President Arroyo to launch “Bridges” at Malacanang Palace
On November 14, 2007, Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, will officially launch the 1st ASEAN wide event series "Bridges — Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace" at Malacanang Palace in Manila.

Starting in November 2007 “Bridges” will be continuously held in the Philippines and Thailand involving the participation of Nobel Laureates for Economics, Peace, Physics, Chemistry and Medicine as well as former World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn.

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

Confirmed Nobel Laureates/keynote speakers to visit the Philippines and Thailand

November 2007

Professor Robert Alexander Mundell, the 1999 Nobel Laureate for Economics at Columbia University in New York, who prepared the first plan for a common currency in Europe and is known as the father of the theory of optimum currency areas. He has established the foundation for the theory which dominates practical policy considerations of monetary and fiscal policy in open economies. His contributions to monetary dynamics constitute the core of teaching in international macroeconomics. Professor Mundell will speak on “Economic development by fitting globalization into the national development strategy” and on “Remaking the international exchange rate system: The optimum currency area approach to a global currency” on

• November 12 at Siam University in Bangkok
• November 13 at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok
• November 14 at Malacanang Palace in Manila
• November 15 at De La Salle University in Manila
  (in cooperation with Mapua Institute of Technology)
• November 16 at Ateneo de Davao University in Davao

January 2008

Professor David Jonathan Gross, the 2004 Nobel Laureate for Physics at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics of the University of California in Santa Barbara. His work led to a completely new physical theory, quantum chromodynamics (QCD), which has been widely accepted to be the best understanding of how the universe works. This has brought physics one step closer to fulfilling a grand dream: to formulate a unified theory comprising gravity as well as a theory for everything. Professor Gross will speak on “The coming revolutions in fundamental physics” on

• January 7 at the New International School of Thailand and at Mahidol University in Bangkok
• January 9 at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City and at the Department of Science and Technology
• January 10 at De La Salle University in Manila
• January 11 at the University of San Carlos in Cebu

February 2008

Professor Finn Erling Kydland, the 2004 Nobel Laureates for Economics, at the Department of Economics of the University of California in Santa Barbara and at the Tepper School of Business of the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg. His work established the foundations for an extensive research program on the credibility and political feasibility of economic policy. This research shifted the practical discussion of economic policy away from isolated policy measures towards the institutions of policymaking, a shift that has largely influenced the reforms of central banks and the design of monetary policy in many countries over the last decade. Professor Kydland will speak on “Peace and economic development in the age of globalization” on

• February 4 at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok
• February 6 at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City
• February 7 at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City
• February 8 at the University of San Carlos in Cebu

March 2008

Mr. James D. Wolfensohn, the President of the World Bank from 1995 to 2005 and currently the Chairman of the Citigroup International Advisory Board. As President of the World Bank he successfully led initiatives on debt reduction, environmental sustainability, anti corruption programs, AIDS prevention and treatment. He developed activities on religion and culture and decentralized offices overseas linked by the most modern telecommunications system in the international community. Mr. Wolfensohn will speak on “Beyond East-West, North-South — Peace and prosperity in a four speed world” on

• March 3 at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok
• March 5 at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City
• March 6 at De La Salle University in Manila

Professor David Baltimore, the 1975 Nobel Laureate for Medicine and President Emeritus of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Awarded the Nobel Prize at the age of 37 for research in virology, Professor Baltimore has profoundly influenced national science policy on such issues as recombinant DNA research and the AIDS epidemic. He is an accomplished researcher, educator, administrator and public advocate for science and engineering and is considered one of the world’s most influential biologists.

Professor Baltimore will speak on “The role of science in fostering global health and development” and on “Gene therapy as a mode of treating cancer and AIDS” on

• March 24 at the National Science and Technology Development Agency of the Ministry of Science and Technology in Pathumthani (presided over by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn)
• March 25 at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok
• March 26 at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila
• March 27 at Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila
• March 28 at Ateneo de Davao University in Davao

April 2008

Professor Aaron Ciechanover, the 2004 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. Thanks to his work it is possible to understand at a molecular level how the cell controls a number of central processes by breaking down certain proteins and not others. This led pharma companies to initiate efforts to develop mechanism-based medications, and one successful drug to combat cancer is already on the market, with many more in the pipeline. Professor Ciechanover will speak on “Life and death — Why our proteins have to die so we shall live” on

• April 3 at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City
• April 4 at Angeles University in Angeles City
• April 7 at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila
• April 8 at the Department of Science and Technology in Manila
• April 10 at Mahidol University (in cooperation with Chulabhorn Research Institute)

Professor Jose Ramos-Horta, the President of Timor-Leste, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 with Bishop Carlos Belo, the religious leader of East Timor, "to honor their sustained and self-sacrificing contributions for a small but oppressed people". A portion of the funds received from the Nobel Prize were used to establish the José Ramos-Horta Microcredit Fund for the Poor, which is in full operation today, with a payback rate of 97%. President Ramos-Horta will speak on “Building a culture of peace and development in a globalized world” on

• April 21 at the New International School of Thailand and at Thammasat University in Bangkok
• April 22 at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok
• April 24 at De La Salle University in Manila
  (in cooperation with Far Eastern University)
• April 25 at Ateneo de Davao University in Davao

Further information about free tickets for the events and other background information about “Bridges” is available at the website www.peace-foundation.net.

Source: International Peace Foundation/Ogilvy Public Relation Worldwide release dated October 2007