National Mourning Day Rwanda - Apr 07
Genocide Remembrance Day (Armenian: Եղեռնի զոհերի հիշատակի օր) or Genocide Memorial day, is a national holiday in Armenia and is observed by Armenians in dispersed communities around the world on April 24. It is held annually to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide from 1915 to 1923. In Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, hundreds of thousands of people walk to the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial to lay flowers at the eternal flame. The date 24 April commemorates the Armenian notables deported from the Ottoman capital in 1915, of hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders, most of whom would be executed, which was a precursor to the ensuing events.
HUNGARY Hungary is a Powerful partner: Minister Csaba Hende
Hungary is performing better than earlier: PM Viktor Orbán
Monuments Several monuments have been erected to
commemorate the Armenian Genocide: Montebello Genocide Memorial • Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial • Marseille Genocide Memorial • List of Armenian Genocide memorials •
Toussaint L'Ouverture Day Haiti - Apr 07
François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture also Toussaint Bréda, Toussaint-Louverture (c. 1743 – April 7, 1803) was the leader of the Haitian Revolution. His military genius and political acumen led to the establishment of the independent black state of Haiti, transforming an entire society of slaves into a free, self-governing people. The success of the Haitian Revolution shook the institution of slavery throughout the New World. Toussaint Louverture began his military career as a leader of the 1791 slave rebellion in the French colony of Saint Domingue. Initially allied with the Spaniards of neighboring Santo Domingo, Toussaint switched allegiance to the French when they abolished slavery. He gradually established control over the whole island, expelled British invaders and used political and military tactics to gain dominance over his rivals. Throughout his years in power, he worked to improve the economy and security of Saint Domingue. He restored the plantation system using free labour, negotiated trade treaties with Britain and the United States and maintained a large and well-disciplined army. In 1801 he promulgated an autonomist constitution for the colony, with himself as governor for life. In 1802 he was forced to resign by forces sent by Napoleon Bonaparte to restore French authority in the colony. He was deported to France, where he died in 1803. The Haitian Revolution continued under his lieutenant, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who declared independence in 1804.
Photo: Mária Krasznai-Nehrebeczky (Online 05 Apr) Minister of Defence Csaba Hende and Irakli Alasania, the Defence Minister of Georgia signed a bilateral memorandum on general military cooperation in Budapest on April 4. At a press conference following the signing of the document, Csaba Hende talked about the potential specific areas of cooperation, mentioning among others arms control, military exercises, air surveillance, military medicine, military geography, meteorology and topography, defence planning, information secu-
Memorials
On August 29, 1954, the Haitian ambassador to France, Léon Thébaud, inaugurated a stone cross memorial for Toussaint Louverture at the foot of the fort. Years afterward, the French government ceremoniously presented a shovelful of soil from the grounds of Fort-de-Joux to the Haitian government as a symbolic transfer of Toussaint Louverture's remains. A plaque in his memory can be found in the Panthéon in Paris, inscribed with the following description: Combattant de la liberté, artisan de l'abolition de l'esclavage, héros haïtien mort déporté au Fort-de-Joux en 1803. (Combatant for liberty, artisan of the abolition of slavery, Haitian hero died in deportation at Fort-de-Joux in 1803.)
Health Day Worldwide - Apr 07
World Health Day is celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO). In 1948, the World Health Organization held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate 7 April of each year, with effect from 1950, as the World Health Day. The World Health Day is held to mark WHO's founding, and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. The WHO organizes international, regional and local events on the Day related to a particular theme. Resources provided continue beyond 7 April, that is, the designated day for celebrating the World Health Day. World Health Day is acknowledged by various governments and non-governmental organizations with interests in public health isssues, who also organize activities and highlight their support in media reports, such as through press releases issued in recent years by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Global Health Council.
Hungary should exit the EDP this year (Online 03 Apr) ‘Providing Brussels takes only the numbers into consideration, Hungary should exit the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP) this year’, Minister of State for Economic Strategy Zoltán Cséfalvay said on Hungarian TV channel M1's MA reggel show. Zoltán Cséfalvay stressed that, according to the methodology observed by the EU for the EDP, the deficit of the general government sector in 2012 was HUF 566.7bn, which corresponds to 2 percent of GDP.
revenues. As issues still under debate, Zoltán Cséfalvay mentioned revenues from the electronic toll system and the linking of cash registers to the tax authority, emphasizing that the Government has already taken the necessary steps to put these measures in place and therefore the risks singled out by the Commission are manageable. He also mentioned that the series of reforms implemented in the past two-and-a half years will result in stability and consolidation, which in turn will boost investments.
Background
Valour Day Philippines - A p r 0 9
Araw ng Kagitingan (English:"Day of Valour") is a national holiday in the Philippines which commemorates the fall of Bataan during World War II. It falls annually on April 9, although in 2009 President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo moved it to April 6 in order to create a long weekend.
History At dawn, 9 April 1942, against the
orders of Generals Douglas MacArthur and Jonathan Wainwright, Major General Edward P. King, Jr., commanding Luzon Force, Bataan, Philippine Islands, surrendered more than 76,000 (67,000 Filipinos, 1,000 Chinese Filipinos, and 11,796 Americans) starving and disease-ridden men. The majority of the prisoners of war were immediately robbed of their keepsakes and belongings and subsequently forced to endure a 90-mile (140 km) march in deep dust over vehicle-broken macadam roads and crammed into rail cars to captivity at Camp O'Donnell. En route, thousands died from dehydration, heat prostration, untreated wounds, and wanton execution. Those few who were lucky enough to travel on trucks to San Fernando would still have to endure more than 25 additional miles of marching. Prisoners were beaten randomly and often denied promised food and water. Those who fell behind were usually executed or left to die; the sides of the roads became littered with dead bodies and those moaning for assistance. On the Bataan Death March, approximately 54,000 of the 72,000 prisoners reached their destination. The death toll of the march is difficult to assess because thousands of captives were able to escape from their guards. All told, approximately 5,000-10,000 Filipino and 600-650 American prisoners of war died before they could reach Camp O'Donnell.
Martyr's Day Tunisia - A p r 0 9
Martyrs’ Day is celebrated every April 9 each year to commemorate the lives of people who battled for the country’s independence against the French rule on 1956.
History Tunisia was ruled
over by the French colonies during the period of 1881 to 1956. Despite this condition, Tunisia still remained as a supreme monarch in which Tunisian ministers were still elected in the higher office. Due to the support of the French, the government of Tunisia became stable and well-established. However, during the World War I, a Destour Constitution Party was established which demanded for the creation of a new constitution that will give the Tunisians equal rights with the Europeans. And on 1934, a Neo-Destour was formed under the leadership of a Tunisian lawyer named Habib Bourguiba. This new organization presented its propaganda to the public to further increase its supporters. The French disagreed with the establishment of the NeoDestour which resulted in to conflicts between the two parties. Several rallies and political divergence sparked because of the Neo-Destour. The French felt threatened about the organization which led to the arrest and deportation of Bourguiba and his followers to France. On April 9, 1938, there was an encounter between the parties involved and at least 22 Tunisians were killed and more than a hundred were wounded. It was only on 1942 that they were released by the Nazis, followed by the German occupation that Hitler started thinking they could convince Bourguiba to participate and support the Axis powers and fight back the Allied invasion of Africa but they failed to convince him. When the Nazi’s advocacy was finally abolished, Bourguiba returned to Tunisia and continued his campaign for Tunisia’s independence and he re-established the Neo-Destour. Along with his group, they planted several attacks on the colonial facilities of the French empire. The French put Bouguiba into prison for almost two years but the Tunisians were never torn apart and still continued their battle for independence. In June of 1954, the French granted the withdrawal of their facilities in Tunisia which was an order from the administration of French president Pierre Medes. And on 1955, shortly after France granted full sovereignty to Morocco, Tunisia also achieved its independence. An on April 1955, an official proclamation was announced regarding the agreement for Tunisia’s full autonomy from the French. In memory of the civilians who died in this battle, the government of Tunisia formally declared the 9th of April as a commemoration day to the Martyrs’ of the country.
