Flame of Peace
Flamme des Friedens | |
Type | Non-profit organization |
---|---|
Purpose | Advancement of Peace |
Headquarters | A-1010 Wien, Parkring 16 / Weihburggasse 34, im Radisson Blu Palais Hotel |
Location |
|
President | Herta Margarete Habsburg-Lothringen |
Vice-President | Sandor Habsburg-Lothringen |
Website | www |
Flame of Peace (Flamme des Friedens) (not be confused with the 2nd European games torch relay "Flame of Peace") is an award granted by the Austrian non-profit organization Vereins zur Förderung des Friedens (Association for the Promotion of Peace), which promotes world peace. The flame is represented by a wood carving mounted on a stone base. The organization gives out awards to prominent people, peace activists and organizations for their activity in promoting peace.
Organization
The founder and president of the Vereins zur Förderung des Friedens (Association for the Promotion of Peace) is Herta Margarete Habsburg-Lothringen.[1] Herta Margaret Öfferl, as she was then, and her deputy Sandor von Habsburg Lothringen founded the organization in January 2007. Öfferl had already been working in this area for several years.[2] The symbol is a wood carving of a flame mounted on a stone base.[3] The organization is non-profit, non-partisan and religiously unaligned, and is dedicated to promoting and rewarding endeavors to promote peace. It has given awards to individuals and organizations since 2008.[3] The award is given to politicians, diplomats, media representatives and peace activists.[4]
Criticism
2009 the award was given to Ali Abdullah Saleh during his attack against Houthi rebels and 2016 to Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, prime minister of Bahrain, the British journalist Brian Whitaker calling the organisations award a 'dodgy peace prize'.[5] The board of the Association consists only of family members, Herta Margarete and Sandor Habsburg-Lohtringen as well as the children of Herta Margarete. There are no informations about membership or audits of the association.[6] The founder and president of the Organisation is also criticised by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta for engaging in the dubios fake order of „Sovereign Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem – Knights of Malta“.[7] President Herta Margarete and her husband and Vicepresident Sandor Habsburg-Lothringen are both using the titles of Archdukes of Austria and Prince of Tuscany, styled as Imperial Highness.[8] though Sandor Habsburg, son of Dominic von Habsburg, is only listed as Count of Habsburg in the Almanach de Gotha Edition of 2000.[9]
Sample monuments
Year | Location | Description |
---|---|---|
2009 | Vienna, Austria | In March 2009 Flamme des Friedens president Herta Margaret Öfferl unveiled a monument of the Flame of Peace in the foyer of the Schloss Wilhelminenberg in Vienna. The event was attended by Christian Berlakovits (Austrian Ambassador to Italy), Vesna Borozan (Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia), Prince Bernard (Consulate of Cameroon), Silvia Davidoiu (Ambassador of Romania), Ahmed Alwan al-Alwani Mulhi (Ambassador of Yemen) and Ashot Hovakimian (Ambassador of Armenia).[2] |
2009 | Sana'a, Yemen | In September 2009 Herta Margaret Öfferl presented the award to Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of the Republic of Yemen, and unveiled a peace memorial in Yemen.[1] |
2012 | Mitterdorf, Austria | On 14 March 2012 Ledida Alexander, governor of the Transcarpathia region of Ukraine, visited Mitterdorf in Styria, where a Flame of Peace monument was unveiled. The Ukrainian ambassador Bereznyi Andryi and commercial attaché Gennadyi Boldyr also attended the ceremony.[10] |
2012 | Ernstbrunn, Austria | On 26 May 2012 the association unveiled a peace monument in front of the Thomasl volunteer fire station in Ernstbrunn, Lower Austria.[11] |
Sample awards
Year | Location | Recipient | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Rome, Italy | Christian B.M. Berlakovits | In October 2008 Herta Öfferl, President of Flamme des Friedens, presented the Flame of Peace to Dr. Christian B.M. Berlakovits, the Austrian Ambassador in Rome.[12] |
2009 | Vienna, Austria | Goldenes Kreuz hospital | In November 2009 Herta Margret Öfferl presented the Flame of Freedom award to the Goldenes Kreuz private hospital in Vienna on its 90th anniversary, in recognition of its humanitarian efforts.[13] |
