Nurses Day Worldwide - May 12
International Nurses week (IND) is celebrated around the world every 6–12 May, to mark the contributions nurses make to society.
Background The International Council of
Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965. In 1953 Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, had proposed that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a "Nurses Day," but he did not approve it. In January 1974, the decision was made to celebrate the day on 12 May as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is widely considered the founder of modern nursing. Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit. The kit contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere. In 1999 the British public sector union UNISON voted to ask the ICN to transfer this day to another date, saying Nightingale did not represent modern nursing. As of 1998, 8 May was designated as annual National Student Nurses Day. As of 2003, the Wednesday within National Nurses Week, between 6 and 12 May, is National School Nurse Day.
HUNGARY A lm os t 3 0 pe r c e nt H unga r ia n t r oops on f or e ign m is s ions
Ge r m a ny im por ta nt s t r a t e gic a lly t o H unga r y : PM Or bá n
Themes 1988 - Safe Motherhood
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
1989 - School Health 1990 - Nurses and Environment 1991 - Mental Health - Nurses in Action 1992 - Healthy Aging 1993 - Quality, costs and Nursing 1994 - Healthy Families for Healthy Nation 1995 - Women's Health: Nurses Pave the Way 1996 - Better Health through Nursing Research 1997 - Healthy Young People = A Brighter Future 1998 - Partnership for Community Health 1999 - Celebrating Nursing's Past, claiming the future 2000 - Nurses - Always there for you 2001 - Nurses, Always There for You: United Against Violence 2002 - Nurses Always There for You: Caring for Families 2003 - Nurses: Fighting AIDS stigma, working for all 2004 - Nurses: Working with the Poor; Against Poverty 2005 - Nurses for Patients Safety: Targeting counterfeit medicines and substandard medication 2006 - Safe staffing saves lives 2007 - Positive practice environments: Quality workplaces = quality patient care 2008 - Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Primary Health Care 2009 - Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Care Innovations 2010 - Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Chronic Care. 2011 - Closing The Gap: Increasing Access and Equity. 2012 - Closing The Gap: From Evidence to Action.
Nursing week
The U.S. and Canada celebrate their National Nursing Week each year from 9 to 15 May each year. It was established in the U.S. by President Richard Nixon in 1974. The Canadian Minister of Health instituted National Nursing Week in Canada in 1985.
Unification & Integration Day Liberia - May 14
Liberia’s Unification and Integration began with President Daniel B. Warner, followed by President David Coleman, who because of his ‘Interior Policy’ was criticized and pressured into resigning the presidency of Liberia. President Coleman was succeeded during his second term in office by his Secretary of State, Garrison W. Gibson who at age 70 tried to mend the political divide of the day, but his age could not permit him to do so with vigor and enthusiasm.In 1904 President Arthur Barclay also pleaded for better relations between the colonists and the tribal population; however, this was to no avail. President William V. S. Tubman then took the challenge headon, especially on the line of political accommodation between the indigenous and settler populations. President Tubman then made national unification and integration the political banner and central platform of his presidency. In 1945 President Tubman arguably forced the national Legislature into amending the Liberian Constitution in order to make indigenous people eligible to serve in the National Legislature and again in 1946 successfully presented legislation that granted women the right to vote for the first time in our history. Realizing the benefits to achieving national Unification and Integration, the National Legislature of the Republic of Liberia passed at its 1959/1960 Sessions an Act to promote unity, brotherhood and sisterhood amongst all Liberians. May 14 is therefore celebrated each year as a public holiday to commemorate a process completed by President Tubman and intended for unity and integration of the Liberian populist where the then commonwealth of Liberia (Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Sinoe, Maryland and Grand Cape Mount Counties), formally joined with four indigenous territories or provinces or hinterland of ethnic Africans to organized what is today known as Liberia. The Tubman Unification and Integration policy was intended to bridge the social, political, cultural and economic differences, which many Liberians thought was insurmountable. Liberia was founded as a place to send free blacks by the American Colonization Society under the authority of a United States Congressional charter in 1816. Ironically, for a nation settled by freed slaves which forbids slavery, the government denied and deprived many of its indigenous population of their fundamental rights and privileges under the law as they themselves once were in the United States of America. This author holds the view that the very behaviors and norms that the settlers condemned and rebelled against in the United States, were the very ones they employed in their relationship with indigenous African populations that they met in what is today Liberia. To this author, because the settlers did not enjoy full rights, duties and privileges of citizenship in America, many did not recognize the indigenous population as citizens of Liberia until the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. This author believes that this break by President Tubman was significant for it began the first true spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood by both indigenous and settlers Liberians even though the reader would agree that the relationship between the settlers and indigenous peoples was one-sided always in favor of the settlers. In spite of this, the author would state emphatically that for the first time in our history a national policy opened the corridor of political amalgamation for many ordinary Liberians both indigenous and settlers. Political inclusion held the key to resolving the challenges of unification and integration. This author believes that this was the renaissance for change in Liberian, a platform to root significant social transformation, which was seized effectively by President Tubman to change the direction of the country. Changes in Liberian attitude, especially amongst the upwardly mobile social and economic classes toward the disadvantage, poor and indigenous populations will always remain a pre-condition for development, prosperity and modernization. Sentiments of brother and sisterhood including genuine mutual respect for one another do not exist today, and is the reason for Liberia’s continued sociopolitical suffocation and lack of significant economic development and stifling growth. This