The Words of the Werner Family
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The Words of the Werner Family |
Buenos Aires, Argentina -- Under the motto "Share, acknowledge and celebrate," UPF-Argentina closed the activities of 2013 with a Dec. 20 dinner at the Peace Embassy in Buenos Aires, organized along with the Women's Federation for World Peace of Argentina. It was an emotional reunion, with a familial and inter-religious atmosphere, reuniting with old and new friends that were made during this intense year.
The meeting was opened with a prayer by Minister Juan Climenti, whose wife, Minister Susana Riverol, afterwards sang with great energy songs with Christian lyrics and rock rhythm. Also, Alba Rosa Contardo recited, at the dessert table after tasting different international dishes, a poem she wrote and then presented a gift of her first book, entitled He Tells Me … I Write. Afterwards, Carlos Varga, director of the Unification Movement in Argentina, sang "Mundo de paz" with Lucas Castellón, a member of the band Origen, who will soon release their first CD.
Leaders of both the Women's Federation (Rosetta Conti de Castellón) and UPF (Miguel Werner) in Argentina shared reviews of their activities during 2013 (UPF Argentina – Reseña 2013), which brought back memories of some of the most significant moments of the year, filled with happiness and emotion and a bit of nostalgia at the turning of a new page in the work into which so much time and dreams have been invested. Special recognition was given to the following members of the Peace Council:
To Marcos Daverio / Elsa Ortíz: "For their collaborations and artistic presentations at different solidarity festivals at the Peace Embassy and for their contributions to the elders at the Santa Ana, San Joaquín de Flores and San José de Ciudadela nursing homes."
To Ms. Bertha Bilbao Richter: "For her work on the jury of the International Poetry Contest and for her tireless contribution to the promotion of literature and culture, universal values, and peace."
To Alba Luz Tangarife: "For moral, ethic, and professional values and for her tireless serivce; "she is the drop of water whose absence would create an unfillable gap in the ocean of peace and love."
There were different international dishes, from empanadas to sushi. It was a self-service buffet, where people could take food as they wished. The gala culminated with the cutting of a cake commemorating the eighth anniversary of UPF-Argentina, established in the country on Dec. 11, 2005. Those who joined in cutting the cake were the members of the Peace Council along with Rosetta Conti, Sergio Castellón, Alba Luz Tangarife, Miguel Werner (Secretary General of UPF-Argentina), Laura Correa and Carlos Varga who, at the end, offered a toast and good wishes for the new year, 2014. There was also an opportunity to express gratitude for the support and collaboration received during the year in all the tasks dedicated to the cause of peace, followed by the usual raffles. The fraternal climate continued far beyond midnight, as is a tradition in these annual gatherings to "Share, acknowledge and celebrate."