop De Jong defied a longstanding tradition of celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church with his colleagues and are now open disciples of Milingo.

...Father Mbewe said at the weekend that Milingo will visit the country soon, adding that Maria Sung Milingo has travelled to other African countries including Kenya, Congo Brazzaville and Equatorial Guinea among others to prepare for Milingo's coming.

Mbewe also assured his interviewer that "Milingo's association with the Unification Church should not be misunderstood as Rev Moon has merely offered him a platform." However, Mbewe failed to explain how this tallies with Milingo's statement from earlier this year in which he said that Moon "is the messiah sent by God", and his wish for a blessing from both the Pope and Moon. I looked at how Milingo is doing Moon's work in Africa here.