ROME (voa) – Rome’s Coloseum, once the scene of bloody battles between lions and gladiators, has held its first music concert to promote world peace.
Artists from war-torn regions promoted equality and understanding during Saturday’s concert in the ancient Roman ruin. One performance combined Israeli singer Noa and Palestinian singer Nabil for a duet.
The concert also marked the first day of a gathering of government officials and development experts called the “Glocal Forum,” which stands for “Global-Local”. The aim is to make globalization work at the local level.
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian economic adviser Mohammed Rashid are among those participating.
Rome’s mayor, Walter Vetroni, says the primary message from the concert is that people must seek peace, even when it seems impossible to achieve. Mayors from cities around the world were invited to attend.
The Colloseum of Rome stands 50 meters (165 feet) high and measures 185 meters (600 feet) in its longest dimension. The Colloseum was large enough to hold 50,000 roaring spectators when it was inaugurated in 80 AD.
