Inspired by the existing World Peace Flame monument in Cadzand\u00a0(Netherlands), a new flame was lit in a festive ceremony in\u00a0Holsbeek, Belgium, on Saturday 3 October.<\/p>\n
The Flame in Cadzand has burned continuously since 2004. And it was\u00a0a visit there by representatives from Holsbeek that triggered the\u00a0building of the new World Peace Flame monument.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to do our best for peace each and every day\u201d,<\/em> said\u00a0Annelies Vander Bracht, Executive Councillor for International\u00a0Cooperation and Culture in Holsbeek.\u00a0\u201cUnlike what many people think, conflicts aren\u2019t just important in\u00a0far-away places. They\u2019re also a reality for us here in our own town.\u00a0Our new World Peace Flame is a great start to make everyone aware\u00a0of that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The new World Peace Flame monument in Holsbeek unites four formerly\u00a0separate villages and five parishes that now make up the municipality. The\u00a0flame is housed in a 3.6-metre-high monument, topped by a large dove of peace\u00a0and prominently located on a peaceful hillside overlooking the surrounding area.<\/p>\n \u201cOur experience is that the World Peace Flame is a powerful force\u00a0in uniting the community. We\u2019re happy to serve as an inspiration to\u00a0our friends in Holsbeek\u201d,<\/em> said WPF Cadzand representative Els van\u00a0Venrooy.<\/p>\n This is the first World Peace Flame in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant,\u00a0joining the existing monument in Riemst (province of Limburg). The new flame\u00a0and monument were sparked by a visit to Cadzand by two residents from\u00a0Holsbeek.\u00a0There they met with WPF Cadzand representative Els van Venrooy, who showed\u00a0them the monument and explained what it stands for in the Dutch municipality.\u00a0After that they were so enthusiastic that they set up a working group to develop\u00a0the new monument in their own town in Belgium.<\/p>\n Speaking on behalf of the World Peace Flame Foundation, Trudi Rubingh\u00a0underlined the values that the flame symbolises. \u201cThe World Peace Flame stands\u00a0for unity, peace and freedom; it urges every one of us to think of peace and to\u00a0work actively for peace, day in and day out. By doing so, it appeals to the\u00a0highest in each of us, and it symbolises the importance of peace in our own\u00a0lives, and in the lives of people all around the world.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The festive opening ceremony on 3 October was attended by around 400 local\u00a0residents, as well as a crowd of children from all the schools in the municipality.\u00a0In a colourful torchlit procession, the same schoolchildren carried a\u00a0mineworker\u2019s lamp bringing the World Peace Flame from Cadzand, to be used to\u00a0light the new flame in Holsbeek.<\/p>\n The inauguration ceremony, including the lighting of the World Peace Flame,\u00a0was followed by a reception held in a party tent on the site of the WPF\u00a0monument, with a light show and refreshments provided by the\u00a0municipality. From now on, the World Peace Flame will burn constantly in the\u00a0new Holsbeek monument, from where it radiates its message of peace and unity\u00a0over this municipality at the heart of Belgium.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\u201cThe World Peace Flame unites our community\u201d<\/h3>\n
New flame sparked by visit to Cadzand<\/h3>\n
Symbol of unity, peace and freedom<\/h3>\n
Festive inauguration ceremony<\/h3>\n
Reception with light show and fireworks<\/h3>\n