47 Peace Monuments Dedicated in 2011
Right click image to enlarge.
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NJanuary 24, 2011 - "Erasmus & 500th anniversary of The Praise of Folly," (Netherlands). 2 Euro coin "commemorating the publication of the book of Desiderius Erasmus, The Praise of Folly or laus stultitiae. The book is considered to be one of the most influential works of western civilisation. In The Praise of Folly Erasmus could scoff at the way how people pursue their own interests with extreme folly and without foresight. The Erasmus coin is the first Dutch 2 Euro commemorative coin with a national theme. The coin has been designed by Dylan Shield."
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MJanuary 27, 2011 - Le musee memorial des enfants du Vel d'Hiv, Orléans (France). Inaugurated by ex-president Jacques Chirac (seen in right image). "Evoque le 'calvaire' de plus de 4.400 enfants juifs internés dans les camps de Pithiviers et Beaune-la-Rolande (Loiret) en 1942 avant d'être séparés de leur mère, puis envoyés à la mort à Auschwitz." ("The "Vel' d'Hiv Roundup" was a Nazi decreed raid and mass arrest in Paris by the French police on July 16-17, 1942. 13,152 victims were arrested and held at the Vélodrome d'Hiver (Vel d'Hiv) and Drancy internment camp nearby, then shipped by railway to Auschwitz for extermination.") Information courtesy of Peter van den Dungen.
February 2011 - "Tolerance," Harmony Walk (corner of Allen Parkway & Montrose Boulevard), Houston, Texas (USA). "A septuplet of sculptures (seven kneeling human figures, composed of multi-lingual melded metal letters resting on Spanish boulders) by Barcelona-based artist Jaume Plensa. Dedication included addresses by Mayor Annise Parker, former Mayor Bill White, Mica Mosbacher, a representative of the Aga Khan Foundation [AKF] & the artist himself. Mica Mosbacher, widow of former US Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher, detailed her involvement with the project, which was sparked by a vicious 2006 hate crime attack against then 16-year-old Latino student, David Ritcheson, who later committed suicide. Mosbacker quoted the United Nations definition of tolerance and how it relates to the city: 'Tolerance is harmony in our differences. Tolerance is not a concession, it's not a condensation, or indulgence.' At the dedication, White expressed thanks to His Highness the Aga Khan, who was pivotal in making 'Tolerance' happen and has spearheaded plans for an Aga Khan Foundation Center on a lot across Allen Parkway."
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EMarch 16, 2011 - Ambassador Richard Holbrooke Memorial Bridge, Salem Avenue, Dayton, Ohio (USA). "The Dayton City Commission unanimously agreed to honorarily name the Salem Avenue Bridge as Ambassador Richard Holbrooke Memorial Bridge in honor of [Richard Holbrooke [1941-2010],] the deceased [American] diplomat who negotiated the Dayton [Peace] Accords at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1995. Holbrooke died in December 2010."
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EMarch 22, 2011 - Amsary Peace Dove, US Institute of Peace (USIP), Constitution Avenue at 23rd Street, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "Between the Lincoln Memorial & Capitol & passing by the Kennedy Center stands the USIP with its white roof that evokes the wings of a dove. Visible as a dove only from above. World's largest peace dove? The structure has been named after Hushang Ansary, the [Iranian-American] philanthropist & business leader from Houston, Texas." By coincidence, the monument was inaugurated by President George HW Bush at exactly the time US warplanes had started bombing Libya on orders from the incumbent Barack Obama. At a ceremony the following night, all four former presidents still living were present. The guests might have remembered that, in one way or another, all four had been involved in wars. In fact, all 44 men who have served as US president so far have been involved in at least one war."
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EApril 4, 2011 - Monumento a Paz / Peace Monument, Luena, Moxico Province (Angola). Dedicated on the 9th anniversary of the Luena Accords of 2002 which brought together the FAA & UNITA military forces, ending 27 years of civil war after the death in combat of Jonas Savimbi [1934-2002] on 22 February of the same year. /// "Near the site where Unita rebel leader Jonas Savimbi was killed in battle on February 22, 2002. Savimbi's death paved the way to a peace deal signed in the capital Luanda on April 4, 2002, ending the 27-year civil conflict that erupted soon after independence from Portugal in 1975." The monument is about 30 metres tall & is made up of copper & iron. It has two arms holding a white dove which symbolises Peace." /// Apparently also dedicated on April 4, 2012, by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.
