Press Release
December 1st, 2022
CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation
A 26-hour-long second of silence that the entire world ought to hear
There are 103 million* individuals on the planet who’ve been displaced by conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations. Starting on Independence Day of Finland, the battle decision group CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation will maintain a 26-hour lengthy second of silence in Helsinki, Finland to honor individuals who have misplaced their houses resulting from a battle.
On December 6th, Finland’s Independence Day, a 26-hour-long second of silence will start. Each second of the silence represents 1,100 individuals compelled to flee their houses – the identical variety of seats because the Kallio Church the place the occasion is held. The complete variety of seconds in 26 hours will symbolize the 103 million individuals, who’ve been displaced by conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations.
“During the 26-hour period of silence, we will turn our thoughts to those who have had to leave their homes,” explains Janne Taalas, CEO of CMI.
“At the same time, we want to make a concrete action to remind people of the art of listening, which is key to building peace. Finland’s Independence Day is a fitting time for this period of silence because eight decades ago hundreds of thousands of Finns were also displaced by war,” Taalas continues.
The second of silence will start on Tuesday, December sixth at 3:30pm (EET) and finish on December seventh at 5:30 pm (EET). The public will be capable of go to the church for the interval of silence throughout the church’s common opening hours. A gaggle of volunteers will participate within the silence and be there additionally at night time when the church is closed to the general public. Everyone around the globe can be part of the second of silence from residence through a Facebook reside stream (hyperlink to reside stream).
The second of silence as a part of an exhibition
At the church, throughout the second of silence, the general public can go to CMI’s exhibition known as “Keys for Peace”. The exhibition presents keys and their house owners from battle areas around the globe: Ukraine, Mali, Bosnia, Burundi, Afghanistan, Palestine, Libya and ceded Karelia in Finland. One of the tales within the exhibition is that of a boy, Martti Ahtisaari, who would later develop into the President of Finland and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
For extra concerning the Keys for Peace exhibition, see https://cmi.fi/keysforpeace/
CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation is a Finnish basis and one of many world’s main peace mediators, stopping and resolving conflicts by way of dialogue. CMI’s work is guided by the precept that every one conflicts could be resolved as a result of individuals have the capability to hunt peaceable change, even within the face of recurring violence.