Rome: Vatican 'Table for Peace' brings together 30 Nobel Prize winners

Credit: Vatican News

Source: Vatican News

Under the banner 'Be Human', scientists, economists, businessmen, athletes, and others hailing from various parts of the world gathered in Rome at the weekend for two days of discussions to seek alternatives to war and poverty, inspired by the principle of fraternity. The meeting kicked off on Friday with a 'Peace roundtable,' gathering 30 Peace Nobel laureates, which was opened by the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

Cardinal Parolin said: "War is always a failure of humanity as a whole and not just of the individual parties involved." He added that all wars are in contradiction with human dignity and "are not destined by their nature to solve problems, but rather to exacerbate them."

With him 10 May were Nobel Peace Prize laureates including Rigoberta Menchù Tum from Guatemala, Dmitrij Muratov from Russia, Tawakkol Karman from Yemen, as well as figures like Graça Machel Mandela, widow of Nelson Mandela, and NASA administrator Bill Nelson. The event was organised by the Fratelli Tutti Foundation.

On Saturday, twelve thematic tables opened to the public and some streamed live - with the participation of scientists, economists, doctors, managers, athletes, and ordinary citizens - all came together to seek alternatives to war and poverty.

In his greeting address, the cardinal referred to the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee promulgated last week by Pope Francis, and emphasised how without dialogue, not only is peace not built, but war is triggered, replacing the voice of diplomacy with that of arms. The Cardinal then mentioned the three areas of commitment identified by the Pope: addressing the causes of injustices, rectifying inequitable and insurmountable debts, and satisfying the hungry.

Addressing some 350 participants on Saturday, Pope Francis encouraged them to persevere in their efforts to promote human fraternity in a broken world, reiterating that war is a defeat and also a deception.

Pope Francis warmly thanked participants for gathering in Rome to say their 'no' to war and 'yes' to peace. He encouraged them to move forward in their work of "silent sowing: "I invite you not to be discouraged, because perseverant and courageous dialogue does not make the news like clashes and conflicts, yet it discreetly helps the world live better, much more than we can realise."

The Pope particularly acknowledged the Nobel Prize laureates, thanking them for their contribution to the Declaration on Human Fraternity released on the occasion of their first Meeting in Rome in June 2023, and paid tribute to the new 'Charter of Humanity' they have drafted.

Pope Francis concluded by inviting the attendees to learn from children: "Let us look at them, let us learn from them, as the Gospel teaches us." A roundtable on 'Children: Future Generation,' took place on Saturday early evening, followed by a concert in St Peter's Square at 9.30 pm.