April 8, 2011 - Hiroshima-Denkmal / Hiroshima Monument, Rhine River, Bonn-Beuel (Germany). Inscription: "Hiroshima 6.8.1945. Friede Allen Volkern. Atomwaffen weltweit abschaffen" (translation: "Peace to all peoples. Abolish nuclear weapons worldwide"). Click here for video of dedication. Information courtesy of Peter van den Dungen.
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EApril 28, 2011 - Peace Pole, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove Campus, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive, Sugar Grove, Illinois (USA). The college "plant[ed] the traditional tree during its Arbor Day celebration [but] also plant[ed] something a bit more unique — an eight-foot-tall aluminum Peace Pole. [During] a short ceremony there [were] remarks about the college’s ongoing sustainability efforts, including its recent Tree Campus USA designation, and the history of the Peace Pole Project, along with a performance by the Waubonsee Chorale. Attendees [were] also able to take part in a human peace sign photo [image]."
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LSpring 2011? - Vienna Peace Trail, Peace Matters (a project of the Konfliktkultur Association),Vienna (Austria). Described in "Discovering Peace in Vienna," a guide book...that "offers an unusual and exciting perspective on the city... Presents rich evidence of people throughout history who have lived and worked in Vienna and were engaged in different active peace & human rights fields in science, arts and political activities. Offers stories & pictures in several city walks, describing places where people lived and acted in their engagement for peace, human rights, improvement of general conditions of life & promotion of democratic development." Will undoubtedly include the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15, Bertha von Suttner [1843-1914], Alfred Fried [1864-1921], and the inauguration of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) in 2005.
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LMay 12, 2011 - Peace Mural, Integrity House (Broad Street façade), Newark, New Jersey (USA). "The largest community-based public artwork in the history of the City of Newark. Unveiled by the Barat Foundation & the Newark Interfaith Coalition for Hope & Peace at the Newark Peace Education Summit to welcome Nobel Laureates His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, Dr. Shirin Ebadi & Jody Williams... The 50ft x 35ft Peace Mural was completed over the course of 45 days by more than 500 Newark youth & numerous volunteers working with the mural's designer, Dan Fenelon, mural facilitator Sue Daly & a team of artists in residence."
May 20, 2011 - Peace Monument, Maribor, Lower Styria (Slovenia). Includes "boards of name for fallen soldiers." /// "The first such monument dedicated to peace & presentation of history that is free of any ideological dimension, not only in Slovenia, but anywhere in the world [sic]... Ljubica Jelusic, Minister of Defence, expressed her view of wars as wars of political ideas & ideology where single soldier face is not seen. In her opinion the Peace Monument is not only the opportunity to get to know who these soldiers were, but also the opportunity to realize that they were a part of a big European & World's generation that died in the Second World War... Mag. Lidija Plibersek, the director of Pogrebno podjetje Maribor, believes that the [dedication] has a great symbolic & unifying value, which aims to build a common historical consciousness without dividing & without value judgments. She hopes the basic message of the project will spread further across Europe." /// German troops marched into Maribor at 9 pm on 8 April 1941. By the end of WW-II, Maribor was the most war-damaged major town of Yugoslavia... Nine mass graves in & near Maribor were revealed after Slovenia's independence in 1991. EE WW-II
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EMay 26, 2011 - "Tree of Peace," School of Dentistry & Oral Health, A. T. Still University (ATSU), Mesa, Arizona (USA). "Symbolizes how health care, & specifically dental heath, can be a bridge to world peace." "By internationally recognized artist Hedva Ser [of Paris (France)]. The original 2008 Tree of Peace is on the campus of the Hebrew University Dental School in Ein Karem, Jerusalem [image at far right]. It celebrates the collaboration between the Hebrew University & the Palestinian Dental School, Al Quds, dental students & faculty also in Jerusalem."
