Switzerland


An International Book Fair Imbued with Hope
By Switzerland News Group (Originally in English)


[Geneva]
From April 22 to 26, Golden Year 6 (2009), a few initiates from France, USA and the Geneva Center participated in the 23rd International Fair for Books and Press in Geneva, which attracted over 105,000 visitors. Former President of Switzerland Pascal Couchepin, who is now the Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs and the Minister of Culture, attended the opening ceremony. Other VIPs that were present included Mr. Charles Beer, a Geneva State Counselor, Mr. Pierre Maudet, Administrative Counselor of Geneva, Mr. Pierre-Marcel Favre, the president of the fair, and Turkish Ambassador Alev Kilic, whose country was the guest of honor this year.

Initiates took the opportunity to present Master’s books to some of the guests. Minister Couchepin was very pleased to receive The Noble Wilds and Celestial Art, commenting that the initiates always give him such beautiful books. He remembered The Birds in My Life that he received last year, when he was President of Switzerland. Upon receiving The Dogs in My Life, Turkish Ambassador Kilic told the initiates that he loves dogs and that there are always some of these loving animal companions in his home. He was very touched by The Birds in My Life book and mentioned that his father taught him never to put birds in cages because they need to be free.

Many visitors were aware of the fact that raising livestock was very bad for the planet, and they were glad to receive the informative SOS flyers and other materials on the benefits of the vegetarian diet from the initiates. One of the representatives at the Saudi Arabia stall was a vegetarian and another was keen on knowing everything about vegetarianism for himself and to share with his friends. Mr. Jean Ziegler, an internationally known politician, writer and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, agreed to a short interview with the initiates. He said that he fully supported the idea that everyone should become a vegetarian, that food should be shared equally, and that it was a crime so many children had to die of hunger. The initiates had the pleasure to talk to one of the most famous and bestselling contemporary French writers, Mr. Bernard Werber, who is a committed vegetarian. In addition to that, they shared climate change solutions with professors from several Swiss universities and with the organizer of the children’s activities at the fair, hoping that they would in turn bring this valuable information to the youth. A large part of the fair was devoted to French-speaking African writers, and they were all very happy to receive the information on climate change and vegetarianism.

It is uplifting to see that so many people attending these fairs are already vegetarian, a reassurance that the world is moving rapidly towards a peaceful and bright future!