SCOTTISH ‘Hobbit’ and ‘Outlander’ star, Graham McTavish, will be confirmed as a World Peace Tartan Ambassador this Monday morning at a presentation in Edinburgh.
Graham McTavish will be wearing his new World Peace Tartan kilt and will be presented with his framed ambassador endorsement.
Graham McTavish said: “Earlier this year, I was honoured to be the Grand Marshall of the New York Tartan Day Parade and I became aware of the World Peace Tartan through talking with Scottish piper and World Peace Tartan Ambassador, Craig Weir, and with Scot Street Style founder, Gordon Millar.
“While I was still in New York, I received a tweet from World Peace Tartan founder, Victor Spence, who asked me if I would consider becoming an ambassador. I quickly replied that ‘I would be honoured’.
Graham McTavish added: “When I recently arrived in Edinburgh for Outlander filming in Scotland, Victor and I met up and he told me how the whole World Peace Tartan project began and the latest news. It’s a very inspiring and moving story.
“It’s a highly innovative use of tartan as one of Scotland’s great cultural icons to carry a global message of peace while also raising funds for good causes.
“The World Peace Tartan is truly a ‘Tartan with Purpose’ and I am honoured to support this. I’m looking forward to spreading the message that the World Peace Tartan carries and becoming one of it’s growing number of ambassadors.”
Victor Spence, founder of the World Peace Tartan Initiative, said: “Having Graham McTavish on board as a new ambassador is fantastic news for this initiative.
“Graham is a very popular man with a substantial and growing presence in the world of film and TV.
“It was extra wonderful news that he is a keen kilt wearer. When he agreed to wear the World Peace Tartan kilt as an ambassador, we had him measured up fast and folks at the Tartan Weaving Mill put Graham’s kilt on urgent fast track and delivered the handmade kilt two days later.
“We are delighted to say that Graham McTavish will now join Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and award-winning Scottish piper, Craig Wear, as kilt-wearing international ambassadors of the World Peace Tartan Initiative.”
Spence added: “The World Peace Tartan was created to make a contribution from the heart of Scotland to building a culture of peace in the world and Graham McTavish has been attracted to this initiative to carry and promote the message of peace that this unique tartan carries.”
ENDS
Notes to editor:
Media release with photo call
Issued by: Victor Spence, founder of the World Peace Tartan initiative
Media contact: Victor Spence – 0044 (0) 7411 679736 and victor@worldpeacetartan.com
Photo call: Monday 16th November 11.00am, Edinburgh
The photo and interview opportunity is: Scottish ‘Hobbit’ and ‘Outlander’ star, Graham McTavish, being confirmed as the latest World Peace Tartan Ambassador – wearing specially-made kilt and receiving framed ambassador confirmation from Victor Spence in The Tartan Weaving Mill (location by The Castle) with large World Peace Tartan promotional wall background in the mill or outside.
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Background and history of World Peace Tartan
A growing number of notable individuals from around the world have been presented with World Peace Tartan. These include His Holiness The Dalai Lama of Tibet, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai along with six other Nobel Peace Prize Laureates as well as His Holiness Pope Frances, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, Mel Young the founder of the Homeless World Cup, Magnus McFarlane-Barrow the founder of Mary’s Meals, May El Khalil founder of the Beirut Marathon and many others.
In the beginning:
Victor Spence explains: “The World Peace Tartan has a history going back to when I had my first meeting with His Holiness The Dalai Lama in Cape Town, South Africa in 1999. I was delivering letters of invitation for him to come to Scotland. He gave me a white silk scarf which is part of Tibetan culture and I had a thought that the next time I met him I would give him a tartan scarf which I did a couple of years later.
“When he did eventually come to Scotland in 2004 and again in 2005 he received a number of Tartan scarves. I kept the new tradition going by giving many people tartan scarves in a gesture of peace and friendship from Scotland.
“It wasn’t until 2008 when I first met Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and presented him with ‘Edinburgh’ tartan that the idea of a World Peace Tartan came to mind.
