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AFRICA
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ARAB STATES
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ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
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EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA
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LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Pages 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24
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United Kingdom
Prime Minister Tony Blair has written the UNESCO Director-General supporting the culture of peace and looking forward to events in the UK to mark the International Year and Decade for a Culture of Peace. He indicates that he is in close contact with the United Nations Association of the UK that is taking the lead on events in the UK and in awareness-raising among young people in particular.
The United Nations Association of the United Kingdom has organized a event to mark the launch of the Year on 14 September. In London at the memorial stone for the victims of violence by the door of Westminster Abbey, there was a day-Iong signing ceremony of the Manifesto. Over 80 leaders and senior personalities from a wide range of political, religious, educational, professional and other walks of life came to sign their personal commitment to a world of non-violence in the twenty-first century.
United States
A breakfast was held in New York, sponsored by the NGO Jubillenium and attended by peace leaders and heads of humanitarian organizations from Mexico, Ireland, Australia, California, Israel, Iran, India, Western Samoa and many more. The meal was concluded by Jubillenium representatives who opened a decade of educational activities towards peace by eating an apple dipped in honey, an act followed by all the other 140 guests who also raised an apple dipped in honey while saying " May we have the good fortune of doing this every year."
Thirteen children of different origins and religions lit the first candles of the International Year for the Culture of Peace (IYCP). - Jubillenium a minute of peace project: an appeal launched by Jubillenium to all citizens of the world to light a candle for peace at the minute of the turn of the millenium. These children brought the message of the IYCP to the offices of the UN ambassadors by delivering candles and a gift of peace. Two hundred children carried the IYCP candles through the UN building thus opening the next decade's peace campaign of the Jubillenium. The guest of this event, together with the "Jubillenium children", attended the "Sounding of the Peace Bell" ceremony in the UN building courtyard which marked the opening of events for peace as Mr Kofi Annan rang the bell.
On September 16, at the New York St. Bartholomew Church, a ceremony was held with the participation of representatives of religions from around the world: Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus, and others. The ceremony opened with Ms Nina Sibal of UNESCO lighting the IYCP candle.
A decade of education towards peace and non-violence has now commenced with thousands of organizations around the world committing themselves to it.
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