Evacuation Day (British) Libya - A p r 2 8
Libya, a country in North Africa, bordering Egypt (east), Chad and Niger (south), and Algeria and Tunisia (west), and Sudan (southeast), and Mediterranean Sea (north), celebrates the anniversary of the evacuation of British military forces in the country in 1970 after the British government agreed to pull out its troops from Tobruk “Al Adam” (present day, Jalal Abdulnasir Base), the air base they established after the Second World War broke out.
History At the end of the Second World
War, Libya associates much of its foreign policies in the West especially the United States and Great Britain while maintaining full diplomatic relations with Italy, Greece and France, including the dissolved Soviet Union (1955). The military coup led by Muammar al-Gaddafi in 1969 resulted to the decision to close the American and British military bases in Libya and hoped to nationalize most of government’s properties including the fossil fuels resources and other commercial businesses in the country. Moreover, Gaddafi’s temporarily embargoed the transport of oil to the US and other countries in the west as a means to convince the Western nations to halt the political and military support they’re giving Israel in 1973. The last British troops left Libya in 1970 marking this day as one of the important turning points in Libya’s colonial history. Today, this is celebrated as British Evacuation Day.
Celebrations
British Evacuation Day is considered to be one of the most important holidays in Libya but it isn’t celebrated with festivities inasmuch as how religious holidays in Libya are celebrated. The employed consider this day as a time off from work.
Mujahideen Victory Day Afghanistan - A p r 2 8
Mujahideen Victory Day is a political holiday observed in parts of Afghanistan, falling on the 28 April each year. It commemorates the day when Mujahideen rebel forces overthrew Mohammad Najibullah's Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in 1992. It is celebrated mostly by former warlords and their followers, such as the Northern Alliance. Other Afghans are against celebrating the day because it marks the start of civil war, and the fact that the Mujahideen were not only Afghans but included men from over 50 Islamic nations around the Muslim world.
Hero's Day Barbados - A p r 2 8
Barbadian National Heroes are the designees of the Order of National Heroes Act, as passed by the Parliament of Barbados in 1998. The act formally recognized the stature of ten major figures in the history of Barbados. The first National Heroes Day was celebrated on 28 April 1998, the centenary of the birth of Sir Grantley Adams.
National Day of Mourning Canada - Apr 28
The National Day of Mourning is observed in Canada on 28 April. It commemorates workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace related hazards and incidents. Workers' Memorial Day was started by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in 1984, and the Canadian Labour Congress officially declared it an annual day of remembrance in 1985 on April 28. In December 1990, this day became a national observance with the passing of the Workers Mourning Day Act, so that on April 28, 1991, it was officially the National Day of Mourning for persons killed or injured in the workplace; making April 28, an official Workers’ Mourning Day.. Since its inception, the observance has spread to over 80 countries around the world, but is known is most other countries as the Workers' Memorial Day. The date 28 April was picked because on that day in 1914, the Workers Compensation Act received its third reading.In 2001 the International Labour Organization first observed World Day for Safety and Health at Work on this day. Typically the Canadian flag on Parliament Hill is flown at half-mast, and workers and employees observe this day in various ways including lighting candles, donning ribbons and black armbands, and observing moments of silence. The purpose of Day of Mourning is twofold- to remember and honour those lives lost or injured and to renew the commitment to improving health and safety in the workplace - to prevent further deaths, injuries and diseases from work.
Showa Day Japan - A p r 2 9
Shōwa Day (昭和の日 Shōwa no hi) is a Japanese annual holiday held on April 29. It honors the birthday of the Shōwa Emperor (Hirohito), the reigning Emperor from 1926 to 1989. The purpose of the holiday is to encourage public reflection on the turbulent 63 years of Hirohito's reign.
History Emperor Hirohito died on January 7, 1989. April 29 was sub-
sequently no longer celebrated asThe Emperor's Birthday but instead as Greenery Day, part of Japan's Golden Week. After a series of failed legislative attempts beginning in 2000, the April 29 holiday was finally renamed Shōwa Day in May 2005, and Greenery Day was moved from April 29 to May 4. According to the then-main opposition party (and current ruling party) the Democratic Party of Japan (which backed the bill for the first time after many years of refusal), the holiday encourages public reflection of the turbulent 63 years of Hirohito's reign rather than glorifying the emperor himself. Hirohito's reign saw, among other things, the end of Taishō Democracy, the May 15 Incident, the February 26 Incident, the rise of Fascism, World War II, the post-war occupation, and the rise of Japan as an industrial and economic power.
Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) Netherlands - A p r 3 0
Koninginnedag or Queen's Day is a national holiday in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba on 30 April or on 29 April if the 30th is a Sunday. Queen's Day celebrates the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands and is supposed to be a day of national unity and "togetherness" (Dutch: saamhorigheid). The tradition started on 31 August 1885, on the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, later Queen Wilhelmina. Since 1949, after the accession of Queen Juliana, Queen's Day is Queen Juliana's birthday on 30 April. Although Queen Beatrix's birthday is on 31 January, she officially celebrates her birthday on 30 April. Queen's Day is known for its "freemarket" (Dutch: vrijmarkt) all over the country, where everybody is allowed to sell things in the streets. Other activities during Queen's Day are children's games, individual musical performances, and music concerts. The night before Queen's Day is celebrated too in most cities, and this is called Queen's Night (Dutch: Koninginnenacht). The largest celebration of Queen's Day is in Amsterdam, Queen's Night inThe Hague and Queen's Dance (Dutch: Koninginnedans) in Rotterdam. During the celebrations as reference to the colours of the House of Orange-Nassau, people dress in the colour orange, which is sometimes called "orange craze" (Dutch: oranjegekte).