Celebrations Martyrs’ Day celebration in Tunisia involves a solemn gathering to honor and pay tribute to the heroes of the war
At the time, a major trade route between New York City and San Francisco ran through southern Nicaragua. Ships from New York would enter the San Juan River from the Atlanticand sail across Lake Nicaragua. People and goods would then be transported by stagecoach over a narrow strip of land near the city of Rivas, before reaching the Pacific and being shipped to San Francisco. The commercial exploitation of this route had been attained from a previous Nicaraguan administration to Wall Street tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt's Accessory Transit Company. Garrison and Morgan had wrested control of the company from Vanderbilt and then supported Walker's expedition. Vanderbilt spread rumors that the company was issuing stock illegally in order to depress its value, allowing him to regain controlling interest. In July 1856, Walker set himself up as president of Nicaragua, after conducting a farcical election. As ruler of Nicaragua, Walker then revoked the Transit Company's charter, claiming that it had violated the agreement, and granted use of the route back to Garrison and Morgan. Outraged, Vanderbilt successfully pressured the U.S. government to withdraw its recognition of Walker's regime. Walker had also scared his neighbors and American and European investors with talk of further military conquests in Central America. Vanderbilt finance and train a military coalition of these states, led by Costa Rica, and worked to prevent men and supplies from reaching Walker. He also provided defectors from Walker's army with payments and free passage back to the U.S. Realizing that his position was becoming precarious, he sought support from the Southerners in the U.S. by recasting his campaign as a fight to spread the institution of black slavery, which many American Southern businessmen saw as the basis of their agrarian economy. With this in mind, Walker revoked Nicaragua's emancipation edict of 1824. This move did increase Walker's popularity in the South and attracted the attention of Pierre Soulé, an influential New Orleans politician, who campaigned to raise support for Walker's war. Nevertheless, Walker's army, thinned by an epidemic of cholera and massive defections, was no match for the Central American coalition and Vanderbilt's agents.
Cosmonaut's Day Russia - Apr 12
Cosmonautics Day is a holiday celebrated in Russia and other countries every April 12. It celebrates the first manned space flight made on April 12, 1961 by 27-year old cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin who circled the Earth for 1 hour 48 minutes aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft. The holiday was established in the Soviet Union one year later, April 9, 1962. In modern Russia, it is celebrated in accordance with Article 1.1 of the Law "On the Days of Military Glory and the Commemorative Dates in Russia". Gagarins flight was an instant and surprising success for the Soviet space program. Gagarin became a national hero of the Soviet Union and eastern block and a famous figure around the world. Major newspapers around the globe published his biography and details of his flight. Moscow and other cities in the USSR held parades, the scale of which were second only to WWII Victory Parades. Gagarin was escorted in a long motorcade of high-ranking officials through the streets of Moscow to the Kremlin where, in a lavish ceremony, he was awarded the highest Soviet honour, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, by the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Until today the commemoration ceremony on Cosmonautics Day starts in the city of Korolyov, near Gagarin's statue. Participants then proceed under police escort to Red Square for a visit to Gagarin's grave in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis, and continue to Cosmonauts Alley, near the Monument to the Conquerors of Space. Finally, the festivities are concluded with a visit to the Novodevichy Cemetery.
National Redemption Day Liberia - Apr 12
Day of National Unity Georgia - A p r 0 9
The April 9 tragedy (also known as Tbilisi Massacre, Tbilisi tragedy) refers to the events in Tbilisi,Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, on April 9, 1989, when an anti-Soviet demonstration was dispersed by the Soviet Army, resulting in 20 deaths and hundreds of injuries. April 9 is now remembered as the Day of National Unity (Georgian: ეროვნული ერთიანობის დღე), an annual public holiday.
Prelude The anti-Soviet movement became more active in
the Georgian SSR in 1988. Several strikes and meetings were organized by anti-Soviet political organizations in Tbilisi. The conflict between the Sovietgovernment and Georgian nationalists deepened after the so-called Lykhny Assembly on March 18, 1989, when several thousand Abkhaz demanded secession from Georgia and restoration of the Union republic status of 1921–1931. In response, the anti-Soviet groups organized a series of unsanctioned meetings across the republic, claiming that the Soviet government was using Abkhaz separatism in order to oppose the pro-independence movement. The protests reached their peak on April 4, 1989, when tens of thousands of Georgians gathered before the House of Government on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. The protesters, led by the Independence Committee (Merab Kostava, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Giorgi Chanturia, Irakli Bathiashvili, Irakli Tsereteli and others) organized a peaceful demonstration and hunger strikes, demanding the punishment of Abkhaz secessionists and restoration of Georgian independence. Local soviet authorities lost control over the situation in the capital and were unable to contain the protests. First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party Jumber Patiashvili asked USSR leadership to send troops to restore order and impose curfew.
The demonstrations
In the evening of April 8, 1989, Colonel General Igor Rodionov, Commander of the Transcaucasus Military District, ordered his troops to mobilize. Moments before the attack by the Soviet forces, the Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II addressed the demonstrators asking them to leave Rustaveli Avenue and the vicinity of the government building due to the danger which accumulated during the day after appearance of Soviet tanks near the avenue. The demonstrators refused to disband even after the Patriarch's plea. The local Georgian militsiya (police) units were disarmed just before the operation. On April 9, at 3:45 a.m., Soviet APCs and troops under General Igor Rodionov surrounded the demonstration area. Later, Rodionov claimed in his interview that groups of Georgian militants attacked unarmed soldiers with stones, metal chains and rods. The Soviet troops received an order from General Rodionov to disband and clear the avenue of demonstrators by any means necessary.
Clash:
The Soviet detachment, armed with military batons and spades (a favorite weapon of Soviet special forces ), advanced on demonstrators moving along the Rustaveli Avenue. During the advance, the soldiers started to attack demonstrators with spades, inflicting injuries both minor and serious to anyone who was struck. One of the victims of the attack was a 16-year-old girl who tried to get away from the advancing soldiers, but was chased down and beaten to death near the steps of the government building, receiving blows to the head and chest. She was dragged out of the area by her mother who was also attacked and wounded. This particularly violent attack was recorded on video from the balcony of a building located on the other side of the avenue. The video was used in the aftermath as evidence during Sobchak's Parliamentary commission on investigation of events of April 9, 1989. The stampede following the attack resulted in the death of 19 people, among them 17 women. Autopsies conducted on the victims concluded the direct cause of death of all those who died, with the exception of one case of serious skull and brain injury, was suffocation (asphyxia) caused by both the compression of the body and the inhalation of chemical substances. Official Soviet reports blamed the demonstrators for causing the clash, saying that the troops were attacked with sticks and knives. According to Tass, the soldiers followed orders not to use their weapons, but that extremists attacked them with pieces of metal, bricks and sticks. Tass described the demonstrators as stirring interethnic strife and calling for the overthrow of the Georgian government. President Gorbachev slammed "actions by irresponsible persons" for loss of life. He said that the disturbances sought to overthrow the Georgian government and stir ethnic tension in Georgia. Foreign ministry spokesman said that the clashes were sparked by "die-hard nationalists, extremists and political adventurists who are abusing democratization to the detriment of our new policy of openness and of our very society." CN and CS gas were used against the demonstrators; vomiting, respiratory problems and sudden paralyses of the nervous system were reported. The disarmed police officers attempted to evacuate the panicked group of demonstrators, however a video taken secretly by opposition journalists showed that soldiers did not allow doctors and emergency workers to help the injured people; in fact, even ambulances were attacked by the advancing soldiers Captured on film, the image of a young man beating a tank with a stick became a symbol of the Georgian anti-Soviet movement. On April 10, the Soviet government issued a statement blaming the demonstrators for causing unrest and danger for the safety of the public. The next day, the Georgian TV showed the bodies of the 19 women violently killed, demonstrating alleged brutality by the Soviet soldiers, as the faces of the deceased women were hard to identify due to the facial injuries and blows to the head. The Soviet government blamed the demonstrators for the death of the 20 people, claiming that they had trampled each other while panicking and retreating from the advancing Soviet soldiers. A Parliamentary commission on investigation of events of April 9, 1989 in Tbilisi was launched by Anatoly Sobchak, member of Congress of People's Deputies of Soviet Union. After full investigation and inquiries, the commission confirmed the government's claim that the deaths had resulted from trampling, but another contributing factor had been the chemical substances used against the demonstrators. It condemned the military, which had caused the deaths by trying to disperse demonstrators. The commission's report made it more difficult to use military power against demonstrations of civil unrest in the Soviet Union. Sobchak's report presented a detailed account of the violence which was used against the demonstrators and recommended the full prosecution of military personnel responsible for the April 9 event.
