Twenty-Seven Schools Sign European Parliament Pledge to Peace

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A call for schools to play a role in a process to bring peace worldwide was recently advanced when representatives from 27 Italian educational institutions and associations signed the European Parliament's Pledge to Peace document.

In ceremonies held in Mazara del Vallo, Italy, the groups also agreed to take part in a nationwide initiative sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Education and organized by the nonprofit Percorsi Association in collaboration with The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) and other educational institutions to make peace awareness a primary topic for educational institutions throughout Italy.

The event took place on the second anniversary of the launching of the Brussels Declaration Pledge to Peace. That declaration, inviting European Union representatives to affirm their commitment to peace, was sponsored by European Parliament First Vice President Gianni Pittella at a November 2011 conference called "Peace and Well-being: Addressing the Founding Values of the European Union."

TPRF Founder Prem Rawat, widely recognized as an Ambassador of Peace, gave the keynote address at that gathering. "The role that institutions can play for peace," Mr. Rawat said in his conference address, "is to try to put us in touch with ourselves so that the process of peace and understanding can continue to unfold for us long after we have left those institutions. I think that's what they need to do for peace."

According to Angelo Ditta, human rights consultant to Mazara del Vallo Mayor Nicola Cristaldi, a formal Day of Peace is to be held in Mazara next spring to promote peace initiatives in Italy. The mayor said that TPRF, the European Parliament, and the Percorsi Association will all play a role in organizing the affair. 

At the end of the anniversary signing, the European Parliament's Deputy Mayor for Culture & Social Policies, Danilo Di Maria, praised the commitment to peace shown by the school officials and associations attending.

About The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF)
Founded in 2001, The Prem Rawat Foundation strives to address the fundamental human needs of food, water and peace so that people can live with dignity, peace and prosperity. For more information, visit: www.tprf.org.

SOURCE The Prem Rawat Foundation