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EJune 1, 2011 - Peace Pole, Vallejo, California (USA). From Contra Costa Times, Feb. 3, 2011: "The Vallejo Sister City Association has commissioned a 10-foot-tall, six-sided concrete monument or "peace pole" in recognition of the city's several Sister City partnerships across the world. In coming months, the gift is expected to be presented to city officials, who will determine where the approximately 1,200-pound monument will rest. Each side of the pole will commemorate a different city's relationship with Vallejo, including Trondheim, Norway (forged in 1961); Akashi, Japan (1968); LaSpezia, Italy (1986); Baguio City, Philippines (1993); Bagamoyo, Tanzania (1993) and Jincheon, South Korea
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LJune 12, 2011 - Barbara Reynolds Monument, Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima (Japan). Adjacent to the Norman Cousins & Marcel Junod monuments (qv). Inscription: I, too, am a Hibakusha. Hibakusha -- they are the inspiration for all my peace efforts. My heart is always with Hiroshima. [signed] Barbara Reynolds. Special Honorary Citizen of Hiroshima. Founder of World Friendship Center, Hiroshima. World Friendship Center, 2011." Barbara Leonard Reynolds [1915-1990] founded the World Friendship Center (WFC) in Hiroshima & Peace Resource Center (PRC) in Wilmington, Ohio (USA). See web pages about boats & ships & about peace monuments in Hiroshima for the sailboat "Phoenix of Hiroshima" which Reynolds & her family built in Hiroshima in 1954. Click here for additional information. Left image shows Jessica Reynolds Renshaw bowing to her mother's monument. Right image shows (left to right) Tony Reynolds, Larry & JoAnn Sims (WFC), Jessica Reynolds Renshaw, Jerry Renshaw & Steve Leeper (chair of Peace Culture Foundation).
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EJune 12, 2011 - Anne Frank statue, Wilhelmina Park, Aruba (Netherlands Antilles). Dedicated on Anne Frank's birthday. "Created in the Netherlands by Dutch bronze artist Joep Coppens, who used the same process to create the bronze statue as was used in ancient times. Once finished, the statue was packed up and transported on a KLM Cargo plane to Aruba, where the statue will be unveiled in its new home in the Wilhelmina Park."
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EJune 18, 2011 - Frederick Douglass Memorial, Courthouse, Easton, Talbot County, Maryland (USA). A seven-foot bronze statue of Douglass on the lawn of the county courthouse. He was born between Hillsboro & Cordova in Talbot County in February 1818.
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EJune 25, 2011 - Peace Bridge, River Foyle, Londonderry (Northern Ireland). "A multi-million pound foot and cycle bridge is to bring an area into shared public use for the first time in nearly 170 years. Will link the former military base at Ebrington to the Guildhall building and ‘transcend the physical divide of the river’. ...Will be the third to span the River Foyle and has been given more than £13m of funding from the European Union’s PEACE III Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). ...Social development minister Margaret Ritchie said she hoped the development would ‘underline our resolve to create a shared future’"
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LSummer 2011 - "Wonder Wheel of Peace," Helsinki (Finland). One of a number of street murals painted as a result of an initiative by "Multicoloured Dreams" (MCD). Theme for summer 2011 was "peace & peacemaking." Click here for a gallery of other 2011 murals. Artworks can be seen on the construction site walls on Kamppi Narinkkatori square, in Töölönlahti area & next to the Parliament House.
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LAugust 13, 2011 "River of Peace," Salem Family YMCA, 685 Court Street NE, Salem, Oregon (USA). "Mosaic on YMCA housing structure" near Oregon State Capitol. "A participatory mosaic which involved over 600 people creating a 60' long mosaic with porcelain, glass & stone tile. Workshops were held involving participants from age 3 to 85 in making art & writing poetry to express that Salem means Peace... A poem was written for the Salem Peace Mosaic by Oregon Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen. The poem 'Capital' was created in ceramic tile and runs along the 40' glass mosaic river." "KMUZ volunteer DJ Lee Coynea...spearheads the Salem Peace Mosaic with the Salem YMCA, possibly the only mural on the West Coast actually designed by kids." Information courtesy of Michael Romy, Bloomington, IN.
August 2011? - Peace Bell, Kinmen Island (Taiwan). 2 meters high & weighs 5.3 metric tons, designed by Taiwanese architect Kris Yao & inscribed with the word 'peace' in more than 100 languages. Cast from copper & metal from the cannon shells fired in the battle. Along the sides of the bell are the small ridges that symbolize the obstacles that are likely to arise in the pursuit of peace. Photo shows President Ma Ying-jeou; former South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk; Song Kosal, a youth ambassador from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines; and a veteran of the 1958 battle during ceremony to mark the 53rd anniversary of the 823 Artillery Bombardment during which China fired more than 470,000 shells at Kinmen over a period of 44 days in 1958. (Kinmen was formerly called Quemoy. de Klerk received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.)
August 22, 2011 - "Votes for Women!," Mile End Park, close to Meath Bridge, near Bow Borough of Tower Hamlets, London (England). One of three steel statues depicting Tottenham Hotspur & England footballer Ledley King, suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst [1882-1960] & a towpath horse. "Suffagettes fought for voting rights for British Women, and were very active in nearby Bow. The vote was extended to British Women over the age of 30 in 1918 & to all women of voting age (then 21, now 18) in 1928."
