IIPT News Updates
  May 2017 |
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PATA to be Partner in UNWTO-IIPT Global Summit, Montreal Official conference of the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development
Dates of the official UN International Year Conference are 18 & 19 September. The traditional IIPT Educators Forum and Student Forum will be held 17 September and Mr. Timothy Marshall, will Chair the “IIPT Family Meeting” also on 17 September.
We are proud to return to the City, Province and Nation that hosted the first major international Conference on Sustainable Tourism in 1994, the IIPT Global Conference: Building a Sustainable World through Tourism – particularly as 2017 is the 150th Birthday of Canada, 375th birthday of Montreal and as IIPT commemorates its 30th Anniversary year by returning to the place of its birth. Timing for the Global Summit is scheduled for the third week of September to coincide with the meeting of world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York. Our aim is to gain global media coverage that will heighten awareness among world leaders regarding the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development – and the vital role of tourism in fostering international understanding and peace in our troubled world. Join us as we continue to plan and work toward the vision of travel and tourism as the world’s first global peace industry and supporting the potential of “Every traveler being an Ambassador for Peace.” Website is Open for Registration The UNWTO – IIPT Global Summit website is open for registration at: http://unwto.iiptsummit.org/. Save Cdn $100 with early bird registration till 1 June. Global Summit Venue Venue for the Global Summit is the prestigious Hotel Bonaventure in downtown Montreal, just minutes away from historic “Old Montreal” where you will experience the “Spirit of 375.”
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 Global Summit to Feature Leading-edge Success Stories and Models of Best Practice The UNWTO – IIPT Global Summit will feature leading edge success stories and models of best practice by world renown practitioners regarding sustainable tourism and the role of tourism, culture and sport in fostering community development, mutual understanding and peace, conflict resolution, environmental enhancement, poverty reduction, and accessible travel for all. These will include for example: Megan Epler Wood, Director, International Sustainable Tourism Initiative, Harvard University and Founder/First President, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) in 1990. Megan will make a presentation on Regional Tourism Planning and Geodesign applications in post-conflict countries. David Adams, Founder and President, Culture of Peace News Network launched at UNESCO in 1998 during the UN Decade for Culture of Peace. David will speak on the “Global Movement towards a Culture of Peace.” Steve De Voss, Founder and President, Global Sports Partners with 25 years of international experience in harnessing sport for healing wounds of conflict will speak on the transformative role of sport in post conflict areas. Diana McIntyre Pike, pioneer of Community Tourism for some 40 years will speak on the launch of the Community Tourism Educational Centres throughout the Caribbean in collaboration with the University of West Indies.
Other leading edge practitioners and professionals interested in presenting their success stories and models of best practice are invited to write: ljd with a copy to: kunjal.charadva Educators Forum and Student/Youth Leadership Forum As with all previous IIPT International Conferences, beginning with the IIPT First Global Conference: Tourism – A Vital Force for Peace, Vancouver 1988 – Montreal Global Summit will include a full day “Educators Forum” and full day Student/Youth Leadership Forum. Educators wishing to present in the Educators Forum, 17 September are invited to email: ljd with a copy to kunjal.charadva Students/Youth Leaders wishing to present in the Student/Youth Leadership Forum are invited to email nishit with a copy to kunjal.charadva Collaboration – Global Impact Session A special session is being held for the first time inviting organizers of travel and tourism conferences throughout the world to come together to share key outcomes and initiatives resulting from their respective conferences – and to explore avenues of collaboration with a view to achieving synergies and a greater global impact in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Interested conference organizers are invited to email: ljd with a copy to kunjal.charadva |
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We are most pleased to announce that the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will be a partner in the UNWTO – IIPT Global Summit: Sustainable Tourism for Development and Peace, Montreal, 17-21 September and that Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA will be a keynote speaker.
The UNWTO – IIPT Global Summit program will continue Wednesday, 20 September and until noon on Thursday 21 September, the UN International Day of Peace. Following the closing plenary session, the UN International Day of Peace will be commemorated with the dedication of an International Peace Park in Montreal as a legacy of the Summit.
Dr. Taleb Rifai will again be with us to deliver a key note address in the Opening Ceremony. The Official Conference of the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development will also feature keynote addresses by world leaders and leaders of the travel and tourism industry.
