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UNWTO Secretary General, Dr. Taleb Rifai to be Keynote Speaker at IIPT World Symposium
IIPT World Symposium: Cultivating Sustainable and Peaceful Communities and Nations through Tourism, Culture and Sport February 16-19, 2015 Ekurhuleni, South Africa
The Symposium will honor the legacies of the world’s three champions of Non-Violent Resistance: Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Symposium has been endorsed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Other keynote speakers will include: Hon. Derek Hanekom, Minister of Tourism, South Africa (Invited); Hon. Alain St. Ange, Minister of Tourism, Seychelles; Martin Craigs, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) (Invited); Geoffrey Lipman, President, International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP); Mok Singh, Skal International President (2012 – 2013).
Anita Mendiratta, Founder and Managing Director, Cachet Consulting, will be a plenary session Moderator.
IIPT Founder and President Louis D’Amore said, “Our intent will be to harness the Symposium and legacies of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. to build bridges of tourism, friendship and peace between Africa, Asia, North America and other regions of the world.”
The highly interactive Symposium will have two basic aims:
Your Suggestions for Action Initiatives Invited The interactive nature of the Symposium will be designed to foster collaborative action initiatives that will contribute to building a “Culture of Peace through Tourism.” Your suggestions for action initiatives are welcome – as well as your nominations in our: Call for Success Stories Community Tourism Woman Empowerment Rural and Agri-tourism Youth Empowerment Community Capacity Building Community Peace Gardens Skills Development Universal Access Private sector contribution Poverty Reduction Youth Travel Micro Enterprise & SME Dev’t Community Peace Parks Peace with Nature Volunteer Tourism Culinary Contributions Healing Wounds of Conflict Post Conflict Socio-Econ. Dev’t Int’l Collaborative Initiatives Educating for a Culture of Peace Role of Technology Trans-border Peace Parks
Please send brief abstracts to Kunjal Charadva, Email: kunjal.charadva@iipt.org, with a copy to Elizabeth Smith, Email: elizabeth.smith@iipt.org
Pre-Symposium Forums As with past IIPT Conferences and Summits, Pre-Symposium events will include a full day Educators Forum and full day Student/Youth Leadership Forum. As well, following the precedent of IIPT’s Fifth African Conference in Lusaka, Zambia, a full day Traditional Leaders Forum is also planned.
IIPT Scholarship Award A US $2,500 scholarship award will be presented to the inter-disciplinary team of 3-5 students writing the best paper on the Symposium Theme of Building Sustainable and Peaceful Communities and Nations through Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Website now Open for Registration For more information and to register for the Symposium, please visit our Symposium website http://www.iiptsymposium.com/
Sponsorship Opportunities Organizations interested in sponsoring the Symposium are invited to contact: Louis D’Amore, Email: ljd@iipt.org. In South Africa, please contact Bernadette Nickol: bernadette@nickolandpartners.com
Host Partners
Symposium Partners
Strategic Partners
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IIPT World Travel Market Event to Preview World Symposium on Sustainable and Peaceful Communities and Nations
Cultivating Sustainable and Peaceful Communities and Nations is this year’s theme at IIPT’s World Travel Market Session: Wednesday, 5 November, 10:30 to 12:00 Noon South Gallery Rooms 21 and 22
Featured speakers on the panel include: Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Martin Craigs, CEO of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA); Amb. Yamina Karitanyi, Head of Tourism and Conservation, Rwanda; and Hiran Cooray, Director, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Chairman, Jetwing Hotels Ltd. Professor Geoffrey Lipman will moderate the Panel.
The world is currently faced with conflict on every continent – some that began as much as 70 years ago. As well, there are many conflicts in this same period that have been resolved. What lessons can we learn from countries that have resolved their conflict? How can we work towards building sustainable and peaceful communities – sustainable and peaceful nations? As one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries -what role can tourism play. Our panel will share their experience, perspectives and insights on these questions and more including their views on “Building a Culture of Peace through Tourism” across regions of the world. This will be an interactive session with the experience and insights of those in attendance encouraged. This World Travel Market session will be a preview of the ground-breaking IIPT World Symposium: Cultivating Sustainable and Peaceful Communities and Nations to be held at Emperors Palace, Ekurhuleni (City of Peace), Gauteng Province, South Africa, February 16-20, 2015. The Symposium will honor the legacies of three champions of Peace and Non-Violence: Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. and commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the African Union, 20 years of South African Democracy, and 50th Anniversary of Civil Rights Legislation in the United States.