History
The present-day celebration of Queen's Day was originally intended by the Liberal Union to be a day of national unity in the Netherlands. It started with the celebration of the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina on 31 August 1885. From 1885 to 1890 the celebration was therefore called Prinsessedag or Princess' Day, until the Coronation of Wilhelmina in 1890. Since 31 August 1891, the celebration was called Koninginnedag or Queen's Day. The day was not only the birthday of the Queen, but also the last day of the summer vacation, which made the celebrations popular with children. Unlike her successors, Queen Wilhelmina almost never attended festivities on Queen's Day. In September 1948 Queen Juliana ascended to the Dutch throne and from 1949 onwards Queen's Day was on her birthday on 30 April. When 30 April is a Sunday, Queen's Day is celebrated on 29 April. On this day, Queen Juliana received a flower tribute at Soestdijk Palace, where she lived. The Queen and her family would stand on a dais and a long line of citizens would walk past, congratulating her and presenting her gifts and flowers. The parade was broadcast on national television from the 1950s. When more and more people received a day off from their work, Queen's Day became a national holiday of togetherness (Dutch: samenhorigheid). When Queen Beatrix succeeded her mother Queen Juliana on 30 April 1980, she decided to keep the holiday on 30 April as a tribute to her mother. Furthermore for practical reasons, the weather on her own birthday in the winter on 31 January tends to prohibit the traditional outdoor festivities, while 30 April normally has better weather. In contrast to her mother, Juliana, Beatrix decided to go into the country to meet the people, rather than receiving people at her residence. Since her ascension to the throne, Queen Beatrix and her family visit one, two, or sometimes three places on Queen's day, where she is shown regional versions of traditional Dutch dances and demonstrations of old crafts. In 2001, the Queen's Day visits of the Royal Family were canceled as there was worry about maintaining the quarantine measures to control an ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Queen Beatrix has visited the following cities over the years on Queen's Day.
Liberation Day Vietnam - A p r 3 0
Victory Day (Ngày Chiến thắng), Reunification Day (Ngày Thống nhất), or Liberation Day (Ngày Giải phóng) is a public holiday in Vietnamthat marks the occasion Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) on April 30, 1975. This signalled the end of the Vietnam War, known in Vietnamese as Chiến tranh Việt Nam (Vietnam War) or Kháng chiến chống Mỹ ("Resistance War Against America"). It was the start of the transition period toward reunification, which occurred July 2, 1976. In the Overseas Vietnamese exile community, the day is remembered as the "Fall of Saigon" or "Ngày Quốc hận". This is loosely translated as "National Defeat Day," or more literally as "National Day of Resentment." These terms are considered treasonous in present day Vietnamand can lead to harassment or imprisonment. This is a commemorative day for exile Vietnamese who served, were affected, and displaced in those overseas communities, and as such is a day of reflection. The anniversary is marked by several festivals around the date.
May Day Eve - A p r 3 0 Finland, Germany, Sweden
The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after Saint Walburga (ca. 710-777/9). As Walburga was canonized on 1 May (ca. 870), she became associated with May Day, especially in the Finnish and Swedish calendars. The eve of May day, traditionally celebrated with dancing, came to be known as Walpurgisnacht ("Walpurga's night"). The German term is recorded in the 17th century, e.g. by Johannes Praetorius (1668), as S. Walpurgis Nacht or S. Walpurgis Abend. In earlier references, 1 May is more typically referred to as Jacobi Philippi (after James the Less and Philip, the apostles whose feast day falls on 1 May), e.g. in the Calendarium Perpetuum by Johannes Coler (1603, p. 89). The 17th century German tradition of a meeting of sorcerers and witches on May Day is influenced by the descriptions of Witches' Sabbaths in 15th and 16th century literature.
Finland In Finland, Walpurgis day (Vappu) is, along with New Year's
Eve and Juhannus, the biggest carnival-style festival held in the streets of Finland's towns and cities. The celebration, which begins on the evening of 30 April and continues to 1 May, typically centres on copious consumption of sparkling wine and other alcoholic beverages. Student traditions, particularly those of the engineering students, are one of the main characteristics of Vappu. Since the end of the 19th century, this traditional upper-class feast has been appropriated by university students. Many graduates from lukio, and thus traditionally assumed as university students or alumni, wear a cap. Most people think the caps of the engineering students are distinguished by pom-poms hanging from them; however, nurses and some other vocational school graduates also have caps with pom-poms. One tradition is to drink sima, a home-made mead, along with freshly cooked doughnuts. In the capital Helsinki and its surrounding region, fixtures include the capping (on 30 April at 6 pm) of the Havis Amanda, a nude female statue in Helsinki, and the biannually alternating publications of ribald matter called Äpy and Julkku, by engineering students of Aalto University School of Science and Technology. Both are sophomoric; but while Julkku is a standard magazine, Äpy is always a gimmick. Classic forms have included an Äpy printed on toilet paper and a bedsheet. Often, the magazine has been stuffed inside standard industrial packages, such as sardine cans and milk cartons. For most university students, Vappu starts a week before the day of celebration. The festivities also include a picnic on 1 May, which is sometimes prepared in a lavish manner, particularly in Ullanlinnanmäki—and Kaisaniemi for the Swedish-speaking population—in Helsinki city. The Finnish tradition is also a shadowing of the Socialist May Day parade. Expanding from the parties of the left, the whole of the Finnish political scene has adopted Vappu as the day to go out on stumps and agitate. This does not only include political activists: other institutions, such as the church, have followed suit, marching and making speeches. In Sweden, it is only the left-wing parties that use 1 May for political activities, while others observe the traditional festivities. Left-wing activists who were active in the 1970s still party on May Day. They arrange carnivals, and radio stations play leftist songs from the 1970s. Traditionally, 1 May is celebrated by a picnic in a park (Kaivopuisto or Kaisaniemi in the case of Helsinki). For most, the picnic is enjoyed with friends on a blanket with good food and sparkling wine. Some people, however, arrange extremely lavish picnics with pavilions, white tablecloths, silver candelabras, classical music and extravagant food. The picnic usually starts early in the morning, where some of the previous night's party-goers continue their celebrations undaunted by lack of sleep. Some student organisations reserve areas where they traditionally camp every year. Student caps, mead, streamers and balloons have their role in the picnic, as well as in the celebration as a whole. Vappu/Valborg and Midsummer are Finland's two main holidays in the summer half of the year, on a par with Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in the winter half.
