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Think Tank 2022
International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace
IAPP/UPF-Southern Cone: Panel “Resolution of Historical Conflicts”
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Argentina—“The Resolution of Historical Conflicts” was the theme of the panel of parliamentarians and specialists organized by the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) and UPF-Southern Cone (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay) on August 19, 2021. The purpose was to shed light and reaffirm the brotherhood between the peoples by remembering the sad consequences of the “War of the Triple Alliance” (1865-1870), which involved the aforementioned countries, with the exception of Chile, and also pay tribute to the infants massacred on the occasion, called “child martyrs of Acosta Ñu.” The regional meeting, carried out by Zoom and broadcast on the UPF Paraguay YouTube channel, was declared of national and cultural interest by the Chamber of Deputies of the Nation of the Republic of Paraguay.
The moderators were Ambassador for Peace Juan Carlos Amoroso, experienced radio and TV host and president of the Club de Leones Comunicadores from Paraguay; and Miguel Werner, vice president of UPF Region 2 of South America and president of UPF-Argentina. A video was shown alluding to the child martyrs of Acosta Ñu and the offering of a floral bouquet and a prayer to the fallen by a UPF delegation on August 14 in the Paraguayan town scored by Eusebio Ayala. There were also artistic numbers, “Collecting Stars” and “Your Mischievous Smile,” performed by Cristóbal Pedersen on the Paraguayan harp. In addition, a video was shown on the different areas of UPF leadership at a global level and the launch of the “Think Tank 2022” group of experts towards the peaceful reunification of Korea.
The members of the panel “Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values” were the parliamentarian of Mercosur since 2016 Humberto Benedetto, representative of the IAPP in Argentina; the Federal Deputy of Brazil 2019-2023 Pedro Augusto Bezerra, sociologist from the University of Fortaleza; senator of the Republic of Uruguay 1985-1990 Manuel Flores Silva, Professor of Letters and journalist; and the parliamentarian of Mercosur for Paraguay María Eugenia Crichigno Paoli, dean of the faculty of Legal Sciences of the Polytechnic and Artistic University of Paraguay. The moderator was Dr. Simón Ferraboli, secretary general of UPF-South America.
The speaker on the topic “War of the Triple Alliance, the Campaign of the Cordilleras and the Battle of Acosta Ñu” was Noelia Quintana Villasboa, historian with a Master’s degree in planning and national strategic conduction. On the topic “Causes and Resolution of Historical Conflicts,” the speaker was Raúl Rey Banegas, president of UPF-Uruguay and vice president of FFWPU-Uruguay, with a Bachelor’s degree in Education Sciences.
Other speakers included Rev. Dong Mo Shin, regional director of UPF-South America and the Peace Road South America Foundation, and Dr. Fernando Griffith, vice minister of worship of the Ministry of Education and Sciences of Paraguay, who gave his remarks on behalf of the participating authorities.
Throughout the meeting, the consequences of war were clearly outlined and reconciliation and peace were reaffirmed.
A truly emotional moment was the presentation of a flower as a gesture of brotherhood between the countries of the region through the Paraguayan-Brazilian couples of Evaristo Fernández Sandoval and Luisa Oliveira Da Silva, Argentine-Paraguayan couples of Gustavo Giuliano and Rosi Dueck, and Uruguayan-Paraguayan couples of Jesús Blanco and Verónica Dueck, who participated with her son Mathias, since her husband is in the Chaco where there is limited internet.
In closing, Prof. Félix Coronel Fariña, secretary general of UPF-Southern Cone and Paraguay, thanked the exhibitors, special guests and participants.
To see a recording of the event, click here.