We welcome you to join us at World Travel Market and to share your experiences and insights. |
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Peace Towns and Villages across South Africa - Preparing the Foundations for IIPT World Symposium
Each IIPT/Skål Peace Town or Village will be actively committed to promoting values of tolerance, non-violence, gender equality, human rights, youth empowerment, environmental awareness, and sustainable social and economic development. Collaboration between and among IIPT/Skål Peace Towns and Villages will be encouraged as well as information sharing regarding Peace Town/Village initiatives.
How to become an IIPT/Skal Peace Town or Village South African Towns and Villages are invited to join in commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the African Union and 20 years of South African democracy by dedicating their town to Peace. For more information and to receive a registration form, please contact Louis D’Amore, email: ljd@iipt.org
Towns and villages in other regions of the world interested in becoming part of the IIPT/Skal Peace Towns/Villages Global initiative in support of the World War I Centenary and its theme “No More War” are also invited to contact Louis D’Amore, email:ljd@iipt.org
Skål International is the world’s largest membership organization of travel and tourism industry executives with more than 17,000 members in 405 chapters in 87 countries, and with members from each sector of the industry – several of these chapters are in South Africa.
The IIPT/Skål Peace Towns Initiative builds on the foundations of more than 400 IIPT Peace Parks that have been dedicated to Peace in cities and towns throughout the world beginning in 1992 with IIPT’s “Peace Parks Across Canada” project commemorating Canada’s 125th anniversary as a nation.
Eight Peace Towns and Villages have been achieved to date in South Africa. These are: Knysna - A spectacular tourism destination In Western Cape Province in the heart of the Garden Route featuring the annual Knysna Oyster Festival.
Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Proposed by Skal Cape Winelands - a college town and the proud capital of the Western Cape wine region. Founded in 1685, Stellenbosch is South Africa’s second oldest city, promoting itself as the “most inspiring and innovative town in Africa” and dedicating itself to the values of peace, human rights and sustainable development.
Skills Village 2030 – noteworthy for implementing a practical framework for workplace experience using festivals and events to identify and bring to market commodities, goods, services and experience unique to the local community. Cullinan - Home of the Cullinan diamond mine that produced the world’s largest diamond, the “Cullinan Diamond”. Diamond mine tours are a major tourism attraction of Gauteng Province.
Rayton – offering world class wedding and conference venues, lodges, horse ranches, dairy farms, Bed & Breakfasts, bass fishing, camping and two Museums - the Willem Prinsloo Agricultural and Sammy Marks museums.
Refilwe - Home of the Refilwe Community development initiative and a welcoming spirit towards international volunteers. (see banner photo)
Overwacht - Home of a proud Khoisan community, the original inhabitants of Southern Africa whose origins can be traced back 100,000 years.
Alexandra Township - The mother and father of townships in South Africa dating back to 1912. It was the only place where black people could buy free-hold land at the time. The Township includes a house where Nelson Mandela stayed.
Other peace initiatives in South Africa include the Dinokeng Game Reserve – IIPT/Skal Nature Conservation Peace Park - the first free-roaming Big 5 residential game reserve in Gauteng Province, South Africa (and probably in the world) next to an urbanized area. A private/public initiative opened in 2011.
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IIPT Peace Mission to Syrian Refugee Camp Jordan
That was the question the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) delegation was trying to answer as they recently visited Jordan.
Donald King, Ambassador at Large for the International Institute for Peace through Tourism, led the tour--which was facilitated by H.E. Akel Biltaji, mayor of Amman and member of the International Advisory Board for IIPT.
John Jenkins, Lee Tate. Mike Lindsey, Mark Clayton, and Chris Snowden (pictured below) were the members of the delegation. In addition to a brief tour of Jordan, the group visited Za'atri Refugee Camp, where they met with the camp's director Colonel Abdelrahmin Al-Aroush (third from left in photo) who received the delegation graciously, and in providing the overview of the camp told them: "It is important we help maintain the dignity of the refugees. Za'atri Camp is not a prison and we do not want it to appear like a prison."
