Ambassador José María Chaves and the Global Impact of the Unification Movement

A Vision Rooted in God’s Ideal of Peace

From the early 1980s onward, the Unification Movement, founded by Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, began to reach the highest levels of global diplomacy and interreligious cooperation. Among the many leaders who responded to this providential call was Ambassador José María Chaves, a seasoned diplomat and visionary for world peace.

As Chairman of the International Advisory Board of the Summit Council for World Peace, President of the Association for the Unity of Latin America (AULA), and Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Racism, Ambassador Chaves became one of the movement’s most trusted international partners. His life work reflected the Unification vision of a world centered on God, transcending barriers of race, religion, and nationality.

Rev. Moon’s Call: A New Alliance for Civil Rights

When Rev. Moon declared on October 22, 1981, that a “new alliance for civil rights” was needed—one that would end racial, religious, and gender-based discrimination—Ambassador Chaves immediately recognized its moral and spiritual power.

This was not a political movement, but a spiritual awakening: a call for humanity to see one another as members of one family under God. The establishment of the World Alliance for Civil Rights, with an initial $2 million endowment, was a bold step in realizing this divine vision. Its mission: to restore human dignity and empower those suffering from oppression around the world.

Ambassador Chaves saw in Rev. Moon’s words the revival of the true meaning of freedom—the freedom that comes from living as God’s children.

AULA: Building Unity in Latin America

In 1984, Rev. Moon and Ambassador Chaves co-founded the Association for the Unity of Latin America (AULA) in Cartagena, Colombia. AULA’s purpose was to strengthen solidarity among Latin nations and resist the spread of ideological division.

At a time when communism and dictatorship threatened the hemisphere, AULA promoted freedom of faith, human rights, and moral renewal—all rooted in the family as the cornerstone of peace. Under Ambassador Chaves’s guidance, AULA became a respected platform uniting former heads of state, religious leaders, and intellectuals around the vision of “One Latin America under God.”

In 1987, during the Ninth World Media Conference in Seoul, AULA honored Rev. Moon with the Gran Cruz con Placa de Oro, recognizing his lifetime devotion to the “fraternity of nations and the betterment of humanity.” This award symbolized the growing realization among Latin leaders that Rev. Moon’s message transcended religion—it was a global vision for peace.

From Latin America to the World Stage

Through AULA and the Summit Council for World Peace, Ambassador Chaves helped bring former presidents, prime ministers, and diplomats to join Rev. Moon’s efforts for international harmony.

In 1991, at the founding of the Federation for World Peace, Ambassador Chaves gave a moving testimony. He praised Rev. and Mrs. Moon not only as peacebuilders but as the True Parents of humankind—those who exemplify God’s ideal of love through family and service to others.

He affirmed that true peace could never be achieved through politics or power alone—it must be built upon the foundation of families who embody God’s love and live for the sake of others.

Restoring the Family as the School of Love

As the Unification Movement expanded globally, Ambassador Chaves continued to share its values in the United Nations and interfaith gatherings. At the 1998 Interreligious Federation for World Peace (IRFWP) convocation in New York, he gave a profound reflection on the role of the family in world peace.

He observed that “many social ills are blamed on the collapse of families, but it is the social upheaval itself that makes family life impossible.” Echoing Rev. and Mrs. Moon’s teachings, he urged leaders to restore the family as the foundation of society and to recover the spiritual principles that sustain life and community.

His words deeply resonated with the Unification Movement’s core belief: that the family is the school of love, and only through the restoration of the family can humanity build lasting peace.

A Legacy of Unity and Service

Ambassador José María Chaves’s collaboration with the Unification Movement has left an enduring legacy. Through his leadership in AULA, the Summit Council, and the United Nations, he helped elevate the movement’s vision of a God-centered world to the global stage.

His work demonstrated how faith, diplomacy, and love can converge to create a new model of leadership—one based not on self-interest, but on living for the sake of others.

As the world faces new divisions and crises, the example of Ambassador Chaves and Rev. and Mrs. Moon reminds us that peace begins in the heart, grows within the family, and extends to the world. Their shared mission continues today through the organizations they founded, inspiring all who seek to build One Family Under God.