Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts

January 1 - New Year's Day / World Day of Peace / Global Family Day / Universal Fraternity Day

   Posted on January 1, 2022


This is an update of my post published on January 1, 2011:







Looking at the names given to this day is like looking at a list of global new year's resolutions. Yes, let's have peace, family, and fraternity this year!

This is one of oldest of all holidays and is the world's most widely celebrated holiday as well. For more on the day, see last year's post.


Above and below: Rose Parade of Pasadena, California



New Year's Day Parades
Above: Rome; Below: London


 
This year, I would like to commemorate some of the steps toward making the world more peaceful, with the goals of liberty and fraternity for all:


  • On this day in 1808, the importation of slaves into the United States was at long last outlawed.



  • On this day in 1863, slavery itself was at long last abolished in the U.S.
  • On this day in 1942, there was the first declaration from a group of nations referred to as the United Nations. 
(I know it's super easy to bash the U.N. as ineffectual, but a worldwide organization dedicated to “maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights” IS a good idea, and much good comes from its various organizations. We humans just need to better carry out the good idea!)
  • On this day in 1949, a U.N. cease-fire took effect in Kashmir, stopping the war between India and Pakistan (for a decade or so).

  • On this day in 1983, the Internet was basically created.

(What do I mean by “basically”? Well, the history of the Internet goes back to the 1960s with private and military research into computer networks. But on this date, all hosts on the ARPANET were switched over from the older NCP protocols to the Internet Protocol. Lost? Hey, you were the one who asked what I meant by “basically”!)

  • On this day in 2002, the Treaty on Open Skies came into effect. This treaty established aerial surveillance flights over member countries and thus promoted openness and transparency of military activities.

Onward and upward, guys—let's give peace and fraternity a chance!


Pictured here is the John Lennon Peace Memorial.











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October 24 - United Nations Day

  Posted on October 24, 2021


This is an update of my post published on October 24, 2010:



The United Nations had its beginnings in World War II. The Allied Nations were sometimes called the United Nations. The “Big Three” Allies were Great Britain, the United States, and the USSR (Russia). Other Allies included France (before it fell), China, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippine Commonwealth, Poland, the Union of South Africa, and Yugoslavia.

Representatives of the Allied countries began to plan an international organization            during the war, and in April of 1945, a conference was held to create the organization. The U.N. was formally established on this day in 1945.

                                                                      


The U.N. has a lot of success in the areas of human rights, economic development, health, and education. Its mission to prevent war hasn't been as successful, unfortunately. It is in an excellent position to lead in worldwide problems such as climate change—as long as member states such as the United States actually follow that lead and cooperate with one another!

Check out this video about what the UN is all about.



Did you know...?

For the past 60 Halloweens, some kids trick or treat for money for UNICEF (the U.N.'s children fund) rather than for candy.


 

Also on this date:

















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September 22 - Anniversary of the Peace of Basel in Switzerland

 Posted on September 22, 2021


This is an update of my post published on September 22, 2010:




In keeping with yesterday's Peace Day, today we honor a peace treaty. 

WAY back in 1499, after months of fighting between the House of Habsburg and the Old Swiss Confederacy, the Swiss emerged triumphant, and Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor, had to sign a treaty that made Switzerland quite independent of the Roman Empire.

(It remained nominally a part of the empire until the mid-1600s, but after the Peace of Basel, Swiss were exempt from jurisdiction and taxes. In other words, for all practical purposes, Switzerland was independent.)

Switzerland is a small landlocked country in Europe. It is known for its natural beauties, especially the beautiful mountains - the Alps! It's also known for banking and fine watches, an amazing tennis player named Roger Federer, chocolate and cheese, and peace and neutrality.



Swiss speak

Nestled between Germany, Italy, and France, Switzerland has people with German as their native language, people whose mother tongue is Italian, and people whose first language is French. But it's not enough for Switzerland to have three official languages—it has four, since there are 30 or 40 thousand people who speak Romansh as their mother tongue!


Swiss money

The only time I've been to Switzerland, in 1999, I had a mix of monies from the various countries I had visited on that trip: German Deutsche marks, Italian lira, and Austrian schillings. I still had a few U. S. dollars in my wallet, too, but of course no Swiss francs. I sighed as I realized that I would have to go to a bank to convert all these sorts of money to Swiss francs—it's a bit of trouble to do so, but more importantly, you lose money in transaction fees every time you convert it.

Naturally, it was a Sunday, so the banks were closed.

I wanted an ice cream cone, and I wasn't sure I could pay for it. We had paid for our hotel room with a credit card, but back then, people didn't accept credit cards for small amounts.

At least, most people in the world didn't, but I soon found that the Swiss were different. Shop owners and even street vendors took EVERYTHING – money from other countries, credit cards (even for one-dollar purchases), debit cards, traveler's checks – everything! I was so happy as I traded my now-useless lira and schillings for a double scoop of ice cream.











Of course, nowadays most European nations use the same currency, the euro. But not the Swiss - they still use the Swiss franc. However, I am positive that almost everyone accepts euros as well!


Swiss neutrality

In keeping with its unprecedented independence within the Holy Roman Empire, Switzerland has maintained a neutral stance in world affairs since 1815. This country has diplomatic relations with almost all countries, and it was able to stay above the fray even during the two World Wars. (Hitler drew up plans to attack Switzerland but never did.)

Partly because of the strong stance of neutrality, many international organizations are located in Switzerland. These include the international Olympics headquarters, the World Health Organization, the Red Cross and Red Crescent, and many others.

Celebrate Switzerland!

  • Listen to the legend of Wilhelm (William) Tell. (Remember that a legend isn't necessarily true, although it might be based on truth.)


  • Read the fiction book Heidi, by Johanna Spyri (available free online). Or watch one of the movie versions of the story.


  • Eat some Nestle's chocolate. (Henri Nestle was Swiss, and his company made the first milk-chocolate.) 
  • Here is a puzzle of the Swiss flag (which has been adopted as the sign of the Red Cross) against the background of a blue sky. 





Also on this date:










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