Maria de la Fuente –Co-Director of Peace Boat who will present the amazing story of ‘Peace Boat’ that began some 35 years ago in Japan. Peace Boat Ecoship is a flagship for future sustainability and peace – traveling to 100 ports in more than 80 countries while educating their 60,000 multi-generational passengers through experiential learning and inter-cultural dialogue to promote peace, human rights and respect for the environment. Watch this inspiring 2 minute video – 
The Global Peace Parks Project builds on the success of IIPT’s 1992 “Peace Parks across Canada” Project commemorating Canada’s 125th birthday as a nation. IIPT conceived and implemented “Peace Parks across Canada” which resulted in 350 Peace Parks being dedicated by cities and towns from St. John’s, Newfoundland on the shores of the Atlantic, across five time zones to Victoria, British Colombia on the shores of the Pacific.
The Peace Parks were all dedicated on October 8, 1992 as a National Peace Keeping Monument was being unveiled in Ottawa and 5,000 Peacekeepers passing in review. Each park was dedicated with a ‘bosco sacro’ – a peace grove of 12 trees, symbolic of Canada’s 10 Provinces and 2 Territories, as a link to one another, and a symbol of hope for the future. Of the more than 25,000 Canada 125 Projects, Peace Parks across Canada was said to be the most significant. |
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Dr. Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary General and Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s first President, are shown planting the first of 6 olive trees brought from Bethany Beyond the Jordan by Amman Mayor, H.E. Akel Biltaji pictured on the right with King Makuni of the Leya People, on whose land Victoria Falls is located, and IIPT Founder and President, Louis D’Amore.
Persons interested in more information on the “IIPT Global Peace Parks Project” are invited to email ljd
IIPT Travel for Peace Campaign
The second flagship project of IIPT’s 30th Anniversary Year is the "IIPT Travel For Peace Campaign" that encourages every traveler to be an "Ambassador for Peace" by practicing the IIPT Credo of the Peaceful Traveler and the ethic inherent in the iconic Padre Johnson portrait of the Global Family reminding us that we are "One Earth One Family.
The “IIPT Travel for Peace Campaign relates to the UNWTO “Travel – Enjoy – Respect” initiative of the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. It seeks to engage travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, airlines, cruise ships and other sectors of the global travel and tourism industry to join with IIPT in encouraging every traveler to be an “Ambassador for Peace”
Organizations wishing to become charter members of the IIPT Travel for Peace Campaign in support of the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development (and Peace) are invited to email: ljd 
Grateful for the opportunity to travel and experience the world and because peace begins with the individual, I affirm my personal responsibility and commitment to:
- Journey with an open mind and gentle heart
- Accept with grace and gratitude the diversity I encounter
- Revere and protect the natural environment which sustains all life
- Appreciate all cultures I discover
- Respect and thank my hosts for their welcome
- Offer my hand in friendship to everyone I meet
- Support travel services that share these views and act upon them and,
- By my spirit, words and actions, encourage others to travel the world in peace
International Institute for Peace Through Tourism
Claire McFarlane Second IIPT Ambassador for Peace
Claire McFarlane, global adventurer and sexual violence awareness advocate, has been named the second IIPT Ambassador for Peace.
An Australian-born South African and founder of Footsteps To Inspire, Claire is on a mission to run over 3000 kilometres of beach across 184 countries to promote peaceful dialogue and raise awareness for survivors of sexual violence. It is a world first, both as an expedition and social cause.Claire chose to embark on this epic social adventure in response to her own personal trauma. In 1999, she escaped death after a brutal rape on the streets of Paris. What followed was a long struggle through the French justice system that only came to an end on 1 October 2015. The ordeal lasted 16 years in total. Claire chose to share her story publicly in 2014 to help other rape victims and was astounded by how many survivors reached out to her. She began to realise the power of storytelling and this sparked Footsteps To Inspire.
Through peaceful outreach and by sharing her own story of survival, Claire is now bringing global understanding to an issue that affects 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men.
In each country, Claire links with local communities and some join her as she runs 16 kilometres (10 miles) barefoot along a stretch of beach. She will continue doing this until she has run in every coastal country and dependency of the world.
Currently, in her 17th country, Claire is planting seeds of hope wherever she travels and is encouraging local communities to host an annual beach run to honour survivors of sexual violence and to keep inspiring peaceful change. Communities in India, Papua New Guinea and South East Asia have already offered to host a second Footsteps To Inspire run in 2017/2018.