author is of the view that since independence in 1847, Liberia has genuinely failed in realizing true unification and integration of its entire people. To a large extent, Liberians are primarily divided and segregated by class, ethnicity and religion. This is usually hidden under the “country - conga” dived, which has become very dangerous for our country to move forward. With this as a backdrop, in 1956, President Tubman, to his genius initiated this process in the hopes of bringing all Liberians together; Notwithstanding, President Tubman’s efforts were strictly political in his desire to turn Liberia into a giant patronage plantation state to promote himself as the imperial leader like other settler leaders before him. The creation of the Liberian state in 1847 as the first independent republic in Africa did not address the most pertinent national issue of building a harmonious society. Integration, unification and harmony of all our people in post independent Liberia was especially difficult because of the perception and negative views of many settlers about their native brothers and sisters, which was exacerbated by the 1847 constitution and motto of the new Republic that read ‘the love of liberty brought us here’. The creation of the new counties (Nimba, Bong, Lofa, Grand Gedeh), allowed President Tubman to hold many town meetings throughout the country explaining the new policy to all the people regardless of ethnicity, religion or status. This was an impressive Public Relations accomplishment. The aim of the Tubman policy was to unite Liberians, identify development programs, tackle social needs and goals, as well as initiate avenues to bridge the communication divide between the settlers and indigenous peoples on the one hand, and the urban – rural divide. For instance, the unification and integration policy of the 1950s and 1960s opened the Nimba and Bomi mountains, and began the construction of schools and clinics in rural Liberia. It also began the building of farm-to-market roads, which this author would describe as economic trade routes linking rural and urban Liberia for greater prosperity. The Unification and Integration Act further buttressed the government’s policy on national social, economic and political unity. This period began Liberia’s first structural poverty reduction agenda. The Tubman Unification and Integration Policy were to ensure that indigenous and settler children view each other as brothers and sisters, and peacefully co-exist in one Liberia by sharing common interest, values and engaging in close social undertakings to promote one Liberia. Was this Policy a complete success? Although indigenous and settler children serve in the national legislature, and have actively participated in successive administration and management of political parties and government bureaucracies, Liberia remains stalled blinded by poverty, disease, illiteracy, corruption, misery and mismanagement without an achievable roadmap for modernization and economic prosperity since its independence in 1847. President Sirleaf reinvigorated National Unification and Integration Day in 2007, calling on Liberians to work together to heal the wounds of a decade and a half of civil war. In this author’s opinion, it should be Unification marked each year by vast celebrations in every part of the country, including military parades, through every community and neighborhood celebrated with fireworks and traditional celebratory mark of Unification Day. Unification Day should continue to commemorate by Liberians of all walks of life because it says something about our collective effort to stay unified. It also says something about President Tubman's effort to bring the native into the body politic; reaching out to the interior of the country and getting to make the people know and feel they were part of the nation. I just don't think we should continue to use Unification Day as a no-work holiday. We should instead be at work and at school celebrating the union we call Liberia -- on this special day. Over the past 30 years, Liberia has become divided more than ever. Consequently, unless and until Liberians come to the realization that their unification and integration as a people is beyond speeches, then we shall remain fractured and divided as a collective. As a nation recovering from years of civil strife and its harmful impact on the people, one can only hope that Liberians will rededicate themselves to the principles of justice, equality, fair-play and equal opportunities for all, regardless of each other’s creed, ethnicity, or status. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report is an excellent place to begin to heal our country and address long lasting challenges to the formation of the republic. This author would agree with others who have suggested in the past that the report could form the basis for promoting peace, unity and reconciliation in Liberia. But, the report may also hold the key to real unification and integration of all Liberians. This author believes that Liberia will only develop and be united as a consolidated whole when each of us truly hold our brother and sister accountable, and in true reconciliation, remembering that united we stand, divided we fall. The Sirleaf administration must now move the Liberian people to action and assign unto itself the arduous task of awakening the consciousness of the nation to the menace of unemployment, disease, illiteracy, poverty and social injustice, which continues to trap and suffocate our people, while keeping the republic in bondage.
Independence Day Paraguay - M a y 1 5
Paraguay officially the Republic of Paraguay (Spanish: República del Paraguay, Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the country from north to south. Due to its central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as Corazón de América, or the Heart of America. The Guaraní have been living in Paraguay since prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, when Paraguay became part of the Spanish colonial empire. Following independence from Spain in 1811 Paraguay was ruled by a series of dictators who followed isolationist and protectionist policies. This development was truncated by the disastrous Paraguayan War(1864–1870) in which the country lost 60% to 70% of its population. During a large part of the 20th century the country was ruled by Alfredo Stroessner as one of the longest lived South American military dictatorships. In 1989 Stroessner was toppled and free elections celebrated in 1993. In 1994 Paraguay joined Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay to found Mercosur. As of 2009 the population was estimated at 6.3 million. The capital and largest city isAsunción. The official languages are Spanish and Guaraní, both being widely spoken in the country, with around 92% of the general population speaking Spanish and 98% speaking Guaraní. Most of the population are mestizos. In 2010, Paraguay's economy grew by 14.5%, the largest economic expansion in Latin America and the third fastest in the world, only after Qatar and Singapore. By 2011, economic growth slowed but remained healthy, at 6.4%.
