Buenos Aires, Argentina—UPF-Argentina was recognized for its work at the Second International Ecological and Literary Congress: For Peace and Natural Balance, held on April 15, 2015 at the Salón Blanco in Pehuajó, a city in the province of Buenos Aires.
Mrs. Amalia Daibes and Mr. Esteban Fauret, Ambassadors for Peace and directors of “Y volverán a ser árboles," an environmental literacy program that promotes planting trees, and that has been recognized by the Argentine Culture Secretariat, among other Argentine government and cultural institutions, organized the event.
Attendees included poets; writers; artists, and environmental; cultural; and peace organizations from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Israel.
The goal of the Congress was to “redefine the universal values through literary language in order to change certain ideas and actions as a way to protect the planet from deforestation; to empower a unity which creates new alternatives to solutions related to environmental problems through the encounter of different cultures and art manifestations; and to promote spaces of application of the program after its launch."
Values for Peace
The opening ceremony, which began with an interreligious prayer, was attended by many, including two international figures: Mr. Gaetano Brancati Luigi and Prof. Ernesto Kahan. Mr. Luigi inspired the Peace Frame, a monument that is being established in public spaces on five continents as a symbol of peace, and is a candidate for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. Prof. Kahan, an Argentinian doctor living in Israel, who is a well-known writer, was a member of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) delegation that received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.
More than forty people presented at the conference, including UPF-Argentina’s secretary general, who gave a presentation on “Identities and Values for Peace: International, Interreligious, and Intercultural Cooperation," which addressed various perspectives on international security, governance, and sustainable development.
Peace Culture
The conference also showcased books, works of art, ecological and cultural projects, and initiatives by indigenous peoples. There was also a tree planting at Paseo de las Letras. A Universal Peace Flag was given to the organizers Ms. Daibes and Mr. Fauret, as well as to Prof. Ernesto Kahan and Susana Roberts, a writer.