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Celebration in Geneva
The historic 2001 European Marathon for Human Rights concluded in Geneva, Switzerland, with a celebration for human rights attended by officials from a dozen governments and 47 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) affiliated with the United Nations.
Representatives of religious and philosophical organizations, among them Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Scientologists and others participated. Prior to the main welcoming event for the runners, Kevin Boyle, senior advisor to the High Commissioner and Director of the Human Rights Centre at Essex University, England, met and congratulated the athletes. He also commended the three young people who had submitted prize-winning essays on human rights as part of the contest sponsored by Friends of the United Nations and organized by Youth for Human Rights International.
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Mary Shuttleworth, Director, Youth for Human Rights International
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Mr. Irving Sarnoff, founder and director of Friends of the United Nations, told the 150 attendees: “This is the fourth year of the marathon, with runners coming from many countries. We have met with city councils and mayors, with people from the media in virtually every country in Europe.” He explained the work of Friends of the United Nations, which he founded, telling the audience that such human rights work is all the more important in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States. Mr. Sarnoff acknowledged the 3 dozen runners as well as the Church of Scientology and the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, the organizers of the marathon.
The event included the presentation of the Youth for Human Rights International awards. The three young winners were brought on stage and each read his or her prize-winning essay. Mr. Sarnoff then urged those present to take positive action regarding human rights, and invited them to sign the Pledge for Tolerance and Unity.
Those attending the event included representatives from the Swiss government and permanent missions to the United Nations for Ethiopia, United States, Slovakia, Bangladesh, Denmark, Belarus, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Canada, Turkey, Ghana and Oman.
The 2001 Essay Contest
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