October 2008 Issue


3 Weeks to Outstanding Program
of 1st IIPT European Conference

Bridging the North-South Divide through
Sustainable Tourism Development

21 – 24 October 2008
Leeuwarden, Netherlands

Delegates from more than 40 countries will be taking part in the 1st IIPT European Conference on Peace through Tourism being organized in partnership with the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and hosted by Stenden University. The Conference, which is to be held in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, 21-24 October 2008, is in support of the UN Decade of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World and the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Delegates from Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and the Caribbean will come together for four days to share their experiences, knowledge, insights and visions on the conference theme:

Bridging the North-South Divide through
Sustainable Tourism Development

The exponential growth of international tourism arrivals from 25 million in 1950 to a projected 1 billion in 2010 is clearly one of the most remarkable economic and social phenomena of our time. An increasing proportion of these arrivals are in Developing Countries. Travel and tourism is currently the main source of foreign exchange for most developing countries and at US$ 200 billion annually is more than the total of foreign aid from all governments. Tourism appears to be one of the few economic sectors able to guide a number of developing countries to higher levels of prosperity and for some to leave behind their least developed country status.

The aim of the 1st IIPT European Conference is to build on this success, and to leverage current North – South, and South – South initiatives towards sustainable tourism development, poverty reduction, and societal betterment through greater collaboration among key stakeholders. This is the challenge to industry leaders and participants in the 1st IIPT European Conference.

Edmond BartlettThe Conference is being organized in partnership with the UN World Tourism Organization (UN WTO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and hosted by Stenden University . The Conference is in support of the UN Decade of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World and the UN Millennium Development Goals.

The Opening Ceremony Keynote address will be delivered by Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica.


HonHon. Edmund Bartlett

Plenary Sessions and their respective Keynote Speakers are as follows:

Plenary Session I
Global Perspectives on Bridging the North – South Divide: Sustainable Tourism Development and the UN Millennium Development Goals

Moderator: Dr. Noel Brown, President, Friends of the United Nations and Chairman, IIPT International Advisory Board

Keynote Speakers
Hon. Netumbo Ndemupelila Nandi-Ndaithwah, Minister, Environment and Tourism, Republic of Namibia ; Dr. Gil Alves, Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Industry, Timor-Leste; Kathy Sudeikis – Immediate Past President, American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and U.S. Travel Agent of the Year 2008

Dr. Noel Brown
Dr. Noel Brown


Hon. Netumbo Ndemupelila Nandi-Ndaithwah


Kathy Sudeikis

 

Plenary Session II
Achieving Greater Societal ROI from Tourism Investments through Enhanced Collaboration of Key Stakeholders

Hon. Filippe Savadogo, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Communication, Burkina Faso; Dr. V. Morfopoulos, Managing Director, Basic International Development Corporation (BIDC); Mr. John Hummel, Regional Senior Adviser/ Network Leader, Pro-Poor Sustainable Tourism, SNV Asia; Ms. Monique de Greeve, UK and European Director, TourismROI


Hon. Filippe Savadogo

Dr. V. Morfopoulos

John Hummel

Monique De Greeve
 

Plenary Session III
Integrating Social, Cultural, and Sports Dimensions in Bridging the North – South Divide through Sustainable Tourism Development

Mr. Yianis Evangelou, President, Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (HATTA); Mr. Robert Zimmer, President, Zimmer Group International; Ms. Lyndall De Marco, Executive Director; International Tourism Partnership, Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum; Mr. Taj Hamad, Secretary General, World Association of NGO’s (WANGO).