“The World Peace Tartan was eventually created for the 2012 visit to Scotland by His Holiness The Dalai Lama and I was deeply honoured to present him with the world’s first World Peace Tartan scarf.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR EDITORS
The World Peace Tartan was formally launched in June 2012 with His Holiness The Dalai Lama during his historic visit to Scotland. His Holiness The Dalai Lama received the first World Peace Tartan scarves during major events in Edinburgh, Dundee and Inverness on 22nd and 23rd June 2012.
Since then, there have been many presentations and messages of support from around the world for the unique initiative.
Other recipients include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai and six other Nobel Peace Laureates, His Holiness Pope Frances, The archbishop of Canterbury, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, Mel Young the founder of the Homeless World Cup, Magnus McFarlane-Barrow the founder of Mary’s Meals, May El Khalil founder of the Beirut Marathon and many others.
Arun Gandhi the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi wore the first World Peace Tartan kilt at a major Scottish fashion event New York in April 2013.
Many written endorsements and blessings have been received from around the world including those from: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Arun Gandhi the Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and Nobel Peace Laureate, Jody Williams.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “Thank you so much for the beautiful meaningful scarf… God bless the World Peace Tartan!”
Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who is now an International Ambassador of the World Peace Tartan, said: “The World Peace Tartan is beautiful! Wearing this Tartan will be a daily reminder to commit ourselves to working for peace in the world. I endorse it wholeheartedly.”
Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate and chair of The Nobel Women’s Initiative, said: “The creation of this new tartan to symbolize the personal commitment of those who wear it to helping create a world of sustainable peace is a beautiful new way to promote peace. Peace is not simply the absence of armed conflict; it is a commitment to a new kind of security – one that places the security of people, human security, above the security of the state, national security.”
Other photos available:
1. His Holiness The Dalai Lama wearing or receiving World Peace Tartan
2. Arun Gandhi with Victor Spence both wearing World Peace Tartan scarves
3. Astronaut Chris Hadfield receiving the World Peace Tartan scarf from Victor Spence in Vancouver on Chris Hadfield Day.
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World Peace Tartan mission summary
The World Peace Tartan was created to convey a message of peace while also through the licensing of the brand, design or products will generate revenues to fund the activities of a charitable foundation. The World Peace Tartan Foundation will invest licensing revenues in education initiatives that build a culture of peace and nonviolence and address child poverty.
World Peace Tartan narrative
Tartan is one of the most recognisable cultural icons anywhere in the world. It is also a metaphor for interconnectedness, interdependence, equality and diversity; therefore this tartan can be used to illustrate humanity’s desire for a harmonious and sustainable future.
The World Peace Tartan was created to promote a global message of peace. The striking light blue in the design is representative of the presence, hope and potential of the United Nations. Scotland is represented at the heart of this enterprise through the purple and green of the Scottish thistle.
The red and black in the design represent and remind us of the realities of war and violence and the great need for a new living culture of nonviolence with the white running through the pattern proving a counterbalance in being symbolic of peace and light.
Brief biog of Victor Spence, founder and designer – World Peace Tartan Initiative
Victor Spence among many roles is the visit co-ordinator in Scotland to His Holiness The Dalai Lama and is also the International Representative of Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. Furthermore, Victor is a cultural diplomat and consultant specialising in inter/intra/multi religious encounter and engagement with over 15 years experience.
Victor Spence is the designer and founder of the World Peace Tartan Initiative. This is a new project that is gathering support and interest from around the world. This initiative is a social enterprise that through the licensing of the design and brand will generate resources to invest in grassroots peace building and addressing homelessness and child poverty.
Victor is also a president of the Edinburgh Inter Faith Association as was its generals-secretary for 12 years. He is also a special events producer, public relations and public affairs consultant and special advisor.
Victor has worked in the field of building a culture of peace, personal development and inter-religious encounter and engagement locally, nationally and internationally for 20 years.
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VJKS contact details…
Contact: Victor Spence
Phone: 07411679736
Email: victor@vjks.org