September 10, 2011 - Manitoba Conscientious Objector Memorial, Bethel Heritage Park, Winkler, Manitoba (Canada). "The Wall of Remembrance, a peace memorial & teaching aid recognizing all 3,021 Manitoba conscientious objectors during World War II,... is part of a concerted community effort, supported by donations, to do the right thing with a hectare (acre) of land in the middle of town. When their old Bethel Hospital was demolished 5 years ago, the city council heard proposals, from which emerged an educational park showcasing their diverse community. The result was an outdoor classroom along a walking path with: An entrance gate similar to Mennonite villages in Ukraine, storyboards depicting Winkler's history, war memorial for veterans, peace memorial to conscientious objectors (CO's) & garden features (fountain, gazebo, flowers). Though the majority (55% in 2001) are of Mennonite descent, with 10 of 19 churches being Mennonite, other denominations of Germans from Russia & Jews have co-existed for generations."
September 11, 2011 - National September 11 Memorial & Museum, New York City, New York (USA). "Displays the names of the 2,982 men, women & children killed in the 9/11 attacks - in New York, Pennsylvania & at the Pentagon - and in the February 26, 1993, World Trade Center bombing." At the World Trade Center site." EWL visited 13Jun11.
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October 8, 2011 - Victory Stupa, Earth Sanctuary, 5536 Emil Road, Langley, Whidbey Island, Washington (USA). "A blessing ceremony for a new Buddhist stupa monument and Tibetan prayer wheels is planned today in Langley. A stupa is the most important Buddhist monument designed to bring peace & harmony to a community. The blessing will be led by His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya, the Head Lama of Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism in Seattle. Earth Sanctuary features megalithic monuments & sacred spaces designed for meditation & prayer. It's open to visitors during daylight hours year around. Admission is $7."
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LOctober 10, 2011 - Peace Memorial, Two Lovers' Point (US Territory of Guam). "It's been ten years in the making, but last night the Rotary Club of Northern Guam celebrated the completion & unveiling of its Peace Memorial - a tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks against America. Joey Lopez was one of the many rotary presidents who over the years has worked on making the monument a reality. He said, 'Just think of a place on Guam where you can come or our friends or visitors & actually pay tribute to the victims.' The Peace Memorial represents a milestone joining more than 20 countries around the world that have built monuments of peace in their homelands. /// "Also known as Puntan Dos Amantes, Two Lovers' Point forms the northern tip of Tumon Bay. It is a must see attraction when visiting the island of Guam. Legend holds that a pair of star-crossed lovers whose parents would not allow them to marry tied their hair together & jumped to their deaths from this 378-foot cliff."
October 2011 - No Gun-Ri International Peace Park, Museum & Education Center, No Gun-Ri, Yongdong County (South Korea). 29-acre park, adjacent to the massacre site. Top image shows "the Memorial Tower with its three- 2 two-dimensional depictions of the refugees of 1950 & two arches representing the No Gun Ri tunnel entrances." /// "In 2007, the South Korean government announced that it would build a $20 million No Gun Ri History Park in the village by 2009. The following is from a visit on October 7, 2009 (click here for the full account): "Chung Koo Do is the Director of the No Gun-Ri Institute for Peace Studies and is dedicated to ensuring that the memory of the No Gun-Ri massacre is not lost and that justice prevails. He told me that there were over 500 incidents of killing of civilians during the war but No Gun-ri was the only case investigated by a joint South Korean-US government team. After the No Gun-ri investigation the US said it would not look into any other case. [July 26-29] 2010 will be the 60th anniversary of No Gun-Ri. Chung told me his organization is planning to sponsor several important events to commemorate the massacre. He hopes that US soldiers who were involved in the Korean War will come for the events and he particularly hopes that Veterans for Peace in the US will send a delegation to Korea during this time. He asked me to help them make that possible and I told him I would do my best. Chung pointed out with great pride the large area surrounding the No Gun-ri massacre site that will become a peace park. The South Korean government is now building a peace museum, educational facilities, and memorials. The survivors, and their descendants, are determined to keep the memory of No Gun-ri in the forefront of international peace movement efforts." (Click here for an account of a meeting with survivors in the USA on November 10, 1999.) Affiliated with International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP).
