To coincide with the International Day of Peace, on September 20th, 2024, the Tirana Peace Council held an assembly at the Tirana Peace Embassy on the theme “Need for Reflection.” Attending were numerous personalities from various fields, Ambassadors for Peace and other special guests. The purpose of the event was to stress the dire need of peace in these times of global turmoil and how that could be achieved. Also on the agenda was the presentation of the “Ambassador for Peace” Award to candidates who were carefully selected by the Tirana Peace Council.
The meeting was moderated by the chairman of the Tirana Regional Peace Council, the well-known journalist Mr. Dëfrim Methasani. The main speaker was Dr. Eva Çipi, Chairwoman of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Albania. She opened her speech with "Today we celebrate the International Day of Peace, and yet, despite extraordinary technological advancement and the world becoming a very small place, today once again, humanity is caught in the clutches of senseless conflicts and wars, such as in Ukraine, Gaza, Africa and other regions. The danger is there, ready to spread globally.”
“What is happening to this world?”, Ms Çipi asked. “Everyone wants peace, but PEACE STARTS WITH ME. Being at peace with yourself means knowing your own value and the value of the people around you. Being at peace with yourself means finding peace with God; to find peace with God means to see God in every person. Every individual has a universal value and should be seen as such, regardless of intellectual level, academic achievements, cultural or religious background. It is time to reflect deeply. Life is beautiful and precious, but you can only make it so if you find its essence, which is LOVE. And true, altruistic, sacrificial love is a prerequisite for the existence of PEACE".
Following Dr. Çipi’s speech was some entertainment by the well-known singer from Montenegro, Mr. Nikollë Nikprelaj whose performance was very well received by those present. Also taking part was a famous quartet the members of which had travelled from Dibra e Madhe in North Macedonia. Undoubtedly, the most exciting part of the event was the ceremony awarding the "Ambassador for Peace" title to eleven guests who had made special contributions to society.
The recipients of the "Ambassador for Peace" Award were: Mr. Arben Çejku – former Ambassador and Executive Director of the Albanian Centre for Good Governance; Mrs. Ketrin Gjoça – well-known journalist, director and moderator; Mr. Nikolle Nikprekaj – well-known singer; Mrs. Nermin Spahiu – journalist and editor-in-chief of local TV stations on TVSH; Mr. Demir Osmani – lecturer and expert on security issues; Mr. Elmi (Miçe) Duka – entrepreneur, humanist and chairman of the cultural and artistic society "Dibër Madhe"; Mr. Jahe Fida – poet, writer and editor; Mrs. Afërdita Ferracaku – administrator of the beauty academy "Aphrodite"; Mr. Ramazan Čeka – photojournalist and author of lyrics for the song "Mještër i Madh"; Mr. Altin Sulçe – journalist, chief sports editor at Ora News; and Mr. Fatos Vllamasi – administrator of the "Vllamasi" publishing house.