On Tuesday 8th September, the Santiago Silva Henríquez Catholic University in Chile (Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez de Santiago) held a presentation of the Letter of Peace addressed to the UN for all first year students, as well as other people interested in the subject and the university authorities. A discussion about the culture of peace also took place.

“Peace education for the bicentenary” was the name of the morning’s session that focused on the culture of peace, and held a debate and discussion about the different issues that arise in relation to peace building. The activities began with a solemn reading of the Letter of Peace addressed to the UN, given by teacher and actor Humberto Gallardo. 80 students and university staff attended the event.

A panel then gave a number of presentations: Elisabet Juanola Soria, director of the Armando de Ramón Peace Institute began with a presentation entitled “Freedom in Democracy” that focussed on personal attitudes towards peace; Patricia Rosa Argüelles Bendezú, doctor of Peace Education, talked about the peace process in Peru in recent years and student Francisca Pérez discussed a project on ethics from the point of view of citizen participation.

At the end people attending the event were invited to sign the Letter of Peace and drinks were served.

The event was organised by the Armando de Ramón Peace Institute, the Department of Humanities and Education and the Ethics Training Programme at Silva Henríquez University, the Republic of Chile Bicentenary Commission, Caritas Chile and the Letter of Peace addressed to the UN Foundation.