2010 | Mistelbach, Austria | Christian Werner | Military Bishop Christian Werner and a soldier at the Bolfras Barracks in Mistelbach were recipients.[14][15] |
2013 | Monaco | International School | In 2013 Herta Margarete Habsburg Lothringen awarded the Young Flame of Peace Award to the International School of Monaco for their participation in the United Nations Art for Peace 2012 project.[16] |
2013 | Bergdietikon, Austria | Jaroslaw Starzyk | According to the Polish Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, Archduchess[a] Margarete Herta Habsburg-Lothringen gave the "Flame of Peace" award to Ambassador Jaroslaw Starzyk on 31 August 2013 at the Bachlechner Art Gallery in Bergdietikon.[4] The gallery published photographs of the event.[19] |
2014 | Frauensee, Austria | Wolfgang Laubinger | Wolfgang Laubinger, the founder and director of camps of the Evangelical Church of Gütersloh was one of the recipients of the Bronze Medal of Merit from the organization.[20] |
2015 | Venice, Italy | Regional Council of Veneto | On 24 March 2015 the Flame of Peace Award was given to the Regional Council of Veneto at a concert held in memory of World War I attended by over 1,000 people.[21] Attendees included Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti, the vice president of the Veneto Region, Marino Zorzi and the President of the Regional Council of Veneto, Clodovaldo Ruffato, who accepted the award.[22] |
Notes
References
- ^ a b "Präsident des Yemen erhält "Flamme des Friedens"". Mistelbach TV. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ a b "Flamme des Friedens brennt in Wien". Vienna Online (in German). 10 March 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ a b "Flamme des Friedens - Jahresempfang 2013". Meinbezirk.at (in German). Regionalmedien Austria. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ a b c "Die Verleihung der Auszeichnung "Flamme des Friedens" an Botschafters Jarosław Starzyk" (in German). Polish Embassy in Bern. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ Al Bab.com 21st February 2016
- ^ https://citizen.bmi.gv.at/at.gv.bmi.fnsweb-p/zvn/public/Registerauszug - ZVR 978756365
- ^ Fake orders on the Website of the Souvereirng Military Order of Malta, Grand Priory of Austria
- ^ Newsarchive on their personal website Imperial Austria
- ^ Alamanach de Gohta, Edition 2000, Volume 1, page 46
- ^ "Europabericht 1. Vierteljahr 2012" (PDF). Das Land Steiermark. p. 13. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
- ^ "Freiwillige Feuerwehr Thomasl" (in German). Official website of the Council of Ernstrunn. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ "Flamme des Friedens in Rom überreicht". Mistelbach TV. 27 October 2008. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "Auszeichnung mit der "Flamme des Friedens"". Verband der Privatkrankenanstalten Österreichs. 2009-11-04. Archived from the original on 2015-04-15. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "Militärbischof erhält "Flamme des Friedens"" (in German). Official website of the Council of Mistelbach. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ "Großer Tag in Mistelbach" (in German). Austrian Armed Forces. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ "Young Flame of Peace Award Given To ISM". The Riviera Woman. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- ^ "Sandor, Graf von Habsburg-Lothringen". geneall.net. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "HABSBURG-TUSCANY". Royalty Guide. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "Überreichung der Flamme des Friedens durch IKKH Herta Margaret Habsburg – Lothringen mit SKKH Sandor Habsburg – Lothringen an S.E. Jaroslaw Starzyk, Botschafter der Republik Polen". Kunstgalerie Bachlechner. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "Einsatz für den Frieden" (in German). Evangelical Church of Gütersloh. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ "Mille presenti al concerto per il centenario della Grande Guerra". Consiglio regionale del Veneto. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "L'Europa festeggia oggi il gelato artigianale. Un successo alla Fenice" (in Italian). Associazione Esposizioni e Fiere Italiane (Italian Association of Exhibitions and Fairs). 24 March 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.