The Deputy Leader of Coventry City Council was one of the delegates invited to a major international peace event in Poland this month.
Cllr Abdul Salam Khan spoke at the 32nd General Assembly of the International Association of Peace Messenger Cities (IAPMC), that took place in Plonsk.
The IAPMC was established to recognise and encourage the role and responsibility cities have in creating a culture of peace. It has over 100 members from all parts of the world, including cities such as Hiroshima, Sarajevo, New Delhi, and Beijing.
Cllr Khan told the Assembly of Coventry’s role as a city of peace and reconciliation, and highlighted events this year such as the 85th anniversary of the Blitz, the Peace Festival and how the city marked the 80th anniversaries of VE Day and Holocaust Memorial Day.
He spoke about the work the city has undertaken since the Second World War and how it pioneered the development of twin cities as a way of building trust and friendship around the world.
Cllr Khan said: “I was honoured to represent our city in Poland at such a prestigious event, and it was so heart-warming to see how well respected and admired Coventry is around the globe for its work as a city of peace and reconciliation.
“That work for peace started many years ago, yet is sadly still needed today, and so we must take every chance we can to work with other cities and nations to better understand one another and build friendships.
“Events like the General Assembly are so important in bringing people together to spread our message ever further and inspire others to take up the work for peace. They help us to show others how people of different nationalities, religions, races and cultures can live and work together in friendship – as they do in Coventry.”
Plonsk suffered greatly in the Second World War, and as part of the visit, Cllr Khan and fellow delegates visited landmarks and sites connected to peacebuilding and laid flowers.