With great expectation and excitement, the State of Yucatan prepares to receive the 26 Laureates confirmed for the 17th edition of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, that will take place between 19-22 September in Mérida, the state capital. The title of the coming Summit is known as Leave your mark for peace (#LeaveYourMarkForPeace, #MiHuellaPorLaPaz).
The co-organizers of the event are the Permanent Secretariat of the Summit and the government of the state of Yucatán, headed by Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal supported by operational team of the Secretary of Tourism (Sefotur).
While working on the program and other details and accompanying events of the Summit the co-organizers are happy to reveal that the number of Laureates confirmed for the Summit has increased and reached 26 attendees.
At the press conference in Mexico in May the President of the Permanent Secretariat of the Summit Ekaterina Zagladina along with the host local committee of the 17th Nobel Peace Summit headed by Michelle Fridman Hirsch, Holder of Sefotur have announced 21 Laureates confirmed to attend the Summit
As of today, the list of 26 Nobel Peace Prize laureates is made up of 11 individuals and 15 representatives of Nobel Peace Prize awarded organizations.
Among the Prize awarded personalities confirmed to attend the Summit are former presidents Frederik Willem de Klerk from South Africa; Juan Manuel Santos from Colombia, José Ramos Horta from East Timor; Lech Walesa from Poland; Lord David Trimble, First minister of Northern Ireland; Shirin Ebadi, first female jurist in Iran; Leymah Gbowee, a peace activist from Liberia who helped to end a civil war; Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni human rights activist and founder of Women Journalists Without Chains; Rigoberta Menchu Túm, known for dedicating her life to promoting the rights of indigenous people; Kailash Satyarthi, children’s rights activist from India who has released 85,000+ children slaves; and,Jody Williams, American activist known for her work to ban antipersonnel landmines.
The Organizations confirmed for the Summit are American Friends Service Committee; Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet; International Peace Bureau; Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs; Albert Schweitzer Institute; International Campaign to Ban Landmines; Amnesty International; Institute of International Law; Kim Dae-Jung Presidential Library and Museum; International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War; United Nations Children’s Fund; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; International Labour Organization; Martin Luther King Center; Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates has been for 20 years a meeting point for social, business and political leaders, as well as for all members of civil society who wish to participate in the peace-building process and the search for tools to put end to war, promote disarmament, and promote world reconciliation.
This year, the program will focus on both the Mexican legacy and the nation’s participation in the process of global peace-building. The program will involve civil society and young people around the world, who will be provided with the tools and strategies needed to achieve peace at the local and global levels.
Yucatan was chosen to host this magnificent and internationally recognized event for many reasons including its rich vibrancy of culture and deep historical roots in our shared human civilization which includes world heritage and a historical center of Maya culture. For all these reasons and more, Yucatan provides the perfect environment for the 17th edition of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. The Permanent Secretariat has underlined at the last press conference in CDMX that Merida is a great example of civil society working together with their governments to create a safe environment that allows for all to reach their potential – including youth. And it is important that this message be shared with the world.