Aftermath
On April 10, in protest against the crackdown, Tbilisi and the rest of Georgia went out on strike and a 40-day period of mourning was declared. People brought massive collections of flowers to the place of the killings. A state of emergency was declared, but demonstrations continued. The government of the Georgian SSR resigned as a result of the event. Moscow claimed the demonstrators attacked first and the soldiers had to repel them. At the first Congress of People's Deputies (May–June 1989) Mikhail Gorbachev disclaimed all responsibility, shifting blame onto the army. The revelations in the liberal Soviet media, as well as the findings of the "pro-Perestroika" Deputy Anatoly Sobchak's commission of enquiry into the Tbilisi events, reported at the second Congress in December 1989, resulted in embarrassment for the Soviet hardliners and army leadership implicated in the event.
Legacy
The April 9 tragedy radicalised Georgian opposition to Soviet power. A few months later, a session of the Supreme Council of Georgian SSR, held on November 17–18, 1989, officially condemned the occupation and annexation of Democratic Republic of Georgia by Soviet Russia in 1921. On March 31, 1991, Georgians voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from the Soviet Union in a referendum. With a 90.5% turnout, approximately 99% voted in favor of independence. On April 9, the second anniversary of the tragedy, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia proclaimed Georgian sovereignty and independence from the Soviet Union. A memorial to the victims of the tragedy was opened at the location of the crackdown on Rustaveli Avenue on November 23, 2004.
Finnish Language Day Finland - A p r 0 9
Mikael Agricola (c. 1510 – 9 April 1557) was a clergyman who became the de facto founder of written Finnish and a prominent proponent of the Protestant Reformation in Sweden (including Finland). He is often called the "father of the Finnish written language". Agricola was consecrated as the bishop of Turku (Åbo) in 1554, without papal approval. As a result, he began a reform of the Finnish church (then a part of the Church of Sweden) along Lutheran lines. He translated the New Testament into Finnish and also produced the prayer book and hymns used in Finland's new, Lutheran Church. This work set the rules of orthography that are the basis of modern Finnish spelling. His thoroughgoing work is particularly remarkable in that he accomplished it in only three years. He died suddenly while returning from a trip during which he negotiated a treaty with the Russians.
Biography Early life:
Michael Olaui or Mikkel Olofsson (Finnish: Mikael Olavinpoika) was born in Uusimaa (Nyland) in the village of Torsby in Pernå, Finland, around the year 1510. He was named after the patron saint of Pernå's church. The exact date of his birth, like most details of his life, is unknown. His family was a quite wealthy peasant family according to the local bailiff's accounting. He had three sisters, but their names are not known. His teachers apparently recognized his aptitude for languages and his rector Bartholomeus sent him to Viborg(Viipuri) for Latin school and some priestly training, where he attended the school of Erasmus. It is not known whether his first language was Swedish or Finnish - the first alternative is supported by the fact that Pernå was mostly a Swedish-speaking district. However, he mastered both languages like a native speaker and was possibly a bilingual child.
Agricola as a student:
When he studied in Viborg (Viipuri) he assumed the surname Agricola ("farmer" gv. "agriculture"); surnames based on one's father’s status and occupation were common for first-generation scholars at the time. It was probably in Viipuri where he first came in touch with the Reformation and Humanism. The Viipuri castle was ruled by a German count, Johann, who had served the king of Sweden, Gustav Vasa. The count was a supporter of the Reformation, and they already held Lutheran services. In 1528 he followed his teacher to Turku (Åbo), the center of the Finnish side of the Swedish realm and the capital of the bishopric, where he became a scribe in bishop Martinus Skytte's office. While in Turku he met Martin Luther's first Finnish student Petrus Särkilahti, who eagerly spread the idea of the Reformation. Särkilahti died in 1529, and it was up to Agricola to continue his work. He was ordained for priesthood circa 1531. In 1536 the bishop of Turku sent him to study in Wittenberg in Germany. He concentrated on the lectures of Philipp Melanchthon, who was an expert in Greek, the original language of the New Testament. In Wittenberg he studied under Luther. He got recommendations to Gustav Vasa from both of the reformists. He sent two letters to Gustav, asking for a confirmation for a stipend. When the confirmation came, he bought books (for example, the complete works of Aristotle). In 1537 he started translating the New Testament into Finnish.
Agricola as a rector and an ordinarius:
Celebrations
This memorable event in the History of Liberia is being celebrated each year with pride and honor. The people observed the even with respect as they participate in ceremonial activities and parades during the holiday. The media also covers important events and activities for the whole nation to witness and be part of this yearly celebration. Some of the most common activities throughout the day are parades, rallies, speeches organized by civic groups and political organizations.
Yuri`s Night Worldwide - Apr 12
Yuri's Night is an international celebration held on April 12 every year to commemorate space exploration milestones. The event is named for the first and most important milestone, the launch of the first human into space, Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, on the Vostok 1 spaceship. In 2004, people celebrated Yuri's Night in 34 countries in over 75 individual events. Locations have included Los Angeles, Stockholm, Antarctica, the San Francisco Bay Area, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and the International Space Station. The goal of Yuri's Night is to increase public interest in space exploration and to inspire a new generation of explorers. Driven by space-inspired artistic expression and culminating in a worldwide network of annual celebrations and educational events, Yuri's Night creates a global community of young people committed to shaping the future of space exploration while developing responsible leaders and innovators with a global perspective. These global events are a showcase for elements of culture that embrace space including music, dance, fashion, and art. Yuri's Night was created by Loretta Hidalgo, George T. Whitesides and Trish Garner. The first Yuri's Night was held on April 12, 2001, but its counterpart, known as Cosmonautics Day was established in the Soviet Union in 1962. The 2004 event in Los Angeles was attended by over 100 prominent space leaders including author Ray Bradbury, space tourist Dennis Tito, X-Prize founder Peter Diamandis, *NSYNC's Lance Bass and Nichelle Nichols (Uhura from the original Star Trek series). The event was followed by a large party with 2 dance floors and world-class DJs. The 2007 event in the San Francisco Bay Area was located at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in Mountain View, CA. The event features artistic installations, technology demonstrations, and DJ music continuing through dawn of the following day and takes place in an aircraft hangar not accessible to the public. Yuri's Night is a Space Generation Advisory Council event. April 2011 will mark the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's historic first flight.
Cambodian New Year Cambodia- Apr 13
The Cambodian New Year or popularly known to the natives as Chol Chnam Thmey is celebrated for three days and usually falls around the 13th or 14th of April depending on the Buddhist calendar which relies on the Lunar calendar. This day usually marks the end of the harvesting season.
History The history of Cambodia has a very exciting
culture and tradition that dates back from the ancient times. And the commemoration of the Cambodian New year is one of the most celebrated festivities. The Khmer (Cambodian language) New Year is being observed, usually in the middle of April right after the farmers gathered their harvests. Apart from the purpose of merry making during this celebration, the New Year symbolizes a new start for the people by renewing their lives and leaving back the bad habits from the past year. The people hope for a better year and ask for blessings and prosperity to their God Buddha.
Celebrations The Cambodian New Year lasts for three days and each day has a significant tradition that the people religiously fol-
low. The first day is known as the Maha Songkran. People welcome the first day of the year by buying new clothes and dressing up with using the finest and colorful linen. It is also believed that the angels come down from heaven and give blessings to all of God’s creations so the people offer flower bouquets and garlands to the Lord Buddha. They give other material presents like candles, incense, aromatic water and food especially fruits which they also offer to the priests and monks in the temples. The second day after the New Year is the Wanabat. This day is centered to the spirit of charity and gift giving. The Cambodian family usually holds reunions and get-together with their relatives. They, too give alms and food to the poor and less fortunate. The third day, which is the last day of the Cambodian New Year, is the Tngay Leang Saka which involves the cleansing and decorating of their religious figures by washing them with scented water and flower petals. During the evening of the last day of the New Year tradition, the Cambodians gather for the Pithi Srang Preah ceremony which involves the bathing of the Buddha statues, preachers, priests and the grown-ups. This ritual is centered to repentance and forgiveness for all the things that happened to them the previous year. Aside form the solemn customs that they observe, they also celebrate this special event with traditional games and dances.