Etymology
The name of the river, Paraguay, is thought to come from Guaraní para, "of many varieties", andgua, "riverine". There is no conclusive explanation for the origin of the name Paraguay, however. The most common interpretations that have been suggested include: "River which originates a sea" 1. The Spanish officer and scientist Félix de Azara suggests two versions: water from the Payaguas 2. (Payaguá-and Payagua-i), referring to natural Payaguas living on the coasts of the river, and the other was due to the name of a great chief called "Paraguaio." The French-Argentine historian and writer Paul Groussac argued that it meant "river that flows through 3. the sea (Pantanal)." The ex-president and Paraguayan politician, Juan Natalicio Gonzalez said it meant "river of the habi4. tants of the sea." fray Antonio Ruiz de Montoya said that it meant "river crowned." 5.
History Pre-Columbian society in the wooded, fertile region which is now Paraguay consisted of seminomadic tribes, who
were recognized for their fierce warrior traditions. These indigenous tribes were members of five distinct language families, and 17 separate ethnolinguistic groups remain today. Europeans first arrived in the area in the early sixteenth century, and the settlement of Asunción was founded on 15 August 1537, by the Spanish explorer Juan de Salazar de Espinosa. The city eventually became the center of a Spanish colonial province, as well as the primary site of the Jesuit missions and settlements in South America in the eighteenth century. Jesuit Reductions were founded, and flourished in eastern Paraguay for about 150 years, until the expulsion of the Jesuits by the Spanish crown in 1767. Paraguay overthrew the local Spanish administration on 15 May 1811. Paraguay's first ruler was the dictator Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia. He ruled Paraguay from 1814, until his death in 1840, with very little outside contact or influence, creating a utopian society based on Rousseau's Social Contract. After his death, Paraguay went through the very brief ownership of various military officers under a new junta, until the secretary Carlos Antonio Lopez, Francia's nephew, declared himself dictator. Lopez modernized Paraguay, and opened it up to foreign commerce. The relationship with Buenos Aires was limited to a non-aggression pact; Paraguayan independence from Argentina was declared in 1842. After Lopez's death, power was transferred to his eldest son, Francisco Solano López in 1862. Lopez's expansionist aims lead to the Paraguayan War in 1864. Paraguay fought against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, and was defeated in 1870 after five years of the bloodiest war in South America. According to William D. Rubinstein, "The normal estimate is that of a Paraguayan population of somewhere between 450,000 and 900,000, only 220,000 survived the war, of whom only 28,000 were adult males." Paraguay also suffered extensive territorial losses to Brazil and Argentina. The Chaco War was fought with Bolivia in the 1930s, and Bolivia was defeated. Paraguay re-established sovereignty over the region called the Chaco, but forfeited additional territorial gains as a price of peace. The official narrative of Paraguay's history is fraught with disputes among historians, educators and politicians. The "authentic" version of historical events, wars in particular, varies depending on whether it was written in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Europe, or North America. Both the Colorado Party and Liberal Party maintain distinct official versions of Paraguayan history. During the pillaging of Asuncion (Saqueo de Asunción) in 1869, the Brazilian Imperial Army ransacked and relocated the Paraguayan National Archives to Rio de Janeiro where they have been kept in secrecy, making Paraguayan history in the Colonial and early National periods difficult to study. Between 1904 and 1954, Paraguay had thirty-one presidents, most of whom were removed from office by force. From 1954 to 1989, the country was ruled by Alfredo Stroessner and the Colorado party. The dictator oversaw an era of economic expansion, but at the cost of a poor human rights and environmental record (see "Political History"). Torture and death for political opponents was routine. After his overthrow, the Colorado continued to dominate national politics until 2008. Leftist former bishop Fernando Lugo achieved a historic victory in Paraguay's presidential election of April 2008, defeating the ruling party candidate, and ending 61 years of conservative rule. Lugo won with nearly 41% of the vote, compared to almost 31% for Blanca Ovelar of the Colorado party. The Lugo administration has highlighted the reduction of corruption and economic inequality as two major priorities.
Family Day Worldwide - M a y 1 5
The International Day of Families is observed on the 15th of May every year. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly resolution in 1993 (A/RES/47/237) and reflects the importance the international community attaches to families. The International Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. In its resolution, the General Assembly also noted that the family-related provisions of the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits of the 1990s and their follow-up processes continue to provide policy guidance on ways to strengthen family-centred components of policies and programmes as part of an integrated comprehensive approach to development. The International Day of Families has inspired a series of awareness-raising events, including national family days. In many countries, that day provides an opportunity to highlight different areas of interest and importance to families. Activities include workshops and conferences, radio and television programmes, newspaper articles and cultural programmes highlighting relevant themes. The 2011's commemoration of the International Day of Families focuses on the "Confronting Family Poverty and Social Exclusion."
Mother's Day Samoa - M a y 1 5
Samoa holds a very special place for mothers and their role in the community. Bearers of a nation and nurturers of great leaders, the roles of mothers are endless and can sometimes fade into the background with all that’s happening around us. So to truly celebrate the attributes of a mother and their dedication to the building of a nation, a day has been allocated and approved by the Government to be observed as Mother’s Day. The celebrations usually consist of the Mothers and families attending church services in the morning with a big feast to be followed soon after. The spreads are plenty and sizeable, enough to feed a whole village.
Peace Officer Memorial Day U.S. - M a y 1 5
Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week is an observance in the United States that pays tribute to the local, state, and Federal peace officers. The Memorial takes place on May 15, and Police Week is the calendar week in which the Memorial falls.
