Once again, people gathered in the spirit of peace, unity, and equality on UN Day as the Songs for Unity Peace Concert was held at the Church of the Deaconess Institute.
This year’s concert theme was unity—the art of living together. Achieving peaceful coexistence requires ongoing effort and a commitment to finding mutual understanding. Living together requires respect, the skill of listening, and the desire to build bridges between diverse people.
The peace concert featured the Bahá’í Music Group, Maailma-kuoro, along with guitarist and singer Guna Kalna and classical pianist Liisa Smolander. Perspectives on the theme were offered by UN Youth Delegate Paula Pättikangas, Marina Danoyan from the CMI Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Deaconess Institute community worker at Olohuone and Helsinki City Gold Medal recipient Joonatan Nsukami, and Jan Wahlberg from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Center for Peace Mediation. The audience also heard a written greeting from President Tarja Halonen.
The concert was hosted by Alda Aflatuni and Saara Alamäki, and organized once again by the Ecumenical Council of Finland and the CORE Forum, with a special mention to the Deaconess Institute.
Text: Sarah Tiainen
Photos: Jefunne Gimpel
