Worldwide events; zarb e jamhoor newspaper; 173 issue; 27 apr 03 may, 2014

Independence Day Sierra Leone - A p r 2 7

Sierra Leone officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 6.3 million. It was a colony under the auspices of the Sierra Leone Company from March 11, 1792 until it became a British colony in 1808.

Sierra Leone has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah to rainforests. Freetown is the capital, largest city as well as its economic, educational, cultural and financial center. The second largest city is Bo. Other major cities are Kenema, Makeni and Koidu Town.

Sierra Leone is divided into four geographical regions: the Northern Province, Eastern Province, Southern Province and the Western Area; which are subdivided into fourteen districts. The districts have their own directly elected local government known as district council, headed by a council chairman. The country's six municipalities of Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Koidu Town and the coastal town of Bonthe have their own directly elected city councils headed by mayors.

Sierra Leone is a constitutional representative democratic republic, whereby the President is both the head of state and the head of government. Legislative power is vested by the House of Parliament of Sierra Leone. The Judiciary of Sierra Leone is independent of the executive and the legislative and is headed by the Supreme Court. Since Independence in 1961 to present, Sierra Leone's politics have been dominated by two major political parties: the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and the All People's Congress (APC). Other political parties have also existed throughout but with no significant supports.

The country has relied on mining, especially diamonds, for its economic base. It is among the top diamond producing nations in the world, and mineral exports remain the main foreign currency earner. Sierra Leone is also among the largest producers of titanium and bauxite, and a major producer of gold. The country has one of the world's largest deposits of rutile. Sierra Leone is also home to the third largest natural harbour in the world where shipping from all over the globe berth at Freetown's famous Queen Elizabeth II Quay. Despite this natural wealth, 70% of its people live in poverty.

Sierra Leone is a predominantly Muslim country, though with an influential Christian minority. Sierra Leone is ranked as one of the most religiously tolerant nations in the world.

People are often married across ethnic and religious boundaries. Muslims and Christians collaborate and interact with each other Fragments of prehistoric pottery from Kamabai peacefully. Religious violence is very rare in Rock Shelter the country.

The population of Sierra Leone comprises sixteen ethnic groups, each with its own language and custom. The two largest and most influential are the Mende and Temne. The two are about equal in numbers and each comprises just over 30% of the population . The Mende are predominantly found in South-Eastern Sierra Leone; the Temne likewise predominate in Northern Sierra Leone.

Although English is the language of instruction in schools and the official language in government administration, the Krio language (derived from English and several indigenous African languages) is the primary language of communication among Sierra Leone's different ethnic groups, and is spoken by 95% of the country's population. The Krio Language unites all the different ethnic groups, especially in their trade and interaction with each other.

Between 1991 and 2002 the Sierra Leone Civil War devastated the country leaving more than 50,000 people dead, much of the country's infrastructure destroyed, and over two million people displaced in neighbouring countries; mainly to Guinea, which was home to around one million Sierra Leonean refugees. ECOMOG used cluster bomb in the war against convention. The war was resolved in 2002 after the Nigerian-led ECOMOG troops were heavily reinforced by a British force spearheaded by 1st Bn The Parachute Regiment, supported by the British Royal Navy The arrival of this force resulted in the defeat of rebel forces and restored the civilian government elected in 1996. On January 18, 2002 President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah declared the civil war officially over. Since then the country has re-established a functioning democracy.

Early inhabitants of Sierra Leone included the Sherbro, Temne and Limba peoples, and later the Mende, who knew the country as Romarong, and the Kono who settled in the east of the country. In 1462, it was visited by the Portuguese explorer Pedro da Cintra, who dubbed it Serra de Leão, meaning "Lion Mountains". Sierra Leone later became an important centre of the transatlantic trade in slaves until March 11, 1792 when Freetown was founded by the Sierra Leone Company as a home for former enslaved from (or freed by) the British Empire. In 1808, Freetown became a British Crown Colony, and in 1896, the interior of the country became a British Protectorate; in 1961, the two regions combined and Bai Bureh, leader of the gained independence.

1898 rebellion against

History

British rule

Early history:

Archaeological finds show that Sierra Leone has been inhabited continuously for at least 2,500 years, populated by successive movements from other parts of Africa. The use of iron was introduced to Sierra Leone by the 9th century, and by AD 1000 agriculture was being practiced by coastal tribes. Sierra Leone's dense tropical rainforest largely protected it from the influence of any pre-colonial African empires and from further Islamic influence of the Mali Empire, the Islamic faith however became common in the 18th century.

European contacts within Sierra Leone were among the first in West Africa. In 1462,Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra mapped the hills surrounding what is now Freetown Harbour, naming shaped formation Serra de Leão (Portuguese for Lion Mountains). The Italian rendering of this geographic formation is Sierra Leone, which became the country's name.

Soon after Portuguese traders arrived at the harbour and by 1495 a fort that acted as a trading post had been built.

The Portuguese were joined by the Dutch and French; all of them using Sierra Leone as a trading point for slaves.

In 1562, the English joined the trade in human beings when Sir John Hawkins shipped 300 enslaved people, acquired 'by the sword and partly by other means', to the new colonies in America.

Early colonies:

In 1787 a settlement was founded in Sierra Leone in what was called the "Province of Freedom". A number of "Black Poor" arrived off the coast of Sierra Leone on 15 May 1787, accompanied by some English tradesmen. Many of the "black poor" were African Americans, who had been given their freedom after seeking refuge with the British Army during the American Revolution, but also included other West Indian, African and Asian inhabitants of London. After establishing Granville Town, disease and hostility from the indigenous people eliminated the first group of colonists and destroyed their settlement. A second Granville Town was established by 64 remaining colonists.

Through the impetus of Thomas Peters, the Sierra Leone Company was established to relocate 1,196 black Americans, most of whom had escaped enslavement in the United States by seeking protection with the British Army during the American Revolution. They had been given land in Nova Scotia and a few had died from the harsh winters there. These colonists built the second (and only permanent) Colony of Sierra Leone and the settlement of Freetown on March 11, 1792. In Sierra Leone they were called the Nova Scotian Settlers or 'Nova Scotians' but were commonly known as the Settlers. The Settlers built Freetown and introduced architectural styles from the American South as well as Western fashion and American courtesy. In the 1790s, the Settlers voted for the first time in elections, as did women. The Sierra Leone Company refused to allow the settlers to take freehold of the land. Some of the Settlers revolted in 1799. The revolt was only put down by the arrival of over 500 Jamaican Maroons, who also arrived via Nova Scotia. In 1800, Jamaican Maroons from Trelawny Town, Jamaica were settled via Nova ScoSir Milton Margai, lead tia.

After sixteen years of running the Colony, the Sierra Leone Company was Sierra Leone to Independformed into the African Institution. The Institution met in 1807 to achieve more ent in 1961 and became the success by focusing on bettering the local economy, but it was constantly split country's first prime minisbetween those British who meant to inspire local entrepreneurs and those ter. with interest in the Macauley & Babington Company which held the (British) monopoly on Sierra Leone trade.

Beginning in 1808 (following the abolition of the slave trade in 1807), thousands of formerly enslaved Africans were liberated in Freetown. Most of these Liberated Africans or 'Recaptives' chose to remain in Sierra Leone. Cut off from their homes and traditions, the Liberated Africans assimilated the Western styles of Settlers and Maroons and built a flourishing trade of flowers and beads on the West African coast. These returned Africans were from many areas of Africa, but principally the west coast. During the 19th century many black Americans, Americo Liberian 'refugees', and particularly West Indians immigrated and settled in Freetown creating a new ethnicity called the Krio.

Colonial era:

In the early 20th century, Freetown served as the residence of the British governor who also ruled the Gold Coast (now Ghana) and the Gambia settlements. Sierra Leone also served as the educational centre of British West Africa.

Fourah Bay College, established in 1827, rapidly became a magnet for English-speaking Africans on the West Coast.

For more than a century, it was the only European-style university in western Sub-Saharan Africa.

During Sierra Leone's colonial history, indigenous people mounted several unsuccessful revolts against British rule.

The most notable was the Hut Tax war of 1898. The Hut Tax War consisted of a Northern front, led by Bai Bureh, and Southern front that were sparked at different times and for different reasons. Bureh's fighters had the advantage over the vastly more powerful British for several months of the war. Hundreds of British troops and hundreds of Bureh's fighters were killed. Bai Bureh was finally captured on 11 November 1898 and sent into exile in the Gold Coast (now Ghana), while 96 of his comrades were hanged by the British.

The defeat in the Hut Tax war ended large scale organised resistance to colonialism; however resistance continued throughout the colonial period in the form of intermittent rioting and chaotic labour disturbances. Riots in 1955 and 1956 involved "many tens of thousands" of natives in the protectorate.

One notable event in 1935 was the granting of a monopoly on mineral mining to the Sierra Leone Selection Trust run by De Beers, which was scheduled to last 98 years.

In 1924, Sierra Leone was divided into a Colony and a Protectorate, with separate and different political systems constitutionally defined for each. Antagonism between the two entities escalated to a heated debate in 1947, when proposals were introduced to provide for a single political system for both the Colony and the Protectorate. Most of the proposals came from the Protectorate. The Krio, led by Isaac Wallace-Johnson, opposed the proposals, the main effect of which would have been to diminish their political power. It was due to the astute politics of Sir Milton Margai that the educated Protectorate elite was won over to join forces with the paramount chiefs in the face of Krio intransigence. Later, Sir Milton used the same skills to win over opposition leaders and moderate Krio elements for the achievement of independence.

In November 1951, Sir Milton Margai oversaw the drafting of a new constitution, which united the separate Colonial and Protectorate legislatures and—-most importantly—-provided a framework for decolonization. In 1953, Sierra Leone was granted local ministerial powers, and Sir Milton Margai, was elected Chief Minister of Sierra Leone. The new constitution ensured Sierra Leone a parliamentary system within the Commonwealth of Nations. In May 1957, Sierra Leone held its first parliamentary election. The SLPP, which was then the most popular political party in the colony of Sierra Leone, won the most seats in Parliament. Margai was also re-elected as Chief Minister by a landslide.