Germany
In Germany, Walpurgisnacht, the night from 30 April to 1 May, is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the Brocken and await the arrival of spring. Walpurgis Night (in German folklore) the night of 30 April (May Day's eve), when witches meet on the Brocken mountain and hold revels with their gods..." Brocken is the highest of the Harz Mountains of north central Germany. It is noted for the phenomenon of the Brocken spectreand for witches' revels which reputedly took place there on Walpurgis night. The Brocken Spectre is a magnified shadow of an observer, typically surrounded by rainbow-like bands, thrown onto a bank of cloud in high mountain areas when the sun is low. The phenomenon was first reported on the Brocken. —Oxford Phrase & Fable. A scene in Goethe's Faust Part One is called "Walpurgisnacht", and one in Faust Part Two is called "Classical Walpurgisnacht". The last chapter of book five in Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain is also called "Walpurgisnacht". In Edward Albee's 1962 play 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?', Act Two is entitled "Walpurgisnacht". In some parts of northern coastal regions of Germany, the custom of lighting huge fires is still kept alive to celebrate the coming of May, while most parts of Germany have a derived Christianized custom around Easter called "Easter fires". In rural parts of southern Germany, it is part of popular youth culture to play pranks such as tampering with neighbours' gardens, hiding possessions, or spraying graffiti on private property. These pranks occasionally result in serious damage to property or bodily injury. In Berlin, traditional leftist May Day riots usually start at Walpurgis Night in the Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg. There is a similar tradition in the Schanzenviertel district of Hamburg, though in both cases, the situation has significantly calmed down in the past few years.
Sweden In Sweden, Walpurgis Night (Swedish: Valborgsmässoafton
or simply Valborg) has more or less become a de facto half holiday. The forms of celebration in Sweden vary in different parts of the country and between different cities. Sir James George Frazer in The Golden Bough writes, "The first of May is a great popular festival in the more midland and southern parts of Sweden. On the eve of the festival, huge bonfires, which should be lighted by striking two flints together, blaze on all the hills and knolls." One of the main traditions in Sweden is to light large bonfires, a custom that is most firmly established in Svealand and may have begun in Uppland during the 18th century: "At Walpurgis (Valborg), farm animals were let out to graze, and ever since the early 18th century bonfires (majbrasor, kasar) have been lit to scare away predators." In Southern Sweden, an older tradition, no longer practised, was for the younger people to collect greenery and branches from the woods at twilight, these were used to adorn the houses of the village. The expected reward for this task was to be paid in eggs. Singing traditional songs of spring is widespread throughout the country. The songs are mostly from the 19th century and were spread by students' spring festivities. The strongest and most traditional spring festivities are also found in the old university cities, such as Uppsala and Lund, where undergraduates, graduates and alumni gather at events that last most of the day from early morning to late night on 30 April, or sista april ("The Last Day Of April") as it is called in Sweden. More modern Valborg celebrations, particularly among Uppsala students, oftentimes consist of enjoying a breakfast including champagne and strawberries. During the day, people gather in parks, drink considerable amounts of alcoholic beverages, barbecue and generally enjoy the weather, if it happens to be favourable. In Uppsala, since the mid-1970s, students also go rafting on Fyrisån through the centre of town with home-made, in fact quite easily wreckable, and often humorously decorated rafts. Several nations also hold "Champagne Races", where students go to drink and spray champagne or somewhat more modestly priced sparkling wine on each other. The walls and floors of the old nation buildings are covered in plastic for this occasion, as the champagne is poured around recklessly and sometimes spilled enough to wade in. Spraying champagne is, however, a fairly recent addition to the Champagne Race. The name derives from the students running down the downhill slope from the Carolina Rediviva library, toward the Student Nations, to drink champagne. In Linköping, the students and public gather at the courtyard of Linköping Castle. Spring songs are sung by the Linköping University Male Voice Choir, and speeches are made by representatives of the students and the university teachers. In Gothenburg, the carnival parade, The Cortège, which has been held since 1909 by the students at Chalmers University of Technology, is an important part of the celebration. It is seen by around 250,000 people each year. In Landskrona, people gather at the Citadel to play beer-baseball, a game in which one drinks beer and plays baseball at the same time.
International Workers' Day Worldwide - M a y 0 1
International Workers' Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the internationallabour movement and left-wing movements. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labour unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries. It is also celebrated unofficially in many other countries.
History
International Workers' Day is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, which occurred after an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at police as they dispersed a public assembly during a general strike for the eight-hour workday. In response, the Chicago police fired on the workers killing dozens of demonstrators and several of their own officers. In 1889, the first congress of the Second International, meeting in Paris for the centennial of the French Revolution and the Exposition Universelle, following a proposal by Raymond Lavigne, called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests. May Day was formally recognized as an annual event at the International's second congress in 1891. Subsequently, the May Day Riots of 1894 occurred. In 1904, the International Socialist Conference meeting in Amsterdam called on "allSocial Democratic Party organizations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on May First for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace." The congress made it "mandatory upon the proletarian organizations of all countries to stop work on May 1, wherever it is possible without injury to the workers." In many countries, the working classes sought to make May Day an official holiday, and their efforts largely succeeded. May Day has long been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist, communist and anarchist groups. In some circles, bonfires are lit in commemoration of the Haymarket martyrs, usually at dawn. May Day has been an important official holiday in countries such as the People's Republic of China, North Korea, Cuba and the former Soviet Union. May Day celebrations typically feature elaborate popular and military parades in these countries. In the United States and Canada, however, the official holiday for workers is Labor Day in September. This day was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, who organized the first parade in New York City. After the Haymarket Massacre, US President Grover Cleveland feared that commemorating Labor Day on May 1 could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots. Thus he moved in 1887 to support the Labor Day that the Knights supported. In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated May 1 to "Saint Joseph The Worker". The Catholic Church considers Saint Joseph the patron saint of (among others) workers, craftsmen, and "people fighting communism". Right-wing governments have traditionally sought to repress the message behind International Workers' Day, with fascist governments in Portugal, Italy, Germany and Spain abolishing the workers' holiday, the official May 1st holiday in the US being Loyalty Day, and the Conservative party in the UK currently attempting to abolish the UK's annual May Day Bank Holiday.
