It is tempting to reflect, as the time passes by, something that happened almost half a year ago. After time, the event has been superimposed by plenty of other events, international experiences, private and professional contacts, a network of situations which could have - by the power of their emotional positive or negative experience -,,, supersede the experience which we had initially regarded as a lasting possession of our being. All what remained in us is the truth, having a personal meaning for us and becoming the source of interpretation of the next flow of our own life; all what remained in us is deliberated from fleeting superficial touches of reality falsely creating an impression of unforgettable incentives.       

The invitation to participate on the 13^th WCCI Conference had reached me a year before it was held, when I had the opportunity to meet the members of WCCI steering management. I was attracted by the topic of the conference which was offering the connecting of the peace concepts and curriculum; the institution backing the whole event was appealing, too. 

I was as well attracted by a well chosen date – September, when one does not feel tiredness from the year-long attacks of the academic circles. I would not like to speak much about the physical conditions of the conference venue, yet I cannot resist not mentioning that the place made us all peaceful and calm. Receiving the energy from Turkish sun and a pleasant companion of participants from various parts of the world, we devoted ourselves fully to contemplation on where we are, what we are and how we really contribute and how we could contribute to mutual respect, tolerance, and peace in the micro worlds where each of us performs, and which are parts of the world full of confrontations, problems, anxiety and fights for all which has objective or subjective value, or has no value at all. I recall the international community of professionals from all parts of the world who struggled with specific problems in the localities they came from. I recall an unceasing effort to bring about remedies of human affairs in many different dimensions. I cannot forget humbleness and kindliness emanating from strange faces, which were becoming, day by day, more familiar. Socio-emotional atmosphere of the conference was the reflection of its main topic – peace and the effort of the participants who were realizing that the world and fate of people warn us – to stop, to think how to help the world, help the people and therefore help ourselves. 

Inspiring were the key note lectures of the main speakers, variable discussions in the sections helped to search for one’s own sphere of interest for scholarly discussion, as well as for making distance from one’s own stereotypes in thinking, misconceptions and prejudices. The conference proved that the desire for peace and serenity is not territorially limited, has no cultural frames; not even the colour of complexion is a factor which would allow us to answer the question of the 18the century French naturalist philosopher – J.J. Rousseau: “Has the progress in sciences and arts contributed to the decline or purging of morals?”

I would like to thank the organizers for this experience.▲