On April 20, 1960, Sir Milton Margai led the twenty four members of the Sierra Leonean delegation at the constitutional conferences that were held with Queen Elizabeth II and British Colonial Secretary Iain Macleod in the negotiations for independence held at the Lancaster House in London. . All of the twenty four members of the Sierra Leonean delegation were prominent and well-respected politicians including Sir Milton's younger brother lawyer Sir Albert Margai, the outspoken trade unionist Siaka Stevens, SLPP strongman Lamina Sankoh, outspoken Creole activist Isaac Wallace-Johnson, educationist Mohamed Sanusi Mustapha, Dr John Karefa-Smart, professor Kande Bureh, lawyer Sir Banja Tejan-Sie, former Freetown's Mayor Eustace Henry Taylor Cummings Paramount chief Ella Koblo Gulama, educationist Amadu Wurie, and Creole diplomat Hector Reginald Sylvanus Boltman. On the conclusion of talks in London, however, the outspoken trade unionist Siaka Stevens was the only delegate who refused to sign Sierra Leone's declaration of Independendence on the grounds that there had been a secret defence pact between Sierra Leone and Britain; another point of contention by Stevens was the Sierra Leonean government's position that there would be no elections held before independence which would effectively shut him out of Sierra Leone's political process . Upon their return to Freetown on May 4, 1960, Stevens was promptly expelled from the People's National Party (PNP).

An Independent nation and Sir Milton Margai Administration:

On April 27, 1961, Sir Milton Margai lead Sierra Leone to Independent from Great Britain and became the country's first Prime Minister. It retained a parliamentary system of government and was a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. In May 1962 Sierra Leone held its first general election as an Independent nation. The Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) won plurality of seats in parliament and Sir Milton Margai was re-elected as prime minister. The years just after independence were prosperous with money from mineral resources being used for development and the founding of Njala University.

An important aspect of Sir Milton's character was his self-effacement. He was neither corrupt nor did he make a lavish display of his power or status. Sir Milton's government was based on the rule of law and the notion of separation of powers, with multiparty political institutions and fairly viable representative structures. Margai used his conservative ideology to lead Sierra Leone without much strife. He appointed government officials with a clear eye to satisfy various ethnic groups. Margai employed a brokerage style of politics by sharing political power between political groups and the paramount chiefs in the provinces.

In 1962, Outspoken critic against the SLPP government, Siaka Stevens, formed an alliance with several prominent northern politicians like Sorie Ibrahim Koroma, Christian Alusine-Kamara Taylor, Mohammed Bash-Taqui, S.A.T. Koroma and S.A. Fofana to form their own political party called the All People's Congress (APC). Stevens used the Northern part of Sierra Leone as his political base.

Sir Albert Administration:

Upon Sir Milton's death in 1964, his half-brother, Sir Albert Margai, was appointed as Prime Minister by parliament.

Sir Albert's leadership was briefly challenged by Sierra Leone's Foreign Minister John Karefa-Smart, who questioned Sir Albert's succession to the SLPP leadership position. Kareefa-Smart received little support in Parliament in his attempt to have Margai stripped of the SLPP leadership.

Soon after Margai was sworn in as Prime Minister, he immediately dismissed several senior government officials who had served under his elder brother Sir Milton's government, as he viewed them as traitors and a threat to his administration.

Unlike his late brother, Sir Milton, Sir Albert proved unpopular and resorted to increasingly authoritarian actions in response to protests, including enacted several laws against the opposition All People's Congress (APC) and attempting to establish a singleparty state. Unlike his late brother Milton, Sir Albert was opposed to the colonial legacy of allowing the country's Paramount Chiefs executive powers and he was seen as a threat APC political rally in the northern town of Kabala to the existence of the ruling houses across outside the home of supporters of the rival SLPP in the country. In 1967, Riots broke out in Free- 1968 town against Sir Albert's policies; in response Margai declare a state of emergency across the country. Sir Albert was accused of corruption and of a policy of affirmative action in favor of his own Mende ethnic group Sir Albert had the opportunity to perpetuate himself in power, but he elected not to do so even when the opportunities presented themselves. He had the police and the army on his side and nothing could have prevented him from achieving his ambition to hold on to power, but he chose not to and called for a free and fair elections

Three Military Coups, 1967-1968:

The APC, with its leader Siaka Stevens, narrowly won a small majority seats in Parliament over the SLPP in a closely contested 1967 Sierra Leone general election and Stevens was sworn in as Prime Minister of April 26, 1968. Within hours after taking office, Stevens was ousted in a bloodless military coup lead by the commander of the army Brigadier General David Lansana, a close ally of Sir Albert Margai who had appointed him to the position in 1964.

Brigadier Lansana placed Stevens under house arrest in Freetown and insisted the determination of office of the Prime Minister should await the election of the tribal representatives to the house. On March 23, 1968, A group of senior military officers in the Sierra Leone Army lead by Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith overrode this action by seizing control of the government, arresting Brigadier Lansana, and suspending the constitution. The group constituted itself as the National Reformation Council (NRC) with Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith as its chairman and Head of State of the country . In April 1968, a group of senior military officers who called themselves the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement lead by Brigadier General John Amadu Bangura overthrew the NRC junta. The ACRM juntas arrested many senior NRC members. The democratic constitution was restored, and power was handed back to Stevens, who at last assumed the office of Prime Minister.

Independence Day Togo - Apr 27

Togo, officially the Togolese Republic is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately 57,000 square kilometres (22,000 sq mi) with a population of approximately 6.7 million. Togo is a tropical, sub-Saharan nation, highly dependent on agriculture, with a climate that provides good growing seasons.

While the official language is French, there are many other languages spoken in Togo, particularly those of the Gbe family. The largest religious group in Togo are those with indigenous beliefs, but there are significant Christian and Muslim minorities. Togo is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, La Francophonie and Economic Community of West African States.

From the 11th to the 16th century, various tribes entered the region from all directions. From the 16th century to the 18th century, the coastal region was a major trading centre for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast". In 1884, Germany declared Togoland a protectorate. After World War I, rule over Togo was transferred to France. Togo gained its independence from France in 1960. In 1967, Gnassingbé Eyadéma led a successful military coup, after which he became president. At the time of his death in 2005, Eyadéma was the longest-serving leader in modern African history, after having been president for 38 years. In 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbé was elected president. In April 2012, Togo was ranked 156th in Gross National Happiness - GNH World Happiness report published by the earth institute.

History

During the period from the 11th century to the 16th century, various tribes entered the region from all directions: the Ewé from the east, and the Mina and Guin from the west. Most settled in coastal areas.

The slave trade began in the 16th century, and for the next two hundred years the coastal region was a major trading center for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast".

In 1884 a treaty was signed at Togoville with the King Mlapa III, whereby Germany claimed a protectorate over a stretch of territory along the coast and gradually extended its control inland. In 1905, this became the German colony of Togoland. During World War I this German territory was invaded by British troops from the neighbouring Gold Coast colony and French troops coming from Dahomey. Togoland was separated into two League of Nations mandates, administered by Britain and France. After World War II, these mandates became UN Trust Territories. The residents of British Togoland voted to join the Gold Coast as part of the new independent nation of Ghana in 1957, and French Togoland became an autonomous republic within the French Union in 1959.

Independence for French Togoland came in 1960 under Sylvanus Olympio. He was assassinated in a military coup on 13 January 1963 by a group of soldiers under the direction of Sergeant Etienne Eyadema Gnassingbe. Opposition leader Nicolas Grunitzky was appointed president by the "Insurrection Committee", headed by Emmanuel Bodjollé.

However, on 13 January 1967, Eyadema Gnassingbe overthrew Grunitzky in a bloodless coup and assumed the presidency, which he held from that date until his sudden death on 5 February 2005 after 38 years in power, the longest occupation of any dictator in Africa. The military's immediate but short-lived installation of his son, Faure Gnassingbé, as president provoked widespread international condemnation, except from France. However, some democratically elected African leaders such as Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria supported the move, thereby creating a rift within the African Union. Faure Gnassingbé stood down and called elections which he won two months later. The opposition claimed that the election was fraudulent. The developments of 2005 led to renewed questions about a commitment to democracy made by Togo in 2004 in a bid to normalise ties with the European Union, which cut off aid in 1993 over the country's human rights record.[] Up to 500 people were killed and around 40,000 fled to neighbouring countries in the political violence surrounding the presidential poll, according to the United Nations.

Freedom Day South Africa - Apr 27

Freedom Day is a South African public holiday celebrated on 27 April. It celebrates freedom and commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held on that day in 1994. They were the first national elections in South Africa in which the franchise did not depend upon race.

History

The South African general election of 1994 was an election held in South Africa to mark the end of apartheid, therefore also the first held with universal adult suffrage. The election was conducted under the direction of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

Millions queued in lines over a three-day voting period. Altogether 19,726,579 votes were counted and 193,081 were rejected as invalid. The African National Congress (ANC), whose slate incorporated the labour confederation COSATU and the South African Communist Party, fell short of a two-thirds majority. As required by the Interim Constitution, the ANC formed a Government of National Unity with the National Party and the Inkatha Freedom Party, the two other parties that won more than twenty seats in the National Assembly.

The date 27 April is now a public holiday in South Africa,Freedom Day.

Day of Resistance Slovenia - Apr 27

The Day of Uprising or Resistance Day (Slovenia, dan upora proti okupatorju) is a holiday in Slovenia to commemorate the establishment of Slovenia’s Liberation Front to fight the occupying forces of nearby European countries such as the Germany, Italy, and Hungary.

The holiday is celebrated on the 27th of April every year. It is formerly known as Liberation Front Day and a considered a work-free day.

History Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, saw the birth of Lib-

eration Front of the Slovenian People or the Anti-Imperialist Front on April 26, 1941 that was created to free the Slovenians from foreign occupation. This massive movement is driven by the some of the most notable Slovenians writers and literary critics during the protest such as Ferdo Kozakand and Josip Vidmar; the Communist Party of Slovenia, the dissident or breakaway group of Slovene Sokols, and some Christian Socialists.

A quick civil war broke out in Spring of 1942 between the Liberation Front of the Slovenian People and the Slovene Home Guard which are anti-communist militia in the province of Ljubljana sponsored by the Axis powers. The former took over some portions of territories in Slovenia and contributed, to a large extend, the fall of Nazi Germany, and partly, the fascist Italy.

