Cozumel will be named the "Island of Peace" next Monday and awarded a special banner. The prestigious flag, whose previous recipients include the Dalai Lama, will be raised at a special ceremony in the Quintana Roo Park.

The Banner of Peace

The flag is awarded by the International Committee for the Banner of Peace, an non-governmental organization officially affiliated with the United Nations and headed by Dr. Alicia Rodriguez, the first Mexican woman to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mayor of Cozumel, Juan Carlos González, said this is the first time the flag has been awarded to an island.

He said one of the reasons Cozumel was selected is because the island has "no record of any warlike conflict, from ancient Mayan times to today".

The flag is a universal symbol with the purpose of achieving a better world and promoting respect for all people.

It was first accepted unanimously by all the American countries on April 15th, 1935, at the White House in Washington, DC, with the signing of the "Roerich Peace Pact."

With no religion or political ideology, the flag committee says its message is one of "integration and peace, with the purpose of achieving unity in diversity."

For more information visit the The International Committee for the Banner of Peace website.