Dos de Mayo Spain - May 02
On the second of May (Spanish: Dos de Mayo), 1808, the people of Madrid rebelled against the occupation of the city by French troops, provoking a brutal repression by the French Imperial forces and triggering the Peninsular War.
Background The city had been under
the occupation of Napoleon's army since 23 March of the same year. King Charles IV had been forced to abdicate in favour of his son Ferdinand VII, and at the time of the uprising both were in the French city of Bayonne at the insistence of Napoleon. An attempt by the French general Joachim Murat to move the daughter and youngest son of Charles IV to Bayonne led to a popular rebellion that was harshly suppressed by French troops after hours of fierce street fighting. The uprising in Madrid, together with the subsequent proclamation as king of Napoleon's brother Joseph, provoked resistance across Spain to French rule.
May Day International - M a y 0 1
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures.
May Day celebrations Traditional May Day is related to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic
festival of Walpurgis Night. May Day falls exactly half a year from November 1, another cross-quarter day which is also associated with various northern European pagan and the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations. As Europe became Christianized the pagan holidays lost their religious character and either changed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were merged with or replaced by new Christian holidays as with Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and All Saint's Day. In the twentieth century, many neopagans began reconstructing the old traditions and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival again.
Origins:
The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were abandoned orChristianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the maypole dance and crowning of the Queen of the May. Various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on May 1st. The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary's month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps.
Europe
The aftermath
The repression following the crushing of the initial rebellion was harsh. Murat created a military commission on the evening of 2 May to be presided over by General Grouchy. This commission issued death sentences to all of those captured who were bearing weapons of any kind. In a statement issued that day Murat said: "The population of Madrid, led astray, has given itself to revolt and murder. French blood has flowed. It demands vengeance. All those arrested in the uprising, arms in hand, will be shot." All public meetings were prohibited and an order was issued requiring all weapons to be handed in to the authorities. Hundreds of prisoners were executed the following day, a scene that has also been captured in a famous painting by Goya, The Third of May 1808. On the same 2 May, in the nearby town of Móstoles, the arrival of the news of the repression prompted Juan Pérez Villamil, who was secretary of the Admiralty and prosecutor of the Supreme War Council, to encourage the mayors of the town, Andrés Torrejón and Simón Hernández, to sign a declaration of war calling all the Spaniards against the invaders. The name of this declaration was "Bando de los alcaldes de Móstoles" or "bando de la Independencia".
The impact of the uprising
While the French occupiers hoped that their rapid suppression of the uprising would demonstrate their control of Spain, the rebellion actually gave considerable impetus to the resistance. In the weeks that followed there were further rebellions in different parts of the country.
Commemoration 2 May was chosen as a public holiday in the region of Madrid. The place where the artillery barracks of Monteleón
was located is now a square called the Plaza 2 de mayo, and the district surrounding the square is known as Malasaña in memory of one of the heroines of the revolt, the teenagerManuela Malasaña, who was executed by French troops in the aftermath of the revolt. Several memorials to the heroes are located over the city, including the Monumento a los Caidos por España.
Casinga Day Namibia May 04
Cassinga Day is a national public holiday in Namibia remembering the Cassinga massacre. Occurring on 4 May yearly, the day "remembers those (approximately 600) killed in 1978 when the South African Defence Force attacked a SWAPO base (refugee camp) at Cassinga in southern Angola". Commemorations are marked yearly by ceremonies at Heroes' Acre, outside of Windhoek. These ceremonies are attended by many important national political figures, including Presidents Hifikepunye Pohamba and Sam Nujoma.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 3 May to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991. UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. Created in 1997, the prize is awarded on the recommendation of an independent jury of 14 news professionals. Names are submitted by regional and international non-governmental organizations working for press freedom, and by UNESCO member states. The Prize is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogotá, on 17 December 1986. Cano's writings had offended Colombia's powerful drug barons. UNESCO also marks World Press Freedom Day each year by bringing together media professionals, press freedom organisations and UN agencies to assess the state of press freedom worldwide and discuss solutions for addressing challenges. Each conference is centred around a theme related to press freedom, including good governance, media coverage of terrorism, impunity and the role of media in post-conflict countries. The 2011 World Press Freedom Day celebration is being held in Washington, D.C., USA on May 1-3. This will be the first time the United States has hosted the World Press Freedom Day celebration. The theme of this year's event is 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers. The event will affirm fundamental principles of media freedom in the digital age—the ability of citizens to voice their opinions and access diverse, independent information sources— 20 years after the original declaration was made in Windhoek, Namibia. The World Press Freedom Day 2011 program and agenda are available here.
