PRESIDENT DE MARCO ADDRESSES THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE PRESS CENTRE FOR PEACE, ISRAEL.

Facing the challenge of peace and responding effectively to the opportunities for peace as they present themselves were the main issues rasied by the President of Malta Prof. Guido de Marco in Izrael. His speech entitled : " Peacebuilding Challenges in an era of globalisation" was delivered at the third meeting of the Board of Governors of the Peres Centre for Peace. Later on today, President de Marco will meet the founder of the centre, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and former Prime Minister Mr. Shimon Peres.

In his speech, President de Marco pointed out that peace-building is about people and involves crucial elements such as human rights and human dignity. He said that society's actions in the economic, social and human fields are instruments of lasting peace and they form the fabric of society. Peace-building, stressed President de Marco, cannot depend solely on the use of force, even if peace-keeping forces may provide space for peace to start taking root. But for this to happen, the causes for tension must be eradicated. President de Marco pointed out that it would be a great error if in the efforts to resolve the problems of today, world leaders minimise or even forget the conflicts, tensions and tragedies of the past.

President de Marco refered to the revolution taking place in the sphere of communications, a revolution which, he saw, might butress or torpedo the hierarchies of power. He said that this decentralisation of access to information is benefitting society but perhaps governments have not been as fast to understand and regulate these developments. President de Marco pointed out that states and individuals alike compete for trade, for information and for influence and power.

Reflecting on the power of the media, President de Marco augured that as this power grows at a very fast pace, so too, should the awareness of the media's responsibility towards their audiences. The attention on other people's tragedies and conflicts should not be as short as the attention span given to any other news item. This, said President de Marco, is the challenge society has to face, that of not losing interest and that of giving support and encouragement when it really matters.  

President Guido de Marco also said that one of the results of globalisation is that no one can plead ignorance of what happens in neighbouring countries. Peace, is not just the absence of war but the attainment of the concept of human dignity. He concluded that one of the best guarantees for understanding is a people to people approach for understanding is in itself an exercise in building peace