Footsteps To Inspire will take four years to complete and Claire is moving to different countries approximately every seven days. As well as running in each country, Claire engages with local NGOs, services and survivors to share stories and understand what the issues, complexities, difficulties and hopes are for survivors of sexual violence. She aims to turn this information into a global report that can be shared and used by others to better support victims and work towards the common goal of having a world free of sexual violence. This is just one of many long term goals for Footsteps To Inspire.
Claire is a voice of inspiration and hope to many who have experienced the trauma of sexual violence, and is leaving a lasting legacy of change in every place she visits. Her efforts have started receiving widespread recognition. She was invited to speak at TEDx USVI in June 2016 and is honored to be invited back again in 2017. Additionally, Elle Magazine nominated Claire as one of fifty incredible women shaping the continent of Africa.
Claire’s journey was recently featured on CNN Philippines Profiles which can be watched here https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines/videos/1889210477985509/).
You can be a part of Claire’s journey and follow her progress on Facebook –www.facebook.com/footstepstoinspire
or the Footsteps To Inspire website: www.footstepstoinspire.org
Other social media links include:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/footstepstoinspire/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/FootstepsTI
HRH Princess Dana Firas Patron of
IIPT “Travel for Peace” Tour to Jordan with Opportunities to
Assist Syrian Refugees
IIPT is honored to announce that HRH Princess Dana Firas will be a Patron of the IIPT “Travel for Peace Tour” to Jordan 9-18 November 2017. HRH Princess Dana Firas is a Global advocate for cultural heritage preservation and President of the Board, Petra National Trust (PNT). HRH Princess Dana Firas will personally meet with members of the tour either in Amman or Petra.
Under the leadership of HRH Princess Dana Firas, PNT has expanded its work not only to include conservation and preservation projects but also Education, Outreach and Awareness (EOA) programs for youth in the six villages that surround the Petra Archaeological Park. PNT will be facilitating a special tour by its youth workshop members that will give a unique view of Petra.
Donald King, Ambassador at Large for the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT), and his wife Lynne will be leading the special “Travel for Peace” tour to Jordan November 9-18, 2017. The Kings have been residents of Jordan and have extensive experience leading tours in Jordan. They also have recently been involved in several humanitarian efforts assisting Syrian refugees while developing relationships with local organizations that provide services to these refugees. They recently hosted a voluntary optometry team that provided vision screening and eye glasses at a special school for Syrian children.
Persons participating in the upcoming IIPT Peace Tour will have a chance to interact with Syrian refugee children, providing games, handicrafts and other gifts at the school. The dates of the tour have been set for November 9-18, to coincide with the close of World Travel Market so that persons attending WTM might fly directly from London to Amman.
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Collaborating with IIPT will be Airline Ambassadors International (AAI). AAI helps orphans and vulnerable children worldwide by leveraging connections with the airline industry towards humanitarian service. AAI will also be providing marketing support among its members. AAI’s Founder and President, Nancy Rivard, was the second recipient of the IIPT Ambassador for Peace Award at IIPT’s 1999 Global Conference in Glasgow. www.airlineamb.org.
AAI will be represented by Sandy Dhuyvetter, a member of the AAI Board of Directors who will manage AAI’s commitment to IIPT. Sandy is also a trainer on Human Trafficking Awareness in the travel industry and an award winning creator, executive producer and host of TravelTalk Radio and Travel Talk Media.
 Nancy Rivard |
 Sandy Dhuyvetter |
Partnering with IIPT in organizing the tour is Near Eastern Tours, an IIPTCoalition Partner. Near Eastern Tours will provide in-country services for the tour.
Also collaborating with IIPT will be Angels of Hope who will provide “Tee” Shirts and other gifts for school children. www.theangelworkshop.com
Jordan is one of the world’s spectacular destinations and home to some of the world’s friendliest and most hospitable people. The itinerary will provide the opportunity to see this fascinating land, meet its people and experience its welcoming spirit. The tour itinerary will include Jerash, Petra, Wadi Rum, Mt. Nebo, Azraq Wetlands, Shumari Reserve, the Dead Sea and other sites.
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Participants in this special tour will have the opportunity to assist some of the Syrian refugees who have fled the war in their homeland. We will visit refugee families and provide food parcels, hygiene packets and medical supplies to some of the neediest families. Participation in this tour will make a difference in the lives of a few Syrian families and participants will gain an appreciation for one of the most interesting countries in the world.
