Following the attack of September 11th, the "Conference on Children's Rights" to be held in New York at the United Nations from September 15-17th is cancelled. Betty Williams asks the Mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, to host the First International Summit for the "Creation of safe havens for children in war zones". The mayor gladly accepts and the Rome Municipality provides the venue and gives its patronage. Participanting at the Summit, among the others, Gianluca Vicari, representative of the children for World Centers of Compassion for Children International in Italy, Maria Pia Fanfani, Ervin Laszlo president of the Club of Budapest and Lady Fiona Montagu, activist and Member of the Board of Advisors of Wccc International. The conclusions of the Summit speak of the possibility of building a space devoted to safe-guarding, education to peace and the creation of value for the world's children. 

During the Summit the idea to build a City of Peace for Children in Palestine is discussed. From the Summit it emerges that this solution would be highly difficult to implement in the short term. It is decided to contact the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region situated on the border with ex Yugoslavia to investigate the possibility of building the first nucleus of proper housing to host Slavic children and families. During the days of the Summit Betty meets with the Honorable Burani Procaccini and Giovanni Bianchi who organize an audition of Betty at the Chamber of Deputies to explain the proposal and give a true political voice to the children in Italy.