The Liberation Front of the Slovenian People was renamed Socialist Alliance of the Working People of Slovenia at the wake of the Second World War.

Celebrations During the holiday, events such as public speeches from surviving Slovenian guerillas and political groups gather at

the Monument of Freedom, created by Jakob Savinek (1922-1961) to commemorate this momentous event which liberated the country from foreign rule during World War II. Speeches signify stories about how Slovenes were united during the occupation and how the establishment of liberation army helped Slovenia gain its independence from the three occupying European powers.

Evacuation Day (British) Libya - A p r 2 8

Libya, a country in North Africa, bordering Egypt (east), Chad and Niger (south), and Algeria and Tunisia (west), and Sudan (southeast), and Mediterranean Sea (north), celebrates the anniversary of the evacuation of British military forces in the country in 1970 after the British government agreed to pull out its troops from Tobruk “Al Adam” (present day, Jalal Abdulnasir Base), the air base they established after the Second World War broke out.

History At the end of the Second World

War, Libya associates much of its foreign policies in the West especially the United States and Great Britain while maintaining full diplomatic relations with Italy, Greece and France, including the dissolved Soviet Union (1955).

The military coup led by Muammar al-Gaddafi in 1969 resulted to the decision to close the American and British military bases in Libya and hoped to nationalize most of government’s properties including the fossil fuels resources and other commercial businesses in the country.

Moreover, Gaddafi’s temporarily embargoed the transport of oil to the US and other countries in the west as a means to convince the Western nations to halt the political and military support they’re giving Israel in 1973.

The last British troops left Libya in 1970 marking this day as one of the important turning points in Libya’s colonial history. Today, this is celebrated as British Evacuation Day.

Celebrations

British Evacuation Day is considered to be one of the most important holidays in Libya but it isn’t celebrated with festivities inasmuch as how religious holidays in Libya are celebrated. The employed consider this day as a time off from work.

Mujahideen Victory Day Afghanistan - A p r 2 8

Mujahideen Victory Day is a political holiday observed in parts of Afghanistan, falling on the 28 April each year. It commemorates the day when Mujahideen rebel forces overthrew Mohammad Najibullah's Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in 1992. It is celebrated mostly by former warlords and their followers, such as the Northern Alliance.

Other Afghans are against celebrating the day because it marks the start of civil war, and the fact that the Mujahideen were not only Afghans but included men from over 50 Islamic nations around the Muslim world.

Hero's Day Barbados - A p r 2 8

Barbadian National Heroes are the designees of the Order of National Heroes Act, as passed by the Parliament of Barbados in 1998. The act formally recognized the stature of ten major figures in the history of Barbados.

The first National Heroes Day was celebrated on 28 April 1998, the centenary of the birth of Sir Grantley Adams.

National Day of Mourning Canada - Apr 28

The National Day of Mourning is observed in Canada on 28 April. It commemorates workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace related hazards and incidents.

Workers' Memorial Day was started by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in 1984, and the Canadian Labour Congress officially declared it an annual day of remembrance in 1985 on April 28. In December 1990, this day became a national observance with the passing of the Workers Mourning Day Act, so that on April 28, 1991, it was officially the National Day of Mourning for persons killed or injured in the workplace; making April 28, an official Workers’ Mourning Day..

Since its inception, the observance has spread to over 80 countries around the world, but is known is most other countries as the Workers' Memorial Day. The date 28 April was picked because on that day in 1914, the Workers Compensation Act received its third reading.In 2001 the International Labour Organization first observed World Day for Safety and Health at Work on this day.

Typically the Canadian flag on Parliament Hill is flown at half-mast, and workers and employees observe this day in various ways including lighting candles, donning ribbons and black armbands, and observing moments of silence.

The purpose of Day of Mourning is twofold- to remember and honour those lives lost or injured and to renew the commitment to improving health and safety in the workplace - to prevent further deaths, injuries and diseases from work.

Showa Day Japan - A p r 2 9

Shōwa Day (昭和の日 Shōwa no hi) is a Japanese annual holiday held on April 29. It honors the birthday of the Shōwa Emperor (Hirohito), the reigning Emperor from 1926 to 1989.

The purpose of the holiday is to encourage public reflection on the turbulent 63 years of Hirohito's reign.

History

Emperor Hirohito died on January 7, 1989. April 29 was subsequently no longer celebrated asThe Emperor's Birthday but instead as Greenery Day, part of Japan's Golden Week. After a series of failed legislative attempts beginning in 2000, the April 29 holiday was finally renamed Shōwa Day in May 2005, and Greenery Day was moved from April 29 to May 4.

According to the then-main opposition party (and current ruling party) the Democratic Party of Japan (which backed the bill for the first time after many years of refusal), the holiday encourages public reflection of the turbulent 63 years of Hirohito's reign rather than glorifying the emperor himself. Hirohito's reign saw, among other things, the end of Taishō Democracy, the May 15 Incident, the February 26 Incident, the rise of Fascism, World War II, the post-war occupation, and the rise of Japan as an industrial and economic power.

Children's Day Mexico - A p r 3 0

In Mexico, Children's Day is celebrated on April 30. It is also known as "El Día Del Niño". On this day teachers in schools organize the day for their children. In some schools, lessons are suspended for the day. They organize games, music, and the children bring in their favorite foods to share with others. Some families also have a day out with their children. There are special activities for the children in parks and sports centers. Sometimes, also, the children will be given presents by their families. This is the day when children are honored in Mexico. Children's Day in Mexico started in 1925.

King's Birthday Sweden - A p r 3 0

Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of Sweden, was born on 30 April 1946 at Haga Palace.

He is son of then Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha. He was baptised at the Palace Church on 7 June 1946 and named Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus.

The King has four older sisters: the Princesses Margaretha, Birgitta, Désirée and Christina. His father Prince Gustaf Adolf died in a plane crash in 1947 in Copenhagen. Princess Sibylla died in Stockholm in 1972.

Crown Prince at four years of age

With the accession of Gustaf VI Adolf to the throne in 1950, following the death of Gustaf V, the four-year-old Carl Gustaf became Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Carl Gustaf became the Swedish Head of State at the age of 27, following the death of King Gustaf VI Adolf, who died on 15 September 1973.

The new King took “For Sweden - With the times" as his motto, thereby declaring his intention of meeting the demands of society on a modern monarch.

Education

The Crown Prince was taught privately at the Royal Palace of Stockholm during his pre-school years. He started school in the autumn of 1952, attending Broms School followed by the Sigtuna Boarding School. He graduated from upper secondary school in 1966.

School was followed by military service. The Crown Prince completed two and a half years' training in the Army, Navy and Air Force, with a special emphasis on naval training. Amongst other military activities, he took part in a long voyage on the mine-laying vessel Älvsnabben in the winter of 1966-67.

Officer Examination Naval The Crown Prince passed his Naval Officer Examination in

1968. He later completed a command course at the Swedish National Defence College and complemented his naval training with officer´s duties on board various ships in the Swedish Navy.

In 1968 The Crown Prince began a one-year programme of academic studies comprising History, Sociology, Political Science, Financial Law and Economics at the University of Uppsala. Later he also studied Economics at the University of Stockholm.

social studies Practical The Crown Prince then followed a specially composed pro-

gramme of field trips to national and local authorities, industries, factories, laboratories and schools.

He studied the Swedish judicial system, social welfare organisations and institutions, trade unions and employer associations, with a special emphasis on the work of the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament), the Government and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

International studies

In order to acquire international experience The Crown Prince participated in the work of the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations in New York and spent time working with SIDA (the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) in Africa. He also spent considerable time in London - at Hambro Bank, the Swedish Embassy and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce - and in France at the Alfa Laval plant in Nevers.

In addition, The Crown Prince represented Gustaf VI Adolf on a number of official occasions. In 1970, for example, he headed the Swedish delegation to the World Exposition in Osaka, Japan.

Family

During the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany in 1972, The Crown Prince met Miss Silvia Renate Sommerlath.

She was working at the Games as an interpreter and hostess. Silvia Sommerlath was born in Heidelberg on 23 December 1943. She is the daughter of Walther Sommerlath and his Brazilian wife Alice, née de Toledo, both now deceased.

Royal Wedding in 1976 The The engagement of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommer-

lath was officially announced on 12 March 1976. They were married three months later on 19 June 1976 at Stockholm Cathedral.

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia have three children: Crown Princess Victoria, born on 14 July 1977, Prince Carl Philip, born on 13 May 1979 and Princess Madeleine, born on 10 June 1982.

Under the Order of Succession introduced in 1980 by the Swedish Parliament, the throne passes to the eldest child.

The Royal Family resided at the Royal Palace of Stockholm until 1981, when they moved to Drottningholm Palace.

Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) Netherlands - A p r 3 0

Koninginnedag or Queen's Day is a national holiday in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba on 30 April or on 29 April if the 30th is a Sunday. Queen's Day celebrates the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands and is supposed to be a day of national unity and "togetherness" (Dutch: saamhorigheid). The tradition started on 31 August 1885, on the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, later Queen Wilhelmina.

Since 1949, after the accession of Queen Juliana, Queen's Day is Queen Juliana's birthday on 30 April. Although Queen Beatrix's birthday is on 31 January, she officially celebrates her birthday on 30 April. Queen's Day is known for its "freemarket" (Dutch: vrijmarkt) all over the country, where everybody is allowed to sell things in the streets. Other activities during Queen's Day are children's games, individual musical performances, and music concerts. The night before Queen's Day is celebrated too in most cities, and this is called Queen's Night (Dutch: Koninginnenacht). The largest celebration of Queen's Day is in Amsterdam, Queen's Night inThe Hague and Queen's Dance (Dutch: Koninginnedans) in Rotterdam. During the celebrations as reference to the colours of the House of Orange-Nassau, people dress in the colour orange, which is sometimes called "orange craze" (Dutch: oranjegekte).

History

The present-day celebration of Queen's Day was originally intended by the Liberal Union to be a day of national unity in the Netherlands. It started with the celebration of the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina on 31 August 1885.