Great Britain:
Traditional British May Day rites and celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queenand celebrations involving a Maypole. Much of this tradition derive from the pagan Anglo-Saxonand customs held during "Þrimilci-mōnaþ" (the Old English name for the month of May meaningMonth of Three Milkings) along with many Celtic traditions. May Day has been a traditional day of festivities throughout the centuries. May Day is most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime fertility and revelry with village fetes and community gatherings. Since the reform of the Catholic Calendar, May 1st is the Feast of St Philip & St James, they became the patron saints of workers. Seeding has been completed by this date and it was convenient to give farm labourers a day off. Perhaps the most significant of the traditions is the Maypole, around which traditional dancers circle with ribbons. The May Day bank holiday, on the first Monday in May, was traditionally the only one to affect thestate school calendar, although new arrangements in some areas to even out the length of school terms mean that the Good Friday and Easter Monday bank holidays, which vary from year to year, may also fall during term time. The May Day bank holiday was created in 1978. Maibaum in Munich, GerIn February 2011, the UK Parliament was reported to be considering scrap- many. ping the bank holiday associated with May Day, replacing it with a bank holiday in October, possibly co-inciding with Trafalgar Day(celebrated on 21 October), to create a "United Kingdom Day". May Day was abolished and its celebration banned by puritan parliaments during the Interregnum, but reinstated with the restoration of Charles II in 1660. 1 May 1707 was the day the Act of Union came into effect, joining England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. In Oxford, it is traditional for May Morning revellers to gather below the Great Tower of Magdalen College at 6:00 am to listen to the college choir sing traditional madrigals as a conclusion to the previous night's celebrations. It is then thought to be traditional for some people to jump off Magdalen Bridge into the River Cherwell. However this has actually only been fashionable since the 1970s. In recent years, the bridge has been closed on 1 May to prevent people from jumping, as the water under the bridge is only 2 feet (61 cm) deep and jumping from the bridge has resulted in serious injury in the past. There are still people who insist on climbing the barriers and leaping into the water, causing themselves injury. In Durham, students of the University of Durham gather on Prebend's Bridge to see the sunrise and enjoy festivities, folk music, dancing, madrigal singing and a barbecue breakfast. This is an emerging Durham tradition, with patchy observance since 2001. Whitstable, Kent, hosts a good example of more traditional May Day festivities, where the Jack in the Green festival was revived in 1976 and continues to lead an annual procession of morris dancers through the town on the May Bank Holiday. A separate revival occurred in Hastings in 1983 and has become a major event in the town calendar. A traditional Sweeps Festival is performed over the May bank holiday in Rochester, Kent, where the Jack in the Green is woken at dawn on 1 May by Morris dancers. The Maydayrun involves thousands of motorbikes taking a 55-mile (89 km) trip from London(Locksbottom) to the Hastings seafront, East Sussex. The event has been taking place for almost 30 years now and has grown in interest from around the country, both commercially and publicly. The event is not officially organised; the police only manage the traffic, and volunteers manage the parking. Padstow in Cornwall holds its annual 'Obby-Oss' (Hobby Horse) day of festivities. This is believed to be one of the oldest fertility rites in the UK; revellers dance with the Oss through the streets of the town and even through the private gardens of the citizens, accompanied by accordion players and followers dressed in white with red or blue sashes who sing the traditional 'May Day' song. The whole town is dec- May Queen on village orated with springtime greenery, and every year thousands of onlookers attend. green, Melmerby Prior to the 19th century distinctive May day celebrations were widespread throughout West Cornwall, and are being revived in St. Ives and Penzance. Kingsand, Cawsand and Millbrook in Cornwall celebrate Flower Boat Ritual on the May Day bank holiday. A model of the ship The Black Prince is covered in flowers and is taken in procession from the Quay at Millbrook to the beach at Cawsand where it is cast adrift. The houses in the villages are decorated with flowers and people traditionally wear red and white clothes. There are further celebrations in Cawsand Square with Morris dancing and May pole dancing. In St Andrews, some of the students gather on the beach late on April 30 and run into the North Sea at sunrise on May Day, occasionally naked. This is accompanied by torchlit processions and much elated celebration. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow organize Mayday festivals and rallies. In Edinburgh, the Beltane Fire Festival is held on the evening of May eve and into the early hours of May Day on the city's Calton Hill. An older Edinburgh tradition has it that young women who climb Arthur's Seat and wash their faces in the morning dew will have lifelong beauty.
Ireland:
May Day has been celebrated in Ireland since pagan times as the feast of Bealtaine and in latter times as Mary's day. Traditionally, bonfires were lit to mark the coming of summer and to banish the long nights of winter. Officially Irish May Day holiday is the first Monday in May. Old traditions such as bonfires are no longer widely observed, though the practice still persists in some communities, such as Arklow, County Wicklow.
France:
On May 1, 1561, King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm. He decided to offer a lily of the valley each year to the ladies of the court. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became custom to give a sprig of lily of the valley, a symbol of springtime, on May 1. The government permits individuals and workers' organisations to sell them tax-free. It is also traditional for the lady receiving the sprig of lily of the valley to give a kiss in return. Nowadays, people may present loved ones either with bunches of lily of the valley or dog rose flowers.
Germany:
In rural regions of Germany, especially the Harz Mountains, Walpurgisnacht celebrations of pagan origin are traditionally held on the night before May Day, including bonfires and the wrapping of a Maibaum (maypole). Young people use this opportunity to party, while the day itself is used by many families to get some fresh air. Motto: "Tanz in den Mai!" ("Dance into May!"). In the Rhineland, May 1 is also celebrated by the delivery of a maypole, a tree covered in streamers to the house of a girl the night before. The tree is typically from a love interest, though a tree wrapped only in white streamers is a sign of dislike. Females usually place roses or rice in form of a heart at the house of their beloved one. It is common to stick the heart to a window or place it in front of the doormat. On leap years, it is the responsibility of the females to place the maypole. All the action is usually done secretly and it is an individual's choice whether to give a hint of their identity or stay anonymous. May Day was not established as a public holiday until 1933. As Labour Day, many political parties and unions host activities related to work and employment.
Finland:
Celebrations among the younger generations take place on May Day Eve, see Walpurgis Night in Finland, most prominent being the afternoon 'crowning' of statues in towns around the country with a student cap. May Day is known as Vappu, from the Swedish term. This is a public holiday that is the only carnival-style street festivity in the country. People young and old, particularly students, party outside, picnic and wear Queen Guinevere's Maying caps or other decorative clothing. Some Finns make a special lemonade from lemons, brown sugar, and yeast called "sima". It contains very little alcohol, so even children can drink it. You can also buy a similar product in all stores. Some Finns also make doughnuts and a crisp pastry fried in oil made from a similar, more liquid dough. Balloons and other decorations like serpentines are seen everywhere.
Sweden:
The more traditional festivities have moved to the day before, Walpurgis night ("Valborgsmässoafton"), known in some locales as simply "Last of April". The first of May is instead celebrated as International Workers' Day.