Songkran Days (Thai New Year) Thailand - Apr 13
The Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 15 April. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia. The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation, but it is now fixed. If these days fall on a weekend, the missed days off are taken on the weekdays immediately following. If they fall in the middle of the week, many Thai take off from the previous Friday until the following Monday. Songkran falls in the hottest time of the year in Thailand, at the end of the dry season. Until 1888 the Thai New Year was the beginning of the year in Thailand; thereafter 1 April was used until 1940. 1 January is now the beginning of the year. The traditional Thai New Year has been a national holiday since then. Songkran has traditionally been celebrated as the New Year for many centuries, and is believed to have been adapted from an Indian festival. It is now observed nationwide, even in the far south. However, the most famous Songkran celebrations are still in the northern city of Chiang Mai, where it continues for six days and even longer. It has also become a party for foreigners and an additional reason for many to visit Thailand for immersion in another culture.
New year traditions The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. Thais roam the streets with containers of water
or water guns (sometimes mixed with mentholated talc), or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends and neighbors. Besides the throwing of water, people celebrating Songkran may also go to a wat (Buddhist monastery) to pray and give food to monks. They may also cleanse Buddha images from household shrines as well as Buddha images at monasteries by gently pouring water mixed with a Thai fragrance (Thai: น้ำอบไทย) over them. It is believed that doing this will bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year. In many cities, such as Chiang Mai, the Buddha images from all of the city's important monasteries are paraded through the streets so that people can toss water at them, ritually 'bathing' the images, as they pass by on ornately decorated floats. In northern Thailand, people may carry handfuls of sand to their neighborhood monastery in order to recompense the dirt that they have carried away on their feet during the rest of the year. The sand is then sculpted into stupa-shaped piles and decorated with colorful flags. Some people make New Year resolutions - to refrain from bad behavior, or to do good things. Songkran is a time for cleaning and renewal. Besides washing household Buddha images, many Thais also take this opportunity to give their home a thorough cleaning. The throwing of water originated as a way to pay respect to people, by capturing the water after it had been poured over the Buddhas for cleansing and then using this "blessed" water to give good fortune to elders and family by gently pouring it on the shoulder. Among young people the holiday evolved to include dousing strangers with water to relieve the heat, since April is the hottest month in Thailand (temperatures can rise to over 100°F or 40°C on some days). This has further evolved into water fights and splashing water over people riding in vehicles. Nowadays, the emphasis is on fun and water-throwing rather than on the festival's spiritual and religious aspects, which sometimes prompts complaints from traditionalists. In recent years there have been calls to moderate the festival to lessen the many alcohol-related road accidents as well as injuries attributed to extreme behavior such as water being thrown in the faces of traveling motorcyclists. The water is meant as a symbol of washing all of the bad away and is sometimes filled with fragrant herbs when celebrated in the traditional manner. Songkran is also celebrated in many places with a pageant in which young women demonstrate their beauty and unique talents, as judged by the audience. The level of financial support usually determines the winner, since, to show your support you must purchase necklaces which you place on your chosen girl.
Astrological calculation
Although the traditional calendar of Thailand like most of Southeast Asia utilizes a lunisolar calendar, the date of the new year was calculated on a purely solar basis. The term Songkran comes from Sanskrit "Sankranta" and means "a move or change" - in this case the move of the sun into the Aries zodiac. Originally this happened at the vernal equinox, but, as the Thai astrology did not observe precession, the date moved from March to April. There is a similar named Indian Festival called as Sankrant or Makar Sankranti, celebrated on 14 January every year. Songkran as such has similarity to Indian festival of Holi. The traditional new year celebration in Sri Lanka also coincides with the Thai new year.
Greetings The traditional greeting is (sa-wat-di pi mai), basically "Happy New Year". Sawatdi is also used for "hello" or "good-
bye". Pi and mai means "year" and "new" respectively in Thai. Another greeting used is (suk-san wan pi mai), where suksanmeans "happy". However, most people use (suk-san wan songkran) — meaning "Happy Songkran Day" — since pi mai is more often linked with the first of January. Suksan is also used as an attribute for other days such as Valentine's Day.
In other calendars
Songkran is also celebrated in Laos (called pee mai lao), Cambodia (called Chaul Chnam Thmey, Cambodian New Year), Myanmar (called Thingyan), and by the Dai people in Yunnan, China (called Water-Splashing Festival). The same day is celebrated in South Asian calendars as well: the Assamese (called Rongali Bihu), Bengali (called Pohela Boishakh), Oriya (called Maha Visuba Sankranthi), Malayali, Punjabi,Sinhalese, and Tamil New Years fall on the same dates, based on the astrological event of the sun beginning its northward journey. And, as mention above, there is an Indian Festival called as Sankrant or Makar Sankranti in Marathi, celebrated every year on 14 January. Songkran as such is similar to the Indian festival of Holi, with a lot of splashing of water as paints, colored dusts, and fragances. The traditional new year celebration in Sri Lanka also coincides with the Thai new year. In Nepal, the official new year is celebrated on the 1st of Baisakh (Baisakh) according to astrological calendar Vikram Samwat and day often falls somewhere between 12-15 April. It occurs at the same time as that given by Bede for festivals of Eostre—and Easter weekend occasionally coincides with Songkran (most recently 1979, 1990, and 2001, but not again until 2085).
History Lao New Year is the most widely celebrated festival in Laos.
The festival is also celebrated by Laotians in the United States of America,Canada, France, and Australia. When the Lao people first emigrated from southern China, Lao New Year was celebrated according to the Chinese Lunar New Year calendar. Since settling in mainland Southeast Asia, the Lao have adopted the new year's traditions of the Khmerand Mon-Burmese people, based on the calendar and traditions of India. Lao New Year takes place in April, the hottest time of the year in Laos, which is also the start of the monsoon season. Lao New Year takes place at roughly the same time as Songkran in Thailand and Chaul Chnam Thmey in Cambodia.
Festival dates
The official festival lasts for three days from April 13th to April 15th (although celebrations can last more than a week in towns like Luang Prabang). The first day is the last day of the old year. Houses and villages are properly cleaned on the first day. Perfume, water and flowers are also prepared for the Lao New Year. The second day of the festival is the "day of no day", a day that falls in neither the old year or the new year. The last day of the festival marks the start of the new year.
Lao New Year Traditions Water:
Water is used for washing homes, Buddha images, monks, and soaking friends and passers-by. Students first respectfully pour water on their elders, then monks for blessings of long life and peace, and last of all they throw water each other. The water is perfumed with flowers or natural perfumes. Some people prefer flowers in the water to give a pleasant smell, as well as adding cologne/perfume. The idea of watering came from the legend of King Kabinlaphom, whose seven daughters kept his severed head in a cave. The daughters would visit their father's head every year and perform a ritual to bring happiness and good weather. Over the years another tradition has developed with Lao New Year: people will smear or throw cream (shaving cream or whipped cream) or white powder on each other during the celebrations.
Sand:
Rucouskiria:
Sand is brought to the temple grounds and is made into stupas or mounds, then decorated before being given to the monks as a way of making merit. There are two ways to make the sand stupas. One way is to go to the beach, and the other way is to bring sand to the wat, or pagoda. Sand stupas are decorated with flags, flowers, white lines, and splashed with perfumed water. Sand stupas symbolize the mountain, Phoukao Kailat, where King Kabinlaphom's head was kept by his seven daughters.
Se Wsi Testamenti (the New Testament- Uusi testamentti):
Another way to make merit at this time is to set animals free. The Lao believe that even animals need to be free. The most commonly freed animals are tortoises, fish, crabs, birds, eels, and other small animals.
Agricola's Rucouskiria (Rukouskirja-prayer book) was printed in March 1544. At the beginning of the book, Agricola wrote about many topics concerning all-round education and the Reformation's effects in Finland. The book includes four prefaces and about 700 prayers on many topics; it even has twelve different prayers instead of the usual two or three. It is the most independent work by Agricola and contains approximately 900 pages. His sources include the works of Luther, Melanchthon, and Erasmus. Agricola's most prominent book is Se Wsi Testamenti, the first Finnish-language translation of theNew Testament. The manuscript was completed in 1548. It contains 718 pages and many illustrations.
