One of Italy’s most celebrated ancient monuments, the Ara Pacis or Altar of Peace, has been chosen for the inauguration of a new body designed to advance peace in the Middle East. Rome’s mayor Gianni Alemanno discussed the new body in an article published in Italian daily Il Messaggero.
“We need concrete signs, not just words, and Rome must do everything possible, to give concrete signals,” said Alemanno during an official three-day visit to Israel.
The foundation will be named after the monument and will include government officials as well as representatives from the three main monotheistic religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
The Ara Pacis foundation will be launched on 21 April of next year, to coincide with Rome’s 2,762nd birthday.
According to the daily, Israeli president Shimon Peres and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will be the main participants in the foundation, which will also act as a permanent council for reconciliation between countries in the Mediterranean.
Both Peres and Alemanno announced their intention to write a letter to Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi so that the Italian government becomes a promoter of the initiative.
During his stay in Israel, Alemanno inaugurated a square in Jerusalem named after Rome, and received an award on behalf of the city.
The award was given to the cities of Rome, Istanbul and Jerusalem in 2004 for cities with historical legacies.
He also took time to visit the Palestinian territories, where he met Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
The Ara Pacis monument was originally built by the Roman emperor Augustus in 13 BC and dedicated to ‘pax romana’ or Roman peace, an almost 200-year long period of relative peace in the Roman empire.
It is now encased in a modern museum designed by American architect, Richard Meier.
Mayor of Rome plans Mideast peace council
JERUSALEM, May 20 (UPI) — A council for Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation will be housed at the site of the altar built to mark Roman peace, the mayor of Rome said Tuesday.
Gianni Alemanno made the announcement after a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
The office is to be at the Ara Pacis, built 2,000 years ago by the Emperor Augustus in honor of the Pax Romana.
”The idea is to set up a permanent office at the Ara Pacis, providing a permanent, complete council tasked with working towards reconciliation,” Alemanno said.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/05/20/Mayor-of-Rome-plans-Mideast-peace-council/UPI-71561242795108/
Rome to host Mideast council
Quote:
The mayor said he hoped to launch the council on April 21, 2010, the birthday of Rome’s mythical founding, in an event attended by political and religious leaders. Saying he was hopeful Pope Benedict XVI would be there, Alemanno explained that Peres had ”underlined the importance of involving leading world figures in such an initiative, which Rome is ideally placed to do”. According to Alemanno, a similar idea was raised over a year ago but was shelved during the change of government in May 2008.
Peres has reportedly said he will write to Premier Silvio Berlusconi to personally request his support for the initiative. Alemanno’s announcement about the Rome council comes at the end of a visit that has seen him trying to forge closer ties with the area.
http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-05-19_119372238.html