FIDE President’s working meetings in Chicago
Yesterday was the final day of the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates where the FIDE President was taking part at the invitation of Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, patron of Chess in Schools programme. His visit to Chicago turned out to be very productive; Mr. Ilyumzhinov met with many prominent political, religious and public figures such as Mr. Frederic Willem de Klerk, former President of South Africa, Messrs. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, former US Presidents, Mr. Lech Wałęsa, former President of Poland, Mr. Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago, Mr. Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois, 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist and founder of the Grameen Bank, an institution that provides microcredit, and many other famous people.
Fruitful discussions took place with His Holiness Dalai-Lama the 14th and Mr. Gorbachev. The latter said that he wanted to promote chess and noted a great role of this game in the educational process. Mr. Ilyumzhinov and patron of CIS programme discussed the possibility of mutual cooperation between FIDE and summit in promoting a peace and democracy.
His Holiness Dalai-Lama the 14th highly appreciated the FIDE President’s work in the development of Buddhism and chess as well. They spoke about the bilateral cooperation between FIDE and the Government of Tibet and agreed to continue the discussion during the President’s visit to Tibet in May.
Another remarkable meeting was with Mr. Oliver Stone, an American film director, producer and screen writer who directed such movies as Platoon, Alexander, World Trade Center, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and others. Messrs. Stone and Ilyumzhinov discussed the role of cinema in a struggle for peace, the younger generation and the influence of chess on this process.
It should be noted that an Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn received a 2012 Peace Summit Award for his work to rebuild and aid the victims of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The award was presented by Mr. Gorbachev.
With former US Presidents Messrs. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton the FIDE President spoke about the chess development in the country, possibility of recognition of chess as a sport and the role of chess in the educational process.
With Ms. Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights, the FIDE President discussed the possibility of using of chess in one the RFK Center programmes. Ms. Kennedy expressed a great interest in this matter.
Another summit laureate who expressed his willingness and intention to support chess among children was the former President of Poland Mr. Lech Wałęsa who actively follows the chess events.
During his visit to Chicago the FIDE President met with the Cook County Sheriff Mr. Thomas Dart and Mrs. Joellen Balley, his assistant. Cook County is the second county in the USA by population, there are more than 6 million people. It includes the city of Chicago and surrounding suburbs as well as the largest prison in the United States. Nearly 11,000 prisoners serve a sentence there. The issues of the social rehabilitation of the former prisoners, their leisure organization, introduction of chess education in the penitentiary institutions and other issues of possible mutual cooperation were discussed at the meeting. It was decided to organize a chess tournament between prisoners, including a national championship among the convicts. FIDE President appealed to sheriff to help in organizing a chess club in the county where the released could continue their mastering in chess.
Also the FIDE President visited the chess club headed by IO, IA Sevan Muradian and participated in the Blitz Tournament.
Many more photos here.
FIDE should open an office in Chicago.