UNESCO awards/Hebron mayor – Press release (excerpts)

STOCKHOLM HOSTS UNESCO CITIES FOR PEACE PRIZE AWARDS CEREMONY

Stockholm, Sweden, April 1 {No.98-62} – UNESCO's Cities for Peace Prizes and Special Mentions were awarded to eight mayors from all regions of the world in the Town Hall of the Swedish capital last night by the Organization´s Director-General, Federico Mayor, who said the awards "honoured the struggle against urban violence, poverty and exclusion and celebrated mayors working for the security and dignity of all citizens, especially the most underprivileged."

Mr Mayor explained that "our cities are the frontier in the struggle for a culture of peace everywhere" and said that UNESCO's Cities for Peace initiative will also include the creation of a network and data bank to enable laureates, and other cities, to share their experiences in working to improve the living conditions of city dwellers. Mr Mayor highlighted the need to take innovative action at the city level "needed to counter the stress of unprecedented urbanisation in many parts of the world."

…

In the Arab region, the Tunisian capital and its Mayor, M'Hamed Ali Bouleymen, won the Prize for "strategies based on improving the living conditions of citizens, especially the least favoured." The Mayor of Hebron in the Autonomous Palestinian Territories, Mustafa Abdel Nabi Natsche, was given a Special Mention for "his extraordinary contribution to hope, solidarity and the creation of a culture of peace in everyday life."

…

****