[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]<\/p>\n
A sunny Saturday morning was the backdrop for the 8th annual Peace Road Montr\u00e9al event honouring the Founders\u2019 1981 initiative to build an international highway of peace across the globe, from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to Santiago, Chile.<\/p>\n
A visionary project of this magnitude must start somewhere, and to be successful it will have to garner the support of the world\u2019s population to the degree that governments gradually agree to cooperate by building their portions of the road within their jurisdictions.<\/p>\n
With all that in mind, the Peace Road project has been undertaken in many countries over the past decade or so. In Canada, and specifically in Montr\u00e9al, Peace Road has become an occasion for political and civic leaders to join with average citizens to celebrate a moment of peace outside the usual cut and thrust of everyday life.<\/p>\n
This year, on September 12, over one hundred participants turned out in beautiful weather, including religious, political and civic leaders as well as regular folks. Seven organizations chose to officially partner with UPF: the Lions Club of Canada and Montr\u00e9al, the Focolare Movement, the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism, the Conseil des leaders religieux de Montr\u00e9al-Nord, the Centre Bon Courage, the Maison des jeunes L\u2019Ouverture and the Regroupement Jeunesse en action. Activities began in the morning when all gathered to launch the event at Parc Beaudet, in the Saint-Laurent borough of Montr\u00e9al, where there is a monument in honour of the International Day of Peace. Our date for the Peace Road event is always chosen as close as possible to the United Nations designated International Day of Peace on September 21 each year.<\/p>\n
Mr. Aref Salem, vice-chair of the City of Montr\u00e9al Executive Committee and long-time Ambassador for Peace of UPF, along with Andr\u00e9 A. Morin, Member of the National Assembly for neighbouring Acadie, led the political lineup with words of encouragement, while the borough mayor, Alan DeSousa, called to excuse himself this year for family reasons. Supporters from the Lions Club were present, and Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed representative Gigi Vidal also spoke as head of the International Day of Peace committee at COSSL, the neighbourhood roundtable for the Saint-Laurent borough. Mr. Berj Merdjanian, owner of Photo Cristal and long-time Saint-Laurent community leader, was again among the dignitaries as in prior years, and ABC Centre Director General Henriette Kont\u00e9 was acknowledged for her presence.<\/p>\n
Among the cyclists and participants were several dozen youth who were eager to enjoy some good exercise in fine weather. In fact, this year\u2019s coordinator for the event was Wanil Parfait, a young UPF leader who represents a growing UPF orientation toward youth leadership in our region. All participants could benefit from interacting with political and civic officials who have lent unreserved support for this activity.<\/p>\n
The event took place over two locations, as the cyclists started in one borough and cycled 15 km, approximately 9 miles, to the borough of Montr\u00e9al-Nord across town. There, at Parc Eus\u00e8be-M\u00e9nard, UPF members and friends gathered with partners from sponsoring organizations under a permanent gazebo and with tents and chairs set up by the borough, awaiting the arrival of the cyclists, who had taken the scenic route along the Rivi\u00e8re des Prairies.<\/p>\n
After their arrival at 11:30 a.m., a full program began, including encouraging remarks by political and civic leaders from the area, and a multicultural program expressing the various communities\u2019 commitment to peace.<\/p>\n
Speeches<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Artistic presentations<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Beyond these fine performances and these texts, which remind us of our hope to see the world at peace and of our shared will to bring it about, what marked the day was the spirit of sharing and the strengthening of our partnerships.<\/p>\n Thank you to the borough of Montr\u00e9al-Nord, which provided the tables, chairs, tents and access to electricity at Parc Eus\u00e8be-M\u00e9nard, and thank you to the local sponsors VertCit\u00e9, Ermis Fruit Shop and Tim Hortons for the coffee and donuts.<\/p>\n Our special thanks to our partners, our volunteers and the Peace Road coordinators: Mr. Wanil Parfait, Ms. Isabelle Laurin, Mr. Robert Duffy, Mr. Pierre Beauregard and Dr. Franco Famularo.<\/p>\n Thank you as well to everyone who carried the organization of this event, to the partners who invested their creativity in it and to the participants who support one another\u2019s efforts for peace, efforts that must merge into one great call for a world that is one family under God.<\/p>\n Vive Peace Road!<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”898,899,900,901,902,903,904,905,906,907,908,909,910,911,912,913,914,915,916,917,918,919,920,921,922,923,924,925,926,927,928,929,930,931,932,933,934,935,936,937,938,939,940,941,942,943,944,945,946,947,948,949,950,951,952,953,954,955,956,957,958,959,960,961,962,963,964,965,966,967,968,969,970,971,972,973,974,975,976,977,978,979,980,981,982,983″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.5.3″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] A sunny Saturday morning was the backdrop for the 8th annual Peace Road Montr\u00e9al event honouring the Founders\u2019 1981 initiative to build an international highway of peace across the globe, from the Cape of Good Hope in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" A sunny Saturday morning was the backdrop for the 8th annual Peace Road Montr\u00e9al event honouring the Founders\u2019 1981 initiative to build an international highway of peace across the globe, from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to Santiago, Chile.