Three Liturgical books:
While Agricola was in Wittenberg, he translated three smaller liturgical books into Finnish. These books were printed in 1549. Käsikirja Castesta ia muista Christikunnan Menoista includes forms for christening, marriage and burial, as well as speeches for the sick, mourning and dying. It is translated from Olaus Petri's corresponding work except for the christening and marriage portions, which are from Luther. It also contains minor elements translated from Caspar Huberinus' works. Messu eli Herran echtolinen includes the form for a service. It is also based on Olaus Petri's work and a few Finnish manuscripts. In this book Agricola revealed his next mission: the translation of the Old Testament. Se meiden Herran Jesusen Christusen Pina, ylesnousemus ia tauiaisen Astumus, niste Neliest Euangelisterist coghottuon tells about Jesus Christ's suffering. It is collected from all four gospels. This book was influenced heavily by Johannes Bugenhagen, a teacher in Wittenberg. It was mainly translated from the German version, but some parts are influenced by the Swedish version and Agricola's own translation of theNew Testament.
Commemorations of Agricola:
Mikael Agricola was recently selected as the main motif for a commemorative coin, the €10 Mikael Agricola and Finnish language commemorative coin, minted in 2007. This collector coin was issued to honor Mikael Agricola's lifework as a contributor to Protestant reformation in Finland and as the father of the Finnish written language. The reverse of the coin shows a quill referencing the writer; while the obverse side contains an artistic interpretation of a human figure.
National Sibling Day U.S. - A p r 1 0
National Siblings Day (NSD) is celebrated on April 10 each year in the USA. It is the brainchild of Claudia A. Evart, who created it after the deaths of her brother and sister. She wanted a day for all Americans to think about the importance of the relationships they have with their brothers and sisters. She created a Siblings Day Foundation to establish this special day and has managed to get 40 state governors to declare Siblings Day in their states. More and more people are accepting NSD and it now has a “Special Mark” from the US Patent and Trademark Office. If it keeps growing in popularity, it could be up there on the holiday calendar with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
be further reductions in utility charges, but these will be accompanied by further struggles. He emphasized that this is why it is so important that people make it clear that they want further reductions in utility charges by signing the ongoing petition. Concerning the flood prevention program, he pointed out that Hungary has spent more than seven hundred billion HUF on flood protection since 2010 by strengthening damns and building water storage facilities.
National criticism always comes from the same medium: Ferenc Kumin (Online 04 Apr) According to Deputy State Secretary for International Communications Ferenc Kumin, the perception of the international press regarding Hungary has improved recently and it may be observed that critical views always arrive from the same media. The Student Union of the Budapest Corvinus University's Social Sciences Department organised a podium discussion entitled "The foreign perception of Hungary" on 2 April 2013 with the participation of Ferenc Kumin, Deputy State Secretary responsible for the International Communications Office of the Prime Minister's Office, and former Foreign Minister Dr. Péter
Balázs. At the event, Ferenc Kumin stressed that in his experience the majority of articles that have a negative tone are written with no detailed background research and generally mirror individual opinions, often political convictions, while regularly disregarding the facts. Citing the results of recent research, he noted that in the case of Englishspeaking press agencies with offices in Budapest that focus on unbiased coverage, the vast majority of articles published are neutral or positive in their tone. According to the Deputy State Secretary, this also confirms that high quality press coverage
based on facts and written on site presents an image that is much more detailed and realistic. He also emphasised that articles of a negative nature are usually published in the form of opinion pieces, and the primary incentive of the writers of such articles is to express criticism of the Government at all costs. These media have visibly strong ties to the Hungarian opposition. Both of the event's invited speakers criticised the recently published manifesto in which and Austrian artists German protested against "the rise of fascism in Hungary" and called for rebellion.
Hungary to receive Euro 3.4 billion in Rural Development Funding (Online 04 Apr) In the coming 7 years between 2014 and 2020, Hungary expects to receive a total of some 3.4 billion euros in rural development funding, emphasised Minister of State for Rural Development Zsolt V. Németh at the 4th HUNAGI mobile GIS geo information conference in Budapest. Zsolt V. Németh said that the level of EU joint financing in less developed regions will be 75%, and 53% in more highly developed regions. An important change is that it will also become possible to fund VAT, if that may not be refunded according to national law. It will be especially significant to the planning of development projects that following the end of the sevenyear cycle, the settlement of funding accounts may be performed for a further three years instead of the current two. The Minister of State also reported on EU priorities, stressing that only proj-
ects that are linked to at least one of the elements may be realised. The EU is supporting the transfer of knowledge and innovation, increasing competitiveness, the risk management of the food chain, the preservation and improvement of ecosystems, resource efficiency, the reinforcement of social inclusion and the reduction of poverty. Mobile GIS technology may prove helpful with regard to the preservation of ecosystems. May important changes will occur in the implementation of the rural development programme in the upcoming period. Instead of division according to axes, member states may choose from a package of measures. It will be possible to launch new, thematic programmes, and Hungary is sure to launch a programme of this nature to support young farmers and encourage shorter food chains. Local development projects managed by communities will receive greater em-
phasis. At least 25% of funding must be used to reduce climate change. In future, unfavourable areas will become Areas with Natural Handicaps (ANH), which will be designated according to 8 biophysical criteria (e.g. water scarcity, excess groundwater, steep slope). Mobile GIS technology could play a role in the designation of land areas, Zsolt V. Németh pointed out. The Hungarian Association for Geoinformation, HUNAGI, was founded in 1994, and it has been operating as a non-profit company since 2002. the organisation's fourth conference entitled "How can geoinformation and remote sensing help us achieve a more liveable environment" was organised for the representatives of small and medium-sized geoinformation enterprises, academic and educational developers, local government and non-governmental organisations.
H unga r y ha s no t e r r it or ia l c la im s : M inis te r M a r t ony i (Online 04 Apr) Hungary has no territorial claims even if its neighbours often insist on the opposite, Foreign Minister János Martonyi said on Thursday in an interview published by Krónika, a Hungarian-language daily published in Cluj, Romania. Minister Martonyi claimed that the past three years had witnessed some progress of varying degrees in Hungary's relations with its neighbours. Hungarian-Romanian ties during the current government's first two years in office were the best they had ever been, but the situation has changed over the past year, he added. When asked about the possible reasons for anti-Hungarian sentiments, Minister Martonyi said that a section of the political elite and general public in neighbouring countries had failed to absorb the idea that the territories gained after World War I were accompanied by large communities that
they had to accept as ethnic Hungarian communities, irrespective of their size, and integrate them into their states. The Hungarian Foreign Minister stressed that Hungary had no territorial claims even if its neighbours insisted that there were. The basis for the historical compromise is that „we acknowledge their territorial gains, while they acknowledge the Hungarian minorities living in their territory.” It is regrettable that "concerns" over Hungarian communities are sometimes used for political purposes, he added. Minister Martonyi said that during his recent visit to Bucharest he had felt the need to convince Prime Minister Victor Ponta that his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz party are not enemies of Romania. "Since then, we have again been involved in quarrels about who said
what about the other side," he said, adding this was "annoying". When asked about the chances for the autonomy of Hungarians in Transylvania, János Martonyi responded that international law did not prescribe any clear-cut obligations with respect to the various forms of ethnic autonomy, but each government should take into account if an ethnic community voices its demand for autonomy in a democratic manner. ‘We can carry on legal debates,’ – the Hungarian Foreign Minister declared –‘but the point is that an ethnic minority should feel safe in its homeland, and it should not be attacked, and the negative sentiments related to that minority should not be exploited for political purposes.’ He added that the task of Hungarian foreign policy has been and will always be to support the rational and democratic demands of Hungarian minorities abroad.
Mária Degenfeld-Lindner receives state recognition
uct of the efforts of the negotiations initiated by the liberated black residents from the United States who were once slaves. These forces received supports from the many different branches of the United States and ruled the country for almost a century. It was only on 1847 that the country was declared as independent after several years under the hands of the colonial powers. However, when the country achieved its independence, it never managed to stand alone since it was not able to improve its economic stability by itself. Due to this condition, many parts of Liberia’s territory were handed down to the British and French colonies. The plan of the Europeans on Liberia turned out to be not a good idea for the Liberians. The Europeans wanted to re-establish the Liberians to let go and forget their origins and traditions. Due to the strong spirit of the Liberian customs and values, several underground movements were organized by concerned civilian groups to preserved and maintain their identities. Liberia was then ruled by President William Tolbert Jr. under a single-party government where there was limited civilian freedom. Moreover, the executive branch controlled the judiciary and legislative branches under the administration of Tolbert. In 1980, an opposition to the administration of the president led by Gabriel B. Matthews was established and aimed to oust the Tolbert government. Seeing it as a threat, Tolbert had Matthews arrested along with his alliances on March 1990. A few weeks after the arrest of Matthews, 28-year old Master Sergeant Samuel Doe plotted a coup and assassinated President Tolbert along with his officials. After the execution, Doe established a People’s Redemption Council which granted full executive and legislative council. Doe was officially announced as the President of Liberia on January 1986. This new constitution created by Doe took effect on 1986 and he was inaugurated as the first president of the Second Republic of Liberia.