History The holiday was created on October 1, 1961, when Con-
gress asked the president to designate May 15 to honor peace officers. John F. Kennedy signed the bill into law on October 1, 1962. Amended in 1994, Bill Clinton, through Public Law 103-322, directed that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff on May 15. According to a proclamation by George W. Bush in 2002, "Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week pay tribute to the local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers who serve and protect us with courage and dedication. These observances also remind us of the ongoing need to be vigilant against all forms of crime, especially to acts of extreme violence and terrorism." Much of the holiday centers on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall in Washington, D.C., whose walls feature the names of more than 19,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.
Teacher's Day South Korea May 15
Originally it was started by a group of Red Cross youth team members who visited their sick ex-teachers in hospitals. The national celebration ceremony was stopped between 1973 and 1982 but it resumed after that. On the day, teachers are usually presented with carnations by their students, and both enjoy a shorter school day. Ex-students pay their respects to their former teachers by visiting them and giving them a carnation. Many schools now close on Teachers' Day because of the rampant bribery implicit in the expensive gifts often given to teachers. Schools can use the day to have an outing for the teachers.
(Online 05 May) Almost 30 percent of Hungarian troops on foreign missions, currently around 200 of them, are serving with EU-led operations, as shown by a summary of the Ministry of Defence, which says that since the EU accession, Hungary has been playing an active role in EU crisis management missions as well and the EU membership also helps the development of the Hungarian Defence Forces’ capabilities. Prepared at the request of Hungarian News Agency MTI, the report says that the European Union (EU) –which is currently leading around 10 civilian missions and five military operations – has become an important actor in international crisis management over the last decade. With the EU membership, Hungary and the Hungarian Defence Forces have become part of the EU common security and defence policy (CSDP).
Of the EU-led missions and operations, it is the peacekeeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina to which the Hungarian Defence Forces contribute the most troops, who are helping to maintain a safe and secure environment in the Western Balkans. Besides, during the last ten years, Hungarian soldiers served with several African Union-led crisis response operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Mali and Somalia as well. In the year of Hungary’s accession to the EU, the European Defence Agency (EDA) was established with the aim of supporting the development of military crisis management capabilities in the member states. Since then, Hungary has participated in several EDA programmes and projects, which have contributed to the development of the Hungarian Defence Forces’ capabilities. Among these were a helicopter
training programme (HTP), a Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) project and a European Air Transport Fleet (EATF). The Hungarian Defence Forces have had rapid reaction forces – so-called battle groups – since 2004. Following the EU accession, Hungary first contributed in 2007 – and then in 2012 – to a battle group drawn from the Italy-led Multinational Land Force. In addition, it is currently preparing to join an EU Battle Group to be set up by the Visegrád Four (V4) countries (Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia), which will operate as a stand-by unit in the first half of 2016. Hungary contributes altogether 700 personnel to this battle group. Afterward, in the first half of 2017, it will make a significant contribution to another Italy-led EU battle group, which is to be formed within the defence cooperation initiative (DECI).
Constitution Day Norway - M a y 1 7
Norwegian Constitution Day is the National Day of Norway and is an official national holidayobserved on May 17 each year. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to simply as syttende mai or syttande mai (both meaning May Seventeenth), Nasjonaldagen (The National Day) or Grunnlovsdagen (The Constitution Day), although the latter is less frequent.
Historical background Constitution of Norway was
The signed at Eidsvoll on May 17 in the year 1814. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent nation. The celebration of this day began spontaneously among students and others from early on. However, Norway was at that time under Swedish rule (following theConvention of Moss in August 1814) and for some years the King of Sweden and Norway was reluctant to allow the celebrations. For a couple of years in the 1820s, King Karl Johan actually forbade it, as he thought the celebrations a kind of protest and disregard—even revolt—against Swedish sovereignty. The king's attitude changed slightly after the Battle of the Square in 1829, an incident which resulted in such a commotion that the king had to allow it. It was, however, not until 1833, that anyone ventured to hold a public address on behalf of the day. That year, official celebration was initiated by the monument of the late politician Christian Krogh, known to have stopped the king from gaining too much personal power. The address was held by Henrik Wergeland, thoroughly witnessed and accounted for by a Swedish spy, sent by the king himself. After 1864, the day became more established, and the first children's parade was launched inChristiania, in a parade consisting only of boys. This initiative was taken by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, although Wergeland made the first known children's parade at Eidsvoll around 1820. It was only in 1899 that girls were allowed to join in the parade for the first time. By historical coincidence, the Second World War ended in Norway nine days before that year's Constitution Day, on May 8, 1945, when the occupying German forces surrendered. Even if The Liberation Day is an official flag day in Norway, the day is not an official holiday and is not broadly celebrated. Instead a new and broader meaning has been added to the celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day on May 17. The day focused originally on the Norwegian constitution, but after 1905, the focus has been directed also towards the royal family.