From 1885 to 1890 the celebration was therefore called Prinsessedag or Princess' Day, until the Coronation of Wilhelmina in 1890. Since 31 August 1891, the celebration was called Koninginnedag or Queen's Day. The day was not only the birthday of the Queen, but also the last day of the summer vacation, which made the celebrations popular with children. Unlike her successors, Queen Wilhelmina almost never attended festivities on Queen's Day. In September 1948 Queen Juliana ascended to the Dutch throne and from 1949 onwards Queen's Day was on her birthday on 30 April. When 30 April is a Sunday, Queen's Day is celebrated on 29 April. On this day, Queen Juliana received a flower tribute at Soestdijk Palace, where she lived. The Queen and her family would stand on a dais and a long line of citizens would walk past, congratulating her and presenting her gifts and flowers. The parade was broadcast on national television from the 1950s. When more and more people received a day off from their work, Queen's Day became a national holiday of togetherness (Dutch: samenhorigheid). When Queen Beatrix succeeded her mother Queen Juliana on 30 April 1980, she decided to keep the holiday on 30 April as a tribute to her mother. Furthermore for practical reasons, the weather on her own birthday in the winter on 31 January tends to prohibit the traditional outdoor festivities, while 30 April normally has better weather. In contrast to her mother, Juliana, Beatrix decided to go into the country to meet the people, rather than receiving people at her residence. Since her ascension to the throne, Queen Beatrix and her family visit one, two, or sometimes three places on Queen's day, where she is shown regional versions of traditional Dutch dances and demonstrations of old crafts. In 2001, the Queen's Day visits of the Royal Family were canceled as there was worry about maintaining the quarantine measures to control an ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Queen Beatrix has visited the following cities over the years on Queen's Day.

Liberation Day Vietnam - A p r 3 0

Victory Day (Ngày Chiến thắng), Reunification Day (Ngày Thống nhất), or Liberation Day (Ngày Giải phóng) is a public holiday in Vietnamthat marks the occasion Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) on April 30, 1975. This signalled the end of the Vietnam War, known in Vietnamese as Chiến tranh Việt Nam (Vietnam War) or Kháng chiến chống Mỹ ("Resistance War Against America"). It was the start of the transition period toward reunification, which occurred July 2, 1976.

In the Overseas Vietnamese exile community, the day is remembered as the "Fall of Saigon" or "Ngày Quốc hận". This is loosely translated as "National Defeat Day," or more literally as "National Day of Resentment." These terms are considered treasonous in present day Vietnamand can lead to harassment or imprisonment. This is a commemorative day for exile Vietnamese who served, were affected, and displaced in those overseas communities, and as such is a day of reflection. The anniversary is marked by several festivals around the date.

May Day Eve - A p r 3 0 Finland, Germany, Sweden

The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after Saint Walburga (ca. 710-777/9). As Walburga was canonized on 1 May (ca. 870), she became associated with May Day, especially in the Finnish and Swedish calendars. The eve of May day, traditionally celebrated with dancing, came to be known as Walpurgisnacht ("Walpurga's night"). The German term is recorded in the 17th century, e.g. by Johannes Praetorius (1668), as S. Walpurgis Nacht or S. Walpurgis Abend. In earlier references, 1 May is more typically referred to as Jacobi Philippi (after James the Less and Philip, the apostles whose feast day falls on 1 May), e.g. in the Calendarium Perpetuum

by Johannes Coler (1603, p. 89). The 17th century German tradition of a meeting of sorcerers and witches on May Day is influenced by the descriptions of Witches' Sabbaths in 15th and 16th century literature.

Finland

In Finland, Walpurgis day (Vappu) is, along with New Year's Eve and Juhannus, the biggest carnival-style festival held in the streets of Finland's towns and cities. The celebration, which begins on the evening of 30 April and continues to 1 May, typically centres on copious consumption of sparkling wine and other alcoholic beverages. Student traditions, particularly those of the engineering students, are one of the main characteristics of Vappu. Since the end of the 19th century, this traditional upper-class feast has been appropriated by university students. Many graduates from lukio, and thus traditionally assumed as university students or alumni, wear a cap.

Most people think the caps of the engineering students are distinguished by pom-poms hanging from them; however, nurses and some other vocational school graduates also have caps with pom-poms. One tradition is to drink sima, a home-made mead, along with freshly cooked doughnuts. In the capital Helsinki and its surrounding region, fixtures include the capping (on 30 April at 6 pm) of the Havis Amanda, a nude female statue in Helsinki, and the biannually alternating publications of ribald matter called Äpy and Julkku, by engineering students of Aalto University School of Science and Technology. Both are sophomoric; but while Julkku is a standard magazine, Äpy is always a gimmick. Classic forms have included an Äpy printed on toilet paper and a bedsheet. Often, the magazine has been stuffed inside standard industrial packages, such as sardine cans and milk cartons. For most university students, Vappu starts a week before the day of celebration. The festivities also include a picnic on 1 May, which is sometimes prepared in a lavish manner, particularly in Ullanlinnanmäki—and Kaisaniemi for the Swedish-speaking population—in Helsinki city. The Finnish tradition is also a shadowing of the Socialist May Day parade. Expanding from the parties of the left, the whole of the Finnish political scene has adopted Vappu as the day to go out on stumps and agitate. This does not only include political activists: other institutions, such as the church, have followed suit, marching and making speeches. In Sweden, it is only the left-wing parties that use 1 May for political activities, while others observe the traditional festivities. Left-wing activists who were active in the 1970s still party on May Day. They arrange carnivals, and radio stations play leftist songs from the 1970s. Traditionally, 1 May is celebrated by a picnic in a park (Kaivopuisto or Kaisaniemi in the case of Helsinki). For most, the picnic is enjoyed with friends on a blanket with good food and sparkling wine. Some people, however, arrange extremely lavish picnics with pavilions, white tablecloths, silver candelabras, classical music and extravagant food. The picnic usually starts early in the morning, where some of the previous night's party-goers continue their celebrations undaunted by lack of sleep. Some student organisations reserve areas where they traditionally camp every year. Student caps, mead, streamers and balloons have their role in the picnic, as well as in the celebration as a whole.

Vappu/Valborg and Midsummer are Finland's two main holidays in the summer half of the year, on a par with Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in the winter half.

Germany In Germany, Walpurgisnacht, the night from 30 April to 1 May,

is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the Brocken and await the arrival of spring. Walpurgis Night (in German folklore) the night of 30 April (May Day's eve), when witches meet on the Brocken mountain and hold revels with their gods..." Brocken is the highest of the Harz Mountains of north central Germany. It is noted for the phenomenon of the Brocken spectreand for witches' revels which reputedly took place there on Walpurgis night. The Brocken Spectre is a magnified shadow of an observer, typically surrounded by rainbow-like bands, thrown onto a bank of cloud in high mountain areas when the sun is low. The phenomenon was first reported on the Brocken.

—Oxford Phrase & Fable. A scene in Goethe's Faust Part One is called "Walpurgisnacht", and one in Faust Part Two is called "Classical Walpurgisnacht". The last chapter of book five in Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain is also called "Walpurgisnacht". In Edward Albee's 1962 play 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?', Act Two is entitled "Walpurgisnacht". In some parts of northern coastal regions of Germany, the custom of lighting huge fires is still kept alive to celebrate the coming of May, while most parts of Germany have a derived Christianized custom around Easter called "Easter fires". In rural parts of southern Germany, it is part of popular youth culture to play pranks such as tampering with neighbours' gardens, hiding possessions, or spraying graffiti on private property. These pranks occasionally result in serious damage to property or bodily injury. In Berlin, traditional leftist May Day riots usually start at Walpurgis Night in the Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg. There is a similar tradition in the Schanzenviertel district of Hamburg, though in both cases, the situation has significantly calmed down in the past few years.

Sweden In Sweden, Walpurgis Night (Swedish: Valborgsmässoafton

or simply Valborg) has more or less become a de facto half holiday. The forms of celebration in Sweden vary in different parts of the country and between different cities. Sir James George Frazer in The Golden Bough writes, "The first of May is a great popular festival in the more midland and southern parts of Sweden. On the eve of the festival, huge bonfires, which should be lighted by striking two flints together, blaze on all the hills and knolls." One of the main traditions in Sweden is to light large bonfires, a custom that is most firmly established in Svealand and may have begun in Uppland during the 18th century: "At Walpurgis (Valborg), farm animals were let out to graze, and ever since the early 18th century bonfires (majbrasor, kasar) have been lit to scare away predators." In Southern Sweden, an older tradition, no longer practised, was for the younger people to collect greenery and branches from the woods at twilight, these were used to adorn the houses of the village. The expected reward for this task was to be paid in eggs.

Singing traditional songs of spring is widespread throughout the country. The songs are mostly from the 19th century and were spread by students' spring festivities. The strongest and most traditional spring festivities are also found in the old university cities, such as Uppsala and Lund, where undergraduates, graduates and alumni gather at events that last most of the day from early morning to late night on 30 April, or sista april ("The Last Day Of April") as it is called in Sweden. More modern Valborg celebrations, particularly among Uppsala students, oftentimes consist of enjoying a breakfast including champagne and strawberries. During the day, people gather in parks, drink considerable amounts of alcoholic beverages, barbecue and generally enjoy the weather, if it happens to be favourable.

In Uppsala, since the mid-1970s, students also go rafting on Fyrisån through the centre of town with home-made, in fact quite easily wreckable, and often humorously decorated rafts. Several nations also hold "Champagne Races", where students go to drink and spray champagne or somewhat more modestly priced sparkling wine on each other.

The walls and floors of the old nation buildings are covered in plastic for this occasion, as the champagne is poured around recklessly and sometimes spilled enough to wade in. Spraying champagne is, however, a fairly recent addition to the Champagne Race. The name derives from the students running down the downhill slope from the Carolina Rediviva library, toward the Student Nations, to drink champagne.

In Linköping, the students and public gather at the courtyard of Linköping Castle. Spring songs are sung by the Linköping University Male Voice Choir, and speeches are made by representatives of the students and the university teachers.

In Gothenburg, the carnival parade, The Cortège, which has been held since 1909 by the students at Chalmers University of Technology, is an important part of the celebration. It is seen by around 250,000 people each year.

In Landskrona, people gather at the Citadel to play beer-baseball, a game in which one drinks beer and plays baseball at the same time.

International Workers' Day Worldwide - M a y 0 1

International Workers' Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the internationallabour movement and left-wing movements. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labour unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries. It is also celebrated unofficially in many other countries.

