SOUTH AFRICA: "PEACE TORCH" BEGINS JOURNEY TO TROUBLED PROVINCE.

Record ID: 350374

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: "PEACE TORCH" BEGINS JOURNEY TO TROUBLED PROVINCE.
  • Date: 31st July 1995
  • Summary: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (JULY 31, 1995) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV/TRACK 2 WOMEN ATHLETES RUNNING WITH TORCH (2 SHOTS) 0.13 2. TRACK PAST FOUNTAIN, WOMEN RUNNING WITH TORCH 0.21 3. TRACK RUNNERS IN CITY 0.28 4. TRACK PAST SPECTATORS 0.31 5. SV/TRACK TWO NEW RUNNERS CARRY TORCH THROUGH CITY (3 SHOTS) 0.54 6. GV UNITE
  • Embargoed: 15th August 1995 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA
  • City:
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: LVAA72JPYV5A5OEDWOTLVS9Z4H5J
  • Story Text: A "peace torch" to promote reconciliation in Africa's trouble spots began its long journey in South Africa's volatile KwaZulu-Natal province at dawn on Monday and arrived by plane in Pretoria some hours later.

    The torch scheme was devised by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) as a way of promoting women's opinions around the world as well as the peace theme.

    UNIFEM director Noeleene Heyzer said the handing over ceremony of the peace torch took place in South Africa because it was "a country of great hope." From the national capital the torch will be taken to Angola, Burundi and Rwanda before ending up at the U.N.-sponsored Fourth World Women's Conference in Beijing from September 4-15, organisers said.

    "The women of Africa want to have a symbol of hope and of peace,that they want to bring to Bejing to the forth world conference on women. Women no longer want to be just victims of war. They are sick of war, sick of violence," Heyzer said.

    She said: "We decided to concentrate on South Africa because South Africa to us is a country of great hope. A country where relationships have been built out of very great diversity, and done in a very peaceful way." The golden torch, encircled by colourfully dressed African women carrying wood and water, will be handed to the Angolan Minister of Culture Ana Maria de Oliveira at a ceremony in Pretoria on Monday night.

    The event is sponsored by UNIFEM which provides technical and financial support to women's projects in the developing world.


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