Pacific (USA):
In Hawaii, May Day is also known as Lei Day, and is normally set aside as a day to celebrate island culture in general and native Hawaiian culture in particular. Invented by a poet and a local newspaper columnist in the 1920s, it has since been adopted by state and local government as well as the residents, and has taken on the sense of a Morris dancing on May Day in Oxford,Enggeneral spring celebration. The first Lei Day was pro- land 2004. posed in 1927 in Honolulu by poet and artist Don Blanding. Leonard "Red" and Ruth Hawk composed "May Day is Lei Day in Hawai'i," the traditional holiday song. Originally it was a contemporary fox trot, later rearranged as the Hawaiian hula song performed today.
USA:
May Day was also celebrated by some early European settlers of the American continent. In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made. These are small baskets usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The giver rings the bell and runs away. The person receiving the basket tries to catch the fleeing giver. If they catch the person, a kiss is exchanged. Modern May Day ceremonies in the U.S. vary greatly from region to region and many unite both the holiday's "Green May Day festivities at National Park SemiRoot" (pagan) and "Red Root" (labor) traditions. May 1 is also recognized in the U.S. as Law Day. nary in Maryland, 1907.
National Flag Day Poland - May 02
The flag of Poland consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width, the upper one white and the lower one red. The two colors are defined in the Polish constitution as the national colors. A variant of the flag with the national coat of arms in the middle of the white stripe is legally reserved for official use abroad and at sea. A similar flag with the addition of a swallow-tail is used as the naval ensign of Poland. White and red were officially adopted as national colors in 1831. They are of heraldic origin and derive from the tinctures (colors) of the coats of arms of the two constituent nations of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth, i.e. the White Eagle of Poland and the Pursuer (Lithuanian:Vytis, Polish: Pogoń) of Lithuania, a white knight riding a white horse, both on a red shield. Prior to that, Polish soldiers wore cockades of various color combinations. The national flag was officially adopted in 1919. Since 2004, Polish Flag Day is celebrated on May 2. The flag is flown continuously on the buildings of the highest national authorities, such as the parliament and the presidential palace. Other institutions and many Polish people fly the national flag on national holidays and other special occasions of national significance. Current Polish law does not restrict the use of the national flag without the coat of arms as long as the flag is not disrespected. Horizontal bicolor of white and red being a relatively widespread design, there are several flags that are similar but unrelated to the Polish one, most notably those of Bohemia in the Czech Republic and Tyrol in Austria, and two national flags with the red stripe above the white one: those of Indonesia and Monaco. In Poland, many flags based on the national design also feature the national colors.
Constitution Day Poland - May 03
Constitution of May 3, 1791 (Polish: Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja;Lithuanian: Gegužės trečiosios konstitucija) is generally regarded as Europe's first and the world's second modern codified national constitution, following the 1788 ratification of the United States Constitution (however, see also: Corsican Constitution and Constitution of San Marino). The May 3, 1791, Constitution was adopted as a "Government Act" (Polish: Ustawa rządowa) on that date by the Sejm (parliament) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was in effect for only a year, until the Russo-Polish War of 1792. The May 3 Constitution was designed to redress long-standing political defects of the Polish– Lithuanian Commonwealth and its traditional sysof "Golden Liberty" conveying tem disproportionate rights and privileges to the nobility. The Constitution introduced political equality between townspeople and nobility (szlachta) and placed the peasants under the protection of the government, thus mitigating the worst abuses of serfdom. The Constitution abolished pernicious parliamentary institutions such as the liberum veto, which at one time had put the sejm at the mercy of any deputy who might choose, or be bribed by an interest or foreign power, to undo legislation passed by that sejm. The Constitution sought to supplant the existing anarchy fostered by some of the country's magnates with a more democratic constitutional monarchy. The document was translated into Lithuanian. The adoption of the May 3 Constitution provoked the active hostility of the Commonwealth's neighbors. In the War in Defense of the Constitution, the Commonwealth lost its Prussian ally, Frederick William II, when the Commonwealth failed to live up to territorial agreements made in their treaty and also failed to consult Prussia before agreeing on the constitution. It was then defeated by Catherine the Great's Imperial Russia allied with the Targowica Confederation, a coalition of Polish magnates and landless nobility who opposed reforms that might weaken their influence. Despite the Commonwealth's defeat and the consequent Second Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the May 3 Constitution influenced later democratic movements. It remained, after the demise of the Polish Republic in 1795, over the next 123 years of Polish partitions, a beacon in the struggle to restore Polish sovereignty. In the words of two of its co-authors, Ignacy Potocki and Hugo Kołłątaj, it was "the last will and testament of the expiring Motherland."
