Latest news with #NATOSpringAssembly
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Ambassador recounts signing of the Dayton Peace Accords
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — With the NATO Spring Assembly happening in Dayton, many are looking back at the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords almost 30 years ago. Negotiations between the presidents of Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia happened at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, leading to an agreement that ended a three year war. U.S. Ambassador Tony Hall was there for that historic signing, telling 2 NEWS he remembers the tension he felt as those world leaders met in Dayton to discuss a deal for peace. LIST: Public invited to forums during NATO Assembly Hall says at a time when thousands of people were dying, the city of Dayton offered hope to those countries. 'It was large, it was exciting. It was almost like, it was like a celebration,' said Tony Hall, U.S. ambassador and former congressman. Hall is a Dayton native, who says one thing he remembers most are people gathering outside of the perimeter of Wright-Patt to pray. 'And they were there prior to the meeting, they were there during the meeting, and they were there after the meeting,' said Hall. Hall says the act of faith was appreciated by the delegates and other world leaders, adding that he believes it helped inspire them to reach a peaceful conclusion. In 1995, Hall says people were not hopeful in Europe following conflict between Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia. More than 200,000 people were killed and more than 2 million were displaced from their homes as a result of the conflict. Hundreds of journalists from around the world arrived here in the Gem City to cover the international meeting. From Bosnia to Dayton: One woman's journey inspired by the Dayton Peace Accords Now, the original table from the negotiating of the Dayton Peace Accords is on display during this week's NATO Spring Session — commemorating the peace that was brought through negotiations in Dayton. 'They had this amazing peace accord that was signed in our backyard, which was Dayton, Ohio,' said Hall. 'And, it's kind of hard to imagine, but it was a great day for Dayton, and we're very proud of it.' Hall says that when he travels the world, he still has people ask him about the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, and what it meant to the city. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mims praises collaborative efforts to put on NATO event
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — As world leaders descend upon downtown, the mayor of Dayton is praising the preparations that are now helping keep everyone safe downtown. The NATO Spring Assembly is in full swing on Friday, and 2 NEWS sat down with Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. to see how he's feeling about this historic event. NATO Village: What does it look like inside the security zone? There's a lot of work that has gone into planning to host this NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which is the first in the U.S. in 20 years. For just a week-long event, months of preparation went into planning security, schedules and more. Mayor Mims says the event is off to a great start, particularly when it comes to safety, and he expects that to continue. There were no incidents on day one, and that's not by accident. Teams of law enforcement worked for months to come up with a plan to secure the inside of the NATO Village and surrounding areas. What is the NATO Village? The city of Dayton collaborated with several local, state and federal officials to pull this whole event off. 'Dayton has looked at what's happening across the state, across the nation in terms of the issues involving safety and how you keep people safe,' said Mims. 'There's a blueprint, if you will, in terms of how they do what they do, in terms of addressing the needs of each other and being supportive.' Mayor Mims says he's happy with what he's seeing so far, and thanks the multitude of partners who are working to keep everyone safe. 'No matter what department you in on the matter, what part of the state that you in, we all sort of come together,' said Mims. There were initially concerns about safety due to potential protests, but Mims says he wants protesters to have a space to feel like they have a voice. The city worked to make sure there is a designated area of protesters. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local museum promotes Dayton's role in international peace
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — As the NATO Parliamentary Assembly kicks off Thursday downtown, local organizations are commemorating Dayton's role in advancing peace worldwide. The Dayton International Peace Museum has opened several exhibits to share Dayton's legacy with local residents and international visitors. 'Action starts here, and starts in Dayton,' said Alice Young-Basora, Dayton Peace Museum executive director. LIST: Public invited to forums during NATO Assembly The 2025 NATO Spring Assembly is the first to be held in the country in 20 years, and it's happening right here in Dayton. 'It's something that everybody here is very proud of, that we were a part of stopping a war,' said Young-Basora. 'We were a part of creating peace in a region.' It's been 30 years since the Dayton Peace Accords were signed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, effectively ending the Bosnian War. To commemorate the anniversary, Dayton was chosen to host this year's NATO Spring Assembly. 'We're hoping that they'll come to Dayton and be inspired by what we're doing here,' said Young-Basora. 'The messages that we have here in our walls and our rooms and our words, go home and share it.' The Peace Museum is running several exhibits this month to educate and inspire. 'We've got the exhibit on NATO, we've also got our new anti-war gallery just opened up, and then we've got a photojournalist from Sarajevo,' said Young-Basora. 'He gave us access to a ton of his photos, which really, he lived there before, during and after the war.' LIST: What is closing in Dayton during the NATO Assembly? The museum's goal is to change people's perspective on peace. Young-Basora says peace can be described as 'the absence of war,' but is much bigger than just that. 'Peace is knowing your neighbor and helping somebody and doing the things around us that other people maybe aren't doing, to make the world a better place,' said Young-Basora. The Peace Museum will be closed from May 18 through May 28 due to the NATO Village. But the exhibits will be available for the next few months, giving you plenty of time to check them out. Learn more by visiting the Peace Museum's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
