Center for Peace Honors Pavarotti and Fallen Italian Journalists with “Peace Connection” Award
Mostar - Under the slogan “Mostar Does Not Forget Its Friends” and with a commemorative program, the Center for Peace and Multiethnic Cooperation from Mostar marked another anniversary of the reconstruction of the Old Bridge and the historic core under the auspices of UNESCO.
At the ceremony, the Center for Peace and Multiethnic Cooperation awarded the “Mostar Peace Connection”posthumously to Luciano Pavarotti and to three Italian journalists who lost their lives in Mostar — Marco Luchetta, Dario D’Angelo, and Alessandro Ota. The Center also presented its traditional “Mimar of Peace” awards to individuals recognized for their patient, dedicated, and significant contributions to building and affirming peace during the difficult war and post-war periods. The awards were presented by the director of the Center, Safet Oručević.
The award for Luciano Pavarotti was received by his wife, Nicoletta Mantovani.
“My husband grew up in the aftermath of the Second World War, and the only comfort he found was music. That is why he wanted to create a center for young people. He believed music would help the youth overcome the horrors of war. Music is a universal language that unites. Returning to Mostar after almost 20 years and seeing the Center functioning is proof that Luciano Pavarotti’s idea was right and in the right place. The award from the Center for Peace and Multiethnic Cooperation is proof of the deep friendship between the people of Mostar and Luciano Pavarotti.” Mantovani said.
The RAI UNO journalists were the first foreign TV crew to enter war-torn Mostar. They were killed together while on that honorable mission on January 28, 1993.
“There is a special bond between Luciano Pavarotti and the Italian journalists killed in Mostar — a love for truth. And truth is best seen in the innocent, in children,” said Ruggero Corrias, Ambassador of Italy to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as he accepted the Mostar Peace Connection award on behalf of the three fallen journalists. He added that their work was a note of hope, and expressed gratitude to the Center for Peace and Multiethnic Cooperation on behalf of the Government and people of Italy.
“It is an honor to do this beneath the Old Bridge, a symbol of unity through the centuries and of the unity that was once broken. Thank you, dear friends of Mostar.” - Italian Ambassador Corrias concluded.