UPF Regional Peace Council established in Sao Paulo

Regional Peace Council established in Sao Paulo
Last month the Sao Paulo Region Ambassadors for Peace were invited to attend a meeting to form the first UPF Peace Council in Brazil. All of them had received in the past the Ambassador for Peace Award, they were glad to be recognized and shared their willingness to do something more but were wondering what to do next.
We asked them to sign the form affirming the five principles of peace and we gave an invitation form to sign up to become a member of the Peace Council. Then we planned a meeting of the Peace Council to elect the Board members.

On July the 28th, 21 registered Ambassadors for Peace and Peace Council members and UPF staff members gathered in the Headquarter building for the election. Following the pattern of other organizations, we prepared a sheet of paper for everyone to write down the name of the candidates to be elected.

Dr Natanael Nascimento opened the meeting and invited Prof. Narcisso Favaro to offer the invocation. Prof. Leornes Ferreira presented a detailed and well documented lecture about the history of conflict before to introduce the theory of peace. Rev. Christian, UPF General Secretary, reminded about the mission and importance of the Peace Council and checked that all candidates were registered as Ambassadors for Peace following the UPF official guidelines.

Then the President and Vice-President candidates came in front and told the reason why they wanted to be candidates. Pres. Simão Ferabolli wrote all the candidates names on the board. The voting sheets were passed to everyone to vote. Twenty five participants deposited their vote in the ballot box.
Colonel Bizarria volunteered to annouce the name on the ballot sheet and Prof Narcisso computed the results on the board for eveybody to accompany the results.

Dr Reinaldo Correa, Regional Police Chief, was elected President, Mr Arlindo Negrão, Police Delegate, Vice-President, Mrs Eliza Ferreira, UPF Public Relations, First Secretary, Dr Natanael Nascimento, Judge, 2° Secretary, Rev.Christian Lepelletier, UPF General Secretary, 1° Treasury, Colonel Bizarria, from the Military Police, 2° Treasury, Dr Hélio Serra, Medical Doctor, 1st Counsellor and Mrs Elita Correa, Lawyer, 2nd Councellor.

Other Council members: Federal Deputy Nelson Marquezelli, Delegate Rose Correa, former State Deputy, State Security Department, Mario Kunigo, former Federal Deputy, Sheik Armando Hussein, former President of the Muslim Association, Father Juberli Varela, Umbandist priest, Professor Diros Santos, founder of the New Future View school network, Professor Narcisso Favaro, Founder of the Viver Taboão Project, Pedro Wendel, Real Estate Consultant, William Andre, Architect, Francisco Minana, Medical Doctor, Antonio dos Santos, Social Department of the City Government and Luzinette de Oliveira, President of the Public Security community Council, Adelina Machado, Businesswoman and Journalist.

Most of the Council members came to know our movement and met each other through the successive Peace Tour events, and became involved to organized the events and to invite new Ambassadors and guests. They kept in touch with each other and became friends. The election took place in a very family atmosphere. Everybody was pleased with the election of Dr. Reinaldo as the Sao Paulo Region Peace Council President and manifested the willingness to cooperate.

Dr Reinaldo won the respect of others over many years of dedication serving as o President of an instituition providing shelter, food and education for the abandoned street children. We feel he is the qualified person to be indicated and elected. He has the capacity to embrasse many people and has the full support of his wife Elita, she is a lawyer and speak foreign languages, also Ambassador for Peace, elected as a member the Board as well, they traveled together to attend the UPF international Conference in Korea last february.