The delegation was able to tour the facilities, including one of the hospitals, a grocery store and to visit one of the families--a father, mother and three children who had fled the fighting in Syria. After the tour, one of the delegates commented, "Given the scope of this crisis...we have to applaud the efforts of the Jordanian government and the United Nations. They are doing all they can."
IIPT hopes to soon develop a tour itinerary for Jordan that would allow participants to not only experience the rich tourist sites of Jordan (Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash, Amman and others) but also come alongside the Jordanian government and the United Nations to provide assistance to the refugees from Syria. That information will soon be available here on the IIPT web site.
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Sudan commemorates World Tourism day with Forum: "Building a Culture of Peace through Tourism”
Majed Elkheir, Manager of the Sudan Tourism Promotion Project opened the Forum with a brief overview of the STPP whose aim is development of the Sudan tourism sector to foster the economic, social and cultural empowerment of the Sudanese people.
The Forum featured an “Art vs War” exhibit by the National Cultural Policies Group and a presentation by Wigdan Seed-Ahmed from Sudanese Knowledge Society. Wigdan suggested that more funding be allocated to artistic initiatives. The Art vs. War campaign is by the Napta Art and Culture Center.
Dr. Graham Abdulkadir, speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, congratulated everyone on the success of the Forum emphasizing that the Ministry will cooperate with the private sector and will facilitate procedures for the sustainable development of Tourism in Sudan as a key economic sector.
IIPT Founder and President, Dr. Louis D’Amore addressed the Forum through a satellite connection. He emphasized Sudan’s rich history, diverse cultures, numerous archeological treasures, antiquities and historic sites and the beauty of it natural heritage – offer the potential for tourism to become a vital pillar of Sudan’s economy.
The Sudan Tourism Promotion Project intends to exhibit at World Travel Market in London, November 3-7.
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IIPT to Partner in Africa Travel Association IIPT resumes its fifteen year relationship with the Africa Travel Association (ATA) by partnering in its 39th World Congress, being held in Uganda, November 11-16, 2014.
ATA Executive Director, Eddie Bergman stated, “ATA is pleased to have IIPT as a partner in our 39th World Congress given the long standing relationship between IIPT and ATA.”
IIPT Founder and President, Louis D’Amore said, “I look forward to again partnering with ATA as I have many fond memories of each of the Conferences I participated in during our many years of partnership starting in 1999. IIPT is also proud to have awarded its only “Life Time Achievement Award” to ATA Executive Director, Mira Berman, at the IIPT Fourth African Conference – also in Uganda, in 2007. So returning to Uganda for the 39th ATA World Congress will be particularly special for me.”
IIPT is also proud to have ATA as a partner in the IIPT World Symposium: Cultivating Sustainable and Peaceful Communities and Nations through Tourism, Culture and Sports to be held in South Africa, February 16-20, 2015.
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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, cooperation among nations, an improved quality of environment, cultural enhancement and the preservation of heritage, poverty reduction, reconciliation and healing wounds of conflicts; 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.” For more information: |
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Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will be a keynote speaker at the groundbreaking
Can tourists to Jordan provide assistance to Syrian refugees?
The Sudan Tourism Promotion Project (STPP) commemorated World Tourism Day with a Forum on the theme “Building a Culture of Peace through Tourism.” Active participants in the Forum included representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, the Sudanese Businessmen and Employers Federation, civil society organizations, the media and peace organizations.
The Nile Drums Musical band provided a musical interlude during the Forum. The band is committed to “Music for Peace” and is well-known in Sudan for its participation in the New York African Film Festival this past May. 
ATA's signature event will address timely industry topics, offering a line-up of educational and professional development opportunities and showcasing Uganda’s newest products and services. Delegates will also have the opportunity to participate in ATA’s Young Professionals Program forum, a tourism ministers’ roundtable, business-to-business and networking events, an African Bazaar, host country day(s), gala dinners and pre- and post- country tours.