African Union and Zambia Presidents Address
3rd IIPT African Conference on Peace through Tourism

Two African heads of state addressed more than 370 delegates from 25 countries at the 3^rd IIPT African Conference on Peace through Tourism. H.E. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC, President, Republic of  Zambia and H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria and African Union President, both addressed delegates in the Opening Ceremony as the Conference was being televised live throughout Zambia by the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.

 Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, first President of the Republic of Zambia, also addressed delegates in the First Plenary Session and was honored with the World Association of NGO’s prestigious Universal Peace Award.  Nelson Mandela was honored by IIPT as a ‘Man of Peace’ at the Awards Luncheon on the occasion of his 15^th anniversary of release from prison.

 The 3^rd IIPT African Conference on Peace through Tourism was organized by the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) in partnership with the Africa Travel Association and hosted by Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources. 

 Theme of the Conference was: Tourism: Pathway to a Peaceful and Prosperous Africa

several sub-themes important to the theme of the conference including Poverty Reduction; Healing the Wounds of Conflict; Role of Airlines; Sport for Peace and Development; Role of the Media, and more.

 A major outcome of the Conference was the Lusaka Declaration: A 21^st Century Agenda for Peace through Tourism (full text at: www.iipt.org) with commitments to action by Conference delegates and organizations represented at the Conference.

 National Peace through Tourism Week Declared by President Mwanawasa

President Mwanawasa declared the week of the Conference:  ‘National Peace through Tourism Week.’ in recognition of the historical significance of the Conference and giving emphasis to the important role of travel and tourism in contributing to Peace and Sustainable Development.

 The week began with a commemorative ceremony at the Dag Hammarskjold Memorial Site in Ndola, Zambia – the site where UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold went down in a plane crash while on a Peace Mission to the Congo in 1961. The ceremony commemorated his 100^th birthday year. Dag Hammarskjold was also honored the following day during a luncheon hosted by Swedish Ambassador Christina Rehlen.

 IIPT honored Nelson Mandela as a ‘Man of Peace’ at a special Awards Luncheon hosted by the World Association of NGO’s.  He joins with His Majesty King Hussein, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold as world leaders honored by IIPT as ‘Men of Peace.’ Receiving the award on behalf of Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s High Commissioner to Zambia, Mzwandile M. Masala.

 Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, first President of the Republic of Zambia was also honored at the Awards Luncheon as recipient of the World Association of NGO’s (WANGO) Universal Peace Award. 

 As a fitting close to world’s first National ‘Peace through Tourism Week,’ an IIPT International Peace Park was dedicated at Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Ceremony was hosted by Sun International – with the participation of Chief Mukuni and members of the Mukuni Tribe taking part in the ceremonies along with the Mayor of Livingstone and Provincial dignitaries. 2005 marks the 150^th anniversary of the sighting of Victoria Falls by Dr. David Livingstone and the Centennial of the Town of Livingstone.

 Selected action outcomes resulting from the Conference included:

 IIPT Educators Network

National level ‘Educators Forums’ to be established in  Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. The Cape Peninsula University of Technology will serve as Secretariat to the IIPT Educators network and work closely with IIPT. 

 Youth Coordinating Committee

An IIPT Youth Coordinating Committee will be established that will initiate and strengthen contacts with existing youth networks, councils, and Tourism Youth Cooperatives to foster economic empowerment, education and training, and social transformation among the rural and urban youth of Africa.

 Forum of Tribal Chiefs

Recognizing that Tribal Chiefs and Traditional Rulers are critical stakeholders in the development of Peace through Tourism; a Tribal Chiefs Forum will be an integral part of the 4^th IIPT African Conference in collaboration with the “House of Chiefs” in Zambia, which will also serve as the Secretariat for the preparations of the “Tribal Chief Forum.”       

 IIPT – Cape Peninsula University of Technology Partnership

Formation of an IIPT-CPUT partnership for the purpose of building, managing and distributing a body of knowledge on community based tourism, models of best practice, GIS, and map assets in Africa.

 Youth Hostels

Nurture and grow the youth hostel movement in Africa, and as a legacy of this conference – initiate the development of youth hostels in Zambia, Lesotho, and South Africa in collaboration with the International Youth Hostel Federation.

 South East Africa Tourism Investment Program (SEATIP)

With the  leadership of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), facilitate a highly participatory and integrated approach to regional tourism development and conservation in the South East Africa Region with tourism circuits and  public, private sector and community investments that  are mutually reinforcing.

 African Diaspora Heritage Trail

IIPT together with the Africa Travel Association (ATA), will support Bermuda in the implementation of the African Diaspora Heritage Trail (ADHT) conceived by the late Hon. David H. Allen, former Minister of Tourism, Bermuda at the First Global Summit on Peace through Tourism, Amman, Jordan 2000.

 Symposium on Healing the Wounds of Conflict

IIPT will seek to organize a symposium among Ministers of Tourism from African nations that have – and are – experiencing conflict, with the aim of harnessing tourism, sport, and the arts in healing the wounds of conflict and building a foundation for social stability and economic regeneration

 Major sponsors of the Conference included: Title Sponsor, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA); Platinum Sponsor, InterContinental Hotels Group Africa; Gold Sponsors, the Swedish Embassy, U.S. Embassy, United Nations Development Program (UNDP); World Association of NGO’s (WANGO); and eTurbo News.

About IIPT

The International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is a not for profit organization dedicated to fostering travel and tourism initiatives that contribute to international understanding and cooperation, an improved quality of environment, the preservation of heritage, and poverty reduction; and through these initiatives, helping to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world.  It is founded on a vision of the world’s largest industry, travel and tourism – becoming the world’s first global peace industry; and the belief that every traveler is potentially an “Ambassador for Peace”. (www.iipt.org)