HERVE MORIN TRANSFORMS ANNNIVERSARY OF 6 JUNE 1944 INTO A FORUM FOR PEACE

USPA NEWS - The Normandie World Peace Forum is a brand new global event, launched by “The region Normandie“ chaired by Herve Morin, in France. It was held on 6-8th of June, of this year and will be repeated each year after the commemoration events of te 6th June 1944, anniversary of Allied landings and the Battle of Normandy, to liberate France from the Germans during the World War II. “This forum is an opportunity for reflection and discussion on tensions around the world and peace-building> It is led by experts in geopolitics, alongside representative from politics, the academic world and vivcil society, Herve Morin, President of “The region Normandie“ stated. In fact, He as a chairman of the region fo Normandie and is very committed to his region, Herve Morin, transformed what we call a “tragic“ commemoration, recalling the Battle of Normandy, where 34 000 American soldiers, and Allies, landed in Normandie to free France form the German enemy of that time. He has transformed this sad anniversary into a global summit where experts, professors, researchers, journalists, politicians, students, activists, gathered in the Abbaye des Dames, to discuss and debate about Peace.

The Normandie World Peace Forum is a brand new global event, launched by “The region Normandie“ chaired by Herve Morin, in France. It was held on 6-8th of June, of this year and will be repeated each year after the commemoration events of te 6th June 1944, anniversary of Allied landings and the Battle of Normandy, to liberate France from the Germans during the World War II. “This forum is an opportunity for reflection and discussion on tensions around the world and peace-building> It is led by experts in geopolitics, alongside representative from politics, the academic world and vivcil society, Herve Morin, President of “The region Normandie“ stated.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In fact, He as a chairman of the region fo Normandie and is very committed to his region, Herve Morin, transformed what we call a “tragic“ commemoration, recalling the Battle of Normandy, where 34 000 American soldiers, and Allies, landed in Normandie to free France form the German enemy of that time. He has transformed this sad anniversary into a global summit where experts, professors, researchers, journalists, politicians, students, activists, gathered in the Abbaye des Dames, to discuss and debate about Peace. The idea is not only smart but also predictive, as the data, and all knowledges shared by the participants shall be used in the future as a compulsive database, in order to propose solutions for peace and anticipating risks in conflicts emerging areas, and hot spots, in order to diminish the belligerent actions, and better the protection of the civilians. We sat and had a candid about, Peace, Normandie, and safety security in the occasion of launching the with Herve Morin, President of he Region Normandie who launched the initiative of the New World Forum Normandie for Peace. So here is the dialogue with Mr Herve Morin in its entirety, just few minutes before the closing session of WFNP, in Caen at Abbaye des Dames.

INTERVIEW HERVE MORIN BY RAHMA SOPHIA RACHDI FOR USPA---------------------------------------------------------- Rahma Sophia RACHDI : How did you come up with this very pertinent and smart idea to mark the 6th June, by a milestone, that is building global peace, step by step ?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Herve MORIN : “So far it was an adventure to build such a project. We had the first edition of the will to have a great ambition, with a village of Peace, an ephemeral bookstore, where young students, NGO leaders, and other participants can make speed dating by exchanging their inventive ideas. on "how to build a sustainable peace" and on the possible modules of educational supports to consolidate the base of high school students and students of their young age, on a peaceful approach of the World " Rahma Sophia RACHDI : Can you tell us more about “LIBERTE J´ECRIS TON NOM“ the Freedom Prize ?-------------------- Herve MORIN : “Liberte J´ecris Ton Nom“, means in english I Write our Name“ a quote excerpt from the Paul Eduard´s manuscript. The Award “Prize of Liberty“ is also an ambitious challenge to serve the noble goal of reaching and keeping peace in the difference parts of the actual hectic world. It is an initiative organised by the Normandy Region, and to be awarded annually to a public who has made an exceptional commitment to freedom. As part of a new educational process, the winner will be chosen by a panel of young people around the world. For the first edition, we have chosen students from Normandie region, We have grouped 8000 high school students who participated in Normandy. Apart from that, I was able to attend certain conferences and debates, and I confess that it was very high flight, with moments of emotion, especially the moment when the veteran intervened, it took me much moved, I even cried!

Rahma Sophia RACHDI : How did you think so far of the articulation of the World Forum for Peace Normandie and what are the perspective?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Herve MORIN : In the future we plan to launch a curriculum associating a university for peace, with PhD students to beat real schemas of new models of mediations. So it would be a matter of creating an international campus around peace here in Normandy, and I spoke about it yesterday with Hubert Vedrine (Ex Minister of Foreign Affairs). We can be more aware about Westfalian effects, as M Badi said, we must integrate a part of the civil society, I was during this afternoon to the reconstruction of the Irish scene, and the construction of Olso. To have a real job of research and so where one must have somehow workshops about the Colombian civil war and better understand how they went to peace. And then, yesterday in plenary session Abdoulaye Bathily, Ex Minister of Senegal him, explained the insufficient and weak processes that need to be strengthened to build solutions with the OAU, for example, a regional sub-organization, which decides to involve in a crisis and reduce the risk of not ending a bloodbath.