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KAugust 18, 2000-October 16, 2011 - Worldwide Walk, Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Jean Beliveau - who arrived home on Sunday to a hero's welcome in Montreal from loved ones, MP's & supporters - said his 'real mission' was to lobby Canada & other governments to create 'ministries of peace.' 'We are all different, & that is what is beautiful about life on Earth - our different colours, different beliefs, different political systems,' he said. 'Those are all musical notes... we must create harmony from them, create a common tune,' an emotional Mr Beliveau told the crowd assembled at city hall in the old part of the city. Mr Beliveau left Montreal on the day of his 45th birthday - August 18, 2000 - after his small sign business went bankrupt. He decided to run around the world to try to escape the pain. The Canadian ran all the way to Atlanta, Georgia, before slowing his stride for what would become the longest uninterrupted walk around the world: 75,000 km across 64 countries."
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LDate?, 2011 - Bell of Peace," Osh City (Kyrgyzstan). "Vice-mayor of the South capital Taalay Sabirov announced for journalists that Osh city prepares for Bell of Peace installation. According him the bell was casted in Novosibirsk province and brought to Osh city. 'it was made in "Svetolitye" enterprise at Novosibirsk city pilot plant of nonferrous castings. 2 kilograms of coins were collected for this bell, and 50 kilograms were collected in total,' said the vice-mayor. Cost of the bell was 100K soms. These are money of the local body. 750K soms cost the preparing of a territory. Specialists from Novosibirsk city will install the bell. The monument will be near the Mothers’ tears monument [image]. These monuments will symbolize peace and stability in the region,' explained Taalay Sabirov. The slogan 'Peace all over the world' is written in Russian, Kyrgyz & English on the low part of the bell. Recall, astronauts Salizhan Sharipov & Anatoly Berezov arrive in Kyrgyzstan with peace making mission on March, 2011. USSR Hero Anatoly Berezov was one of the initiators of Peace Bell on Earth Day initiative, & he offered to install the monument in Osh city. The mayor Melis Myrzakmatov supported the initiative & name 2011 the Year of interethnic harmony & cooperation. The first Bell of Peace was installed in New York of 1954. The slogan is: 'World peace forever!'"
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EOctober 24, 2011 - "The Tree of Life," Wesley Church, Hay & Williams Streets, Central Business District, Perth, West Australia (Australia). Sculpture by Rod Laws commissioned as part of the Children's Peace Project for the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2011). /// "The Tree of Life sculpture outside Wesley Emo church is being threatened by …TREES! Who will stop this arboreal terror threatening the CHOGM tree of life?" /// Information courtesy of Peta Clemeno.
October 30, 2011 - Stone tablet for Augusto Masetti, Bologna, Via Castelfidardo (Italy). Augusto Masetti [1888-1966] was an anarchist & anti-militarist Italian who was involved in a case of insubordination to military orders on October 30, 1911, when the military was leaving for the war in Libya. Tablet unveiled on the centenary of this act of resistance. Inscribed "Il soldato che disse no alla guerra." / "The soldier who said no to war." Information courtesy of Vittorio Pallotti & Peter van den Dungen.
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NNovember 5, 2011 - Beacon of Peace & Hope, Arkansas Inland Marine Museum (AIMM), North Little Rock, Arkansas (USA). 36-foot beacon projeting two lights at night: One for peace & one for hope. A project of Women's Action for New Directions (WAND). Construction started at the end of April 2009.
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November 19, 2011 - Peace Monument, Praça da Paz / Square of Peace, Setor Sambaqui, Parque da Cidade, Joinville, State of Santa Catarina (Brazil). Dedicated on Flag Day. A tribute to soldiers who participated in United Nations Peacekeeping Forces. "Two totems that make up an egg, made of concrete & placed on a concrete base that holds a sphere also in concrete, filled with details in relief. The egg symbolizes the conception of life, in this case, surrounding the planet Earth & its life forms. Connotes peace, affection, security & protection. The structure is pigmented in black & white to highlight the integration of ethnic groups." Right image shows designer Edith Khahold Rodrigues Steffen & floor of the square which depicts a world map. Erected by City of Joinville & Institute for Research & Planning for Sustainable Development (IPPUJ). (Joinville is a city with a German heritage.) Information courtesy of Francineide Rodrigues.
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EDecember 24, 2011 - Unhate Dove, University of Tripoli, Tripoli (Libyas). "Following on from the launch of its Unhate Project in November, Benetton has unveiled its first monument to peace through Colors Magazine. The publication donated the large dove sculpture to the Libyan capital on Saturday, which marked the country's first Independence Day in 42 years. Made by Fabrica, the Unhate Dove art installation is composed of over 15,000 spent shell cartridges picked up in the world’s 'hot spots' & symbolises newfound peace in the region. 'The official handing-over of the dove is the UNHATE Foundation’s first act, both concrete and symbolic,' said Alessandro Benetton, Benetton Group’s executive deputy chairman, on behalf of the Foundation."
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