Elyssa’s peace emissaries set sail from Carthage

Tunis, August 13, 2006 (TunisiaOnline)--On the day Tunisia celebrated both the 50th anniversary of the promulgation of the Code of personal Status and Women’s Day, the five crews making up the 2 nd edition of the Elyssa sea journey have set sail from the marina of Sidi Bou Said, near Carthage.

The event named “From Carthage they will sail for peace”,was dubbed a "peace mission" by the organizers after the tragic events in Lebanon.The sea journey was held under the High patronage of Tunisia’s First Lady Mrs Leila Ben Ali and under the aegis of the United Nations.

The five crews which represent Tunisia, Lebanon, France, Portugal and The United Kingdom are now heading respectively for Naples, Monaco, Marseilles, Valencia, and Athens, bearers of a message of peace and love among the peoples of the Mediterranean, one denouncing war, hatred and intolerance.

Mrs Aziza Htira, the president of The Tunisian Union of Women who gave the launch of the event, said that the event can be seen as ‘Elyssa’s call that of the founding figure of Carthage, it is also the call of all Tunisian and Mediterranean women, because one should not forget that the first victims of war are women.”

On his part the event’s organizer, Mr Nejib Gouia has voiced the wish of seeing the next edition of this women skippers’ race retrace its original route to reach Lebanon.

The ambassadors of Lebanon, Greece, Belgium and the People’s Republic of China, also attended the launch of the event.

The “Elyssa Sea Route”, whose first edition took place in 2004, celebrates the crossing of Queen Dido (also known as Elyssa) from the city of Tyr in Lebanon, to Carthage, where she gave birth to the powerful city of Carthage in 814 BC. Her crossing was dictated by her brother’s (Pygmalion) destructive war mongering at home.