Lao New Year called "Bpee Mai" or "Songkan" is celebrated every year from April 13th to April 15th.
Agricola had thought about translating the New Testament in his early years of study. At the time, however, there was no standard written form of Finnish. He started developing it. His first book, "Abckiria", which is nowadays known as the "ABC-kirja" or ABC-book, was a primer for reading and a catechism. It was first printed in 1543. The catechism was included because only a very few people could afford the whole Bible at the time. The first printing contained 16 pages. A second printing was released in 1551 with 24 pages.
cannot lend directly to companies. The Prime Minister said that in two weeks a debate would be held in the European Parliament about the Hungarian constitutional situation and a decision on participation would be made at the weekend. Viktor Orbán pointed out that the yearly consumption of natural gas in Hungary is approximately ten billion cubic metres and as a result of purchasing E.ON and another gas storage facility, Hungary is now capable of storing seven billion cubic metres of natural gas. According to Viktor Orbán, there will
HISTORY The existence of Liberia as a modern state was a prod-
Pi Mai (Laos New Year) Laos - Apr 13
Monument on the place of Mikael Agricola's death near Primorsk
(Online 05 Apr) Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared on Kossuth Radio that the Hungarian economy would generate unexpectedly good growth already this year and Hungary is performing better than earlier, although further improvement is required. Viktor Orbán emphasized that the new growth credit program is justified, because merchant banks hardly lend with interest rates below 10 percent nowadays, and it is almost impossible to generate such a high level of profit. He added that the cooperation of merchant banks is necessary because the Hungarian National Bank
In celebration of the anniversary of the coup d’état that was spearheaded by Samuel Doe in 1980, Liberia dedicated the 12th of April as the National Redemption Day. This is a special day for the Liberians as they commemorate the establishment of the Second Republic.
who sacrificed their lives for the sovereignty of the country. The celebration of the holiday involves speeches and tributary speeches from government officials and the leaders from civic groups.
Abckiria:
Hungary is also obliged to demonstrate that it can keep the deficit below 3 percent in the long term, the Minister of State said, adding that the European Commission anticipates a deficit of 3.4 percent for 2013 in Hungary which stands in contrast to the Government’s estimate of 2.7 percent. As Zoltán Cséfalvay explained, the discrepancy is due to the difference between the Government’s growth expectation of 0.9 percent and that of the Commission which anticipates lower growth and therefore lower
Battle of Rivas sometimes known as the Second Battle of Rivas occurred on 11 April 1856 between Costa Rican militia under General Mora and the Nicaraguan forces of William Walker. The lesser known First Battle of Rivas took place on 29 June 1855 between Walker's forces and the forces of the Chamorro government of Nicaragua.
World Health Day 2012
Literary achievements
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well. Irakli Alasania pointed out that Georgia’s declared goals include the accession to the European Union and NATO, and that his country considers Hungary a strong partner in achieving these goals. As an exemplary cooperation, he referred to the joint work done by the two nations’ troops in Afghanistan, and thanked Hungary for being one of the strongest supporters of maintaining Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, among others.
Battle of Rivas / Heroes Day Costa Rica - A p r 1 1
The theme of World Health Day 2012, marked on 7 April 2012, is devoted to "Ageing and Health". Life expectancy is going up in most countries, meaning more and more people live longer and enter an age when they may need health care. Meanwhile birth rates are generally falling. Countries and health care systems will need to find innovative and sustainable ways to cope with the demographic shift. As reported by John Beard, director of the WHO Department of Ageing and Life Course, "With the rapid ageing of populations, finding the right model forlong-term care becomes more and more urgent."
In 1539 Agricola returned to Turku and ended up as the rector of Turku (Cathedral) School. He did not like his job, calling his students "untamed animals". At the time Gustav Vasa had confiscated the property of the church when he was consolidating his power but also drove the Reformation. In 1544 Agricola received an order from the crown to send several talented young men to Stockholm's taxing offices. For some reason, Agricola did not obey until the order was sent again the next year, with a more menacing tone. This episode probably affected their relations negatively. In 1546 Agricola lost his home and school in the Fire of Turku. On 22 February 1548 Gustav Vasa ordered Agricola to retire from his position as a rector. At this time he was already married, but history knows his wife only by her name: Pirjo Olavintytär (Bridget, "daughter of Olavi"; Birgitta Olafsdotter, Brigida Olaui). His only son, Christian Agricola (Christianus Michaelis Agricola), was born 11 December 1550, and became the bishop of Tallinn in 1584. When an old bishop died in 1554, Gustav Vasa had Agricola consecrated as the ordinarius of Turku parish – for all practical purposes Bishop of Turku and by extension the first Lutheran bishop for all Finland. He was not particularly virulent in reform, although he did remove the Canon of the Mass. In 1557 he joined the delegation that was going to Russia and was in Moscow from 21 February to 24 March negotiating a peace treaty, the Treaty of Novgorod (1557). On 9 April he fell ill and died in the Uusikirkko (now Polyane) village, part of the Kyrönniemi parish on the Karelian Isthmus.This day is also Elias Lönnrot's birthday and it is celebrated in Finland as the day of the Finnish language. He was buried inside Viipuri's church, but the exact location of the grave is not known. He is commemorated as a bishop by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on 10 April.
rity systems, peacekeeping operations as well as military training and education. The Hungarian Minister of Defence pointed out that the ministerial order, which includes the cooperation plan for this year, first of all decrees the strengthening of cooperation in the area of operations and the conclusion of agreements on this matter with the United States, Germany, Sweden and Slovenia. Besides, in addition to Georgia the Ministry of Defence is planning to sign further agreements on cooperation with
Animals: Flowers:
Flowers are gathered to decorate Buddha images. In the afternoons people collect fresh flowers. Senior monks take the younger monks to a garden filled with flowers, where they pick flowers and bring back to the wat to wash. People who didn't participate in the flower picking bring baskets to wash the flowers so the flowers can shine with the Buddha statues.
Beauty pageant:
There is an annual beauty pageant in Luang Prabang to crown Miss Bpee Mai Lao (Miss Lao New Year). There are many beauty pageants in Laos, but Luang Prabang - the old capital - is widely known for its Nangsoukhane pageant. There are seven contestants, each one symbolizing one of King Kabinlaphom's seven daughters.
Music and dance:
During Lao New Year, there are many spectacles including traditional Lao music, mor-lam, and lam-wong (circle dancing). During the daytime almost everybody is at the temple worshipping, hoping to have a healthier and happier life in the new year. During the evening, people of all ages go to the wat for entertainment.
Greetings:
There are several ways to wish someone a happy Lao New Year. The most common expressions are souk dee peemai, souksan van peemaior sabidee pimai, which can be translated into English as "Happy New Year".
W O R L D W I D E EVENTS/ZARB-EJAMHOOR NEWSPAPER CONGRATULATES GEORGIA ON DAY OF NATIONAL UNITY 2013
Photo: Károly Árvai (Online 05 Apr) Prime Minister Viktor Orbán presented Mária DegenfeldLindner the Hungarian Medal of Honour in Budapest. The award was bestowed on the recommendation of President of the Republic of Hungary János Áder, acknowledging Mária DegenfeldLindner for her endeavours within the fields of safeguarding Hungarian cul-
ture, increasing the reputation of Hungarian wine-growing and job creation. Mária Degenfeld-Lindner decided with her husband in 1994 to revive the Degenfeld vinery in TokajHegyalja, that has strong historical ties to the German-Hungarian aristocratic Degenfeld family. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared that Mária Degenfeld-Lindner had
done a lot for Hungary and the revival of the Degenfeld tradition in Tokaj is part of a one-and-a-half century long family history. Mária Degenfeld-Lindner emphasized that they had worked since the mid 90s to develop their wine-growing and to convince foreign markets about the excellent characteristics of Tokaj wines.
