CES/06/16 Brussels, 28 February 2006 Initiative of the Austrian presidency “International Women's Day” 8 March 2006: EESC and CoR pay tribute to Bertha von Suttner Wednesday, 8 March 2006 at 6.30 p.m. 92–102 Rue Montoyer, 1000 Brussels
On the initiative of the Austrian Presidency, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Anne-Marie Sigmund, and the President of the Committee of the Regions, Michel Delebarre, will celebrate "International World Women's Day" on 8 March 2006 by renaming one of their buildings. The premises, formerly known as the Montoyer building, will be dedicated to the Nobel Peace Prize winner Bertha von Suttner. The Opening ceremony will be held in the presence of the Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner and the Austrian ambassador to Belgium, Franz Cede.
Bertha von Suttner's achievements in building international cooperation for peace are undisputed: Born in Prague in 1843, she inspired Alfred Nobel to set up the Nobel Prize for Peace, which was awarded to her in 1905. She is the first woman and, so far, the only Austrian to have been given the prize. As a pioneer of the international peace movement, von Suttner founded the Austrian, German and Hungarian Peace Societies, played a leading role in setting up the International Peace Bureau in Bern, and was an active participant in the First Hague Peace Conference. A number of institutions which play a crucial role in securing peace and international cooperation are founded on ideas first put forward by Bertha von Suttner: the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague, the League of Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and, of course, the Nobel Peace Prize.
Programme of events surrounding the Ceremony:
A lecture by the well-known historian Brigitte Hamann and a concert for two pianos by Italian pianists Sandro and Fabio Gemmiti will open the exhibition entitled "Bertha von Suttner - A Life for Peace". In addition, the winning posters of the "Bertha von Suttner Prize", designed by Austrian school pupils will be on display in the main building of the EESC and CoR, 99-101 rue Belliard, until 31 March.
For more details on the event please contact antonia.kuehnel@eesc.europa.eu
tel: +32 (0) 2 546 8676 or raffaella.norcia@cor.europa.eu tel: +32 (0) 2 282 2240
For further information please contact: Karel Govaert or Christian Weger, EESC Press Office 99 rue Belliard , B-1040 Brussels Tel.: 02 546 9396/9586; Mobile: +32 (0)475 753 202 E-mail: mailto:press@eesc.europa.eu Website: <http://eesc.europa.eu/press/index_en.asp> Dennis Abbott at the CoR Press Office. 101 rue Belliard , B-1040 Brussels Tel.: +32 (0)2 282 2099 Website: http://cor.europa.eu/en/press/index.htm