History

International Workers' Day is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, which occurred after an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at police as they dispersed a public assembly during a general strike for the eight-hour workday. In response, the Chicago police fired on the workers killing dozens of demonstrators and several of their own officers. In 1889, the first congress of the Second International, meeting in Paris for the centennial of the French Revolution and the Exposition Universelle, following a proposal by Raymond Lavigne, called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests. May Day was formally recognized as an annual event at the International's second congress in 1891.

Subsequently, the May Day Riots of 1894 occurred. In 1904, the International Socialist Conference meeting in Amsterdam called on "allSocial Democratic Party organizations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on May First for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace." The congress made it "mandatory upon the proletarian organizations of all countries to stop work on May 1, wherever it is possible without injury to the workers."

In many countries, the working classes sought to make May Day an official holiday, and their efforts largely succeeded. May Day has long been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist, communist and anarchist groups. In some circles, bonfires are lit in commemoration of the Haymarket martyrs, usually at dawn. May Day has been an important official holiday in countries such as the People's Republic of China, North Korea, Cuba and the former Soviet Union. May Day celebrations typically feature elaborate popular and military parades in these countries.

In the United States and Canada, however, the official holiday for workers is Labor Day in September. This day was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, who organized the first parade in New York City.

After the Haymarket Massacre, US President Grover Cleveland feared that commemorating Labor Day on May 1 could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots. Thus he moved in 1887 to support the Labor Day that the Knights supported.

In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated May 1 to "Saint Joseph The Worker". The Catholic Church considers Saint Joseph the patron saint of (among others) workers, craftsmen, and "people fighting communism".

Right-wing governments have traditionally sought to repress the message behind International Workers' Day, with fascist governments in Portugal, Italy, Germany and Spain abolishing the workers' holiday, the official May 1st holiday in the US being Loyalty Day, and the Conservative party in the UK currently attempting to abolish the UK's annual May Day Bank Holiday.

Constitution Day Marshall Islands - M a y 0 1

In 1943, during World War II, the Allied forces—the United States, Britain, France, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, and Yugoslavia—invaded the Marshall Islands. By 1944, the Allied forces occupied the Marshall Islands. At the end of World War II, the United States was given effective power in the Marshall Islands. Throughout their occupation, the United States conducted nuclear weapons testing on the islands.

On May 1, 1979, the Marshall Islands constitution was signed, establishing it as a self-governing country. In 1982, the Marshall Islands officially changed its name to the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Constitution Day is a public holiday in the Marshall Islands. On this day of celebration, people gather together for a parade to commemorate their independence. Also as part of the celebration, field-day contests are held between all private and public schools, entities within the community itself, and more. Some of these contests include basketball, women's softball, men's baseball, volleyball, soccer, tug-of-war, and various track-and-field events.

People's Unity Day Kazakhstan - M a y 0 1

May Day International - M a y 0 1

May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures.

Traditional May Day celebrations

May Day is related to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. May Day falls exactly half a year from November 1, another cross-quarter day which is also associated with various northern European pagan and the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations.

As Europe became Christianized the pagan holidays lost their religious character and either changed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were merged with or replaced by new Christian holidays as with Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and All Saint's Day. In the twentieth century, many neopagans began reconstructing the old traditions and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival again.

Origins:

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were abandoned orChristianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the maypole dance and crowning of the Queen of the May. Various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on May 1st.

The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary's month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps.

Europe

Great Britain:

Traditional British May Day rites and celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queenand celebrations involving a Maypole. Much of this tradition derive from the pagan Anglo-Saxonand customs held during "Þrimilci-mōnaþ" (the Old English name for the month of May meaningMonth of Three Milkings) along with many Celtic traditions.

May Day has been a traditional day of festivities throughout the centuries.

May Day is most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime fertility and revelry with village fetes and community gatherings. Since the reform of the Catholic Calendar, May 1st is the Feast of St Philip & St James, they became the patron saints of workers. Seeding has been completed by this date and it was convenient to give farm labourers a day off. Perhaps the most significant of the traditions is the Maypole, around which traditional dancers circle with ribbons.

The May Day bank holiday, on the first Monday in May, was traditionally the only one to affect thestate school calendar, although new arrangements in some areas to even out the length of school terms mean that the Good Friday and Easter Monday bank holidays, which vary from year to year, may also fall during term time. The May Day bank holiday was created in 1978. In February 2011, the UK Parliament was reported to be considering scrapping the Maibaum in Munich, Gerbank holiday associated with May Day, replacing it with a bank holiday in Oc- many. tober, possibly co-inciding with Trafalgar Day(celebrated on 21 October), to create a "United Kingdom Day".

May Day was abolished and its celebration banned by puritan parliaments during the Interregnum, but reinstated with the restoration of Charles II in 1660. 1 May 1707 was the day the Act of Union came into effect, joining England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.

In Oxford, it is traditional for May Morning revellers to gather below the Great Tower of Magdalen College at 6:00 am to listen to the college choir sing traditional madrigals as a conclusion to the previous night's celebrations. It is then thought to be traditional for some people to jump off Magdalen Bridge into the River Cherwell. However this has actually only been fashionable since the 1970s. In recent years, the bridge has been closed on 1 May to prevent people from jumping, as the water under the bridge is only 2 feet (61 cm) deep and jumping from the bridge has resulted in serious injury in the past. There are still people who insist on climbing the barriers and leaping into the water, causing themselves injury.

In Durham, students of the University of Durham gather on Prebend's Bridge to see the sunrise and enjoy festivities, folk music, dancing, madrigal singing and a barbecue breakfast. This is an emerging Durham tradition, with patchy observance since 2001.

Whitstable, Kent, hosts a good example of more traditional May Day festivities, where the Jack in the Green festival was revived in 1976 and continues to lead an annual procession of morris dancers through the town on the May Bank Holiday. A separate revival occurred in Hastings in 1983 and has become a major event in the town calendar. A traditional Sweeps Festival is performed over the May bank holiday in Rochester, Kent, where the Jack in the Green is woken at dawn on 1 May by Morris dancers.

The Maydayrun involves thousands of motorbikes taking a 55-mile (89 km) trip from London(Locksbottom) to the Hastings seafront, East Sussex. The event has been taking place for almost 30 years now and has grown in interest from around the country, both commercially and publicly. The event is not officially organised; the police only manage the traffic, and volunteers manage the parking.

Padstow in Cornwall holds its annual 'Obby-Oss' (Hobby Horse) day of festivities.

This is believed to be one of the oldest fertility rites in the UK; revellers dance with the Oss through the streets of the town and even through the private gardens of the citizens, accompanied by accordion players and followers dressed in white with red or blue sashes who sing the traditional 'May Day' song. The whole town is decorated with springtime greenery, and every year thousands of onlookers attend. Prior to May Queen on village the 19th century distinctive May day celebrations were widespread throughout West green, Melmerby Cornwall, and are being revived in St. Ives and Penzance.

Kingsand, Cawsand and Millbrook in Cornwall celebrate Flower Boat Ritual on the May Day bank holiday. A model of the ship The Black Prince is covered in flowers and is taken in procession from the Quay at Millbrook to the beach at Cawsand where it is cast adrift. The houses in the villages are decorated with flowers and people traditionally wear red and white clothes. There are further celebrations in Cawsand Square with Morris dancing and May pole dancing.

In St Andrews, some of the students gather on the beach late on April 30 and run into the North Sea at sunrise on May Day, occasionally naked. This is accompanied by torchlit processions and much elated celebration.

Both Edinburgh and Glasgow organize Mayday festivals and rallies. In Edinburgh, the Beltane Fire Festival is held on the evening of May eve and into the early hours of May Day on the city's Calton Hill. An older Edinburgh tradition has it that young women who climb Arthur's Seat and wash their faces in the morning dew will have lifelong beauty.

Ireland:

May Day has been celebrated in Ireland since pagan times as the feast of Bealtaine and in latter times as Mary's day.

Traditionally, bonfires were lit to mark the coming of summer and to banish the long nights of winter. Officially Irish May Day holiday is the first Monday in May. Old traditions such as bonfires are no longer widely observed, though the practice still persists in some communities, such as Arklow, County Wicklow.

France:

On May 1, 1561, King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm. He decided to offer a lily of the valley each year to the ladies of the court. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became custom to give a sprig of lily of the valley, a symbol of springtime, on May 1. The government permits individuals and workers' organisations to sell them tax-free. It is also traditional for the lady receiving the sprig of lily of the valley to give a kiss in return.

Nowadays, people may present loved ones either with bunches of lily of the valley or dog rose flowers.

Germany:

In rural regions of Germany, especially the Harz Mountains, Walpurgisnacht celebrations of pagan origin are traditionally held on the night before May Day, including bonfires and the wrapping of a Maibaum (maypole). Young people use this opportunity to party, while the day itself is used by many families to get some fresh air. Motto: "Tanz in den Mai!" ("Dance into May!"). In the Rhineland, May 1 is also celebrated by the delivery of a maypole, a tree covered in streamers to the house of a girl the night before. The tree is typically from a love interest, though a tree wrapped only in white streamers is a sign of dislike. Females usually place roses or rice in form of a heart at the house of their beloved one. It is common to stick the heart to a window or place it in front of the doormat. On leap years, it is the responsibility of the females to place the maypole. All the action is usually done secretly and it is an individual's choice whether to give a hint of their identity or stay anonymous. May Day was not established as a public holiday until 1933. As Labour Day, many political parties and unions host activities related to work and employment.

Finland:

Celebrations among the younger generations take place on May Day Eve, see Walpurgis Night in Finland, most prominent being the afternoon 'crowning' of statues in towns around the country with a student cap.

May Day is known as Vappu, from the Swedish term. This is a public holiday that is the only carnival-style street festivity in the country. People young and old, particularly students, party outside, picnic and wear caps or other decorative clothing.

Some Finns make a special lemonade from lemons, brown sugar, and Queen Guinevere's Maying yeast called "sima". It contains very little alcohol, so even children can drink it. You can also buy a similar product in all stores.

Some Finns also make doughnuts and a crisp pastry fried in oil made from a similar, more liquid dough.

Balloons and other decorations like serpentines are seen everywhere.

Sweden:

The more traditional festivities have moved to the day before, Walpurgis night ("Valborgsmässoafton"), known in some locales as simply "Last of April".

The first of May is instead celebrated as International Workers' Day.

