UNESCO Celebrates Nobel Peace Award to President of Colombia

Paris, Oct 7 (Prensa Latina) The Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, is celebrating the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, and the ''historical initiative'' to end the armed conflict in that nation.

'The decision of the Nobel Committee to honor President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon and the historical Colombian peace initiative, sends a powerful message to the continent and the world,' said the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

According to Bokova, this award is a reminder that peace is possible in a nation, 'broken by five decades of war, displaced populations and and immense suffering.'

The recognition also means, 'a tribute to the courage and perseverance of President Santos and all those who, day by day, step by step, built a peace to heal the wounds of the country, its families and its communities,' she added.

The head of UNESCO said that the Nobel prize is a message of hope and an invitation to all to renew the commitment to peace.

'UNESCO remains together with the people of Colombia and is more determined than ever to support all Colombians in the path they have taken,' she concluded.

The announcement comes a few days after a referendum in Colombia in which the peace agreement between the government and the FARC-EP was rejected by a narrow margin.

After the negative result, the parties involved, expressed the resolve to continue working for the end of the conflict, a position supported by many countries and international organizations.