Currency stability, predictability and increasing confidence constitute the cornerstones of Govt economic policy (Online 03 Apr) Hungary’s Government plans to attract investment to the economy by making its currency more stable rather than by weakening it in an effort to boost exports, Minister of National Economy Mihály Varga told the Wall Street Journal on 2 April. The Minister stressed the importance of concurrently decreasing foreign currency exposure and enhancing export growth. Emphasising that the National Bank remains responsible for its own policy decisions, Varga said that the Government preferred lower rates, which makes paying back debt cheaper. He added, however, that it falls within the central bank’s competence to find the threshold at which
cutting the key interest rate does not induce a significant rise in yields. Concerning the outlook for this year’s budget deficit, the Minister of National Economy stressed that the Government expects the deficit to be under 3 per cent of GDP, thus complying with EU fiscal requirements and meaning Hungary stands an excellent chance of exiting the Excessive Deficit Procedure. Varga drew attention to budget reserves of 400 billion forints representing 1.3 percent of GDP, saying this may help mitigate any possible budget shortfalls during the year. With regards to growth prospects, the Government forecasts 0,5-1% growth for 2013, he added.
The Government, along with the leadership of the Ministry for National Economy, considers stability, predictability and increasing confidence the cornerstones of its policy and wishes to facilitate the integration of international companies into the Hungarian economy. With this goal in mind, Mihály Varga today signed a strategic partnership agreement with German car and truck parts manufacturing company Continental AG, the 16th consecutive agreement of its kind signed since the summer of 2012. The Government expects to sign a total of about 40 such agreements.
All nations should help minorities feel at home: Martonyi (Online 03 Apr) It is the shared interest of all nations that minorities should feel at home within their territory, Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi said on 2 April 2013 at the session of Parliament's National Cohesion Committee. Hungary also has an interest in its ethnic kin prospering in the land of their birth, the Minister said, adding that the country has no territorial claims on any of its neighbours. Although an overwhelming majority of Hungarians and Hungary's political elite have accepted the [post-WWI] loss of territory, the idea of Hungary having territorial claims pops up from time to time, mostly because it can be used for political purposes, Martonyi said. Just as Hungary has accepted the loss of territory, the neighbouring countries should also accept that, along with the territory, they have gained communities which seek to preserve their identity as a community, and strive for community integration rather than in-
dividual assimilation, he said. He said Hungarians living beyond the country's borders were not seeking to settle in Hungary in great numbers and simplified citizenship options had not had this effect either. However, the number of Hungarian citizens has risen as a result of the measures, which requires extended consular service, he added. Accordingly, the first phase of expanding Hungary’s foreign representation includes the consideration of national policy aspects. The Government is expected to approve the opening of new consulates in Osijek (Eszek) in Croatia, Melbourne, Toronto, and Targu Mures (Marosvasarhely) and Oradea (Nagyvarad) in Romania. Martonyi said: all nations have a foreign policy and it is wrong to juxtapose national policy and foreign policy. Hungary must take into account pan-Hungarian interests when shaping its foreign policy, he added. Enforcing national policy interests is
the aim of Hungarian foreign policy, and it is not limited to neighbouring countries; it is one of the primary duties of diplomacy in general – the Minister continued. Relations with neighbouring countries are greatly influenced by the condition of Hungarian communities living there, including their legal status, and it is also in the interests of these communities that relations between their country of origin and their present country of residence should be good, as they are the ones who suffer the consequences to the greatest extent. He said the reasons for differences in opinion were that Hungary believes in community rights while the majority of neighbouring states only advocate the enforcement of minority rights for individuals. Until these differences in opinion exist, disputes will always emerge, because many sensitive issues concerning the situation of Hungarians living beyond the country's borders relate to this – he pointed out.
Thomas Jefferson's Birthday U.S. - Apr 13
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801–1809) and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776). An influential Founding Father, Jefferson envisioned America as a great "Empire of Liberty" that would promote republicanism. Jefferson served as the wartime Governor of Virginia (1779–1781), barely escaping capture by the British in 1781. Many people disliked his tenure, and he did not win office again in Virginia. From mid-1784 through late 1789 Jefferson lived outside the United States. He served in Paris initially as a commissioner to help negotiate commercial treaties. In May 1785 he succeeded Benjamin Franklin as the U.S. Minister to France. He was the first United States Secretary of State (1789–1793) under George Washington and advised him against a national bank and the Jay Treaty. He was the second Vice President (1797–1801) under John Adams. Winning on an anti-federalist platform, Jefferson took the oath of office and became President of the United States in 1801. As president he negotiated theLouisiana Purchase (1803), and sent the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806) to explore the vast new territory and lands further west. Jefferson sponsored embargo laws that escalated tensions with Britain and France, leading to war with Britain in 1812 shortly after he left office. He idealized the independent yeoman farmer as exemplar of republican virtues, distrusted cities and financiers, and favored states' rights and a limited federal government. Jefferson supported the separation of church and state and was the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1779, 1786). Jefferson's revolutionary view on individual religious freedom and protection from government authority have generated much interest with modern scholars. He was the eponym of Jeffersonian democracy and the co-founder and leader of the Democratic-Republican Party, which dominated American politics for 25 years. Born into a prominent planter family, Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves throughout his life; he held views on the racial inferiority of Africans common for this period in time. While historians long discounted accounts that Jefferson had an intimate relationship with his slave Sally Hemings, it is now widely held that he did and had six children by her.
Education:
In 1752, Jefferson began attending a local school run by a Scottish Presbyterian minister. At the age of nine, Jefferson began studying Latin,Greek, and French; he learned to ride horses, and began to appreciate the study of nature. In 1757, when he was 14 years old, his father died. Jefferson inherited about 5,000 acres (20 km2) of land and dozens of slaves. He studied under the Reverend James Maury from 1758 to 1760 near Gordonsville, Virginia. While boarding with Maury's family, he studied history, science and the classics. At age 16, Jefferson entered the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, and for two years he studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy under Professor William Small, who introduced the enthusiastic Jefferson to the writings of the British Empiricists, including John Locke, Francis Bacon, and Isaac Newton. He also improved his French, Greek, and violin. A diligent student, Jefferson displayed an avid curiosity in all fields and graduated in 1762 with highest honors. He read law with William & Mary law professor George Wythe and was admitted to the Virginia bar five years later in 1767.
Career:
Jefferson handled many cases as a lawyer in colonial Virginia, and was very active from 1768 to 1773. Jefferson's client list included members of the Virginia's elite families, including members of his mother's family, the Randolphs. In 1768 Thomas Jefferson started the construction of Monticello, a neoclassical mansion. Since childhood, Jefferson had always wanted to build a beautiful mountaintop home within sight of Shadwell. Jefferson fell greatly in debt by spending lavishly over the years on Monticello in what was a continuing project to create a neoclassical environment, based on his study of the architect Andrea Palladio and the classical orders. Besides practicing law, Jefferson represented Albemarle County in the Virginia House of Burgesses beginning in 1769. Following the passage of the Coercive Acts by the British Parliament in 1774, he wrote a set of resolutions against the acts, which were expanded into A Summary View of the Rights of British America, his first published work. Previous criticism of the Coercive Acts had focused on legal and constitutional issues, but Jefferson offered the radical notion that the colonists had the natural right to govern themselves. Jefferson also argued that Parliament was the legislature of Great Britain only, and had no legislative authority in the colonies. The paper was intended to serve as instructions for the Virginia delegation of the First Continental Congress, but Jefferson's ideas proved to be too radical for that body.
Political career from 1775 to 1800 Drafting a declaration:
Jefferson served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress beginning in June 1775, soon after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. When Congress began considering a resolution of independence in June 1776, Jefferson was appointed to a five-man committee to prepare a declaration to accompany the resolution. The committee selected Jefferson to write the first draft probably because of his reputation as a writer. The assignment was considered routine; no one at the time thought that it was a major responsibility. Jefferson completed a draft in consultation with other committee members, drawing on his own proposed draft of the Virginia Constitution, George Mason's draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, and other sources. Jefferson showed his draft to the committee, which made some final revisions, and then presented it to Congress on June 28, 1776. After voting in favor of the resolution of independence on July 2, Congress turned its attention to the declaration. Over several days of debate, Congress made a few changes in wording and deleted nearly a fourth of the text, most notably a passage critical of the slave trade, changes that Jefferson resented. On July 4, 1776, the wording of the Declaration of Independence was ratified. The Declaration would eventually become Jefferson's major claim to fame, and his eloquent preamble became an enduring statement of human rights.