<\/p>\r\n A visionary project of this magnitude must start somewhere, and to be successful it will have to garner the support of the world\u2019s population to the degree that governments gradually agree to cooperate by building their portions of the road within their jurisdictions.<\/p>\r\n With all that in mind, the Peace Road project has been undertaken in many countries over the past decade or so. In Canada, and specifically in Montr\u00e9al, Peace Road has become an occasion for political and civic leaders to join with average citizens to celebrate a moment of peace outside the usual cut and thrust of everyday life.<\/p>\r\n This year, on September 12, over one hundred participants turned out in beautiful weather, including religious, political and civic leaders as well as regular folks. Seven organizations chose to officially partner with UPF: the Lions Club of Canada and Montr\u00e9al, the Focolare Movement, the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism, the Conseil des leaders religieux de Montr\u00e9al-Nord, the Centre Bon Courage, the Maison des jeunes L\u2019Ouverture and the Regroupement Jeunesse en action. Activities began in the morning when all gathered to launch the event at Parc Beaudet, in the Saint-Laurent borough of Montr\u00e9al, where there is a monument in honour of the International Day of Peace. Our date for the Peace Road event is always chosen as close as possible to the United Nations designated International Day of Peace on September 21 each year.<\/p>\r\n Mr. Aref Salem, vice-chair of the City of Montr\u00e9al Executive Committee and long-time Ambassador for Peace of UPF, along with Andr\u00e9 A. Morin, Member of the National Assembly for neighbouring Acadie, led the political lineup with words of encouragement, while the borough mayor, Alan DeSousa, called to excuse himself this year for family reasons. Supporters from the Lions Club were present, and Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed representative Gigi Vidal also spoke as head of the International Day of Peace committee at COSSL, the neighbourhood roundtable for the Saint-Laurent borough. Mr. Berj Merdjanian, owner of Photo Cristal and long-time Saint-Laurent community leader, was again among the dignitaries as in prior years, and ABC Centre Director General Henriette Kont\u00e9 was acknowledged for her presence.<\/p>\r\n Among the cyclists and participants were several dozen youth who were eager to enjoy some good exercise in fine weather. In fact, this year\u2019s coordinator for the event was Wanil Parfait, a young UPF leader who represents a growing UPF orientation toward youth leadership in our region. All participants could benefit from interacting with political and civic officials who have lent unreserved support for this activity.<\/p>\r\n The event took place over two locations, as the cyclists started in one borough and cycled 15 km, approximately 9 miles, to the borough of Montr\u00e9al-Nord across town. There, at Parc Eus\u00e8be-M\u00e9nard, UPF members and friends gathered with partners from sponsoring organizations under a permanent gazebo and with tents and chairs set up by the borough, awaiting the arrival of the cyclists, who had taken the scenic route along the Rivi\u00e8re des Prairies.<\/p>\r\n After their arrival at 11:30 a.m., a full program began, including encouraging remarks by political and civic leaders from the area, and a multicultural program expressing the various communities\u2019 commitment to peace.<\/p>\r\n Speeches<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n Artistic presentations<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n Beyond these fine performances and these texts, which remind us of our hope to see the world at peace and of our shared will to bring it about, what marked the day was the spirit of sharing and the strengthening of our partnerships.<\/p>\r\n Thank you to the borough of Montr\u00e9al-Nord, which provided the tables, chairs, tents and access to electricity at Parc Eus\u00e8be-M\u00e9nard, and thank you to the local sponsors VertCit\u00e9, Ermis Fruit Shop and Tim Hortons for the coffee and donuts.<\/p>\r\n Our special thanks to our partners, our volunteers and the Peace Road coordinators: Mr. Wanil Parfait, Ms. Isabelle Laurin, Mr. Robert Duffy, Mr. Pierre Beauregard and Dr. Franco Famularo.<\/p>\r\n Thank you as well to everyone who carried the organization of this event, to the partners who invested their creativity in it and to the participants who support one another\u2019s efforts for peace, efforts that must merge into one great call for a world that is one family under God.<\/p>\r\n Vive Peace Road!<\/b><\/i><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=895"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":987,"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895\/revisions\/987"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upf-fpu.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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