Background
The May 3 Constitution responded to the increasingly perilous situation of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, only a century earlier a major European power and indeed the largest state on the continent. Already two hundred years before the May 3 Constitution, King Sigismund III Vasa's court preacher, the Jesuit Piotr Skarga, had famously condemned the individual and collective weaknesses of the Commonwealth. Likewise, in the same period, writers and philosophers such as Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski and Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki, and Jan Zamoyski's egzekucja praw (Execution-of-the-Laws) reform movement, had advocated reforms. By the early 17th century, the magnates of Poland and Lithuania controlled the Commonwealth—or rather, they managed to ensure that no reforms would be carried out that might weaken their privileged status (the "Golden Freedoms"). They spent lavishly on banquets, drinking bouts and other amusements, while the peasants languished in abysmal conditions and the towns, many of which were wholly within the private property of a magnate who feared the rise of an independent middle class, were kept in a state of ruin. Many historians hold that a major cause of the Commonwealth's downfall was the peculiar institution of the liberum veto ("free veto"), which since 1652 had in principle permitted any Sejm deputy to nullify all the legislation that had been adopted by that Sejm. Thus deputies bribed by magnates or foreign powers, or simply content to believe they were living in some kind of "Golden Age", for over a century paralysed the Commonwealth's government. The King Stanisław August, principal author of Constituthreat of the liberum veto could, however, tion be overridden by the establishment of a "confederated sejm", which operated immune from the liberum veto. The Four-Year, or "Great", Sejm of 1788–92, which would adopt the Constitution of May 3, 1791, was such a confederated sejm, and it was due only to that fact that it was able to put through so radical a piece of legislation. The Enlightenment had gained great influence in certain Commonwealth circles during the reign (1764–95) of its last king, Stanisław August Poniatowski, and the King had proceeded with cautious reforms such as the establishment of fiscal and military ministries and a national customs tariff. However, the idea of reforms in the Commonwealth was viewed with growing suspicion not only by the magnates, but also by neighboring countries, which were content with the Commonwealth's contemporary state of affairs and abhorred the thought of a resurgent and democratic power on their borders. Accordingly Russia's Empress Catherine the Great and Prussia's King Frederick the Great provoked a conflict between some members of the Sejm and the King over civil rights for religious minorities. Catherine and Frederick declared their support for the Polish nobility (szlachta) and their "liberties," and by October 1767 Russian troops had assembled outside the Polish capital, Warsaw. The King and his adherents, in face of superior Russian military force, were left with little choice but to acquiesce in Russian demands and during the Repnin Sejm (named after unofficially presiding Russian ambassador Nicholas Repnin) accept the five "eternal and invariable principles" which Catherine vowed to "protect for all time to come in the name of Poland's liberties": the election of kings; the right of liberum veto; the right to renounce allegiance to, and raise rebellion against, the king (rokosz); the szlachta's exclusive right to hold office and land; and a landowner's power of life and death over his peasants. Thus all the privileges of the nobility that had made the Commonwealth's political system ("Golden Liberty") ungovernable were guaranteed as unalterable in the Cardinal Laws. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth thus became an effective protectorate of the Russian Empire. Nonetheless, several minor beneficial reforms were adopted, and the need for more reforms was becoming increasingly recognized. Not everyone in the Commonwealth agreed with King Stanisław August's acquiescence. On February 29, 1768, several magnates, including Kazimierz Pułaski, vowing to oppose Russian intervention, declared Stanisław August a "lackey of Russia and Catherine" and formed aconfederation at the town of Bar. The Bar Confederation began a civil war with the goal of overthrowing the King and fought on until 1772, when overwhelmed by Russian intervention. The Bar Confederation's defeat set the scene for the next act in the unfolding drama. On August 5, 1772, at St. Petersburg, Russia, the three neighboring powers—Russia, Prussia and Austria—signed the First Partition treaty. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was to be divested of about a third of its territory and population (over 200,000 km2 (77,220 sq mi) and 4 million people). This was justified on grounds of "anarchy" in the Commonwealth and her refusal to cooperate with its neighbors' efforts to restore order. The three powers demanded that the Sejm ratify this first partition, otherwise threatening further partitions. King Stanisław August yielded under duress and on April 19, 1773, called the Sejm into session. Only 102 deputies attended what became known as the Partition Sejm; the rest, aware of the King's decision, refused. Despite protests, notably by the deputy Tadeusz Rejtan, the First Partition of Poland was ratified. The first of the three successive 18th-century partitions of Commonwealth territory that would eventually blot Poland from the map of Europe shocked the inhabitants of the Commonwealth, and had made it clear to progressive minds that the Commonwealth must either reform or perish. Even before the First Partition, a Sejm deputy had been sent to ask the French philosophes Gabriel Bonnot de Mably and Jean-Jacques Rousseau to draw up tentative constitutions for a new Poland. Mably had submitted his recommendations in 1770–71; Rousseau had finished his (Considerations on the Government of Poland) in 1772, when the First Partition was already underway. Supported by King Stanisław August, a new wave of reforms were introduced. The most important included the establishment, in 1773, of a Komisja Edukacji Narodowej ("Commission of National Education")—the first ministry of education in the world. New schools were opened in the cities and in the countryside, uniform textbooks were printed, teachers were educated, and poor students were provided scholarships. The Commonwealth's military was modernized, and a standing army was formed. Economic and commercial reforms, previously shunned as unimportant by the szlachta, were introduced, and the development of industries was encouraged. The peasants were given some rights. A new Police ministry fought corruption. Everything from the road system to prisons was reformed. A new executive body was created, the Permanent Council (Polish: Rada Nieustająca), comprising five ministries. In 1776, the Sejm commissioned Chancellor Andrzej Zamoyski to draft a new legal code, the Zamoyski Code. By 1780, under Zamoyski's direction, a code (Zbiór praw sądowych) had been produced. It would have strengthened royal power, made all officials answerable to the Sejm, placed the clergy and their finances under state supervision, and deprived landless szlachta of many of their legal immunities. Zamoyski's progressive legal code, containing elements of constitutional reform, facing opposition from conservative szlachta and foreign powers, failed to be adopted by the Sejm.
Constitution Day Japan - May 03
Japan commemorates the coming into effect of its new 1947 constitution. Japan’s constitution reflects Japan’s total abolition of war and military armament. Japan’s Constitution Memorial Day is one of the four public holidays in the Golden Week which also includes Emperor’s Birthday, Greenery Day, and Shōwa Day on April 29, Greenery Day on May 3, and Children’s Day on May 4.
History Two years after the end of World War II,
Japan promulgated a new constitution. It was recognized as a holiday since the passing of the new constitution on May 3, 1947. The renouncement of war is considered as Japan’s sovereign right and using war as an instrument to settle international dispute is forever banned. Article 9 of the Japanese constitutions states that: ARTICLE 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. (2) To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized. A number of known personalities, writers, and members of media in Japan have long been criticizing the above law such as the 2003 editorials in some major newspaper publications in the country.
