A day in Valais for the President of the Confederation
Bern, 06.10.2014 - A meeting with high-school pupils in Sion, harvesting grapes in the “vigne de Farinet”, invited to the traditional Valais “brisolée” in Fully and participating in the official ceremony at the Gornergrat marking the change of name of the Pointe de l’Est peak to “Pointe Dunant” – these were the highlights of the day in Valais of Swiss President Didier Burkhalter.
The authorities of the Canton of Valais, accepting a proposal made by the President of the Confederation, decided to rename the second highest Swiss peak – 4,632 metres compared to 4,634 metres at the Pointe Dufour a few hundred metres distant – “Pointe Dunant” in honour of the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The 150th anniversary of the creation of the ICRC and of the first Geneva Convention, the foundation stone of today’s international humanitarian law, are being celebrated in 2013 and 2014. Thus the two highest summits in Switzerland, Pointe Dufour and Pointe Dunant, honour two founders of the ICRC.
The official ceremony, organised by the commune of Zermatt, was held on Monday afternoon at the Gornergrat in the presence of the cantonal authorities and a representative of the ICRC. President Burkhalter presented the Zermatt authorities with a plaque, declaring the new name official and recalling highlights in the lives of Henry Dunant (1828-1910) and Guillaume-Henri Dufour (1787-1875) and their commitment to the humanitarian ideal in wartime. The plaque is to be affixed in the new refuge of the Monte Rosa, the point of departure for parties setting off to climb the various peaks of the massif.
In the morning the President of the Confederation held a meeting with 300 pupils of the Planta college in Sion, which each year stages the “forum of La Planta” simulating a meeting of the UN General Assembly. Each forum is preceded by a series of lectures. This year the students worked on two themes, “Territorial integrity and people’s right to self-determination” and “Income inequality worldwide”. Addressing the pupils before taking questions, Mr Burkhalter encouraged them to seek inspiration from Dunant and be ready to “move mountains”.
The day continued with the traditional vendange, harvesting grapes in the company of blind children in the legendary “vigne de Farinet”, the world’s smallest registered vineyard with just three vine stocks. After this President Burkhalter went to Fully where he sampled the typical autumn dish of Valais, the “brisolée”, consisting of roasted chestnuts served with various types of alpine cheese and seasonal fruit, provided by winemaker Bernard Roduit.
The President’s day in Valais was the last of three cantonal visits: Geneva (31 May), Neuchâtel (12 September) and Valais, which this year celebrates its bicentenary as a member of the Confederation. Through these visits President Burkhalter wished to pay a special tribute to Swiss federalism, which over the years and centuries has managed to integrate cantons with very different backgrounds, cultures and languages. “It is one of the strengths of our country to have found in this diversity a common bond rather than a source of conflict,” the President said in remarks during the day.
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