Yianis Evangelou
Yiannis Evangelou


Robert Zimmer

Lyndall De Marco

Taj Hamad
 

Plenary Session IV
Catalyzing More Effective Models of Collaboration to Leverage North – South, and South – South initiatives for Sustainable Tourism Development, Poverty Reduction, and Societal Betterment

Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica; Mr. Luigi Cabrini Director, Sustainable Development, UN World Tourism Organization; Dr. Tom Selänniemi, Chairman, Tour Operators' Initiative for Sustainable Tourism; Janos Damon, Executive Director, Israel Hotel Managers Association

Edmond Bartlett
Hon. Edmund Bartlett

Luigi Cabrini

Dr. Tom Selänniemi

Janos Damon
 

Plenary Session V
Tourism and Peace – Myths and Realities:
Educational Foundations for a Collaborative Approach in Bridging the North-South Divide

Dr. Myriam Jansen-Verbeke, Member of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, Leuven University , Belgium; Ms. Johanna Fragano, President, European Hotel Managers Association (EHMA); Dr. Dallen J. Timothy, Professor of Community Resources and Development; Arizona State University, Editor of the Journal of Heritage Tourism; Dr. Irena Ateljevic, Socio-Spatial Analysis Landscape Centre Environment Science, Wageningen University, the Netherlands


Dr. Myriam Jansen-Verbeke

Johanna Fragano

Dr. Dallen Timothy

Dr. Irena Ateljevic
 

MEDIA LUNCHEON
Role of the Media in Bridging the North – South Divide through Sustainable Tourism Development

Abdul-Sahib Shakiri, Editor and Publisher, Islamic Tourism Magazine; Bea Broda, President, Society of American Travel Writers; Thomas Steinmetz, Publisher, eTurbo News; Sandy Dhuyvetter, Travel Talk Media;


Abdul-Sahib Shakiri

Bea Broda

Thomas Steinmetz

Sandy Dhuyvetter
 

Conference Aim
Build on, expand, and leverage current North – South, and South – South initiatives towards sustainable tourism development, poverty reduction, and societal betterment.

Conference Goals
» Provide an international forum to discuss more effective models of achieving sustainable tourism development, poverty reduction, and societal betterment in developing and emerging economies

» Identify and convey research and models of best practice in North–South and South–South collaboration.

» Enhance the role of the media, culture, sports and technology in nurturing collaboration.

» Engage practitioners, educators and future leaders of the industry in a dialogue that will contribute to enhanced North–South and South–South collaboration towards sustainable tourism development.

» Identify potential synergies with other industries for sustainable wealth creation, poverty reduction and societal betterment.

The Conference will bring together Ministers of Tourism and senior executives from both the public and private sectors of tourism, European Union, U.N. Agencies, foundations, donor agencies, and NGOs, as well as educators, policy analysts, leading practitioners, entrepreneurs, future leaders of the industry, and senior representatives of related sectors including environment, culture, sport, and sustainable economic development.

The 1st IIPT European Conference builds on the foundations of three Global Conferences: Vancouver, Canada 1988; Montreal, Canada 1994; Glasgow, Scotland, 1999; three Global Summits in Amman, Jordan 2000, Geneva, Switzerland 2003; and Pattaya, Thailand 2005; four African Conferences: Mpumalanga Province, South Africa 2001; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2003; Lusaka, Zambia 2005; and Kampala, Uganda 2007; and other conferences and symposia in Italy, Turkey, Greece, Australia, the Caribbean, Pakistan, Israel, United States, and United Kingdom.

FOR REGISTRATION CLICK HERE

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1st IIPT European Conference to Feature more than 80 Leading Practitioners and Educators in Concurrent Sessions

More than 80 leading practitioners and educators from countries of Europe, Africa, North America, Asia and the Caribbean will be presenting “Success Stories” – “Models of Best Practice” - and leading edge research in a series of thought provoking concurrent sessions during the 4 day 1st IIPT European Conference.

Presentations will be on a wide range of topics that will incorporate social – economic – cultural – environmental – and sustainable development perspectives within the context of the Conference theme: Bridging the North – South Divide through Sustainable Tourism Development, and will feature stimulating discussion between educators and practitioners – among both presenters and participants.

