To honor Prof. Lin Xiang Xiong’s visit to Paris, Leaders for Peace had the pleasure of hosting several high-level meetings. Firstly, Leaders for Peace met with Mr Dov Lynch, Director of External Relations at UNESCO. This provided an opportunity to discuss Professor Lin’s work and artistic commitment to peace, which culminated last year in the opening of the Lin Xiang Xiong Gallery in Penang (Malaysia), a museum spanning eight floors that showcases the professor’s years of work and pieces dedicated to peace, alongside those of other artists. Mr Lin and Mr Lynch discussed potential collaborations between the Lin Xiang Xiong Gallery, Leaders for Peace and UNESCO.
Leaders for Peace also met with Ms Catherine Pégard, Minister of Culture of the French Republic. This was an opportunity to reiterate that art and culture are genuine vehicles for peace. Indeed, art may be a tool, when political paths are broken, to build bridges between divided communities. The mobilisation of civil society lies at the heart of major conflicts, and it is vital to highlight artists who place causes as essential as peace at the heart of their work.
Prof. Lin’s visit to Paris also provided an opportunity to discuss with Leaders for Peace the next steps in strengthening the collaboration and partnership between the two parts. Upcoming initiatives that Leaders for Peace looks forward to developing in 2026.
We would like to thank Professor Lin for his visit and his deep commitment to Peace and to be a part of our board of Leaders.