Dicembre 2020 • Rotary Club NY and Rotary Club Dubai
28 Giugno 2021 • Rotary Club Dubai
Ottobre 2019 • SUDeFUTURI
Mosaic of Peace presentation at twinning ceremony between Rotary Club NY and Rotary Club Dubai
Dicembre 2020
Message from Pasquale della Penna - Presidente Rotary Club Dubai
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening to all, thank you for the beautiful welcome and thank you to... for the hospitality of Rotary.
I greet my Ambassador H.E. Nicola Lerner , the Consul General of the United States Mr Philip Frayne , a greeting to all the authorities present and to all those who are connected on the web . I am here to represent the RCNY, whose ancient history you all know: I am honored to withdraw the certificate on behalf of my Rotary President, Honorable Judge Gerard Schriffen . As PP Erbilgin has already said in his video message we hope to start a real and valid collaboration. But I am also here to thank the PdP President and the RC of Dubai for having joined the Mosaic of Peace project. This project started on 25 April 2017 with the presentation to the Rotary Club of NY and UNHCR in NY and today, in light of the latest world events, it is more and more valid and current. Symbolically, the first three tiles of the Mosaic were placed in Palermo last year in the presence of the Mayor of the city and Her Excellency, the Ambassador of Lebanon, Mrs. Mira Daher. This project has been relaunched from Dubai and in a step-by-step process wants to "return" to NY to propose a re-proposal (update) of the Charter of Human Rights.
Today, 10 December, is World Human Rights Day The date was chosen to commemorate the proclamation by the United Nations General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, on 10 December 1948
MoP does not want to be a photocopy of other structures but to be "original" in becoming a place of proposals, an open house respecting ideas and cultures. There have been many support in addition to those of my fellow Rotarians.
I apologize for my bad English but those who know me know that I speak the language of "heart" and "doing", of respect . My origins tie me to the Mediterranean, to my Calabria, (or as it is often called "Calabriasaudite"), to the Arab world, but I was born on 4th July and therefore destined to be a "bridge" between these worlds, between these different cultures but which historically have only one origin, only one house .
Thanks and I introduce the rotarian friend mr Kaan Soyak . Kaan is the leader of the team that is as the back bone of RCNY with all his back channel works to make this Club as the leading globally including U.N. and promoter with me and Can of this twinning .
Message from Nino Calogero - Dubai
Good Evening in Dubai!
Good Day in New York!
Your Excellencies, distinguished Guests, fellow Rotarians, Ladies & Gentlemen.
It is an absolute pleasure to welcome you all to our Christmas Dinner.
We are not only celebrating Christmas fellowship tonight, but also a twinning between Rotary Club of Dubai with Rotary Club of New York and Rotary Club of Bergamo Italy.
It is significant to point out that, despite the countless problems caused by this pandemic, so many of you are here to celebrate " the renewed atmosphere” typical of Christmas and to join us in enhancing the importance of this event which enlarge ,even more, the space to a greater collaboration between the Clubs of our countries - specifically - between the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America and Italy . This is what we call “ stellar twinning” .
I thank you all for your massive participation and this in my personal name and on behalf of our Club, first of all, and even of Rotary International which strongly supports these initiatives.
I especially thank the diplomatic representatives of the three twinned countries whose presence witness the absolute importance of this event: Thanks H.E. Nicola Lener Italian Ambassador in UAE , THANKS H.E. Philip Frayne Consul General of USA, thank you, H.E. Abdulla SHAHIN Consul General of United Arab Emirates in N.Y., and thanks to all the other diplomats and dignitaries who wanted honor, with their presence, this magnificent and special evening! Evening that I have the honor to lead together with a group of unparalleled valuable persons : my Board!.
Now, allow me to share with you a short brief about our partnership program.
The Twinning Agreement between the Clubs is to share the same values of Rotary International: strive to achieve the principles of Peace, Solidarity and Sustainability and to promote International understanding and goodwill, and carry out service projects in the community.
The purpose for the twinning is to encourage recurring meetings between their members to exchange social, economic and cultural information , in order to promote cordial and friendly relationships between the Clubs members and to actualise common ventures/projects based on Rotary International values and areas of focus.
Tonight, the project we would like to promote is one related to "The Mosaic of Peace", which is an ideal bridge from Sicily to America, Europe and Middle East .
Why Sicily has been choosed as starting point?
Because, aAs you know Sicily in the past has enjoyed the cultural exchange between the Phoenician and Carthaginian, Greek and Roman, and then Byzantine , Arabs , Norman, and Spanish.
From the exchange of this mix of cultures, peace and understanding was born " the Respect'" and the "Unity".
Ladies and Gentlemen,
tonight together with Rotary Club of New York , established in 1909, Rotary Club Bergamo in Italy, established in 1925, Rotary Club of Dubai established in 2003, we celebrate the “stellar twinning” of the Rotaries across these 3 Continents: America, Europe and Middle East.
We invite you all to ideally raise your glass in a toast to honor the President of the Rotary Club New York, and the President of the Rotary Club Bergamo to whom I leave the stage for a short speech on their Clubs and how to coordinate the project named “Mosaic of Peace”.
It’s my privilege now to invite on the stage H.E.. Nicola Lener and H.E.Philip Frayne to hand over the certificate of the twinning and to give a few words as support and boost of this new venture.
Once again, I would like to thank all of you for being here today and I present you my best wishes for a joyful Christmas and happy, prosperous and healthy New Year!
Enjoy and have a good time tonight!
