It had been three years in the making. Since October 2020, UPF New Zealand had been developing the vision for an event that could bring together Auckland’s multicultural community around a single, powerful conviction: that lasting peace in society begins with strong, loving families. On Saturday 11 November 2023, that vision became reality.
The inaugural Youth and Family Peace Day was held at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau — one of Auckland’s most iconic venues, chosen deliberately for its capacity to welcome a broad and diverse community. From 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, more than 350 people came and went throughout the day, making it the most significant public event in UPF New Zealand’s history to that point.
The date — 11 November — was itself intentional. Known internationally as Armistice Day, it is a day of remembrance for those lost to war. For UPF New Zealand, it carries a second meaning: as the proposed date for a national Family Day in New Zealand — a day to affirm that the prevention of war begins not in diplomacy, but in the family, where the next generation learns to love and to live for others.
A Vision Three Years in the Making
The purpose of Youth and Family Peace Day, as articulated by the organising committee, was threefold: to create a pro-family and marriage culture in New Zealand; to teach young people a loyal and sincere heart; and to share practical steps toward building what UPF calls “blessed families” — families grounded in love, commitment, and service — in partnership with like-minded organisations across the community.
The three-year development period had allowed UPF New Zealand to build the partnerships, the programme architecture, and the community relationships necessary to make the event something genuinely participatory, rather than merely a platform for speeches.
Opening the Day
The opening programme began at 11:00 am in the main hall. A karakia led by Tokorima Aperahama, a Ratana Church youth representative, opened the gathering in the spiritual tradition of Aotearoa — grounding the day’s celebration in a deep respect for the land and for the Creator who made us one family.
Opening remarks were delivered by Kenji Watanabe, Chairman of UPF New Zealand, and Geoffrey Fyers, Secretary General. The resolution of the National Family Day Petition — UPF New Zealand’s ongoing campaign to establish 11 November as a dedicated national family day — was presented as part of the formal opening.
Distinguished guests who brought welcoming remarks to the occasion included:
- Hon. Jenny Salesa — Member of Parliament, New Zealand
- Keu Mataroa — Consul General of the Cook Islands
- Joe Fatuleai — Stake President of Redoubt, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Keynote: Peace Begins at Home
The keynote address was delivered by Greg Stone, Secretary General of UPF Oceania — a speaker whose long experience in the region lent his words both authority and warmth. His message was the thread that ran through the entire day: “Peace building starts with family building, expanding outward to peace in the society and the nation.”
It is a deceptively simple claim. But in a world that tends to address peace through the lens of geopolitics, diplomacy, and institutional power, it represents a genuinely different starting point — one that places responsibility for the condition of the world not primarily with governments or international bodies, but with each family, and each individual within it.
Three Pillars of the Programme
The full-day programme was structured around three core components, each running in parallel throughout the event:
Cultural Performances — showcasing the extraordinary diversity of New Zealand’s multicultural community. Performers from Pacific Island, Asian, and New Zealand communities filled the stage with music, dance, and artistic expression that celebrated the richness of Aotearoa’s people.
Youth and Family Cultural Presentations — young people taking the stage to share their own vision for a peaceful future. These presentations were among the most powerful moments of the day — not polished speeches, but genuine expressions from the next generation about what they believe, what they hope for, and what kind of world they want to build.
Marriage and Family Culture Presentations — exploring the practical and philosophical foundations of strong family life. Partner organisations from faith communities, social services, and civil society presented resources, insights, and personal stories about marriage, parenting, and the daily work of building a family that blesses those around it.
A Day That Exceeded All Expectations
By any measure, the inaugural Youth and Family Peace Day exceeded expectations. More than 350 people — a number that would have seemed ambitious in planning meetings — came to Due Drop Events Centre and stayed, moved through the programme, connected with exhibitors, and left with something they had not had before: a sense of being part of a community with a shared vision.
UPF New Zealand’s firm conviction — that the four pillars of family love (children’s love toward parents, siblings’ love, conjugal love, and parental love) are the foundation of a peaceful society — had found, in this event, its most vivid public expression. And in the days and weeks that followed, the momentum of the National Family Day Petition continued to grow.
Armistice Day, 11 November 2023, had become something new for UPF New Zealand: the beginning of an annual tradition. Youth and Family Peace Day would return in 2024 — and the community that had gathered for the first time in Manukau would keep growing.
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