History Pre-Columbian society in the wooded, fertile region
which is now Paraguay consisted of seminomadic tribes, who were recognized for their fierce warrior traditions. These indigenous tribes were members of five distinct language families, and 17 separate ethnolinguistic groups remain today. Children's parade in front of the Royal Palace, Europeans first arrived in the area in the early sixteenth century, and the settlement of Asunción was Oslo founded on 15 August 1537, by the Spanish explorer Juan de Salazar de Espinosa. The city eventually became the center of a Spanish colonial province, as well as the primary site of the Jesuit missions and settlements in South America in the eighteenth century. Jesuit Reductions were founded, and flourished in eastern Paraguay for about 150 years, until the expulsion of the Jesuits by the Spanish crown in 1767. Paraguay overthrew the local Spanish administration on 15 May 1811. Paraguay's first ruler was the dictator Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia. He ruled Paraguay from 1814, until his death in 1840, with very little outside contact or influence, creating a utopian society based on Rousseau's Social Contract. After his death, Paraguay went through the very brief ownership of various military officers under a new junta, until the secretary Carlos Antonio Lopez, Francia's nephew, declared himself dictator. Lopez modernized Paraguay, and opened it up to foreign commerce. The relationship with Buenos Aires was limited to a non-aggression pact; Paraguayan independence from Argentina was declared in 1842. After Lopez's death, power was transferred to his eldest son, Francisco Solano López in 1862. Lopez's expansionist aims lead to the Paraguayan War in 1864. Paraguay fought against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, and was defeated in 1870 after five years of the bloodiest war in South America. According to William D. Rubinstein, "The normal estimate is that of a Paraguayan population of somewhere between 450,000 and 900,000, only 220,000 survived the war, of whom only 28,000 were adult males." Paraguay also suffered extensive territorial losses to Brazil and Argentina. The Chaco War was fought with Bolivia in the 1930s, and Bolivia was defeated. Paraguay re-established sovereignty over the region called the Chaco, but forfeited additional territorial gains as a price of peace. The official narrative of Paraguay's history is fraught with disputes among historians, educators and politicians. The "authentic" version of historical events, wars in particular, varies depending on whether it was written in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Europe, or North America. Both the Colorado Party and Liberal Party maintain distinct official versions of Paraguayan history. During the pillaging of Asuncion (Saqueo de Asunción) in 1869, the Brazilian Imperial Army ransacked and relocated the Paraguayan National Archives to Rio de Janeiro where they have been kept in secrecy, making Paraguayan history in the Colonial and early National periods difficult to study. Between 1904 and 1954, Paraguay had thirty-one presidents, most of whom were removed from office by force. From 1954 to 1989, the country was ruled by Alfredo Stroessner and the Colorado party. The dictator oversaw an era of economic expansion, but at the cost of a poor human rights and environmental record (see "Political History"). Torture and death for political opponents was routine. After his overthrow, the Colorado continued to dominate national politics until 2008. Leftist former bishop Fernando Lugo achieved a historic victory in Paraguay's presidential election of April 2008, defeating the ruling party candidate, and ending 61 years of conservative rule. Lugo won with nearly 41% of the vote, compared to almost 31% for Blanca Ovelar of the Colorado party. The Lugo administration has highlighted the reduction of corruption and economic inequality as two major priorities.
parades Children's A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian Constitution Day is its
very non-military nature. All over Norway, children's parades with an abundance of flags form the central elements of the celebration. Each elementary school district arranges its own parade with marching bands between schools. The parade takes the children through the community, often making stops at homes of senior citizens, war memorials, etc. The longest parade is in Oslo, where some 100,000 people travel to the city centre to participate in the main festivities. This is broad- The kindergarten part of a Children's parade. cast on TV every year, with comments on costumes, banners Also notice the use of the Gákti, the traditional etc., together with local reports from celebrations around the clothing of the Sami people. country. The massive Oslo parade includes some 100 schools, marching bands, and passes the royal palace where the royal family greet the people from the main balcony. Typically a school’s children parade will consist of some senior school children carrying the school’s official banner, followed by a handful of other older children carrying full size Norwegian flags, and the school’s marching band. After the band the rest of the school children follow with hand sized flags, often with the junior forms first, and often behind self made banners for each form or even individual class. Nearby kindergartens may also have been invited to join in. As the parade passes, bystanders often join in behind the official parade, and follow the parade back to the school. Depending on the community, the parade may make stops at particular sites along the route, such as a nursing home or war memorial. In Oslo the parade stops at the Royal Palace while Skaugum, the home of the crown prince, has been a traditional waypoint for parades in Asker. During the parade a marching band will play and the children will sing lyrics about the celebration of the National Day. The parade concludes with the stationary singing of the national anthem "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" (typically verses 1, 7 and 8), and the royal anthem "Kongesangen". In addition to flags, people typically wear red, white and blue ribbons. Although a long-standing tradition, it has lately become more popular for men, women, and children to wear traditional outfits, called bunad. The children also make a lot of noise shouting "Hurra!", singing, blowing whistles and shaking rattles. In addition to children's parades, there are parades for the public, where every citizen is welcome to join in. These are led by marching bands and often local boy scouts and girl guides, local choirs, etc. This takes place in the early morning or in the afternoon, before or after the school's parade. All parades begin or end with speeches. Both grown-ups and older children are invited to speak. After the parades, there are games for the children, and often a lot of icecream, pop, sweets and hotdogs are consumed.