The full conference detailed program including speakers, their affiliations, and title of their talks is available on our website

Following are the session titles of Concurrent Sessions:

Concurrent 1A - Management of cultural and environmental heritage to enhance local participation
Concurrent 1B - Case studies in ecotourism
Concurrent 1C - Tourism crisis mangement
 
Concurrent 2A - New directions in environmental, energy and technological policies for sustainable tourism
Concurrent 2B - People and places for peace
Concurrent 2C - Resources and approaches to educating for a culture of peace through tourism
 
Concurrent 3A - Sustainable tourism’s contribution to poverty reduction
Concurrent 3B - Innovations in Sustainable Tourism

Concurrent 3C - Tourism in rural communities: benefits and issues
 
Concurrent 4A - Promoting international understanding through cultural tourism
Concurrent 4B - Jamaica: Home of Community Tourism
Concurrent 4C - Challenges and opportunities in cross-border and heritage tourism
 
Concurrent 5A - The role of sports in bridging the North-South divide
Concurrent 5B - Strategies and measures towards responsible tourism
Concurrent 5C - The creative linking of culture, sport, voluteerism and ecology in responsible tourism
 
Concurrent 6A - Borders as negotiated space for peace
Concurrent 6B - Community Tourism Workshop
Concurrent 6C - Approaches to conflict resolution and peace-building
 
Concurrent 7A - New directions in sustainable tourism
Concurrent 7B - Perspectives on tourism and peace
Concurrent 7C - Tourism's contribution to conflict resolution

A wide range of topics will be presented by speakers from diverse geographical areas and organizations, and including executives from NGO’s, and both the public and private sectors, educators, leading practitioners, entrepreneurs, future leaders of the industry and executives from related sectors including environment, culture, and sport.

The concurrent session speakers will present “Success Stories” and “Models of Best Practice” related to the conference theme – and discuss programs and methods by which to gain greater synergies among key stakeholders in achieving sustainable development in developing and emerging economies.

FOR REGISTRATION CLICK HERE

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IIPT Commemorates International Day of Peace with
Dedication of Jamaica Peace Park

Mr. Jason Henzell, owner of Jakes Village and founder of BREDS Foundation (a non-profit charity) fulfilled his promise to delegates at the 1st IIPT International Community Tourism Retreat in June of this year – and to the Treasure Beach community on September 21, 2008, the UN International Day of Peace, with the dedication of the IIPT Desmond Henry International Peace Park in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.

Mr. Jason Henzell expressed his commitment to incorporate an IIPT Peace Park in the Treasure Beach Sports Development Project at the first IIPT Caribbean Community Tourism Retreat in June 2008 in Kingston, Jamaica. Dedication of the IIPT Desmond Henry Peace Park also marks the launch of a Jamaica Peace Parks Campaign with a goal of 11 other Jamaican communities dedicating a Park to Peace.

Sharon Parris-Chambers, IIPT Caribbean,
PR Manager planting a tree withvJune Pringle,
wife of John Pringle, first Director of Jamaica Tourist Board
(He expired).

A cheerful group of community folks, combined with Henzell’s invited guests witnessed the planting of 50 trees of mixed variety, including palms and Poinciana’s, around the edge of a natural pond. It is envisioned that benches will be installed for seating to watch the natural wildlife - birds, ducks etc. who make use of the pond. The peace park will also serve as an ideal venue for conflict resolution, a place for the youth to meet, and the staging of special events.

Jason Henzell & Diana McIntyre-Pike

Mr. Jason Henzell opened the program with a special welcome followed by Diana McIntyre-Pike, President, IIPT Caribbean and Chairman/CEO Countrystyle Community Tourism Network who gave the keynote address. Mrs Judy Schoenbein, Chairman, Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association, South Coast, Chapter offered greetings on behalf of the JHTA, and Sharon Parris-Chambers, IIPT Caribbean, PR Manager; and President, Positive Tourism Network dedicated the park with a peace prayer. Mr. Henzell offered closing remarks and Ms. Shelia Hamilton gave the closing prayer. Mrs. Henry, sister-in-law to Desmond Henry was on hand to represent the family.


