The official opening ceremony of the "Language of Love" international project, and unveiling of the "Emblem of the Language of Love" hosted by Mana Naqsh Heritage Institute for Art & Culture and in collaboration with the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, was held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, simultaneously with International Mother Language Day, at the Barbican Hall in London.
In the first part of this ceremony, Dr Shahab Nikman, the author of the project and the managing director of Mana Naqsh, Professor Charles Melville, one of the professors and the head of the Shahnameh Centre of the University of Cambridge, Dr Atousa Momeni, a member of the Governing Council of Tehran ICH Centre of UNESCO, and Professor Dominic Brookshaw, one of the professors and members of the board of directors of the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Oxford gave a speech as members of the project team about the goals, details, importance, and necessity of the project.
After the speeches, Professor Dominic Brookshaw, the representative of the University of Oxford and Dr Firuza Abdullaeva-Melville the representative of the University of Cambridge, unveiled the Emblem of the Language of Love and the project membership Emblem was awarded on behalf of Mana Naqsh to the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Oxford and the Shahnameh Centre of the University of Cambridge.
In the second part of the ceremony, Master Shahram Nazeri and Master Davlatmand Kholov performed a concert together with the Mana Ensemble.
The international Language of Love project aims to identify and introduce the unique position and power of the influence, everlasting, and area of historical and geographical influence of Persian poetry and literature, in creating, expressing and transmitting the superb concept of love, affection, and peace, as well as researching the personality, thoughts, and works of several of chosen Persian poets and intellectuals of Persian poetry, based on the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, authoring by Shahab Nikman and producing by Mana Naqsh, and in collaboration with many universities in various countries and international cultural centres.