Pristina, Kosovo—Around 90 dignitaries from Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo attended a one-day conference titled “Righteous Peace, Sustainable Peace.”
UPF of Kosovo held the conference on October 21, 2016, in the Hotel Sirius.
The conference was honored by the presence of the former president of Albania, H.E. Alfred Moisiu; the former president of Kosovo, H.E. Fatmir Sejdiu; and the former chair of the Kosovan Assembly, H.E. Jakup Krasniqi.
Dr. No Hi Pak and his wife, Professor Lan Young Moon, both special advisors to UPF, delivered a message from UPF Co-Founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. UPF-Europe Secretary General Jacques Marion gave a presentation on the UPF Principles of Peace and the role of parliamentarians in building a sustainable peace.
The first of the three sessions was “Mother Teresa and Adem Demaçi, Inspiration for Sustainable Peace.” The panel was moderated by Mr. Hydajet Hyseni, a member of the UPF Global Peace Council, and the referees were Don Shan Zefi, representing the Catholic Church; Haxhi Resul Rexhepi of the Islamic Community of Kosovo; and Father Mumin Lamaj of the Bektashi community. Other speakers were Dr. Flora Brovina, a member of the Kosovan Assembly, and Mr. Daut Demaku, the founder of Positive Thinking in Kosovo, who talked about the example and the life work of Mother Teresa, the Macedonian-born nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity, and Adem Demaçi, a well-known Kosovan writer and political activist.
The second session was titled “Ambassadors for Peace as Promoters of Good Governance, Democratic Parliamentarianism and State of Law in Realizing Peace and Stability in the Balkan Region.” The panel was moderated by Mr. Ali Lacej, the coordinator of the Albanian Peace Council, and the speakers were Hon. Namik Dokle, a member of the Albanian Assembly; Mr. Jacques Marion, the regional secretary general of UPF in Europe, Mrs. Hatixhe Hoxha, the chair of UPF-Kosovo; Mr. Bajram Ibraj, the chair of UPF-Albania from 2011 to 2015; and Mr. Ibrahim Berisha, a Kosovan sociologist.
In the third session speakers talked about “The Commitment and the Contribution of Parliamentarians in Building Standards for the Treatment of Minorities—Kosovo as a Good Example.” The panel was moderated by Hon. Ismajl Kurteshi, a member of the Kosovan Assembly. The speakers were Hon. Gaqo Apostoli, the chair of UPF-Albania and a former MP; Hon. Nora Aliti, a member of the Macedonian Assembly; Hon. Shaip Kamberi, the mayor of Bujanoc, Serbia, and a former member of the Serbian National Assembly; and Hon. Sanije Alijaj, a former member of the Kosovan Assembly.
The conference concluded with the appointment of five new Ambassadors for Peace. In addition to Hon. Nora Aliti, Hon. Shaip Kamberi, and Mr. Ibrahim Berisha—who had all given presentations—Mrs. Kimet Zeqa, a member of the Pristina City Council, and Mr. Syrja Xhelaj, secretary general of the World Bektashi Community, were awarded Ambassador for Peace certificates.
The conference ended with the taking of a group photo.