Confirmed Nobel Laureates/keynote speakers to visit the Philippines and Thailand — November 2007 to April 2008
Please click to view

Chairmen of “Bridges”
“Bridges” in the Philippines is mutually chaired by Mr. Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman and CEO of Ayala Corporation, and Mr. Washington SyCip, Founding Chairman of the SGV Group and of the Asian Institute of Management. In Thailand “Bridges” is mutually chaired by H.E. Prime Minister Gen. Surayud Chulanont and former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun.

Facilitator and partners of “Bridges”
The event series is facilitated by the Vienna-based International Peace Foundation and locally hosted in cooperation with various national and international partners including Angeles University, the Asian Institute of Management, Ateneo de Davao and de Manila Universities, De La Salle University, the Department of Science and Technology, Mapua Institute of Technology, the University of San Carlos, the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the Philippines (in the Philippines) as well as Mahidol University, the National Science and Technology Development Agency of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ramkhamhaeng University, Siam University, Thammasat University and the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (in Thailand). UNESCO is also part of the “Bridges” program which will be held as an independent contribution to the United Nations' Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence.

Previous “Bridges” events in Thailand
The 1st ASEAN wide series of "Bridges" follow the successful two "Bridges" series with 250 events which the International Peace Foundation has hosted in Thailand between November 2003 and April 2005. 26 Nobel Laureates as well as 12 other keynote speakers and artists such as Dr. Hans Blix, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Vanessa-Mae and Jessye Norman participated in these events. They were presided over by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and reached an audience of 70,000 participants.

“Bridges” expands to other ASEAN countries
The International Peace Foundation has now been invited by other ASEAN countries to build further bridges towards peace and international understanding by expanding its "Bridges" program beyond Thailand to stimulate the intellectual, scientific and cultural exchange in the region.

Nobel Laureates visit the Philippines and Thailand
“Bridges” will continuously take place in the Philippines and Thailand from November 2007 to April 2008, comprising a series of up to 50 events with Nobel Laureates from all fields. The Nobel Laureates will visit the region not all at once, but separately to conduct public lectures, seminars, workshops and dialogues hosted by local institutions during a continued period of six months.

Focus on “building a culture of peace and development in a globalized world”
The topics of the ongoing events will deal with the overall theme of “building a culture of peace and development in a globalized world” and with a wide range of issues in the fields of politics, economy, science, culture and the media. They will especially highlight the challenges of both globalization and regionalism and its impact on development and international cooperation.

Enhancing education as a basis for peace and development
The aim of “Bridges” is to facilitate and strengthen dialogue and communication between societies in Southeast Asia with their multiple cultures and faiths as well as with peoples in other parts of the world to promote understanding and trust. The events aim at building bridges through Nobel Laureates with local universities and other institutions in Southeast Asia to establish long-term relationships which may result in common research programs and other forms of collaboration. By enhancing science, technology and education as a basis for peace and development the events may lead to a better cooperation for the advancement of peace, freedom and security in the region with the active involvement of the young generation, ASEAN’s key to the future.

All events open and free of charge for the general public
This is why “Bridges” is not designed as a onetime event, but as a continuing process of synergies to make the series of events a sustainable success for the Philippines, for Thailand and for Southeast Asia as a whole. All “Bridges” events are open and free of charge for the general public. The detailed schedule of events including information about venues and free tickets can be obtained from the website www.peace-foundation.net.

“Bridges” sponsored by the private sector
“Bridges” is made possible through the support of sponsors including BMW, Dusit International, Microsoft, Ogilvy and the Yuchengco Group of Companies, among others.

Next year’s “Bridges” series in Malaysia and Thailand
The 2nd ASEAN wide series of “Bridges” is scheduled to be held in Malaysia and Thailand from November 2008 to April 2009. Confirmed keynote speakers include Dr. Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Laureate for Peace, Prof. Robert F. Engle, the 2003 Nobel Laureate for Economics, Prof. Roger D. Kornberg, the 2006 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry, Prof. H. Robert Horvitz, the 2002 Nobel Laureate for Medicine, and Prof. George F. Smoot, the 2006 Nobel Laureate for Physics, as well as Joschka Fischer, the former German Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former United Nations’ Secretary General. The Malaysian series of “Bridges” is mutually chaired by His Royal Highness Dr. Nazrin Shah, the Crown Prince of the State of Perak, and Tun Musa Hitam, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Further information is available at the web site www.peace-foundation.net
or through Ogilvy Public Relation Worldwide in Manila: Mr. Nix Penafiel
Tel: +63 2 885-0001
Fax: +63 2 885-0030
Mobile: +63-916-580-4581
E-mail: nix.penafiel@ogilvy.com

Bangkok: Ms. Kanokchan Patanapichai
Tel: +66 (0) 2205 6649
Fax: +66 (0) 2205 6686
E-mail: Kanokchan.patanapichai@ogilvy.com

IMPORTANT
Event dates and programme details may be subject to change.
Many of the festivals and events listed on Thailand's official calendar of annual events are traditional Buddhist or folk festivals, the date of which is either determined by the Buddhist lunar calendar and waxing and waning moon. These are not staged events. The festivals reflect the rhythm of life in rural Thai villages and local traditions as observed in times past. To ensure you have the most updated information, please reconfirm details prior to travel.
Contact:
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Email: info@tat.or.th
Website: www.tat.or.th
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 (120 automatic lines)
Fax: +66 (0) 2250 5511 (two automatic lines)

FOR EVENT INFORMATION,
please call 1672.

Address:
1600 Petchaburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee
Bangkok 10400
Thailand