Speech on the occasion of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run's visit to Gozo -13th January 2016

Lighting a beacon of Peace

by HE Mgr Dr Joe Vella Gauci, Ambassador & Permanent Delegate of Malta to UNESCO

in the presence of Dr Davidson Hepburn, Former President of the UNESCO General Assembly (2009-2011),

Hon Dr Anton Refalo, Minister for Gozo and Mr Victor Galea, Principal Gozo College

at the Lunzjata Valley, Victoria

 

 

Dear Guests,

Brothers and sisters,

Dear Children

 

It is with pleasure that we welcome you with us today at the Education, Science and Culture Centre at Lunzjata Valley in Gozo. It is a pleasure to welcome, in this valley of peace, such a concentrated effort and desire for peace. Therefore, I welcome you children – great, big and convinced believers of peace. But I also welcome you dear guests from Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas.

In a world where peace and world-order can hardly be taken for granted, events like this and initiatives like the Torch Relay-Peace Run stand to shine even brighter. The beacon that we shall light in a few moments will light these lovely surroundings and possibly inspire all those who look at it to reflect and perhaps work harder to restore peace. However, the music, the arts and the culture of sports that we may promote can go much beyond this valley, much beyond the hills, much beyond the shores of our lovely tiny homeland.

Therefore, as we light the beacon of peace, I send you to blog, to post, to travel and carry the light of the beacon of peace in your souls as you sing, as you draw, as you act and reach new heights in your sporting proficiency.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, children,

There is no better way to celebrate the 50th anniversary since Malta joined the Associated Schools Project Network than such a concerted effort for peace. Experience is teaching us that all evil starts with the corruption of minds, especially the young ones. Likewise, it is the minds of children we have to nurture if we want to build a world that cherishes, that values and that strives for peace.

So let us, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our joining of such an important international UNESCO project, fight hatred with love, fight war with peace and fight their darkness with unfading light, because as Mother Theresa puts it “it is always better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”.

 

Thank you.