From L to R: Norma Moxam, Judy Schoenbein,
Jason Henzell, Diana McIntyre-Pike

In giving the main address at the Peace Park dedication, Diana McIntyre Pike, President, IIPT Caribbean Chapter said: “Today indeed marks another special day on the calendar of landmarks for Treasure Beach in memory of one of Jamaica’s and the Caribbean’s most visionary leaders - an ambassador for this community and all of Jamaica – Desmond Henry - a son of the soil and a pioneer of community tourism – we are proud to dedicate this park in his honor.”


Guests listening to Diana McIntyre Pike and Jason Henzell

The IIPT Desmond Henry Peace Park is one of more than 450 IIPT Peace Parks circling the globe as part of IIPT’s Global Peace Parks Program – launched at Bethany Beyond the Jordan on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, 2000 – the first year of the new Millennium, as a legacy of the 1st IIPT Global Summit on Peace through Tourism, Amman, Jordan. IIPT’s goal is to have 2,000 Peace Parks circling the globe by the year 2010.

The Objectives of the IIPT Global Peace Parks are:

  • To nurture the growth of peace and understanding at home and throughout the world.
  • To enhance awareness of a community’s commitment to peace and a healthy environment.
  • To create a common ground for members of the community to come together in celebration of their nation’s people, land, and heritage, and the common future of all humankind.
  • Reflect on our connectedness to one another as a Global Family and to the earth of which we are all a part.

Want to start a Peace Park in your community?

This practical kit will help you get started IIPT Global Peace Parks Project

Please advise your intentions so that we can add you to our growing list of Peace Parks. Email: ljd@iipt.org

 

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"Peace Through Commerce"
A Global Imperative to Catalyze Multi-sector Collaboration

November 13-15, 2008

Marvin Center
The George Washington University
Washington, DC

Can business be a force for peace? This simple question will be addressed at the Peace through Commerce Conference to be held November 13-15, 2008 at the Marvin Center of George Washington University.

The conference is based on the premise that “Peace is good for business, and business is good for peace” - and that this premise might be the key to creating widespread, sustainable peace.

IIPT Founder and President Louis D’Amore said, “IIPT is proud to again collaborate with the Institute for Corporate Responsibility, George Washington University together with other prestigious organizations including FLOW, The US Institute of Peace, APCO Worldwide, GW CIBER, AACSB, Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics, GW International Institute of Tourism Studies, and the Institute for Economics and Peace in the organization of this important conference.”

The Peace through Commerce Conference builds on the successful joint symposium: “Peace through Commerce – Harnessing the Power of the Global Tourism Industry” organized by the Institute for Corporate Responsibility (ICR), George Washington University and IIPT together with other collaborators this past May – and six earlier Symposia organized ICR.

Participants from academia, civil society, and public policy think tanks will convene with business and political leaders at George Washington University 13 – 15 November 2008 to build on – and expand an emerging multi-sector alliance to advance the understanding and cultivation of peace through commerce.

The conference will include dynamic speakers, provocative panels, and opportunities to explore collaboration based on responsible business practices that foster cross-cultural understanding and broad-based access to economic opportunity, with special emphasis on women and young people.

Some of the prominent speakers to be featured at the conference include:

Steve Killelea, Australian IT entrepreneur, Founder of the Global Peace Index; Walter Robb, Co-President, Whole Foods Market; Roger Dow, President, Travel Industry Association of America; John Sullivan, Executive Director, (CIPE) Center for International Private Enterprise; Carolyn Woo, Dean, Notre Dame University School of Business; Dr. Timothy L. Fort, Executive Director of Institute for Corporate Responsibility and Lindner-Gambal Professor of Business Ethics, George Washington University; Michael Strong, Chief Visionary Officer, FLOW; Raymond Gilpin, Director of Economics and Conflict Center of Innovation, U.S. Institute of Peace