Pacific (USA):

In Hawaii, May Day is also known as Lei Day, and is normally set aside as a day to celebrate island culture in general and native Hawaiian culture in particular. Invented by Morris dancing on May Day in Oxford,Enga poet and a local newspaper columnist in the 1920s, it land 2004. has since been adopted by state and local government as well as the residents, and has taken on the sense of a general spring celebration. The first Lei Day was proposed in 1927 in Honolulu by poet and artist Don Blanding. Leonard "Red" and Ruth Hawk composed "May Day is Lei Day in Hawai'i," the traditional holiday song. Originally it was a contemporary fox trot, later rearranged as the Hawaiian hula song performed today.

USA:

May Day was also celebrated by some early European settlers of the American continent. In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made. These are small baskets usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The giver rings the bell and runs away. The person receiving the basket tries to catch the fleeing giver. If May Day festivities at National Park Semithey catch the person, a kiss is exchanged.

Modern May Day ceremonies in the U.S. vary greatly from nary in Maryland, 1907. region to region and many unite both the holiday's "Green Root" (pagan) and "Red Root" (labor) traditions.

May 1 is also recognized in the U.S. as Law Day.

Dos de Mayo Spain - May 02

On the second of May (Spanish: Dos de Mayo), 1808, the people of Madrid rebelled against the occupation of the city by French troops, provoking a brutal repression by the French Imperial forces and triggering the Peninsular War.

Background

The city had been under the occupation of Napoleon's army since 23 March of the same year. King Charles IV had been forced to abdicate in favour of his son Ferdinand VII, and at the time of the uprising both were in the French city of Bayonne at the insistence of Napoleon. An attempt by the French general Joachim Murat to move the daughter and youngest son of Charles IV to Bayonne led to a popular rebellion that was harshly suppressed by French troops after hours of fierce street fighting. The uprising in Madrid, together with the subsequent proclamation as king of Napoleon's brother Joseph, provoked resistance across Spain to French rule.

The beginning of the uprising

The spark that provoked the rebellion was the move by the French Marshal in command of Madrid, Joaquim Murat, to send the daughter of Charles IV and the Infante Francisco de Paula to the French city of Bayonne. Murat was the brother-in-law of Napoleon, and would later become king of Naples. Initially the governing council of the city refused the request from Murat, but eventually gave way after receiving a message from Ferdinand VII who was also in Bayonne at this time.

On 2 May a crowd began to gather in front of the Royal Palace in Madrid. Those gathered entered the palace grounds in an attempt to prevent the removal of Francisco de Paula. Marshal Murat sent a battalion of grenadiers from the Imperial Guard to the palace along with artillery detachments. The latter opened fire on the assembled crowd, and the rebellion began to spread to other parts of the city.

What followed was street fighting in different areas of Madrid as the poorly armed population confronted the French troops. Murat had quickly moved the majority of his troops into the city and there was heavy fighting around the Puerta del Sol and the Puerta de Toledo. Marshal Murat imposed martial law in the city and assumed full control of the administration. Little by little the French regained control of the city, and many hundreds of people died in the fighting.

The painting by the Spanish artistGoya, The Charge of the Mamelukes, portrays the street fighting that took place.

There were Spanish troops stationed in the city, but they remained confined to barracks. The only Spanish troops to disobey orders were from the artillery units at the barracks of Monteleón, who joined the uprising. Two officers of these troops,Luis Daoíz de Torres and Pedro Velarde y Santillán are still commemorated as heroes of the rebellion. Both died during the French assault of the barracks, as the rebels were reduced by vastly superior numbers.

The aftermath The repression following the crushing of the initial rebellion was harsh. Murat created a military commission on the

evening of 2 May to be presided over by General Grouchy. This commission issued death sentences to all of those captured who were bearing weapons of any kind. In a statement issued that day Murat said: "The population of Madrid, led astray, has given itself to revolt and murder. French blood has flowed. It demands vengeance. All those arrested in the uprising, arms in hand, will be shot." All public meetings were prohibited and an order was issued requiring all weapons to be handed in to the authorities. Hundreds of prisoners were executed the following day, a scene that has also been captured in a famous painting by Goya, The Third of May 1808.

On the same 2 May, in the nearby town of Móstoles, the arrival of the news of the repression prompted Juan Pérez Villamil, who was secretary of the Admiralty and prosecutor of the Supreme War Council, to encourage the mayors of the town, Andrés Torrejón and Simón Hernández, to sign a declaration of war calling all the Spaniards against the invaders. The name of this declaration was "Bando de los alcaldes de Móstoles" or "bando de la Independencia".

impact of the uprising The While the French occupiers hoped that their rapid suppression of the uprising would demonstrate their control of Spain, the rebellion actually gave considerable impetus to the resistance. In the weeks that followed there were further rebellions in different parts of the country.

Commemoration

2 May was chosen as a public holiday in the region of Madrid. The place where the artillery barracks of Monteleón was located is now a square called the Plaza 2 de mayo, and the district surrounding the square is known as Malasaña in memory of one of the heroines of the revolt, the teenagerManuela Malasaña, who was executed by French troops in the aftermath of the revolt.

Several memorials to the heroes are located over the city, including the Monumento a los Caidos por España.

Constitution Day Poland - May 03

Constitution of May 3, 1791 (Polish: Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja;Lithuanian: Gegužės trečiosios konstitucija) is generally regarded as Europe's first and the world's second modern codified national constitution, following the 1788 ratification of the United States Constitution (however, see also: Corsican Constitution and Constitution of San Marino). The May 3, 1791, Constitution was adopted as a "Government Act" (Polish: Ustawa rządowa) on that date by the Sejm (parliament) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was in effect for only a year, until the Russo-Polish War of 1792.

The May 3 Constitution was designed to redress long-standing political defects of the Polish– Lithuanian Commonwealth and its traditional sysof "Golden Liberty" conveying tem disproportionate rights and privileges to the nobility. The Constitution introduced political equality between townspeople and nobility (szlachta) and placed the peasants under the protection of the government, thus mitigating the worst abuses of serfdom. The Constitution abolished pernicious parliamentary institutions such as the liberum veto, which at one time had put the sejm at the mercy of any deputy who might choose, or be bribed by an interest or foreign power, to undo legislation passed by that sejm. The Constitution sought to supplant the existing anarchy fostered by some of the country's magnates with a more democratic constitutional monarchy. The document was translated into Lithuanian.

The adoption of the May 3 Constitution provoked the active hostility of the Commonwealth's neighbors. In the War in Defense of the Constitution, the Commonwealth lost its Prussian ally, Frederick William II, when the Commonwealth failed to live up to territorial agreements made in their treaty and also failed to consult Prussia before agreeing on the constitution. It was then defeated by Catherine the Great's Imperial Russia allied with the Targowica Confederation, a coalition of Polish magnates and landless nobility who opposed reforms that might weaken their influence. Despite the Commonwealth's defeat and the consequent Second Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the May 3 Constitution influenced later democratic movements. It remained, after the demise of the Polish Republic in 1795, over the next 123 years of Polish partitions, a beacon in the struggle to restore Polish sovereignty. In the words of two of its co-authors, Ignacy Potocki and Hugo Kołłątaj, it was "the last will and testament of the expiring Motherland."

Background

The May 3 Constitution responded to the increasingly perilous situation of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, only a century earlier a major European power and indeed the largest state on the continent.

Already two hundred years before the May 3 Constitution, King Sigismund III Vasa's court preacher, the Jesuit Piotr Skarga, had famously condemned the individual and collective weaknesses of the Commonwealth. Likewise, in the same period, writers and philosophers such as Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski and Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki, and Jan Zamoyski's egzekucja praw (Execution-of-the-Laws) reform movement, had advocated reforms.

By the early 17th century, the magnates of Poland and Lithuania controlled the Commonwealth—or rather, they managed to ensure that no reforms would be carried out that might weaken their privileged status (the "Golden Freedoms"). They spent lavishly on banquets, drinking bouts and other amusements, while the peasants languished in abysmal conditions and the towns, many of which were wholly within the private property of a magnate who feared the rise of an independent middle class, were kept in a state of ruin.

Many historians hold that a major cause of the Commonwealth's downfall was the peculiar institution of the liberum veto ("free veto"), which since 1652 had in principle permitted any Sejm deputy to nullify all the legislation that had been adopted by that Sejm. Thus deputies bribed by magnates or foreign powers, or simply content to believe they were living in some kind of "Golden Age", for over a century paralysed the Commonwealth's government. The threat of the liberum veto could, however, King Stanisław August, principal author of Constitution be overridden by the establishment of a "confederated sejm", which operated immune from the liberum veto. The Four-Year, or "Great", Sejm of 1788–92, which would adopt the Constitution of May 3, 1791, was such a confederated sejm, and it was due only to that fact that it was able to put through so radical a piece of legislation.

The Enlightenment had gained great influence in certain Commonwealth circles during the reign (1764–95) of its last king, Stanisław August Poniatowski, and the King had proceeded with cautious reforms such as the establishment of fiscal and military ministries and a national customs tariff. However, the idea of reforms in the Commonwealth was viewed with growing suspicion not only by the magnates, but also by neighboring countries, which were content with the Commonwealth's contemporary state of affairs and abhorred the thought of a resurgent and democratic power on their borders.

Accordingly Russia's Empress Catherine the Great and Prussia's King Frederick the Great provoked a conflict between some members of the Sejm and the King over civil rights for religious minorities. Catherine and Frederick declared their support for the Polish nobility (szlachta) and their "liberties," and by October 1767 Russian troops had assembled outside the Polish capital, Warsaw. The King and his adherents, in face of superior Russian military force, were left with little choice but to acquiesce in Russian demands and during the Repnin Sejm (named after unofficially presiding Russian ambassador Nicholas Repnin) accept the five "eternal and invariable principles" which Catherine vowed to "protect for all time to come in the name of Poland's liberties": the election of kings; the right of liberum veto; the right to renounce allegiance to, and raise rebellion against, the king (rokosz); the szlachta's exclusive right to hold office and land; and a landowner's power of life and death over his peasants. Thus all the privileges of the nobility that had made the Commonwealth's political system ("Golden Liberty") ungovernable were guaranteed as unalterable in the Cardinal Laws. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth thus became an effective protectorate of the Russian Empire.