(Online 09 May) Germany is a key strategic ally to Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated at a joint press conference in Berlin on Thursday, prior to talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Speaking to the press, the Prime Minister stated that Hungary's aim was to strengthen and further deepen bilateral ties, which were excellent. He noted that Germany had invested some 6 billion euros in Hungary since 2010, and said that the presence of the German economy in Hungary and in Central Europe contributed to efforts to make the region "the engine driving Europe's economic growth". Concerning his Fidesz party's recent election victory, Prime Minister Orbán said that the party
"feels a lot of strength to govern Hungary further along the path which proved successful during the past four years". He noted that Hungary's industrial output in March was 10.6 percent up year-on-year and said that "we have good reason to be optimistic". He stated that his talks with Merkel would touch upon the Russia-Ukraine situation and added that Hungary supports Germany's efforts. He also appreciated Chancellor Merkel's personal efforts to promote a resolution through negotiations. The Hungarian Prime Minister also referred to Ukraine's Hungarian community of about 200,000, and said that ensuring protection and security to those people was crucial for Hungary. At the press conference,
Chancellor Merkel stated that Hungarians had voted a lot of confidence to Prime Minister Orbán, which also meant a huge responsibility. She emphasised that her people would never forget that Hungary opened up its borders for East-German refugees in 1989, which greatly contributed to Germany's reunification. The German Chancellor stated that both countries were committed to further developing close economic ties, adding that a number of examples have demonstrated the success of HungarianGerman cooperation. Concerning Ukraine, she said that the crisis should be resolved through diplomatic means and the introduction of sanctions cannot be a "purpose in itself”.
Eur ope a n C om m is s ion c onfir m e d H unga r ia n e c onom ic pr oje c t ions (Online 06 May) The Spring Forecast of the European Commission includes economic projections which are similar to those in the macroeconomic outlook of the Convergence Programme. This confirms that the Hungarian Government’s forecast is reliable and trustworthy. For 2014, the Commission is expecting economic growth to be on a par with the Government’s estimate: the economy is anticipated to expand by 2.3 percent this year and 2.1 percent in 2015, above the EU average. Current account
surplus in Hungary will continue to be better than the EU average. The debt-to-GDP ratio within the EU is some 10 percentage points higher than the Hungarian figure. The Commission is prognosticating that employment and economic activity will improve and the unemployment rate will drop below 9 percent. These predictions confirm the effectiveness of labour market stimulus measures introduced by the Government as well as the increasing share of the private sector in boosting employment.
Brussels considers Hungary’s positive trend reversal of 2013 to be sustainable, as – parallel to rebounding domestic demand – foreign trade surplus and the country’s financing capacity will also remain solid. In comparison to the Winter Forecast, the Commission’s fiscal prognosis is more optimistic, as they are expecting fiscal deficits for 2014 and 2015 to be identical with the figures projected by the Convergence Programme and this affirms the sustainability of the Programme.
Volunt e e r wor k be c om ing m or e popula r in H unga r y (Online 09 May) Volunteer work is becoming more popular in Hungary, especially among the younger generations, who typically offer their help for social and environmental causes occasionally, but at least several times a year. These are the findings of a research published on Thursday at a Budapest press conference by Minister of State for Social and Family Affairs Miklós Soltész and Balázs Orbán, research director of the Századvég Foundation.
Mr Soltész reminded that Parliament passed a law submitted by the government in 2011, which made secondary school graduation for students conditional to at least 50 hours of community work. Mr Soltész said that within the Social and Childcare General Directorate currently more than 600 young people do voluntary work. One such place is the Institute for Blind, where the press conference was held. He said that within the New Széchenyi economic development plan
in 2011-13, 102 organizations received 1.7 billion forints (EUR 5.6 million) via tenders to promote voluntary work. Balázs Orbán said that their research – published in a separate volume – showed that volunteer work is becoming more popular and those who try it once, will usually return. He also said that seven out of 10 people regularly donate – mostly money – to good causes, with the majority being formed by the elderly, rich and women.
C y c ling a n im por t a nt m e a ns t o s t r e ngt he n gr e e n t r a ns por t (Online 08 May) People cycling to work were offered a Cyclists’ Breakfast at 38 sites countrywide on 8 May 2014. At the central event of the traditional programme of the ‘Cycle to Work!’ (CTW) campaign jointly organised by the Ministry of National Development and the Hungarian Cyclists’ Club, Deputy State Secretary for Green Economy, Climate Policy and Key Public Services Ferenc Hizó said the Ministry of National Development regarded the development of bicycle transport as an important task. In addition to its other measures supporting the protection of climate, the Ministry is to continue to help the implementation of CTW. The spreading of cycling may contribute to enhancing energy efficiency and reducing depend-
ence on mineral oil and the emission of greenhouse gases, Ferenc Hizó pointed out. The former is also supported by last year’s data of the CTW campaign according to which participants spared the atmosphere 206 tons of CO2 emission during the campaign period, he added. Chairman of the Hungarian Cyclists’ Club János László expressed pleasure at the fact that, in the two weeks since the beginning of the campaign, almost 7.000 participants have registered on the homepage of the CTW campaign. As a result of the cooperation of the cyclist community, the CTW Cyclists’ Breakfast has become one of the most popular events of the campaign: at the national level, the number of sites where breakfast is served to cyclists has risen to almost
forty by now (see map at: http://bit.ly/1kUfvn6). In addition to volunteers from the Cyclists’ Club, the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV), several local organisations of the National Institute for Environment, several municipal and local authorities as well as other institutions and companies have also participated in bringing about the CTW Cyclists’ Breakfast this year. This year again, organisers also have novelties and games to offer to participants, including a new mobile phone application. Every player who registers eight cycling occasions in their transport diaries on the webs i t e bringazzamunkaba.hu by 30 May will be presented a gift, János László revealed.