State legislator:
In September 1776, Jefferson returned to Virginia and was elected to the new Virginia House of Delegates. During his term in the House, Jefferson set out to reform and update Virginia's system of laws to reflect its new status as a democratic state. He drafted 126 bills in three years, including laws to abolish primogeniture, establish freedom of religion, and streamline the judicial system. In 1778, Jefferson's "Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge" and subsequent efforts to reduce clerical control led to some small changes at William and Mary College. While in the state legislature Jefferson proposed a bill to eliminate capital punishment for all crimes except murder and treason. His effort to end the death penalty law was defeated.
Governor of Virginia:
Jefferson served as governor of Virginia from 1779–1781. As governor in 1780, he transferred the state capital from Williamsburg to Richmond. He continued to advocate educational reforms at the College of William and Mary, including the nation's first student-policed honor code. In 1779, at Jefferson's behest, William and Mary appointed George Wythe to be the first professor of law in an American university. The British invaded Virginia under Benedict Arnold and then by Lord Cornwallis. He and other rebel leaders in Virginia barely escaped capture by the British in June 1781. Many people disliked his tenure, and he not win office again in Virginia. However, in 1783 he was appointed to Congress by the state legislature.
Notes on the State of Virginia:
In the Fall of 1780, Gov. Thomas Jefferson was given a list of 22 questions, by Secretary of the French legation to the United States François Marbois, intended to gather pertinent information on the American colonies. Jefferson's responses to Marbois' "Queries" would become known as Notes on the State of Virginia. Jefferson, scientifically trained, was a member of the American Philosophical Society and had extensive knowledge of western lands from Virginia to Illinois. In a course of 5 years, Jefferson enthusiastically devoted his intellectual energy to the book, which discussed contemporary scientific knowledge, and Virginia's history, politics, and ethnography. Jefferson was aided byThomas Walker, George R. Clark, and U.S. geographer Thomas Hutchins. Jefferson has been controversial for both condemning slavery while expressing views that blacks were inferior to whites. The book was first published in France in 1785 and in England in 1787.
Member of Congress:
The Virginia state legislature appointed Jefferson to the Congress of the Confederation on 6 June 1783, his term beginning on 1 November. He was a member of the committee formed to set foreign exchange rates, and in that capacity he recommended that the American currency be based on the decimal system. Jefferson also recommended setting up the Committee of the States, to function as the executive arm of Congress when Congress was not in session. He left Congress when he was elected a minister plenipotentiary on 7 May 1784.
Minister to France:
Jefferson served as minister to France from 1785 to 1789, and did not attend the Philadelphia Convention, though he followed the proceedings by correspondence, and was supportive of it. Beginning in early September 1785, Jefferson collaborated by mail with John Adams in London to outline an anti-piracy treaty with Morocco. Their work culminated in a treaty that was ratified by Congress on 18 July 1787 and is still in force today, making it the longest unbroken treaty relationship in U.S. history. He enjoyed the architecture, arts, and the salon culture of Paris. He often dined with many of the city's most prominent people, but sided with the revolutionaries in 1789 French Revolution. While in Paris, Jefferson corresponded with a number of individuals who had important roles in events leading up to the French Revolution. These included marquis de Lafayette and comte de Mirabeau, a popular pamphleteer who repeated ideals that had been the basis for the American Revolution. Jefferson brought some of his slaves to serve the household, including James Hemings for training as a French chef. After his youngest daughter died, he requested that a young woman slave accompany his daughter Polly to France. Sally Hemings was chosen to travel with Polly, and lived with the Jefferson household for about two years in Paris. It is likely Jefferson began his long-term relationship with Sally Hemings while in Paris; that is what their son Madison Hemings reported in his 1873 memoir.
Secretary of State:
As George Washington's (1790–1793) Secretary of State, Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton argued over national fiscal policy, especially the funding of the debts of the war. Jefferson later compared Hamilton and the Federalists with "Royalism", and stated the "Hamiltonians were panting after...crowns, coronets and mitres." Jefferson and James Madison founded and led the Democratic-Republican Party. He worked with Madison and his campaign manager John J. Beckley to build a nationwide network of Republican allies. The French minister said in 1793: "Senator Morris and Secretary of the Treasury Hamilton...had the greatest influence over the President's mind, and that it was only with difficulty that he [Jefferson] counterbalanced their efforts." Jefferson supported France against Britain when they fought in 1793. Jefferson believed that political success at home depended on the success of the French army in Europe. The French minister in 1793, Edmond-Charles Genêt, caused a crisis when he tried to influence public opinion in appealing to the people, something Jefferson tried to stop.
Break from office:
Jefferson retired to Monticello in late 1793 where he continued to oppose the policies of Hamilton and Washington. However, the Jay Treaty of 1794, led by Hamilton, brought peace and trade with Britain – while Madison, with strong support from Jefferson, wanted, "to strangle the former mother country" without going to war. "It became an article of faith among Republicans that 'commercial weapons' would suffice to bring Great Britain to any terms the United States chose to dictate." Even during the violence of the Reign of Terror, Jefferson refused to disavow the revolution because "To back away from France would be to undermine the cause of republicanism in America."
Election of 1796 and Vice Presidency:
As the Democratic-Republican candidate in 1796 he lost to John Adams, but had enough electoral votes to become Vice President (1797–1801). He wrote a manual of parliamentary procedure, but otherwise avoided the Senate. With the Quasi-War underway, the Federalists under John Adams started rebuilding the military, levied new taxes, and enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson interpreted the Alien and Sedition Acts as an effort to suppress Democratic-Republicans rather than dangerous enemy aliens, and were used to attack his party. Jefferson and Madison rallied support by anonymously writing the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which declared that the federal government had no right to exercise powers not specifically delegated to it by the states.
Election of 1800:
Working closely with Aaron Burr of New York, Jefferson rallied his party, attacking the new taxes especially, and ran for the Presidency in 1800. Before the passage of the Twelfth Amendment, a problem with the new union's electoral system arose. He tied with Burr for first place in the electoral college, leaving the House of Representatives (where the Federalists still had some power) to decide the election. Hamilton convinced his party that Jefferson would be a lesser political evil than Burr and that such scandal within the electoral process would undermine the new constitution. On February 17, 1801, after thirty-six ballots, the House elected Jefferson President and Burr Vice President. Jefferson later removed Burr from the ticket in 1804 after Burr killed Hamilton in a duel. Jefferson owed his election victory to the South's inflated number of Electors, which counted slaves under the three-fifths compromise. After his election in 1800, some called him the "Negro President", with critics like the Mercury and New-England Palladium of Boston that Jefferson had the gall to celebrate his election as a victory for democracy when he won "the temple of Liberty on the shoulders of slaves."
Presidency 1801–1809
"The two major achievements of Jefferson's presidency were the Louisiana Purchase and the abolition of the slave trade," according to historian John Chester Miller. Jefferson obtained the repeal many federal taxes in his bid to rely more on customs revenue. He pardoned people imprisoned under the Alien and Sedition Acts, passed in John Adams' term. He repealed the Judiciary Act of 1801 and removed nearly all of Adams' "midnight judges" from office, which led to the Supreme Court deciding the important case of Marbury v. Madison. He began and won the First Barbary War(1801–1805), America's first significant overseas war, and established the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1802. In 1803 Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France, doubling the size of the United States. Immediately launched the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806), which explored the new territory and opened the American West to settlement. He also signed into law a bill that officially segregated the U.S. postal system by not allowing blacks to carry mail.
Second Term:
In 1807, Jefferson ordered his former vice president Aaron Burr tried for treason, but he was acquitted. Jefferson called for a law making it illegal to import and export slaves; Congress passed it an it went into effect. Jefferson's reputation was damaged by the Embargo Act of 1807, which was ineffective. Congress repealed it at the end of his second term.
Administration, Cabinet and Supreme Court appointments 1801–1809:
Associate Justice • William Johnson – 1804 • Henry Brockholst Livingston – 1807 • Thomas Todd – 1807 States admitted to the Union: • Ohio – March 1, 1803