Kulusizi olukhulu ukuba i-International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) yafunda ngokusweleka kuka-Mira Berman ngoJuni 29, 2010. UMira, umseki kunye nomongameli weBradford Group kunye nomlawuli olawulayo we-Africa Travel Association ukusuka kwi-1990 ukuya kwi-2006. yaba lukhuthazo kubo bonke ababemazi.
Phantsi kobunkokeli bukaMira kunye nesikhokelo, i-Africa Travel Association - ngeenkomfa zayo kunye nonxibelelwano-ingakumbi i-Africa Travel Magazine kunye newebhusayithi, ngokuthe ngcembe yalungelelanisa imifanekiso engalunganga ye-Afrika eboniswa kumajelo osasazo aphambili kunye nemifanekiso emihle yeenkcubeko ezahlukeneyo kunye neenkcubeko; imihlaba emihle eneentlobo ngeentlobo zezilwanyana zasendle; kunye nabantu abanobubele, abamkela iindwendwe njengoko kubonwe kwezi veki zidlulileyo ngabo bonke ababukele imidlalo yeHlabathi yeSoka.
Umbono nobunkokeli bukaMira ibe ngumba omkhulu onegalelo ekukhuleni okumangalisayo kokhenketho lwamazwe ngamazwe e-Afrika kule minyaka ingama-20 idlulileyo – kwaye kule minyaka ilishumi idlulileyo, ummandla ohamba phambili kwihlabathi ekukhuleni kokhenketho lwamazwe ngamazwe. Ngokwamazwi omhleli we-Africa Travel Magazine uJerry Bird, “UMira Berman uya kuthandwa kakhulu kwaye aziwe kakhulu ngempumelelo yakhe ebalaseleyo 'Ekuziseni iHlabathi e-Afrika - kunye ne-Afrika eHlabathini.'
Ukubandakanyeka ngokuthe ngqo kukaMira kunye ne-IIPT kwaqala ngombutho kunye nokuthengiswa kwe-1st IIPT Global Summit, apho uMira kunye ne-Bradford Group babe liqabane eliphambili, kunye nesihloko somxhasi we-American Express kunye nomninimzi we-IIPT, i-Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Ubudlelwane obusondeleyo be-IIPT nobuneziqhamo buqhubekile ukususela ngoko kwiminyaka elishumi yonke kunye neziganeko zonyaka ze-IIPT kwi-World Travel Market, iingqungquthela ezimbini ezongezelelweyo, iinkomfa ezine zase-Afrika, kunye nokuzalwa kwe-Africa Diaspora Heritage Trail. I-IIPT yayiwonga kakhulu ukuqaphela igalelo lika-Mira kwihlabathi elinoxolo nelizinzileyo kunye ne-1st IIPT Lifetime Achievement Award eyanikezelwa kwiNkomfa yayo yesi-4 ye-IIPT yaseAfrika, eKampala, eUganda, ngo-1997.
Xa enikezela ngembasa, umseki kunye nomongameli we-IIPT, uLouis D'Amore, uthe: "Kuliwonga lam elikhulu ukuba ndazi kwaye ndasebenza noMira kwiminyaka eyi-15 edlulileyo, kwaye ndibonise le Mbasa yokuqala ye-IIPT yokuPhumelela koBomi kuMira Berman - owathi. uchithe iminyaka yakhe yokuqala yobomi bakhe obubalaseleyo ekukhuthazeni amazwe, inkcubeko, nabantu baseAfrika okumangalisayo ehlabathini, nokwakha umbutho oza kuqhubeka ukhulisa ukukhula kokhenketho oluzinzileyo kwilizwekazi laseAfrika.”
“Ukulahlekelwa nguMira kuya kushiya isikhewu esikhulu kubomi bethu bobugcisa nakubomi bethu. Siyazi ukuba uMira uya kukhunjulwa ngabo bonke ubomi bakhe abuchukumisileyo ngenxa yothando nothando lwakhe ngeAfrika nabantu bayo kunye nokuzinikela kwakhe ekuqhubeni i-ajenda yokwandisa ukhenketho kunye notyalo-mali kwilizwekazi ngendlela ezinzileyo nenentsingiselo, utshilo uKaren. Hoffman, umongameli, Iqela leBradford.
"Njengomlawuli olawulayo we-ATA iminyaka elishumi elinesithandathu, uMira waba negalelo ekwakheni isiseko sombutho wethu, enikela ngexesha lakhe, ukuthanda, izixhobo kunye namandla kwi-ATA. UMira unikele ngobomi bakhe ekwenzeni ihlabathi libe yindawo engcono kwaye uya kukhunjulwa njengomnye wabafazi abamangalisayo bexesha lethu, utshilo u-Eddie Bergman, umlawuli olawulayo, i-Africa Travel Association.
UMira wasinda ngokungummangaliso kwimbubhiso ngeminyaka yoo-1940 efikelela eUnited States nonina nodadewabo ukuze baqalise ubomi obutsha kwisiXeko saseNew York. Wayengumdlali wevayolini womntwana, umbhali, umbhali-kwaye kungekudala uza kuba yingcali yokuthengisa kunye nobudlelwane boluntu. UMira wayesebenza kwiinkalo ezininzi, ekhonza njengomlawuli olawulayo we-Academy of Tourism Organisations (ATO) kunye ne-NOAH Awards Luncheon yayo; umalathisi olawulayo woMbutho woPhuculo lokuHamba kwabakhubazekileyo (i-SATH) kunye neVeki yokuQatshelwa kwabahambi abakhubazekileyo; usekela-sihlalo, iKomiti eQuquzelela iSidlo seGala seSikhumbuzo se-50 seZizwe eziManyeneyo; kunye nekomiti yesigqeba se-Celebrity Gala Ball ukuze kuzuze i-United Negro College Fund.
Impumelelo yakhe encomekayo iye yavunywa ngeembasa eziquka iAdvertising Woman of the Year; IMbasa yeGolide kamabonakude yoMnyhadala weFilimu weHlabathi kunye neMbasa kamabonakude; IMbasa yezoKhenketho eBalaseleyo yeTanzania; kunye neZiko laMazwe ngaMazwe loXolo ngeMbasa yokuPhumelela koBomi boKhenketho.
INTO ONOKUYITHATHA KWELI NQAKU:
- “It is my great honor to have known and worked with Mira for the past 15 years, and to present this first IIPT Lifetime Achievement Award to Mira Berman – who devoted the prime years of her illustrious career to promoting the magnificent lands, cultures, and peoples of Africa to the world, and building an organization that will continue nurturing the growth of sustainable tourism development on the African continent.
- We know that Mira will be remembered by all those whose lives she has touched for her passion and love for Africa and its people and her commitment to pushing an agenda of increasing tourism and investment to the continent in a sustainable and meaningful way,” said Karen Hoffman, president, The Bradford Group.
- Mira's vision and leadership has been a major contributing factor in the dramatic growth of international tourism to Africa over the past 20 years – and for several of the last ten years, the world's leading region for growth in international tourism.