Nonetheless, several minor beneficial reforms were adopted, and the need for more reforms was becoming increasingly recognized.

Not everyone in the Commonwealth agreed with King Stanisław August's acquiescence. On February 29, 1768, several magnates, including Kazimierz Pułaski, vowing to oppose Russian intervention, declared Stanisław August a "lackey of Russia and Catherine" and formed aconfederation at the town of Bar. The Bar Confederation began a civil war with the goal of overthrowing the King and fought on until 1772, when overwhelmed by Russian intervention.

The Bar Confederation's defeat set the scene for the next act in the unfolding drama. On August 5, 1772, at St. Petersburg, Russia, the three neighboring powers—Russia, Prussia and Austria—signed the First Partition treaty. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was to be divested of about a third of its territory and population (over 200,000 km2 (77,220 sq mi) and 4 million people). This was justified on grounds of "anarchy" in the Commonwealth and her refusal to cooperate with its neighbors' efforts to restore order. The three powers demanded that the Sejm ratify this first partition, otherwise threatening further partitions. King Stanisław August yielded under duress and on April 19, 1773, called the Sejm into session. Only 102 deputies attended what became known as the Partition Sejm; the rest, aware of the King's decision, refused. Despite protests, notably by the deputy Tadeusz Rejtan, the First Partition of Poland was ratified.

The first of the three successive 18th-century partitions of Commonwealth territory that would eventually blot Poland from the map of Europe shocked the inhabitants of the Commonwealth, and had made it clear to progressive minds that the Commonwealth must either reform or perish. Even before the First Partition, a Sejm deputy had been sent to ask the French philosophes Gabriel Bonnot de Mably and Jean-Jacques Rousseau to draw up tentative constitutions for a new Poland. Mably had submitted his recommendations in 1770–71; Rousseau had finished his (Considerations on the Government of Poland) in 1772, when the First Partition was already underway.

Supported by King Stanisław August, a new wave of reforms were introduced. The most important included the establishment, in 1773, of a Komisja Edukacji Narodowej ("Commission of National Education")—the first ministry of education in the world. New schools were opened in the cities and in the countryside, uniform textbooks were printed, teachers were educated, and poor students were provided scholarships. The Commonwealth's military was modernized, and a standing army was formed. Economic and commercial reforms, previously shunned as unimportant by the szlachta, were introduced, and the development of industries was encouraged. The peasants were given some rights.

A new Police ministry fought corruption. Everything from the road system to prisons was reformed. A new executive body was created, the Permanent Council (Polish: Rada Nieustająca), comprising five ministries.

In 1776, the Sejm commissioned Chancellor Andrzej Zamoyski to draft a new legal code, the Zamoyski Code. By 1780, under Zamoyski's direction, a code (Zbiór praw sądowych) had been produced. It would have strengthened royal power, made all officials answerable to the Sejm, placed the clergy and their finances under state supervision, and deprived landless szlachta of many of their legal immunities. Zamoyski's progressive legal code, containing elements of constitutional reform, facing opposition from conservative szlachta and foreign powers, failed to be adopted by the Sejm.

Fiesta de las Cruces Int ’l - Ma y 0 3

The Fiesta de las Cruces ("Festival of the Crosses") or Cruz de Mayo ("May Cross") is a holiday celebrated 3 May in many parts of Spain and Hispanic America.

The “May Day” is celebrated as “People's Unity Day” of Kazakhstan. It is holiday of Kazakhstan, was renamed by Presidential Decree in 1995. Almaty is the capital of Kazakhstan.

In Almaty, President congratulates the Kazakhstanis, who gathered in front of the Almaty citizens gathered in the capital’s Square of Republic. Each year the first day of May is celebrated as May Day. May Day is also known as Labor Day, which celebrates the social and economic achievement of the labor movement. Labor Day is celebrated on May 1 in many countries around the world and it is still often a day for protests and rallies. On this day, various labor organizations across the country carry out processions and organize competitions for children belonging to labor class. The origins of unions' existence can be traced from the eighteenth century, where the rapid expansion of industrial society drew women, children, rural workers, and immigrants to the work force in larger numbers and in new roles. International Workers' Day or May Day is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. May Day commonly sees organized street demonstrations and street marches by millions of working people and their labor unions throughout most of the countries of the world. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, l883. According to History, on this day labor unions across the US went to strike for demanding for eight working hours per a day.

Religiously, the festival is rooted in the search by the Byzantine Empress Saint Helena for the cross on which Jesus died, but the popular traditions connected to the festival certainly originate from pagan traditions brought to Spain by the Roman Empire.

The legend is that Emperor Constantine I, in the sixth year of his reign, confronted the barbarians on the banks of the Danube, in a battle where victory was believed to be impossible because of the great size of the enemy army. One night, Constantine had a vision of a cross in the sky, and by it the words "In hoc signo vincis" (With this sign, you shall be victorious). The emperor had a cross made and put it at the front of his army, which won an easy victory over the enemy multitude. On returning to the city and learning the significance of the cross, Constantine was baptized as a Christian and gave orders to construct Christian churches. He sent his mother, Saint Helena, to Jerusalem in search of the True Cross, the cross on which Jesus died. Once there, Helena summoned the wisest priests to aid in her attempt to find the cross. On Calvary Hill, traditionally considered the site of Jesus's crucifixion, she found three bloody logs hidden. In order to discover which was the True Cross, she placed the logs one by one over sick people, and even dead people, who were cured or resuscitated at the touch of the True Cross. The veneration of the True Cross, and the use of pieces of the True Cross as relics, begins at this time. Santa Helena died praying for all believers in Christ to celebrate the commemoration of the day the Cross was found.

National Flag Day Poland - May 02

Constitution Memorial Day Japan - May 03

The flag of Poland consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width, the upper one white and the lower one red. The two colors are defined in the Polish constitution as the national colors. A variant of the flag with the national coat of arms in the middle of the white stripe is legally reserved for official use abroad and at sea. A similar flag with the addition of a swallow-tail is used as the naval ensign of Poland.

White and red were officially adopted as national colors in 1831. They are of heraldic origin and derive from the tinctures (colors) of the coats of arms of the two constituent nations of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, i.e. the White Eagle of Poland and the Pursuer (Lithuanian:Vytis, Polish: Pogoń) of Lithuania, a white knight riding a white horse, both on a red shield. Prior to that, Polish soldiers wore cockades of various color combinations. The national flag was officially adopted in 1919. Since 2004, Polish Flag Day is celebrated on May 2.

The flag is flown continuously on the buildings of the highest national authorities, such as the parliament and the presidential palace. Other institutions and many Polish people fly the national flag on national holidays and other special occasions of national significance. Current Polish law does not restrict the use of the national flag without the coat of arms as long as the flag is not disrespected.

Horizontal bicolor of white and red being a relatively widespread design, there are several flags that are similar but unrelated to the Polish one, most notably those of Bohemia in the Czech Republic and Tyrol in Austria, and two national flags with the red stripe above the white one: those of Indonesia and Monaco. In Poland, many flags based on the national design also feature the national colors.

Origins

Japan commemorates the coming into effect of its new 1947 constitution. Japan’s constitution reflects Japan’s total abolition of war and military armament. Japan’s Constitution Memorial Day is one of the four public holidays in the Golden Week which also includes Emperor’s Birthday, Greenery Day, and Shōwa Day on April 29, Greenery Day on May 3, and Children’s Day on May 4.

History

Two years after the end of World War II, Japan promulgated a new constitution. It was recognized as a holiday since the passing of the new constitution on May 3, 1947. The renouncement of war is considered as Japan’s sovereign right and using war as an instrument to settle international dispute is forever banned. Article 9 of the Japanese constitutions states that: ARTICLE 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. (2) To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.

A number of known personalities, writers, and members of media in Japan have long been criticizing the above law such as the 2003 editorials in some major newspaper publications in the country.

Celebrations

During this day, the National Diet Building, housing Japan’s upper house, the House of Councillors and lower house which is the House of Representatives (National Diet of Japan), becomes open to the public.

Also, the Japanese government calls for a nationwide reflection on the meaning of democracy in Japan and its forever renouncement of war as stated in the controversial and criticized Article 9 of the 1947 Japanese constitution.

HUNGARY World Press Freedom Day Worldwide - May 03

The United Nations General Assembly declared 3 May to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991.

UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. Created in 1997, the prize is awarded on the recommendation of an independent jury of 14 news professionals. Names are submitted by regional and international non-governmental organizations working for press freedom, and by UNESCO member states.

The Prize is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogotá, on 17 December 1986. Cano's writings had offended Colombia's powerful drug barons.

UNESCO also marks World Press Freedom Day each year by bringing together media professionals, press freedom organisations and UN agencies to assess the state of press freedom worldwide and discuss solutions for addressing challenges. Each conference is centred around a theme related to press freedom, including good governance, media coverage of terrorism, impunity and the role of media in post-conflict countries.

The 2011 World Press Freedom Day celebration is being held in Washington, D.C., USA on May 1-3. This will be the first time the United States has hosted the World Press Freedom Day celebration. The theme of this year's event is 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers. The event will affirm fundamental principles of media freedom in the digital age—the ability of citizens to voice their opinions and access diverse, independent information sources— 20 years after the original declaration was made in Windhoek, Namibia. The World Press Freedom Day 2011 program and agenda are available here.

Hungary aims to make the Holoc a u s t M e m o r i a l Ye a r a s u c c e s s (Online 25 Apr) Deputy State Secretary Gergely Prőhle received Douglas Davidson, Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues from the US Department of State, on April 24, 2014. Mr Prőhle informed his guest about the current Holocaust Memorial Year in Hungary.

He stressed that Hungary aims to make the Memorial

Year a success, which is not conceivable without the active participation of the Hungarian Jewish community.

The Hungarian Deputy State Secretary also outlined the the plans for the Hungarian Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in 2015. As regards the statement issued by the US Embassy in Bu-

Photo mocr.army.cz

tries are very useful to Hungary. The Hungarian Defence Forces are going to perform this kind of mission next year.

For this reason, the Hungarian partners asked Prague to share its lessons learned with them,

copters, which presents both partners with the same issues, and also exviews changed about the establishment of an internahelicopter tional pilot training centre.

