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UPF-Argentina Appoints Ambassadors for Peace from the Nation's Provinces
Written by Miguel Werner, President, UPF-Argentina
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Buenos Aires, Argentina—Eleven Ambassadors for Peace were appointed on October 12, 2022 at our monthly meeting, this time on Zoom and broadcasted on YouTube (1). The new Ambassadors for Peace come from the five regions in which UPF-Argentina is organized: Buenos Aires, Northeast, Northwest, Center, and Patagonia. From the last region, the southernmost part of the South American continent, the recognition was conferred on two native people’s descendants on the National Day of Cultural Diversity Respect, which promotes historical observation, intercultural dialogue and respect for native peoples. Both were from Tierra del Fuego province: Margarita Maldonado, ancestral educator and member of the Rafaela Ishton Indigenous Community; and Víctor Vargas Filgueira, first advisor of Ushuaia’s Yagan Paiakoala Indigenous Community.
Two talented young people also received the recognition: Martín Vázquez Jones (province of Córdoba), co-founder and general coordinator of the socio-environmental NGO Río Sustentable, which has the to restore the native ecosystem of Suquía River through community activities that promote participation and coexistence; and violinist Dylan Joaquín Villanueva (province of Santa Fe), who asserts that he has always identified with music, proving that, with his art, he can open and transmit peace to many people.
Others included radio and TV host Graciela Echagüe (from Misiones province, but living in Canada), dance teacher and cultural manager, podcaster and streamer; Ariel Echegorria & Patricia Vázquez (province of Buenos Aires), national announcer and paddle teacher, and his entrepreneur girlfriend; researcher Mercedes Giuffré (province of Buenos Aires), coordinator of the Korea Area at the Argentinian Council for International Relations (CARI); plastic artist and teacher Carina Ianni (province of Neuquén), cultural ambassador of the World Hispanic Writers Group, coordinator in Argentina of the World Organization of Integrated Artists.
The list ends with Héctor Páez (from La Rioja province), founder and executive director of the Latin American Confederation of Writers, Artists and Poets (CONLEAM), an institution that promotes peace with the title “Ecology and Peace”; and poet, photographer and athlete Hugo Ramírez (from Santiago del Estero province), member of the Argentinian Writers Society (SADE).
They were nominated by Ambassadors for Peace María Irene Giurlani, president and founder of Real-Izar la Paz; Ricardo Gómez, member of FFWPU-Mar del Plata; Palma Papa, founder and vice-president of the San Isidro’s United Calabrese Association; Silvia Haydeé Bojart, plastic artist and writer; Lucas Rodríguez and Matías Sayavedra, members of YSP-Argentina; Julio Nardini, Argentinian representative of the IAAP; and Miguel Werner, president of UPF-Argentina.
The moderators of the meeting were Luba Opeka, public relations for UPF-Argentina, and Miguel Werner, UPF-Argentina president, who showed a UPF introductory video in recognition of its 17th anniversary, which was on September 12 (3).
Before giving the certificates of this emblematic UPF’s global peace initiative, Julio Nardini, representing UPF-Argentina’s Peace Council, gave some welcoming remarks to the new Ambassadors for Peace.
During the meeting, a video recording of two artistic numbers was shown: “Lindo día de sol en la Karukinka,” a recitation by new Ambassador for Peace Margarita Maldonado, author of the book Entre dos mundos: Pasado y presente de la cultura Selknam-Haus de Tierra del Fuego, in support of the National Day of Cultural Diversity Respect (4). Then, a section of Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in A minor was presented, where we could appreciate the talent of young violinist Dylan Villanueva, new Ambassador for Peace (5).
At the close, representative of IAPD-Argentina Graciela Páez Báez, national coordinator of San Juan External Affairs of the Baha’i faith, invited everyone to join the next Discussion of the 2022 “Interreligious Dialogue and Good Practices” Series by IAPD/UPF/YSP-Argentina. Also shown was a promotional video on Peace Road 2022, inviting people to join this global peace initiative which this year has as a theme in our country “Connecting Argentina through Peace” (6).
It is worth recalling that the initiative of recommending and appointing representatives of areas of society as Ambassadors for Peace has been around globally for more than 20 years. In the beginning, it was a project of the Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace, and it became an imperative in the new millennium due to the deepening of local and global issues. It seeks to create more participation, commitment and cooperation from leaders in various areas to multiply activities for common good and peaceful coexistence. This is a calling to become protagonists of the change we wish to see in society and the world in light of the enormous crisis affecting humanity and the planet.
Links:
1) Recording of the monthly Ambassadors for Peace meeting 12-10-2022:
2) National Day of Cultural Diversity Respect: previously called “Day of the Race,” which represents the arrival of Christopher Columbus to America, but in 2010 changed its name, appreciating ethnical and cultural diversity of the peoples who lived in these lands and are part of Argentinian identity.
More information: www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/12-de-octubre-dia-del-respeto-la-diversidad-cultural-0
3) UPF introductory video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrYGSM0sN5Q
4) Video by “Aulas Digitales del Gobierno de Tierra del Fuego” channel, which covers the wisdom of a Selknam descendant, from Patagonia, “The Principle of the World” for Margarita, honoring her roots and ancestral knowledge: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdv5H-ks9Jk
5) Recording of the 2018 closing of “Liberæ Voces” choir, with SOS Música orchestra, directed by Matías Bustafán: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmOMmKZrtQ4
6) Promotional video on Peace Road 2022 Argentina:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdALs6reJ8o
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