Steve Killelea

Walter Robb

Roger Dow

John Sullivan

Carolyn Woo

Dr. Tim L. Fort

Michael Strong


Raymond Gilpin

The conference is hosted by the Institute for Corporate Responsibility at GWU, and organized in collaboration with FLOW with support from The International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT), The US Institute of Peace, GW CIBER, AACSB, Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics, GW International Institute of Tourism Studies,The Institute for Economics and Peace, and APCO Worldwide

Conference proceedings to be presented as a multi-media course by the World Bank Institute and selected conference papers will be published in a special edition of The Journal of Business Ethics.

For more information and to register, visit www.peacethroughcommerce.com

 

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IIPT Exhibits at The Trade Show

The International Institute for Peace through Tourism was most pleased to sponsor a booth at TheTradeShow in Orlando September 7-9. The recent partnership agreement between ASTA and IIPT was the catalyst for this participation, which was IIPT’s first time to exhibit at TheTradeShow.

IIPT showcased a series of tours under the banner of “World Peace Tours”, excursions especially crafted to reinforce IIPT’s dedication to “making Travel and Tourism the world’s first Global Peace Industry” and promote the belief “that every traveler is potentially an ‘Ambassador for Peace’”. Each of the tours exemplifies IIPT’s vision, values, and philosophy as expressed in the ‘IIPT Credo of the Peaceful Traveler.’

Lou D’Amore, the president of IIPT has asked Donald King, who serves as Ambassador at Large for IIPT, to provide leadership to the World Peace Tours initiative. King says, “Our first World Peace Tours—to Oman and to Bhutan--proved successful in achieving the goals of IIPT, and exhibiting at TheTradeShow has been a positive experience in helping us as we expand our tour offerings.”

Seven tours for 2009 have currently been designated as “World Peace Tours”:
• Jordan
• Bhutan
• Algeria/Tunisia
• South Africa
• Arabian Peninsula
• Central America
• Armenia
• Iran

For specific information about these itineraries Please click here Donald King

Travel agents are invited to collaborate with IIPT in promoting these tours to their clients and to earn commissions from sale of the tours. King says, “This will be an opportunity for agents to earn a commission and also help promote conscientious tourism. We would like to enlist travel agents’ assistance as we continue efforts to make travel and tourism the world’s first global peace industry.”


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IIPT Pleased to be Sponsor of
2008 Travelers’ Philanthropy Conference


IIPT is most pleased and proud to be a sponsor of the 2008 Travelers’ Philanthropy Conference being held in Arusha, Tanzania, December 3-5, 2008. The Conference is being organized by the Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD), a nonprofit research institution based in Washington D.C and at Stanford University.

The Tanzania conference builds upon the initial international Travelers’ Philanthropy conference held at Stanford University in the USA in 2004. The three-day conference in Arusha will bring together 200-300 practitioners from socially responsible tourism businesses, experts in the field of sustainable tourism and philanthropy, community based organizations and global and regional NGOs doing development work, the United Nations and other development agencies, philanthropic foundations, government, and the media.

CESD aspires to promote and strengthen this emerging form of development assistance generated by travelers and the tourism industry by moving Travelers’ Philanthropy from a mere set of ideals to applied best practices. The Travelers’ Philanthropy Conference 2008 will provide a venue for collective learning and exchange among the group of global participants. It will facilitate discussion of the tools and capacity needed for effectively running and evaluating community projects.

More generally, the conference will build media and public interest in socially responsible travel and will include presentations on some of the leading Travelers’ Philanthropy initiatives around the world. It will also offer a range of optional safaris before and after the event, hosted by leading East Africa tour operators that include visits to community and conservation projects.