PM Vik t or Or bá n he ld t a lk s wit h f or m e r Pr e s ide nt of Slov e nia
Russ The graduating class from the Norwegian equivalent of high
school - known as russ - has its own celebration on May 17, stay- Russ girls during the children's paing up all night and making the rounds through the community. The russ also have their own parades later in the day, usually rade in Trondheim. around 4 or 5 PM. In this parade, russ will parade through the street with their russcars carrying signs and pickets. They may parody various local and political aspects, although recently this has become less frequent. Russ parades have lately become smaller and smaller due to diligent police discouragement.
Celebration across the country
In Oslo, children from all the city's schools gather to parade past the Royal Palace, where they and • the Royal Family exchange waves and greetings. In the municipality of Asker, outside Oslo, the children gather outside the residence of the throne heir • at Skaugum Estate in the morning (giving the Prince and his family time to attend the parade in Oslo later in the day). Bergen has its own traditions for the parade, including comic troupes, various local organizations, a • children's parade, and the unique buekorps. In Trondheim, children from all the • city's schools parade the streets of Trondheim in the morning. Later in the afternoon, the "Citizens Parade" (Borgertoget) starts. This is a parade where firefighters, sports teams, students associations and other associations are represented. In addition to the children's parades the streets are filled with young and old, turning out in festive attire, and vendors selling ice cream, hot dogs, and lately, kebabs. Although May 17 is the National Day, it is an inclusive kind of nationalism. Therefore any foreigner who happens to be there on this day can expect to have a flag thrust into their hand and is welcome to join in with all activities.
The Royal Guard Norwegian Constitution Day Celebration abroad parade. Syttende Mai is also celebrated in many Norwegian
immigrant communities throughout the world, with traditional foods, sometimes including lutefisk. In the United States and Canada, the local lodges of the Sons of Norway often play a central part in organizing the festivities. One major celebration occurs in Petersburg, Alaska also known as "Little Norway". The town is a Norwegian settlement and strongly retains its roots. The festival occurs the weekend closest to May 17 and includes a parade, Leikarring dancers, herring toss, Norwegian pastries such as lefse and even a pack of Vikings and Valkyries. Another major Syttende Mai celebration occurs in Stoughton, Wisconsin, which is the 2nd largest in the world, and the largest in the U.S. Festivities include canoe racing, two parades, an art fair, a 20-mile run that starts in Madison, Wisconsin, and a great deal of bratwurst consumption. The festival features the Stoughton High School Norwegian Dancers, a group that tours the country showcasing traditional ethnic dances of Scandinavia. Smaller Syttende Mai celebrations are held in Norwegian-heritage communities throughout western Wisconsin, Minnesota, and elsewhere in the Midwestern United States. Members of Norway's Parliament Storting travel to Chicago to attend a three-day celebration consisting of a concert, banquet and parade hosted by the Norwegian National League. Spring Grove, Minnesota also hosts a 3 day festival on the weekend nearest to Syttende Mai, while nearby Decorah, Iowa, the home of Nordic Fest and the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, also hosts a parade. Other large celebrations are held in the Ballard, Seattle, Washington neighborhood, Poulsbo, Washington, and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.Epcot's Norwegian Pavilion in Florida, celebrates Constitution Day with numerous flags around the pavilion, as well as parades around the World Showcase Lagoon. The Norwegian community in London holds a May 17 celebration each year in Southwark Park. The celebration is attended by a large number of Norwegians abroad, and includes a small parade, a traditional mass in the church, and the selling of traditional Norwegian foods such as Solo and makrell i tomat, and a lot of Norwegian flags for Norwegians who have left theirs at home. The occasional Russ has also attended the parade. In Orkney, Scotland, 17. May is celebrated by the Orkney Norway Friendship Association in recognition of the islands' strong historic links with Norway. Stockholm, Sweden, has a big celebration with a parade starting at Engelbrektsplan and ending at Skansen, in which more than 10,000 participate every year. The event includes Stockholm's only dedicated 17. May marching band, Det Norske Korps. It is also common for Norwegians living abroad to gather and celebrate. In some countries, typically where the population of Norwegian expatriates is small, the Norwegian embassy or the diplomats' spouses arrange the event.
Henrik Wergeland
The poet Henrik Wergeland is credited with making Syttande/Syttende mai a celebratory day for the children rather than a day of patriotic pride. Actually, the day demonstrates that the children, i.e. the country's future, are the patriotic pride, if we follow Wergeland's thought. Flags and music dominate the day, and there are few military parades. To commemorate his contribution, the russ in Oslo place an oversized hat on his statue near the Norwegian parliament; the Jewish community place a wreath on his grave in the morning as a tribute to his efforts on their behalf.
Military participation
The Royal Guard performs on the main street of the capital city, Oslo. During the parade, the Guard display their drill and musical skills. The marching band of the Royal Guard also attend the children's parade in central Oslo together with the schools' own marching bands, their black uniforms and impeccable drill being a very popular part of the Oslo parade. Forsvarets Musikkorps Vestlandet (Norwegian Armed Forces' Music Corps Western Norway), followed by parts of the military defence is participating the parade of Bergen.
