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Day of Peace Commemorated in Sao Paulo
Written by UPF - Brazil
Friday, September 21, 2012
Sao Paulo, Brazil - The International Day of Peace was commemorated in the council chamber of the Sao Paulo City Hall on September 20 and at the Sao Paulo Commercial Association on September 21.
City Hall
About sixty people gathered in the São Paulo City Council Chamber on September 20 to commemorate the International Day of Peace. Rev. Christian Lepelletier, Brazil UPF Chapter Vice-president and MC, opened the event welcoming all the participants. The following leaders were called to sit at the head table:
Mrs. Nelma da Silva Sa, University of Peace (UNIPAZ) São Paulo Chapter President; Mrs. Ivete Belfort, Words of Peace Global President; Mr. Gaetano Luigi, Peace Monument Project Founder http://www.marcodapaz.org.br; Mr. João Bico de Souza, Sao Paulo North District Commercial Association Director; Mr. Samuel Luz, Brazil Association for Religious Liberty President; Dr. Dulce Magalhães, international lecturer and peace activist from UNIPAZ; Mrs. Shellah Avellar, Sensorion Communication President; Mrs. Damaris Moura Kuo, Chairwoman of the Religious Freedom Lawyers Committee; Mrs. Rute Cardoso, Tardo Ling Center Director and therapist; and Mr. Manuel Dantas, UPF lecturer.
Following the protocol, everybody stood and listened to the national anthem. Mrs. Luciana Feldman, representing Gilberto Natalini, City Councilor who helped to sponsor the event, gave welcoming remarks. The MC gave introductory remarks about the International Day of Peace and quoted from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message for this year's observance.
The following religious leaders were called in front to participate in an interfaith water ceremony: Bishop Marcelo Rezende representing the Liberal Catholic Church; Father Ney de Oliveira representing the Old Catholic Church; Mr. Manuel Dantas representing Unificationism; Father Kyrilos Carlos representing the Orthodox Church; Sister Maria das Graças representing Candomble; Dr. Dulce Magalhães representing the Baha'i Faith; Sister Patricia Cantalino representing the Brahma Kumaris; Mrs. Cida Medeiros representing Shamanism; Mrs. Shellah Avellar representing Universalism, and Mrs. Rute Cardoso representing Buddhism.
Dr. Dulce Magalhães spoke about the importance of promoting the culture of peace; last May she received the Medal of Peace during the Schengen World Peace Forum in Luxembourg. As one of the coordinators of the World Peace Festivals organized by UNIPAZ, including the last one held in September in Sao Paulo, she said she was pleased to see many of her partners and friends coming together for this commemoration. "Surely all together we can build a world of peace," she added. http://www.work.com.br/
Mrs. Ivete Belfort shared about the importance of spreading the message of peace through TV and media networks. She successfully opened programs in hundred of cities in Brazil, and she believes that in order to change the world: “We first have to change ourselves. We want to see a better world and we believe it can happen — one human being at a time.”
Mrs. Rute Cardoso spoke of the need to understand the meaning of peace. "We need to know what it is to feel inner peace. Inner peace is our inner light and our best company, the most important knowledge that we can acquire. We need to change our attitudes and develop the basis of nonviolence." She recommended meditating on words of truth to spread a new culture of peace to the world.
Mr. João Bico de Souza, Ambassador for the Peace Monument Project, presented a short video of the history of the project initiated by Mr. Gaetano Luigi, who had dreamed of peace since his childhood. The first monument was built in Sao Paulo in 2000, and now they are on all continents.
Cristian Abba (vocalist and harmonium player), Alexandre Calori (percussionist), and Denisse Iturra (vocalist) performed a few songs about inner peace and unconditional love: "From heart to heart" and with "One Voice," leading the audience to feel love and inner peace.
The introductory UPF video was presented on the screen to introduce the worldwide outreach of the Universal Peace Federation and its chapters in over 150 nations. Mr. Manoel Dantas presented a PowerPoint lecture about the five Principles of Peace and core values, sharing the vision and explaining the mission of Ambassadors for Peace.
Mr Gaetano Luigi, who was appointed a UPF Ambassador for Peace in Montevideo in 2008, was called to the front to give Ambassador for Peace certificates for the following new Ambassadors for Peace:
- Mr. Fabio Antunes, holistic therapist, community advisor, specialist in dependencies, volunteer to help individuals and families victims of drug addiction
- Professor Samuel Luz, President of the Brazilian Association of Religious Freedom and Citizenship, member of the Lawyers Committee of Religious Freedom, member of the Inter-religious Forum of the Department of Justice of the State of São Paulo, writer, editor and Seventh-day Adventist Church pastor
- Mr. João Bico de Souza, Ambassador for the Peace Monument, honored by the Brazilian Association of International Peacekeeping Forces, Chief Executive Officer of North District of São Paulo Commercial Association, business administrator and Director of the Tecnolamp Company
- Dr. Manoel Jose Pereira Simao, clinical psychologist, member of the Portuguese Association of Psychology, one of the Sao Paulo University of Peace founders, member of the National Institute of Research and Experiential Regressive Therapy Parton, one of the coordinators of the NEPER-Center for Studies of Spiritual and religious Issues at the Institute of Psychiatry of the Hospital das Clínicas.
