OSCE Mission and UN System support Skopje showing of exhibit on culture of peace

SKOPJE, 23 July 2008 - Transforming a culture of violence into a culture of peace is the focus of a traveling photo exhibit now showing in Skopje thanks to joint support by the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the Office of the United Nations.

"This exhibit reminds us of the responsibility we all have for the comprehensive security of all human beings," Ambassador Giorgio Radicati, the Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, said at the exhibit's opening Tuesday evening.

The exhibit, titled "From a Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace: Transforming the Human Spirit," examines the nuclear weapons issue through the lens of human security. Created by the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a global Buddhist movement that promotes peace, culture and non-violence, the exhibit has been displayed in countries including the United States, Malaysia, Switzerland, Canada and New Zealand. It is slated to be showed in 30 countries.

Peter Kuhn, a representative for SGI, said: "The exhibit shows us the importance of building strategic partnerships for peace and demonstrates how we are most effective when we come together and unite in our efforts in reaching our common goals for a safer, more secure future for our children."

The UN Resident Co-ordinator Maria Luisa Silva Mejias added: "State institutional competences to address human security should be broadened to also cover issues such as its ability to generate social consensus and to integrate excluded groups in the mainstream of society."

The Skopje showing of the exhibit, which will close on 3August, also is supported by the Culture Ministry.

"My country has a long tradition in fostering the culture of peace. That is why we take this exhibit as our own," Deputy Culture Minster Slobodan Despotovski said.