An inclusive holiday
The former Norwegian president of parliament Jo Benkow noted that the day has increasingly become a celebration of Norway's growing ethnic diversity. Several factors have probably contributed to the inclusive nature of the celebration: The central position of the children’s parade, including all lower level school children, and therefore • also their parents in the celebration. The celebration is focused around local schools and their children’s parade. • The children’s parade reaches outwards, trying to cover as many roads as possible in the local com• munity. The low focus on elected government during the celebration. In the capital, for example, the children’s • parade passes the left side of the parliament building, and the president of parliament is allowed to wave to the passing parade from a small balcony, but the main focus of the parade is the Royal Castle and the Royal Family. It must also be noted that the office of president of parliament is mainly ceremonial and administrative, often awarded in the later part of a political career. The prime minister and the rest of the ruling government on the other hand have no official duties during the celebrations. The virtual lack of any military-centred celebration. • One can add that the day should be regarded as an expression of thankfulness, on behalf of the old values freedom, equality and brotherhood, the ideological basis for the constitution, and also on behalf of the circumstances that led up to the constitution. The aspect of "thanksgiving" in the national celebrations of Norway is easily forgotten in the long span of years from 1814.
Día das Letras Galegas Spain - M a y 1 7
Galician Literature Day (Galician: Día das Letras Galegas, Spanish: Día de las Letras Gallegas) is a public holiday observed in Galicia, Spain. Introduced by the Royal Galician Academy in 1963 it is a celebration of the Galician language and its literature. This celebration has taken place on May 17 since 1963. In the year 1991 was declared as a public holiday in al lGalicia. The first celebration took place in 1963 to commemorate the centenary of Cantares gallegos, the first work written in the Galician language by Rosalía de Castro (1837– 1885), who later became one of the most important poets in the history of Galicia. Cantares gallegos was first published on May 17, 1863. Since 1963, each Galician Literature Day has been dedicated to a different writer in the Galician language. This writer must be dead, and is chosen by the Real Academia Galega (Royal Galician Academy). There is only one precedent of a "shared" Day: in 1998, the day was dedicated to Martín Codax, Xohán de Cangas and Mendinho, together with the authors of the medieval songs (cantigas).
Photo: Gergely Botár (Online 07 May) Prime Minister Viktor Orbán received former Slovenian president Danilo Turk in Parliament on Wednesday. Danilo Turk, who served as Slovenia’s Head of
State between 2007 and 2012, is on a private visit to Budapest. He discussed the importance of cooperation in Central Europe and development possibilities in the region with Prime Minister
Orbán. The meeting was attended by State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó as well.
Within the EU, the largest improvement of unemployment recorded in Hungary (Online 05 May) According to the latest Eurostat data, the largest fall regarding the unemployment rate among EU member states over the past one year was registered in Hungary, Ministerial Commissioner Piroska Szalai, responsible for improving the labour market prospects of women, told MTI. Over the past 12 months, within the bloc only 10 countries were capable of cutting unemployment, while the unemployment rate remained un-
changed in three and edged higher in 15 of them. In light of the report published by Eurostat, Hungary’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.9 percent in February 2014, down by 3.3 percent year-on-year. This figure is the 11th best in the EU, while the EU average was 10.5 percent. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for people under the age of 25 years was down 6.8 percent, whereas that of
women improved 2.1 percent. Both respective figures (20.7 percent and 8.3 percent) are better than the EU average and the unemployment rate decreases of these two segments were also the largest in Hungary. Piroska Szalai stated that this improvement regarding unemployment data between February 2013 and 2014 resulted from the positive effect of the contribution allowance scheme of the Job Protection Action Plan.
Polis h- H unga r ia n f r ie nds hip s t a nds t e s t of t im e (Online 06 May) The next Hungarian government will remain deeply dedicated to preserving the historical Hungarian-Polish friendship, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Monday after meeting his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk. Over the past four years, Hungarian-Polish friendship has stood the test of time even in the toughest situations, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Warsaw, at his first visit abroad following his recent election victory. He thanked Donald Tusk for Poland’s support and reiterated that Central Europe will be an engine of growth in the European economy in the years ahead, as also reflected in the latest EU forecasts. Similarly to the past four years, the Hungarian government’s foreign policy will focus on Central Europe in the upcoming years, Prime Minister Orbán said. Hungary was able to make a major contribution to Central Europe’s economic performance last year and this will endure, he added. Prime Minister Tusk
noted that Viktor Orbán made his first foreign visit abroad to Poland after his election victory in 2010 as well, and his visit this time underlined the traditionally excellent Hungarian-Polish relations. This has also brought excellent results in regional policy, also in terms of the Visegrad Four cooperation of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, he added. Prime Minister Tusk praised Hungary’s V4 presidency, which will end in June 2014, noting that the V4 shows the best example of developing a common energy policy. Prime Minister Orbán said he supports the energy union proposed by the Polish Prime Minister. Central Europe is now in a better position from the aspect of energy independence but “our situation is not problem-free”. Energy policy in Hungary is not a matter of feelings or even a political question but “the most burning practical reality,” the Hungarian Prime Minister said. Hungary either sustains the ratio of nuclear
energy in its mix or must expand gas imports from Russia. The aim of the Hungarian government is to reduce the significance of gas imports from Russia in the country’s energy mix. Viktor Orbán noted that thanks to the SlovakHungarian gas interconnector, gas of non-Russian origin will be arriving in Hungary from next January on. Commenting on energy integration, Polish Prime Minister Tusk said energy independence is important at EU and regional (V4) level, adding that the monopoly must be broken to ensure that neither Russia nor any other country may exert pressure. The crisis in Ukraine was also discussed by the two Heads of Government and it was agreed that Hungarian and Polish challenges are similar in this respect, given that both countries had national minorities living in the troubled country. Both Hungary and Poland have an interest in seeing a peaceful solution to the crisis, it was concluded.