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Re-dedication of IIPT Peace Park Featured Opening Day of UNWTO General Assembly (Zambia)
an article by Lou D'Amore, IIPT Newsletter (abridged)
Re-dedication of the IIPT International Peace Park
at Victoria Falls was the featured event on
Opening Day of the UNWTO General Assembly with Dr.
Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary General giving the
main address at the Ceremony. Other speakers
included: Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, the first President
of Zambia; King Mukuni of the Leya People on whose
land Victoria Falls is located; H.E. Akel Biltaji,
representing H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan; and
IIPT Founder and President, Louis D’Amore. . .
Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Dr. Taleb Rifai planting Olive tree from Jordan
click on photo to enlarge
[Editor's note: IIPT is the International Institute
of Peace through Tourism and UNWTO is the United
Nations World Tourism Organization. Victoria Falls
is located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.]
King Mukuni assured all participants in the peace
park re-dedication that the Victoria Falls world
heritage site is being well looked after by his
people for the good of all the world. Dr. Kaunda
commended IIPT for organizing the event saying
“This is an extremely important occasion and we
are happy again to be on your land King Mukuni.”
Dr. Taleb Rifai, main speaker at the event, said
tourism is the most fascinating human activity of
the 21st century. “We become better people when we
travel; we become more tolerant, more
understanding, and respect one another as human
beings for what we are. This is the essence of
what tourism is all about.” Dr. Rifai said the re-
dedication of the park as an international peace
park is a reminder of the underlying message of
friendship. “There is nothing more important than
living in peace and harmony with one another.”
H.E. Akel Biltaji opened the ceremony with a prayer
reminding us that we are all sons and daughters of
the one Creator, and therefore brothers and sisters
on this precious planet which we share as our common
home.
H.E. Biltaji brought with him six olive trees to
be planted in the Peace Park as a symbol of
Jordan’s love and peace that his country
represents. The olive trees were from a nursery
adjacent to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, site of
Christ’s baptism and also a UNESCO world heritage
site. Bethany Beyond the Jordan is also the site
of an IIPT International Peace Park dedicated on
the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of
the first year of the new millennium as a legacy
of IIPT’s first global summit in Amman.
In closing the ceremony, IIPT Founder and
President, Louis D’Amore said that IIPT was most
honored by the presence of the esteemed
dignitaries at the event, thanked Dr. Taleb Rifai
for UNWTO’s continuing support. He stated that as
this Peace Park was being re-dedicated, some 30
towns and villages in South Africa, Jamaica, the
Caribbean and India were also dedicating Peace
Parks as they committed themselves to being
IIPT/Skal Towns of Peace [see CPNN
June 11 this year]. D’Amore prayed that the
“Roots of these peace trees planted here today
will spread to the North, South, East and West
bringing peace to all of Africa and throughout the
world.”
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DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
How can tourism promote a culture of peace?,
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LATEST READER COMMENT:
Why tourism?
Can tourism be seen as an instrument to achieve complicity between people’s minds?
“There is nothing better that connects two people’s mind than a good conversation” The above quote could be used to describe the effect which tourism has on people. Like a great conversation, tourism could be said to play a vital role amongst people all over the world. It fosters communication in all its senses, intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.
In today’s world it is evident that there is a shortage of moral or ethical values amongst people across the different nations in this world, resulting in a globalised world lacking these morals and ethical values. Ignorance, the failure to consider the needs of others, and selfishness are a few of the ways which hinder us from embracing diversity and a common human perspective, which would result informal empathy, internal moral compassion, tolerance of differences, historical consciousness and interpretation. The above mentioned features are intrinsic, inherent and can be found in the practice of tourism.
Tourism has been emphasized as one of the most effective instruments which continue to tackle to tackle social and economical poverty, as well as encourage the culture of peace practice amongst people. In looking at the UN architecture, one is able to see the growing implications which the tourism sector has on the world and world policies. . ...more.
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