A Concert For Peace And Humanity

VIENNA,  30  June  (UN  Information  Service) – UNIS/INF/328 In Support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees the Lebanese musician  Marcel  Khalife  and the Al-Mayadine Ensemble will give a concert this  evening  in  support  of  the  United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) at the City Hall in Vienna, 8.00 pm Austrian time. The “Concert for Peace  and Humanity” sponsored by the Austrian Government and the OPEC Fund for International Development, will be held under the patronage of Austrian Federal  President  Heinz Fischer and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who will address the audience this evening through a video message.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Karen AbuZayd and Palestinian Authority Prime
Minister Salam Fayad will be attending the event.

In  this unique musical event, Marcel Khalife aims to “create a dialogue between Eastern and Western instruments symbolizing the common humanity and thirst  for peace that unites all people“. Khalife’s life and work has been dedicated  to  the renaissance of the Arabic song, ultimately breaking down ingrained   stereotypes   and   advocating   for   a  better  international understanding  of  the  peoples and societies of the Arab World. In 2005 he was  named  a  UNESCO  Artist  for  Peace for his „artistic achievement and
humanitarian contribution“.

This  concert is one in a series of events that commemorate the sixtieth
anniversary  of  the establishment of UNRWA, following the 1948 Middle East
war.  The  anniversary is an occasion for sober reflection on why an agency which  was  created by the international community to be “temporary” is now “coming  of  age”.  It is also an opportunity to showcase the work of UNRWA through  sixty years of service and achievement, bringing human development to  millions  of  Palestine  refugees  in  one of the world’s most unstable regions.

For further information, interview requests and details of media opportunities, please contact: Zizette Darkazally UNRWA at 60 Mobile: (+43-664) 5844-297

For tickets and concert information visit:

Website: www.marcel-in-vienna.com