Mrs. Nelma da Silva Sa, UPF Ambassador for Peace since 2011, was called to the front to give certificates for the following new Ambassadors for Peace:
- Mrs. Ivete Belfort, President of Words of Peace Global in Brazil and the Society to Support Peace, responsible for the TV program, "Words of Peace," which airs in more than 100 cities in Brazil, partner with the UNIPAZ which organized the 2012 Global Peace Festival in Sao Paulo (http://www.wopg.org/)
- Mrs. Rute Cardoso, therapist and Executive Director of the Tardo Ling Center for Human, Cultural and Philosophical Development, promotes the culture of peace with Buddhist philosophy and spirituality, lectures, meditation retreats, and self healing (http://www.rute.cardoso.nom.br/)
- Mrs. Shellah Avellar, Director of the company Sensorion, Architect, graduated in communication processes, awarded internationally, develops communication strategies. Artist and metaphysical painter with the help of spiritual teachers receives psychographied messages (http://www.sensorion.com.br/)
- Mrs. Cida Medeiros, psychotherapist specializing in family constellations and Shamanism, graduate of the School of the Dynamic Energy of the Psyche, Reiki Master, specialist in various healing therapies to help individuals, families and groups, also a partner and volunteer at UNIPAZ (http://www.cidamedeiros.org/)
The closing of the event featured the surprise appearance of Malcom Forest, who sang a tribute to Pope John Paul II, the song "Papa della Pace." The song had its world premiere in the city of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Peace Monument. It was also presented in Rome in a celebration where a peace monument replica was awarded to the actual Pope. (http://www.malcolmforest.com/malcolmforest/english.htm)
For photos, click here.
Commerical Association
The São Paulo Commercial Association (ACSP) in partnership with other organizations including the Universal Peace Federation oganized on September 21st an Interfaith ceremony in celebration of the International Day of Peace with the following representatives:
Reverend Kazuya Nagashima, Buddhism; Father Edson Aparecido Old Catholic Church; Mahesvara, Hinduism; Reverend Chritian Lepelletier, Unificationism; Rabbi More Ventura, Judaism; Sheik Mohamad Al Bukal, Islam; Father Carlos Contieri, Roman Catholic Jesuit; Mrs. Marly Pedra, Universalisml and Mrs. Simone Ramounoulou, United Religion Initiative.
At the beginning of the ceremony the singer Luigi Benutti presented a diverse repertoire of Italian songs, and the choir of the Legion of Good Will, directed by maestro Tolga, sang the national anthem.
Mr. Roberto Mateus Ordine, Vice-President of the ACSP, spoke about the importance of the day and said that we need to experience the spirit of peace. Mr. Pedro Paulo Trindade, the ACSP Cultural Advisor, read the message from the UN and said: “For some of us, peace is a day-to-day reality. Our streets are safe and our children go to school. When the society is healthy, the precious gift of peace is almost unnoticed. But, for too many people, in today's world, peace is an unreachable dream. They are living like prisoners of the insecurity and fear. These are the main reason for this Day.”
Mr. Gaetano Brancati, founder of the Peace Monument Project, and Mr. Roberto Mateus Ordine awarded the following people replicas of the Peace Monument:
Reverend Elias de Andrade, pastor of the Independent Presbyterian Church and founder of the House of the Religions; Mr. Osvaldo Marchesi and his son Junior from the Grafite Communication Company; Mr. Luiz Oberban Liporoni, superintendent of the Association for the Assistance of Disabled Children, representing the president, Reina Helena Vellosso; Mr. Marcos Evangelista de Morais, founder of the Cafu Foundation; Colonel Roberval Ferreira França, General Commander of the Military Police for the State of São Paulo; and Yara Esmeralda Di Arena, director of the INACI College.
The orchestra of violins “Viva a Vila”, from the city of Bragança Paulista, directed by maestro Roberto Marin, performed during the commemoration. The “United for Peace” song, written by Brancati Luigi, was presented for the first time publicly.
Link to the pictures: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/116318122783288436070/albums/5792172418803640721
For more reports about International Day of Peace 2012 programs click here.
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