The proceedings of the XIX High Level Meeting of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center were officially launched with a speech by UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Marianna V. Vardinoyannis before the Italian Senate, on Wednesday, 27 November 2019.
The XIX High Level Meeting of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center was titled: “Freedom from Violence: Peace, Security and Conflict Prevention in the 2030 Development Agenda” and attracted to Rome some of the leading figures of the planet who came to attend the proceedings.
Mrs Vardinoyannis spoke about the important role of education, arts and culture in shaping a better world through local communities: “As a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, I would humbly like to share my conviction that through education, arts and culture we can envisage a better world for man. Education is our window into the future, arts are our shared language, and culture is our identity. Umberto Eco has written that “our only hope is to work on local peace”. In fact, while world peace appears hard to achieve, peace in local communities is one of the keys to sustainable societies. Education, arts and culture are so deeply rooted in people’s lives that they can help bring about change in their communities, cities and countries. This is the way to expand our hope for peace, respect for human rights and respect for diversity, since these values speak to the mind of the citizens, changing behaviours in a way that no other law, rule or policy can impose” (ENTIRE SPEECH OF MRS VARDINOYANNIS)
The President of the Italian Senate, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, spoke about an exceptionally important meeting, in reference to the proceedings of the XIX High Level Meeting of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center: “To fulfil the commitments of the 2030 Agenda, which our countries have so officially undertaken, I believe that we must first work towards improving the reliability and power of political action. I believe that an international meeting like yours, which has attracted such prominent figures, with power in the international political scene, may significantly contribute in the reflection and common aspiration for an international society capable of ensuring ‘peace and justice among the nations’”.
Mrs Casellati made special reference to the history and important role of Alexander the Great in human history: “The poet Nizami Ganjavi lived during a period of great conflict, but with a cosmopolitan aspiration. By writing about the adventures of Alexander the Great – in a book dedicated to the governor of Azerbaijan – he sees in the experience of the great leader the aspiration for a supranational ideal, based on dialogue and respect between people.”
Immediately after that, the floor was taken by Franco Frattini, former Minister of Exterior of Italy, Sefik Dzaferoviv, President of Bosnia Herzegovina, Ismail Seragelin, former Vice-president of the World Bank and Co-Chair of NGIC and Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of Latvia and Co-chair of NGIC.
The event was preceded by a meeting between Mrs Vardinoyannis and the President of the Italian Senate, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, which lasted for nearly an hour. During their meeting, the two ladies spoke extensively about the historical links between Italy and Greece, and focused their discussion on the major subject of the protection of cultural heritage and the monuments of the two countries from climate change.
The event, which was attended by a large audience, was broadcast live by the Italian Senate television channel. The proceedings of the XIX High Level Meeting of theNizami Ganjavi International Center continued on Thursday, 28 November 2019