A familiar refrain of the famous song composed by John Lennon of the Beatles says "Give Peace A Chance!" The University for Peace (UPEACE) in Manila does exactly that. UPEACE is a concrete answer for action to achieve peace in Asia and on the planet.

On 24 October, United Nations Day, UPEACE held its first graduation ceremony in Asia on the campus of Ateneo de Manila University in The Philippines.

The graduation class was composed of 28 students, who completed UPEACE's Masters of Arts Dual Campus Program in International Peace Studies in collaboration with Ateneo de Manila University. This program is supported by the Nippon Foundation.

The graduates come from 10 countries: Bangladesh, People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, The Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

The major speakers at the graduation ceremony were:

The ceremony was also attended by members of the academic, political and diplomatic communities in Manila. Speaking on behalf of the Nippon Foundation, Chairman Sasakawa told the graduating class: "Today you are making history."
He added: "In this profit-driven age, where most people believe that 'time is money,' these 28 hard-working individuals have committed themselves to serve society. For this I would like to express my deepest respect and admiration."