The imperial court palace in Vienna, the famous Hofburg in the centre of Vienna, experienced one of those memorable moments on 27 June as part of the Science and Technology Conference organized by CTBTO, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, which brings together 1,200 scientists and activists from around the world.

It was the award ceremony of the school campaign organized by Peace and Cooperation “For a Safer World – Let’s Join Forces with CTBTO” which brought together schoolchildren from Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, China (Hong Kong), Montenegro and Namibia in Vienna.

The palace’s grand gala hall, the famous Festsaal, a room with the dimensions of a football field, duly decorated as if it were a real link and with frescoes on the ceilings that reflect the elegance and pomp of the Court of Emperor Franz Joseph and the omnipresent Sissy first-class tourist attraction for the thousands of tourists who swarm the streets of Vienna in these torrid days of June.

A luxury podium with all the technological advances and personalities of this international world that is crowded in Vienna, only Spain has three ambassadors, for Austria, the OSCE and to the United Nations and specialized agencies.

This last Sénen Florensa, a Catalan with a long journey, the Technical Secretary of OTPCE, in his Spanish acronym, Lassina Zerbo and your intrepid chronicler Joaquín Antuña, President and Founder of Peace and Cooperation, the international organization from Madrid, make up the podium that will deliver the statuettes of the two pigeons dedicated to the Culture of Peace and their champions Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Oscars of the institution from Madrid.

Zerbo, an African from Burkina Fasso, wore a spectacular white Saharan from Ecuador and began by praising young artists from 25 countries who presented more than 1500 works, drawings, graphics, murals and slogans highlighting the danger of nuclear testing and the need to encourage the commitment of schoolchildren to raise public awareness and congratulated award coordinator and presenter Jenny Nielsen at this event for her brilliant work.

Ambassador Florensa underscored Spain’s commitment to global security and supported the work of Peace and Cooperation and the good offices of its representation in achieving CTBTO’s achievements.

For my part I reclaimed the family of peace education that constitute the delegations of volunteers around the world who support Peace and Cooperation volunteers whose goal is to share the ideals of the United Nations for a non-violent and harmonious world.

The delivery of the statues began with a schoolgirl from Namibia, Jana Swanepoel, duly uniformed, who read a message of support for this campaign.

Distribution of the prizes begins: Dr Zerbo presents the certificate and trophy in the third category to Jana Swanepoel, 16, Namibia; Ambassador Florensa presents the certificate and trophy in the first category to Hon Yin Leung, 4, Hong Kong, China; Joaquin Antuña presents the certificate and trophy to the group of 9 students from Bosnia-Herzegovina in the third category: Jasmina Nožić, Edita Ždrale, Lajla Kudović, Danis Bakoš, Adna Ćosić, Rizah Mustafić, Melika Džajić, Nejra Boloban, Enisa Nuhić; Dr Zerbo presents the certificate in the first category to Gulay Mammadzada, 7 years old, Azerbaijan and Ambassador Florensa presents the certificate in the third category to the representative of Montenegro on behalf of Tara Božović, Milojka Simićević and Mlađen Simićević.

A very emotional ceremony, which impressed the executive secretary Lassina Zerbo so much that in his closing speech he put as a symbol of the conference the Chinese 4-year-old boy Hon Yin Leung, as hope for a world without nuclear tests.

Mrs. Anna-Katherina Deininger from the Office of the OSCE Secretary General was present, who takes over from CTBTO in sponsoring our new campaign “School Prize Peace and Co-operation 2020″ The future of children and young people – Growing up happily in a safe world” organized by our wonderful delegation in Bosnia, Prva Osnovna Skola Konjic School and its town hall with events planned in Sarajevo and Vienna.

A new incursion into the universe of ideas to bring to the school world the spirit of education to globality, which is the Culture of Peace that we all need. A big hug to all the participants and to all the volunteers, to Jenny Nielsen, Sabine Bauer, Laura Fernández Abad, Elvira Sanchez Igual, Noelia Silva and Ester García.

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(Minute 1:40:30 – 2:18:25)