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Interested persons and Travel agents are invited to request more information. Please send an email request to: travelking47
IIPT CARIBBEAN APPOINTS COMMUNITY TOURISM YOUTH AMBASSADOR
The President of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) Caribbean chapter, Diana McIntyre-Pike has announced the appointment of Mr. Gavin Palmer as the IIPT Caribbean Community Tourism Youth Ambassador. In this role he will support the marketing and promotion of the IIPT Peace Villages program; Countrystyle Community Tourism Network (CCTN) Villages as Businesses program endorsed by IIPT as a project for peace through tourism; and the Academy for Community Tourism (ACT) training programs in Basic Hospitality Skills and Community Tourism Entrepreneurship.
Gavin Palmer is a Jamaican and a final year student pursuing a Master of Science in Renewable Energy Management at the University of the West Indies Mona and past President of the University’s Tourism Society. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Alternative Energy and Economics from Cornwall College where he was active in sports leadership and a certificate from the Academy for Community Tourism.
Gavin lives by the motto: “Purpose brings you on your journey, passion is the light along the way”. His short term aspiration is to become an Environmental Director within the tourism industry.
While operating in this role of the IIPT Caribbean Community Tourism Youth Ambassador he can contribute to the preservation of the delicate and striving industry, mitigating against and adapting to existing and forecasted threats, with the ultimate aim of enhancing the tourism product of the region. The IIPT branded Jamaica and the Caribbean as THE HOME OF COMMUNITY TOURISM in 2013 during the 1st IIPT Caribbean Community Tourism Workshop and Study tour.
According to Diana McIntyre-Pike ‘Gavin will play an integral role in getting the youth of the Caribbean motivated to be entrepreneurs within their own environment and assist with the promotion of peace through tourism’.
IIPT Advisory Board Member
IIPT mourns the death of Sir Andy Chande, IIPT Advisory Board Member since 2003 following the IIPT Second African Conference in Tanzania.
Sir Andy was a former Member of Parliament in Tanzania serving on the country’s Executive Council – the highest governing organ. He served either as Chairman or as a member of the Board of Directors of a number of private and public companies and of government and multi-government corporations including East African Railways Corporation, East African Harbours Corporation, Tanzania Harbours Authority, Air Tanzania Corporation, Tanzania Tourist Corporation, Tanzania Railways Corporation and Barclays Bank Tanzania Limited.
Sir Andy also had several prominent international roles: Ministerial Committee of the Organization of African Unity; Deputy Leader of Tanzania’s delegation to the UN Preparatory Committee for the Rio Conference on Environment and Development; Coordinator between the countries in G77 and G7 on fiscal environmental facility:
Consulting Fellow of the World Innovation Foundation; member of the Conference Board, New York, and of the Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park, California.
He also served as a Board member of several civic organizations in Tanzania the Muhimbili National Hospital – the largest teaching Hospital in Tanzania; was Founder of a school for deaf children in Dar es Salaam and actively associated with many other educational, social and welfare institutions.
Sir Andy was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 and has been the recipient of many prestigious international awards including:
- President’s Golden Century Citation from Rotary International for his continued dedication and commitment in 1995/1996.
- ‘Service Above Self’ award in 1998 from Rotary International in recognition of his years of work for the foundation.
- In 2003 appointed as a trustee of the Rotary Foundation and in 2004 appointed as Chairman of the Rotary Foundation of the United Kingdom.
- In 2003 the ‘Hind Ratna’ award from I.K. Gujral, the former Indian Prime Minister; ‘non-Resident Indian of the year’; and the Pride of India Gold Award by the NRI Institute in London
- Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
- In 2005 the President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam honoured him with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.
“Sir Andy was a knight in the true sense of the word gallantly coming forward to the rescue of a newly born Tanzania. He made a mark as a prominent entrepreneur, public servant and an untiring worker in humanitarian organizations both in Tanzania and internationally.
Sir Andy is survived by his beloved wife Jayli, three sons and three grandchildren.
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Photos above from right to left,Sir Andy with Tanzania’s first President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Sir Andy with former President Mkapa and Sir Andy with former President Kikwete.
The International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is a not for profit organization dedicated to fostering travel and tourism initiatives that contribute to international understanding, cooperation among nations, an improved quality of environment, cultural enhancement and the preservation of heritage, poverty reduction, reconciliation and healing wounds of conflicts; and through these initiatives, helping to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world. It is founded on a vision of the world’s largest industry, travel and tourism – becoming the world’s first global peace industry; and the belief that every traveler is potentially an “Ambassador for Peace.”
For more information:
IIPT Website: www.iipt.org
Tel: +1 802 253-8671
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