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Interreligious Themes at Peace Tour in San Marino
Written by Giorgio Gasperoni, UPF - San Marino
Saturday, May 9, 2009
On May 9, 2009 a series of events under the banner of Global Peace Tour took place in the Republic of San Marino. Some 150 people gathered in the Saint Joseph Hotel for several panels exploring the development of a culture of peace.
The first panel dealt with the issue of the involvement by international powers in the African continent. After a moving prayer offered by Rev. Donald Oruafe from Nigeria, the first panelist, Dr. Tabacchi, gave a thorough overview of the historical and current state of affairs in Africa in terms of foreign interests. It was followed by moving remarks from Dr. Theophile Nsabimana from Rwanda. Present in the classic hall were several African immigrants to Italy who were intrigued by the presentations and offered their own comments and observations. The session was skillfully moderated by Dr. Ricardo Venturini.
The second panel focused on the Middle East issue and in particular the Israeli and Palestinian peace process. Two young leaders representing the conflicting peoples surprised the audience with their sincere approach and deep observations. Ms. Hiba Hamzah, from Hebron in Palestine, gave an account of Palestinian life during the ongoing conflicts with its neighbor, Israel. Ms. Hiba was able to go beyond the expected political views and present solution-oriented thoughts encouraging both peoples to discover their common interests. Then Ms. Marina Smolyanov shared candidly about the aspirations of young Israeli people and their hopes for peace. She suggested learning from the small nation of Bhutan to assess the success of a nation not by economic measures but measure it by the level of happiness - GNH (Growth National Happiness) – the audience responded with interest and presented many questions to the panelists.
Giorgio Gasperoni, president of UPF-San Marino, introduced San Marino’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Antonella Mularoni, as the first speaker of the closing event that took place in the cathedral-like main hall. She expressed her delight to see such a diverse gathering in San Marino focused on exploring innovating approaches to peacebuilding.
On the panel that followed were several religious leaders as well as civic and political ones. Dr. Antonio Stango, who is serving as Italy’s representative to the human rights committee of the European Union, gave a warm and inspiring speech highlighting the contribution of the Universal Peace Federation towards a better tomorrow. It was followed by remarks from Dr. Tabacchi and Dr. Venturini. The keynote address was read by Mr. Giuseppe Calii. The short speech presented a comprehensive and coherent vision for world peace, illustrating the guidelines needed for embracing humankind as “One Family Under God.” On the panel were several religious leaders who elaborated on various aspects of the content. Imam Elzie Ezzedin, Ven. Upali (a Buddhist monk), Rabbi Ben Zvi, and Father Natale Breascinini expressed their overall support of the vision from their unique perspective.
All the guests and presenters were invited to a beautiful banquet dinner that lasted into the night. In high spirits, people kept conversing with one another, refusing to say goodbye. Undoubtedly the Global Peace Tour touched many people’s hearts and inspired new people to take the role of Ambassadors for Peace. Several participants were honored as Ambassadors for Peace during the last session and were carrying around proudly the framed awards, promising to enhance the valuable work of the Universal Peace Federation.
Articles about the Global Peace appeared for three days in a major San Marino newspaper.
For the keynote address and more information about the peace tour, click here.