Connecting through cultures

The president of the Moviment Kattoliku Studenti Universitarji (MKSU), Christopher Cardona, has called for tolerance and a change in attitudes towards people from different cultures, values and religions. "We have so much to learn from the diversity of those around us," he said, speaking during MKSU's sixth annual peace activity, Connecting through Cultures, held on December 14.

The activity aimed to create awareness and tolerance towards people from different culture, especially on the University campus that welcomes around 600 foreign students.

US Ambassador to Malta Molly Bordonaro, Jeffrey Anderson from the American Embassy, Joanna Drake, head of the European Commission Representation in Malta, Ariane Hartje from the Austrian embassy, Juan Manuel Ramirez from the Spanish embassy, Jonathan Galea from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mary Ann Lauri, university pro-rector, were invited to the activity.

Mr Cardona appealed to students to be open to and learn from the different cultures. He asked those present to "strive to be ambassadors for peace, building bridges between cultures that will act as the foundations for peace between neighbours".

During the activity, guests together with representatives from different student organisations then wrote their messages for peace on "graffiti walls" while students were invited to place their hand print on a banner of the world. Ambassador Bordonaro said that "nations and individuals must work together to promote the principles that produce peace. As citizens of countries that provide and protect liberties, we have a duty to extend the rights we enjoy towards citizens in the world. Only then will peace belong to everyone".

Speaking of the 50th anniversary of the European Union next year, Dr Drake said: "We all have the responsibility to carry peace forward into the next 50 years of the European Union Project". She added that peace should be handled with care and with lots of energy.

Mr Ramirez said: "Peace is the absence of war; it is justice, progress, understanding, tolerance, respect and love". In her message for peace, Ms Hartje quoted Mahatma Gandhi, saying, "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way!"

Dr Lauri wished a very warm welcome to all international students who chose to take up their studies at the University of Malta.

MKSU is a Catholic movement at university with the aim of promoting Christian values throughsSocial commitment. It is a movement that gathers university students coming from different Catholic movements.

This event was sponsored by the National Lotteries Good Causes Fund and APS Bank.