ShareVALETTA: The scheduled World Forum for Culture of Peace, organized by the Kuwaiti Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation, kicked off in Malta yesterday. Among the leading participants in the forum is Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem, who arrived in the Mediterranean country late on Wednesday. Sponsored and attended by Maltese President George Vella, the forum, themed "leadership for just peace," will see three sessions, said the foundation secretary general, Abdulrahman Khaled Al-Babtain. The forum is held at a time the world is in dire need for peace and co-existence among nations, he said, noting that elite figures will lecture during the event about various topics such as role of leaders, international organizations, parliamentarians and NGOs.
Culture of peace
President Vella hailed the efforts of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Foundation to support the culture of peace. In his speech at the inauguration of forum, Vella thanked the foundation for choosing Malta to hold the forum, in a time when the world is witnessing an attack on democracy, the sovereignty of countries, and peace. The forum, themed "leadership for a just peace", aims to promote the values of peace, something a world filled with conflicts and wars needs badly these days, said Vella.
On the forum sessions, Babtain said the first session would be headed by the Maltese President, adding that the lecturers during it would be Albanian President Ilir Meta, the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu and the former Croatian president Stjepan Mesic. One of the key topics during this session would be means of launching an international platform for leading just peace, an aspired mechanism to avert strife and mediation in emergency situations.
The second session, Babtain said, includes lectures by President of the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society Dr Hilal Al-Sayer, Regional Representative of the UN Refugee Affairs Commission Khaled Khalifa, ISESCO Director General Salem Al-Malek, representative of the Arab League Mohammad Al-Shafee and rector of Malta University Dr Alfred Vella. Subjects to be examined at the session would include setting priorities for culture of just peace.
The third session would be chaired by Maltese parliament speaker Dr Anglu Farrugia, and also addressed by the Kuwaiti parliament speaker, his counterpart of the Maldives, deputy parliamentary speaker of Estonia, member of the advisers council of Morocco Abdul Salam Labar and a member of the European Parliament. Participants in the third session will talk about parliaments' role for just peace leadership. The final session will be addressed by Babtain and the Maltese President.
Honorary doctorate
Meanwhile, the Mediterranean University in Albania awarded an honorary doctorate to the president of the Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation. The poet Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain was awarded for his distinguished contribution to supporting and promoting a culture of peace in the international community, establishing cooperation mechanisms through the dissemination of culture, education, and dialogue for future generations.
President of the Mediterranean University Prof Dr Anastas Angeli awarded Al-Babtain the certificate in the presence of the President of the Republic of Albania Ilir Meta. This award is the 15th doctoral degree given to the poet Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain from Arab and foreign universities. - KUNA