For more information, please visit: : www.travelersphilanthropyconference.org

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2nd World Peace Tour to Bhutan Announced

IIPT is most pleased to announce its second World Peace Tour to Bhutan in collaboration with and organized by Sacred Himalaya Travel. The tour, scheduled for April 22 to May 2, 2009 comes at an auspicious time in Bhutan ’s history. Bhutan is a Kingdom where its peoples still wear centuries old robes, monks swirl in sacred dances and Kings dare to risk change in governance on the greater behalf of their people’s happiness.

In March 2008, on the King’s urging, the country held its first elections to cast ballots for National representatives. They ushered out the last century of wise monarchy with a new era of constitutional monarchy. A unique example in our modern world, Bhutan continues to balance material with spiritual development, Blessed with some of the world's highest and youngest mountains, glacial lakes, and an intricate network of deep forests rich with life, Bhutan protects the jewel of its lands as well as its peoples’ traditional culture with their guiding principle of Gross National Happiness.

The focus for this second IIPT World Peace as a Tour of Kindness 2009 began when Sacred Himalaya Travel’s Wendy Erd, met a primary school teacher last summer from Berkeley, California. She said that the addition of a young Tibetan student and his family to their school brought lovely changes to her classroom. At the end of the year the parents and young students said the new student and his family taught them so much about kindness and gentleness. Bhutan shares this same surround of kindness which emanates from its people and arises from their same gentle compassionate values.

On the 2nd IIPT World Peace Tour to Bhutan, with a small group, maximum 10 guests, we’ll spend 13 days and 12 nights in Bhutan. A Tour of Kindness combines stays in lodges and an overnight in a traditional farmhouse with a local family, with a few nights tenting under a beautiful Himalayan sky brimming with stars. Focused in the Bumthang area, with its gentle wide valleys and ancient spiritual sites, we’ll take easy day hikes along a sparkling river and climb a gentle trail under tall pines to visit young nuns in a small nunnery.

Camp under stars for 2 nights nearby Tangbi village; join together with villagers as they celebrate sacred Tangbi Mani festival; share stories and songs with young students at a primary school in the high rural valley of Tang; meet with a Lama and listen to his insights and wisdom. Please click here for the full details of our tour. Keeping a flexible schedule, please join us to experience the gentleness and good humor of Bhutan’s warm-hearted people and take time to receive and share kindness along the way.

 


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 Show Your Support with One Earth One Family
IIPT Plaques and Gift Cards
 

Created exclusively for IIPT, both items display the IIPT Credo of the Peaceful Traveler and Art Piece by R. Padre Johnson. The Credo of the Peaceful Traveler puts forth an ethical travel philosophy for travelers to abide by. The IIPT Credo of the Peaceful Traveler was the inspiration of a very special person at the IIPT First Global Conference: Tourism - A Vital Force for Peace, Vancouver 1988. We have respected the author's request to remain annonymous. The IIPT Credo has since spread across the travel and tourism industry worldwide.


The One Earth One Family art piece
by R. Padre Johnson provides a view of our incredible earth from outer space, surrounded by the open faces of 25 children and adults from different cultures. Each portrait represents an important visual statement about the unique and interesting facial difference in each individual, the culture and ethnicity each represents, and the limitless threads of common humanity that draws all citizens of our planet more closely together as one inter-dependent family.

These items will remind all who see or receive them of what a privilege it is to travel freely throughout the world and the opportunity they have as they travel to be ambassadors of international understanding, good will and peace. These items will be admired and appreciated by everyone who sees them in your office, place of business or home.

Costs are $200 (US) plus shipping for an Acrylic Plaque, and $15 (US) plus shipping for a Gift Card pack of 10 Cards and Envelopes.  To order online or by fax/mail, please visit our website.


About IIPT

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 and cooperation, an improved quality of environment, the preservation of heritage, and poverty reduction; 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: (802) 253-2658
Fax: (802) 253-2645
Email: info@iipt.org

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International Institute for Peace Through Tourism
685 Cottage Club Road, Unit 13, Stowe, VT 05672
Tel: +1 802 253 2658 •Fax: +1 802 253 2645
Email: info@iipt.org