At the meeting on the Wednesday,

Photo mocr.army.cz

Pavel and Gen. Tibor Benkő the chiefs of defence of the two countries concluded at a press conference held after their discussion in Prague Wednesday, on April 16.

“During the discussion, we agreed that it is very important to us that we are going on the same road, have common goals, and all we need to do is to share our lessons learned with each other” – Gen. Tibor Benkő, the Chief of the Defence Staff told journalists. He explained that the lessons the Czech Republic learned while carrying out air policing missions in the Baltic coun-

because “that would make it significantly easier to train and prepare Hungarian soldiers”.

“The cooperation with Hungary is very close in several fields. During the discussions, we focused on areas which are priorities for both partners”, Lt.-Gen. Petr Pavel, Czech Chief of Defence said. “We discussed have some joint procureprojects, ment which enable us to attain more efficiency with less exhe penditure”, added.

Going into details, he told the press that they had discussed the procureof ment multifunctional heli-

partners Czech showed interest in the way Hungary has built up the system of active reserve.

Hungarian The chief of defence – who is staying in the Czech Republic on a two-day visit – also met with Daniel State Kostoval, Secretary of the Czech Ministry of Defence. Further on the topics agenda at the meeting of Tibor Benkő and his Czech partners included the establishment of a planned joint V4 EU battle group, and the participants discussed the current situation in Ukraine too.

Pr ogr a m s f or a c c e s s ibilit y m us t be s uppor t e d: D e put y PM

Photo: Ministry of Defence

(Online 24 Apr) At the meeting of EU defence ministers in on Luxemburg Tuesday, April 15, the countries of the Defence Cooperation Initiative (DECI) signed a memorandum of understanding on forming an EU battle group by the first half of 2017.

Minister of Defence Hende Csaba signed the docu-

ment on behalf of Hungary.

In the memorandum of understanding, defence ministers of Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Italy and Slovenia – the countries of the Defence Cooperation Initiative – state that the battle group would be set up on the basis of the MultinaItaly-led tional Land Force

(MLF).

Hungary is also involved in setting up a V4 EU battle group. The cooperation of the Visegrád Four countries is currently focusing on the preparations this jointly for formed EU battle group, which will be on stand-by in the first half of 2016.

renovation of the railway track between Budapest Belgrade, and which can currently only compete with bicycles, is equally important for both passenger and freight traffic, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic RePéter lations underSzijjártó lined on Pannon TV’s Közügyek ('Public Affairs") programme in Szabadka (Subotica) on Wednesday.

According to the State Secretary, the current state of the 374 km railroad is not suitable for advanced traffic – in the 21st century, the 7-8 hour travel time between the two capitals can at best compete with making the trip by bicycle.

Péter Szijjártó said that the new rails are expected to follow the old tracks, although there are also proposals to include

added, however, that according to experts the shortest route should be chosen, as this line is not only important for passengers, but also for freight traffic. A professional decision must be reached on the issue of whether it would still be economical to include a major detour on the route.

‘We are aware that more and more goods Chinese are arriving in Europe. Hungary lies on the transit route and we need to utilize our location.

We also know that China transports its goods to Europe by sea, especially to Greek ports, like Pireus. (…) From there, goods could be to transported Western Europe through Hungary", the State Secretary said, adding that this is why it is to important choose the shortest route.

Last May, the

and Railways) Serbian Railways signed an agreement on building a double-track, electrified line capable supporting of trains running at 160 km/h between the two capitals.

China, Hungary and Serbia agreed on the upcoming renovations last in November Bucharest, at the Central and Eastern Europe-China summit.

While the railway line between the and Hungarian Serbian capital is already electrified, it consists only of a single track, which is in bad condition resulting in frequent delays. After the renovations, the running time would decrease from the current 78 hours to 3 and a half hours, State Secretary Szijjártó stressed, adding that the intention is for rail travel on this route to be competitive with cars, and even with flights.

dapest this week („United States Embassy Statement Encouraging Dialogue”), Mr Prőhle claimed that the statement was counter-productive, but confirmed that the Hungarian Government wanted to continue its dialogue with the rele- B u d a p e s t - B e l g r a d e r a i l w a y t r a c k vant organizations productive for both nations concerning the Holocaust Memorial (Online 25 Apr) the city of Szeged CEO's of MÁV upcoming on the route. He (Hungarian State The Year.

Exchange of experiences mutual advantage for Czech and Hungarian army

(Online 24 Apr) The Czech Republic and Hungary are going on the same road, so cooperation and exchange of lessons learned between the armed forces are equally important for both partners, Gen. Petr

Hungary joins EU Battle Group

(Online 25 Apr) According to Tibor the Navracsics, Government should support any initiative serving accessibility and which pulls people closer to living a full life in all areas.

The Deputy Prime Minister spoke on this matter at this Friday, when he took part in the presentation of a sign language interpreting video service deby veloped Vodafone for the hearing impaired in one of the shops of the company in Budapest.

The Minister of Public Administration and Justice reminded that the renewal of public administration launched four years ago was intended not only to serve institutional transformation, but also to reach a more accessible and “sensitive”

administration as well. He added that the initiative of Vodafone leads to this direction too through the fact that the company will allow for easier communication and administration for the hearing impaired.

Navracsics Tibor also spoke of that it is desired to minimize the number of obstacles standing in the way of the meeting of state and citizens and that employees in the public sector should not take clients only as a ‘case’, but a unique and whole life as well. As the Minister pointed out, in all of the recently passed governmental one-stop-shops it is now possible for citizens in need of help to contact administrators under “special conditions”.

He also recalled that

Government the launched an internship program in which twenty college students living disabilities with could start their professional practices in ministries and the National University of Public Service has launched a mentor training program with the aim to have skilled mentors in one-stop-shops.

In the future, the possibility of creating such services will not be happening only in the public sector, but in healthcare as well.

Navracsics Tibor welcomed the programme of Vodafone and said he is that confident thanks to this cooppublic eration, sphere and market is becoming more and more sensitive and accessible.

H U F 2 .5 billion de v e lopm e nt pr oje c t la unc he d by R os e nbe r ge r H unga r y (Online 25 Apr) A development project worth HUF 2.6 billion (EUR 8.7 million) has begun at the Hungarian subsidiary of German manufacturing company Rosenberger in Jászárokszállás, Hungary.

The company, which supplies car manufacturing, telecommunications and electronics businesses, is receiving HUF 780 million (EUR 2.6 million) in funding within the framework of the New Széchenyi Plan’s Economic Operational Programme.

Deputy State Secretary for DevelopProjects ment Nándor Csepreghy

also attended the project launch, and stressed the important role played by Rosenberger and similar domestic and international companies, who produce and employ in Hungary and contribute to the country's GDP growth, in Hungarian economy.

Whereas Hungary was able to use only 16 percent of its European Union development resources for economic development since 2007, in the period beginning in October 2014 this proportion will rise to 60 percent, which is nearly two-thirds of the HUF 7,500 billion (EUR 25 billion)

available, the Deputy State Secretary underlined.

In addition to the expansion of the production hall and the purchase of nearly 50 pieces of new equipment, the project will also create 50 new jobs.

The town of Jászárokszállás will also benefit from the project as the soil excavated during construction will be used to repair local roads, Zoltán Gergely, Mayor of the town said. He also pointed out that the town’s new industrial park employs some 4000 meaning people, has employment practically been eliminated.

NEWS IN PICTURES

SLAVYANSK, UKRAINE - APRIL 26 : Pro-Russian separatists repair the barricades after Ukrainian special forces' assault to a NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - APRIL 25: Peta Conn (L), Consul roadblock in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slavyansk on April General of New Zealand to the United States, Richard Leather 26, 2014.

(3rd L), Consul General of Australia to the United States and the young of Australia and New Zealand attend the symposium hosted by Turkey's Consul General to the United States, Levent Bilgen (2nd L), within the remembrance of Anzac Day, at the consulate general building in New York, United States, on April 25, 2014.

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - APRIL 25: Palestinian Muslim worshippers take part in Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Israel on 25 April, 2014.

TUNIS, TUNISIA - APRIL 25: Foreign Minister of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R), Foreign Minister of France Laurent Fabius (L) and Foreign Minister of Tunisia Mongi Hamdi (C) hold joint press conference after the meeting in Tunis, Tunisia on 25 April, 2014.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA - APRIL 25: People try extinguish work at the scene of a burning Senen market in Jakarta, Indonesia, 25 April 2014. According to media reports, more than two thousands kiosks and stalls in the Senen market in Central Jakarta were damaged by fire. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

BELH, AFGHANISTAN - APRIL 25: It is informed that 53 people died on the flood due to heavy rainfall in Belh, Afghanistan on 25 April 2014.

BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - APRIL 25: 3 anti-balaka militant was killed when militiamen attacked the predominantly Muslim Kilometer 5 neighborhood in central Bangui on April 25, 2014.

ALEXANDRIA, AGYPT - APRIL 25: Egyptians hold an anti-coup demonstration in Alexandria, April 25, 2014.

GAZA, WEST BANK - APRIL 25: The Israeli embargo on Gaza oblige the Gazaians to find alternative solutions for daily life such as 63-year-old Hasan Hasaneyn who engineered a boring machine, able to bore 37 meters, out of scrap metal at his workplace in 6 months, April 25, 2014. Hasaneyn is known as "an old hand engineer amongst his friends.

KARACHI, PAKISTAN - APRIL 25: Pakistani security forces stand on the bomb blast site in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 25, CAIRO, EGYPT - APRIL 25: Egyptian security forces take pre- 2014. At least 4 people were killed and 30 injured at the blast cautions against the anti-coup demonstrations in Cairo, Egypt in Karachi.

April 25, 2014.

CUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - APRIL 25: Former head of mission at the Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in Washington Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, former Secretary General of South Sudan's ruling political party Pagan Amum, former Deputy Minister of Defense Majak D'Agoot (on the photo) and former National Security Minister Oyai Deng Ajak are released from ANKARA, TURKEY - APRIL 25: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet accusing of attemt to make coup in Cuba, South Sudan on April Davutoglu (R) and Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti meet in Turkish Foreign Ministry building in Ankara, Turkey.

25, 2014.

CHICAGO, UNITED STATES - APRIL 24: Ahiska Turkish American Community Center members stage a counter demonstration against the so-called events of 1915 outside the Turkish Consulate General building, in Chicago, United States.