BERLIN 2009

Breaking Down New Walls for a World without Violence

Berlin, 10th Summit – 10-11 November 2009

Final Statement

The twentieth anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall presented a unique opportunity to examine global developments since then – including the rise and fall of unipolarism – and to consider the strategic, ideological and economic implications of the emerging multipolar world.

The 10th Summit considered how the ideological, economic, strategic and religious walls that continue to divide humanity might best be dismantled and replaced with bridges of communication and understanding. The Summit’s agenda included the following topics: 20 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall: what were its implications and what has changed since then?: in an historic debate, Nobel Peace Laureates as Mikhail Gorbachev, Lech Walesa, F.W. De Klerk and others were invited to discuss the meaning of the fall of the wall twenty years after the event and the implications of the new emerging multipolar world. Breaking down walls created by nuclear weapons of mass destruction: i.e. the walls of strategic military advantage that continue to divide mankind.

Breaking down walls between cultural, religious and ethnic communities and the ways and means of building bridges between such communities: nearly all conflict in the world today is caused by continuing walls between ethnic, language and religious communities within the same societies, as well as by the walls of religious fundamentalism that continue to divide the world.

Breaking down the walls that prevent progress toward sustainable development: The walls of short – term economic interest and governmental and public apathy will have to be dismantled if mankind is to succeed in building bridges to an environmentally sustainable future. Breaking down walls between the development and developing world: i.e. the walls that continue to divide developed and developing countries and the bridges that can be constructed to ensure that all mankind will increasingly share in the benefits of the globalizing world economy.

PARTICIPANTS

Mikhail Gorbachev
Frederik Willem De Klerk
Lech Walesa
Muhammad Yunus
Mairead Corrigan Maguire
Betty Williams

United Nations (UN)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)
International Peace Bureau (IPB)
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Pugwash Conferences (PUGWASH)
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Amnesty International (AI)
International Labour Organization (ILO)

Hosting Parties

The City of Berlin
The Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates
The Gorbachev Foundation

Schedule

Tuesday, 10th  November

Opening speeches:

  • Klaus Wowereit, the Governing Mayor of Berlin
  • Walter Veltroni, co-Chairman of the Summit
  • Mikhail Gorbachev, Chairman of the Summit
  • Greeting from Josè Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
  • Greeting from Thomas Stelzer (Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs)
  • Greeting from Bo Hla Tint (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Burma’s Government in exile)
  • Greeting from Agazio Loiero, President of Regione Calabria  

11.00 – 13.00     First session: 20 Years after the fall of the Berlin Wall:  what were its implications and what has changed since then?
Session Leaders: Mikhail Gorbachev, Lech Walesa, Frederik Willem De Klerk, Ahmed Kathrada representing Nelson Mandela
Remarks by: Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Urban Gibson (International Peace Bureau)
Moderator: Tom Brokaw (NBC)

Break

14.30 – 16.30 Second sessionWalls between rich and poorbreaking down the barriers between the developed and developing world
Session Leaders: Muhammad Yunus, Morten Hovda (Member of the Office of the Director-General International Labor Organization), Peter Spiegel (Head of the GENISIS-Institute for Social Business and Impact Strategies), Prof. Franz Josef Radermacher, (member of the Club of Rome and founder of the Global Marshall Plan initiative), Thomas Stelzer (Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN)

Remarks by: Monika Lüke (Secretary General, German Section, Amnesty International), Marc Dullaert  (President of Kids Rights Foundation), Falko Mohrs (German Youth Delegate to the UN General Assembly)

Moderator: Piotr Gulczynski

16.45 – 18.45 Third session: Walls of menace to the Environment: Breaking down the walls that constrain environmental and sustainable development prospects
Session Leaders: Martin Frick, (General Director of the Global Humanitarian Forum), Prof. Mohan Munasinghe (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Jan Dunlop (Independent international energy consultancy group), Thomas Stelzer (Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN),
Remarks by: Emily Büning (German Youth Delegate to the UN General Assembly)
Moderator: Alexander Likhotal (President, Green Cross International)

Wednesday, 11th  November

9.00 Official presentation of the Charter for a World without violence 
         to the World March for Peace and Nonviolence

  • Introductory speech by Mairead Corrigan Maguire
  • Speeches by Mario Luis Rodriguez Cobos (World March for Peace and Nonviolence)
  • Nobel Peace Laureates handing over the Charter for a world without violence to the World March for Peace and Nonviolence

09.30 – 11.00 Fourth session: Walls of Nuclear Weapons and Armament: building up a world free from nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

Session Leaders: Mikhail Gorbachev, Frederik Willem De Klerk, Paolo Cotta-Ramusino (Secretary General of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs), Alexander Liebeskind  (Secretary of the Committee and Personal Advisor to the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross)

Remarks by: Ehase Agyeno (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War), Jonathan Granoff (President of Global Security Institute), Jacob Romer (Member of the Student Peace Bureau Heidelberg),
Moderator: Giulietto Chiesa (World Political Forum)

11.00 – 12.30 Fifth session: Walls of Intolerance: breaking down walls between cultural, religious and ethnic communities.
Session Leaders: Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Mary Ellen McNish (General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee), David Ives (Executive Director of Albert Schweitzer Institute), Piotr Gulczynski (President of Lech Walesa Foundation), Maria Sachs (Congressman, Florida)
Remarks by: Monika Lüke (Secretary General, German Section, Amnesty International), Luisa Brunori (President of the Italian Observatory on Microfinance), Falko Mohrs (German Youth Delegate to the UN General Assembly),
Moderator: Michael Binyon (The Times)

12.35 Greeting by Wim Wenders

13.00 Ceremony of the Peace Summit Award: 2009 Recipient – Annie Lennox

Announcement of the Summit Final Declaration 
Leaded by: Frederik Willem de Klerk
Moderator: David Steward

PEACE SUMMIT AWARD

Annie Lennox

The Peace Summit Award 2009 was awarded to Annie Lennox during the 10th Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, in Berlin on 11 November for her engagement in the fight against the HIV pandemic in South Africa. Annie Lennox’s SING campaign started to raise funds and awareness and to bring about support and change. The money raised by SING helps prevent the spread of HIV in South Africa, and also supports those currently living with HIV. The awareness it raises is just as valuable: education is a powerful tool.

“One third of pregnant women in South Africa are HIV positive: we can prevent their children being born with the virus if we let the women have access to treatment. If you do not allow that to happen, you’re going to have future generations simply being wiped out.”
Annie Lennox

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