Three Nobel Peace Prize Winners — Shirin Ebadi, Tawakkol Karman, and Leymah Gbowee — who took part in the recent annual World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, were at the United Nations September 16, to attend the International Day of Peace celebrations. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon accompanied these three heroic Nobels, who sent an important message of peace to the world.
The delegation also included Ekaterina Zagladina, President of the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates and organizer of the most renowned international gathering in the field of peace-making and peace-education, as well as Monica de Greiff, President of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce (CCB).
At the ceremony, Ban Ki-moon confirmed he will visit Colombia on September 26, for the signing of the historic peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
“I pledge the full support of the United Nations for this agreement and which I hope will inspire others around the world to end conflicts through diplomacy,” he said.
Zagladina announced that Bogotá has been chosen to host the 16th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in 2017, the first time it will take place in Latin America. The list of Nobels, along with the subject of the Summit, will be revealed before the end of this year.
Since 1999, the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates has been promoting a strong culture of peace by bringing together Nobel Peace Prize Winners, civil society, and youth leaders around the world.
“We look forward to making a contribution to the citizens of this great country,” said Zagladina.
Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi remarked that “in appreciation of the peace accords taking place in Colombia, it would be very good to have the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Bogotá. We need to rewrite the history of war and transform it into a history of peace.”
Several Nobel Peace Laureates voted and chose Colombia for the next Summit’s edition.
The Bogotá Chamber of Commerce’s Mónica De Greiff remarked: “We are very happy and honored to be appointed as the host city for the 16th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. The Chamber, as a representative actor of civil society in Bogotá and Colombia, is well aware that the country is living a historic moment. We are putting to an end a 50-year-old armed conflict, by means of dialogue and negotiation. This peace agreement brings hope not only to Colombians, but also to the entire world. We want to share our joy and our long term commitment to build a sustainable peace with all of the friends of Colombia.”