Rahma Sophia RACHDI : Everyone of us aims to reach a sustainable peace everywhere, yet, how do we reach that, and how come, there was no forum debating about Peace before yours ? what is the purpose of this Normandy International Peace Forum, ? Herve MORIN : I wanted this to become a place for exchanges, for people to come here in Normandy, to present solutions that work in terms of education, understanding of others, to say that we are also a place where people will find solutions. and to propose solutions, and finally the ideal to create a place of exchanges around the bilateral exchange to find the conditions of dialogue, for example to put around a table an Iranian and a Mexican or American, or a Ukrainian to debate with a Russian. And that's what we did at this forum. and also the fact that we are a public open place, that was our great ambition posted the departure of this initiative.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rahma Sophia RACHDI :This place of the Abbaye des Dames is a historic and beautiful place of beauty especially with the sun shining today, (exceptional time for Normandy) it is also wanted to be on this symbolically strong place to host your forum on peace?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Herve MORIN: The place of the Abbey Des Dames has been a place of meditation full of history, since it was a Hotel Dieu, a Hospital, left by William the Conqueror, a great hero of the History of La France. So we have a real legitimacy at this level, to place it precisely here, yes. Rahma Sophia RACHDI :We know many international forums or summit to talk about terrorism, financial economy, internal or international politics, but no forum on Peace, it seems so obvious and yet it does not exist? So your Peace Summit is quite novel in its kind?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Herve MORIN: Well yes, to my knowledge there is none and you confirm me, you who are a journalist, so yes it is quite new and even unique and we intend to sustain it from year to year . Rahma Sophia RACHDI : What will you do with all this information received and collected during the 3 days of forum?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rahma Sophia RACHDI : How do you intend to perpetuate the success of this first World Forum on Peace Normandy? Herve MORIN: It's all our work of influence, an duty, to spread that and keep the value of it. This is why, we need you all the media, and when the press is there, we manage to value this information and make them grow with the principals and through influences. That is why we plan to launch an international campus whose diplomas were being taught here in Normandy, with courses on "building a lasting peace" "Building bridges between countries to better secure peace" "Better protection of civilians in the zen of conflicts "" Security and Defense "---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rahma Sophia RACHDI : What will be the benefits and repercussions of this world forum which will take place in Caen, every year, on June 6th, the very day of the commemoration of the landing of the Allies in Normandy? This is very important for the region, which is already very visited by the rest of the world?--------------------------------------------------------------------- Herve MORIN : "Yes, it is very important for Normandy and also for respect for its history and its cultural heritage and linked to the history that binds it to countries such as Allies, such as USA, Canada, Great Britain. So, for Normandy this forum will offer a capacity of radiation on the subjects that we already mentioned, What we can wish for is that later on, people in the world think, "Peace forum is synonymous with Normandy"

The same morning, the organisation of the Forum, had offered us a classic guided tour of the tour of Caen, to understand the Battle of Normandy. In the first stage, the tip of Ho, followed by the visit of the famous beach of "Omaha Beach" where you could disembark, 34,000 soldiers in 2 days, and finally the cemetery where more than 9500 American veterans reside. The particularity of this cemetery is that it is run by American Rangers on French soil and the 23 gardeners have a magnificent landscaped park, bringing a sweetness of greenery to the souls of the soldiers buried here. Only two women are buried there. And we note that a hundred tombs are enhanced with a star of David for those of them who were Jewish. Thus, it is the only cemetery in the world where the Crosses coexist with Stars of David in the same cemetery. This is a beautiful proof of tolerance and benevolence towards the "boys" who sacrificed themselves for a nation that is not even theirs, but by an effort of solidarity under the agreements of the alliance of peoples and military forces in wartime. Herve Morin, has stated during the same forum, in the editorial “ The Normandy World Peace also aims to raise awareness of new kinds of wars and new threats among all people particularly young people. The collective imagination often sees war as total opposition between two or more states. This vision of armed conflict no longer seems relevant today because of the proliferation of non-stakeholders. The multitude of state and non-state stakeholders involved in the war in Syria is a just a number of examples. The mergence of new form of terrorism at the dawn of the 21st century is one of the notable developments of modern wars.

HERVE MORIN IS FORMER MINISTER OF DEFENCE, CURRENTLY PRESIDENT OF THE REGION NORMANDIE SINCE 2016 Hervé Morin is a young French politician, currently the President of Normandy and Leader of the party The Centrists. He was the Minister fo Defence (2007-2010), under President Nicolas Sarkozy. Herve Morin was elected as a representative to the French National Assembly, (Member of the French Parliament)on 16 June 2002, in the 3rd constituency of Eure, Normandy. He was the president of the Union French Democracy (UDF) the National Assembly. After the UDF's candidate for the, 2007 Presidential election, Francois Bayrou, who was running against Segolene Royal Socialist Party and Nicolas Sarkozy, the Republican Party. At that time, Francois Bayrou, did not make it to the 2nd round, and hinted that he attempted to create an alliance with the Socialist Party, yet decided to found a new political party: the Democratic Movement (or MoDem). Consequently, Herve Morin, who is leading the center-right and representing an ally of the presidential election's winner, Nicolas Sarkozy, made it an organisation within the presidential majority in the National Assembly. In fact Francois Bayrou, refused to ally either with Segolene Royal nor with the right wing either. This is how was created the so called New Centre and led by Herve Morin. After the creation of the UMP (UMP : The Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) is a French political party classified right and center right, created in 2002 and which becomes in 2015 Republicans after a modification of its statutes.The French right wing party led by Nicolas Sarkozy, UMP, he took the presidency of the UDF group at the National Assembly, from 2002 to 2007. While Morin was joining the government as minister of Defence in July 2007, Marc Vampa New Center replaced him as representative. A part form his functions of the French government, Herve Morin is also President of the Communaute de Communes“ of Canton de Cormeilles : Since 2001. Reelected in 2008, 2014 and Member of the Communaute de Communes of Canton de Cormeilles : Since 2001. Reelected in 2008, 2014.