THE PEACE POETRY FESTIVAL IN PARIS

               WAS A TERRIFIC SUCCESS

 

The Peace Poetry Festival was a great success. Yves Tetelbaum,

the organizer of this fantastic Festival, and a great Peace Poet,

greeted us with a warm welcome and gave us renewed forces

that poets can indeed promote the creation of a better world.

 

Susana Roberts, kindly brought all the way from Patagonia where

she lives, a large quantity of our beautifully presented Leaflet,

PEACE IS OUR RIGHT,

HARMONY IS OUR MIGHT

in six languages: French, English, Russian, Spanish, Arabic,

and Hindi. 

 

We exhibited our Leaflet every day at the Festival, and already

 on the very first day, in the Garden of the Parisian Train, where

poets arrived from all around the world, to plant a Peace Poem,

in their various languages.  I was so glad to meet Susana, and

thanked her in all our names for her great efforts in publishing 

our common leaflet on which we all worked so hard. 

 

Each of us planted our special peace poem, I read a poem

entitled: “What is Peace To Me?” in French and English,

from my book: “Metal et Violettes, ”which was 

enthusiastically applauded, and Susana  read a moving

poem  titled "Immigrant," from her book: "Faces". Later,

throughout the Festival, at the presentation of our books at the

Parisian Town hall, she presented and read out some more

of her delicate and deep peace poems, in her mother tongue,

Spanish, and in English. We also placed on our table, exhibiting

our books, a beautiful poem sent to me by Maria

Cristina Azcona, from Argentina,who unfortunately,

could not be with us. However, she was with us in spirit,

as were all of you.

 

 I was also so glad to meet Kae Morii from Japan, who read  

moving poems from her booklet: "Poesie a Paris 2007," and

Nina Goncharov who in addition to the reading of her poems,

accompanied herself on the guitar, and sang beautiful peace

and love poems. We had the pleasure to meet many other wonderful

poets, and I am sure that many of them will join us.

 

I had the honor to present our "Magna Carta," and  Harmony and IFLAC Leaflet

in six languages, at the French Senate, in Paris, where it aroused

 great interest by the Vice President of the Senate, and the

Head of the French Committee at Unesco, as well as by Yvan Tetelbom and

by all the 160 peace poets from all around the world.

 

As delineated in our Leaflet, I had the pleasure to explain that:

 

"Harmonious Peace Culture" is a humane concept that should be an integral part of human history, and should be accepted by all cultures. This concept is multicultural and polymorphic, and it should be  applicable to all groups, cultures and religions. The concept and values of a "Harmonious Peace Culture: should be recognized as a universal, global priority. It is urgent in this century to make a global transformation from a culture of violence to a harmonious peace culture, for the well-being of all the citizens of the world with the priority of children,  and for future generations.

The present Magna Carta supplements the 2000 Earth Charter, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), as well as the UN Convention o­n the rights of the child (1989), and other humanitarian documents. The Magna Carta of Harmony is addressed to a global public, to Governments, to the mass media, to political, religious, cultural and business circles in all countries, and they are all called upon to give their support to this important project.

The time has come for the spreading of an artistic expression of a Harmonious Peace Culture for a new, information civilization. Poets and poetry can fulfill a major role in this creative process. Poetry reflects life, thoughts and emotions, and it appeals to all, including children and youth. Therefore We CALL o­n World Poets to dedicate your poetic imaginations for the creation of poems and songs of harmony and peace, and to contribute your talents to the creation of a Harmonious Peace Culture for a new civilization beyond war, terror and violence.

 

The  Senate Speakers were introduced by Guy Crequie, who stressed the role

poets have in the creation of a better world.  I was very glad to meet Guy for

the first time, at this Festival. I was also very glad to meet, my friend of twenty

years, Maurus Young, the Secretary General of the World Academy of Culture

and Arts, who was also part of this prestigious Senate Panel, and who presented

a moving address concerning the power of poetry to build a world of creation

and love.

Yvan Tetelbom merits all our praise for organizing such a fabulous festival,

and we are all very glad that he intends to organize a Second International

Peace Poetry Festival in Paris, in September 2008. Let us all try to be there!

 

With best peace wishes,

 

Ada

 

Prof. Ada Aharoni
IFLAC President
18 Amos Street, apt 77
Nesher 36000  Israel
www.iflac.com/ada
Tel. 972 77 3202818