Celebrations The beginning of the uprising During this day, the National Diet Building, housing Japan’s upper house, the House of Councillors and lower house The spark that provoked the rebellion was the move by the French Marshal in command of Madrid, Joaquim Murat,
to send the daughter of Charles IV and the Infante Francisco de Paula to the French city of Bayonne. Murat was the brother-in-law of Napoleon, and would later become king of Naples. Initially the governing council of the city refused the request from Murat, but eventually gave way after receiving a message from Ferdinand VII who was also in Bayonne at this time. On 2 May a crowd began to gather in front of the Royal Palace in Madrid. Those gathered entered the palace grounds in an attempt to prevent the removal of Francisco de Paula. Marshal Murat sent a battalion of grenadiers from the Imperial Guard to the palace along with artillery detachments. The latter opened fire on the assembled crowd, and the rebellion began to spread to other parts of the city. What followed was street fighting in different areas of Madrid as the poorly armed population confronted the French troops. Murat had quickly moved the majority of his troops into the city and there was heavy fighting around the Puerta del Sol and the Puerta de Toledo. Marshal Murat imposed martial law in the city and assumed full control of the administration. Little by little the French regained control of the city, and many hundreds of people died in the fighting. The painting by the Spanish artistGoya, The Charge of the Mamelukes, portrays the street fighting that took place. There were Spanish troops stationed in the city, but they remained confined to barracks. The only Spanish troops to disobey orders were from the artillery units at the barracks of Monteleón, who joined the uprising. Two officers of these troops,Luis Daoíz de Torres and Pedro Velarde y Santillán are still commemorated as heroes of the rebellion. Both died during the French assault of the barracks, as the rebels were reduced by vastly superior numbers.
World Press Freedom Day Worldwide - May 03
which is the House of Representatives (National Diet of Japan), becomes open to the public. Also, the Japanese government calls for a nationwide reflection on the meaning of democracy in Japan and its forever renouncement of war as stated in the controversial and criticized Article 9 of the 1947 Japanese constitution.
Día de la Santa Cruz International - May 03
The Fiesta de las Cruces ("Festival of the Crosses") or Cruz de Mayo ("May Cross") is a holiday celebrated 3 May in many parts of Spain and Hispanic America.
Origins
Religiously, the festival is rooted in the search by the Byzantine Empress Saint Helena for the cross on which Jesus died, but the popular traditions connected to the festival certainly originate from pagan traditions brought to Spain by the Roman Empire (see May Day). The legend is that Emperor Constantine I, in the sixth year of his reign, confronted the barbarians on the banks of the Danube, in a battle where victory was believed to be impossible because of the great size of the enemy army. One night, Constantine had a vision of a cross in the sky, and by it the words "In hoc signo vincis" (With this sign, you shall be victorious). The emperor had a cross made and put it at the front of his army, which won an easy victory over the enemy multitude. On returning to the city and learning the significance of the cross, Constantine was baptized as a Christian and gave orders to construct Christian churches. He sent his mother, Saint Helena, to Jerusalem in search of the True Cross, the cross on which Jesus died. Once there, Helena summoned the wisest priests to aid in her attempt to find the cross. On Calvary Hill, traditionally considered the site of Jesus's crucifixion, she found three bloody logs hidden. In order to discover which was the True Cross, she placed the logs one by one over sick people, and even dead people, who were cured or resuscitated at the touch of the True Cross. The veneration of the True Cross, and the use of pieces of the True Cross as relics, begins at this time. Santa Helena died praying for all believers in Christ to celebrate the commemoration of the day the Cross was found.
Proclamation of Independence Latvia - May 04
The Declaration "On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia" (Latvian:Deklarācija Par Latvijas Reneatkarības publikas atjaunošanu) was adopted on 4 May 1990, by the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR. The Declaration stated that, although Latvia had de facto lost its independence in 1940, when it was annexed by the Soviet Union, the country had de jure remained a sovereign country as the annexation had been unconstitutional and against the will of the people of Latvia. Therefore it resolved that the MolotovRibbentrop Pact and the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 were illegal, and annulled the declaration on the accession of Latvia to the Soviet Union of 21 July 1940, re-instituted the Constitution of Latvia of 1922, which was thereupon partly suspended, and set a period of transition to de facto independence, which would end upon the first session of Saeima. It also ruled that during the transitional period the Constitution of the Latvian SSR and other laws would remain applicable as long as they did not contradict articles 1, 2, 3, and 6 of the Constitution of Latvia, which were reinforced by the declaration. It was provided that a committee to elaborate a new edition of the Constitution of Latvia should be created. Social, economic, cultural and political rights were granted to citizens and residents of Latvia in accordance with international human rights. The declaration also stated that Latvia would form its relationship with the Soviet Union on the basis of the Latvian–Soviet Peace Treaty of 1920, in which the Soviet Union had recognized the independence of Latvia as inviolable "for all future time".
Overview
Historical and juridical background:
In its beginning the Declaration establishes several historical facts and on the basis of these facts concludes that the Republic of Latvia de jure is a sovereign country. It observes that the Republic of Latvia proclaimed independence on 18 November 1918, and was internationally recognized in 1920, and that Latvia was admitted to membership in the League of Nations in 1921. The first country to recognize the independence of Latvia de jure was Soviet Russia on 11 August 1920, when the Soviet-Latvian Peace treaty was signed (it is generally considered that the independence of Latvia de jure was internationally recognized on 26 January 1921, when it was recognized by the Allies of World War I). The declaration notes that in April 1920 the Latvian nation followed the principle of self-determination by electing a Constitutional Assembly of Latvia, which adopted the Constitution of Latvia on 15 February 1922, in general, equal and direct elections, based on proportional representation. On 23 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which included a secret protocol dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. Latvia was apportioned to the Soviet sphere and on 5 October 1939, signed a mutual assistance pact. On 16 June 1940, the Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Latvia accusing it of not carrying out the treaty, namely of forming amilitary alliance against the USSR, and requested a new government to be formed and to guarantee Soviet military free entrance in Latvia. The Latvian government decided to give in to the ultimatum and on 17 June 1940, Soviet forces entered Latvia. The Declaration states that the Soviet ultimatum and military aggression on 17 June 1940, should be viewed as an international crime, which led to the occupation of Latvia and loss of its sovereignty and points out that the new government was formed as dictated by the Soviet Union and by international law should not be viewed as executive of Latvia as it represented Soviet, not Latvian, interests. On 14-15 July 1940 a parliament called the "People's Saeima of Latvia" was elected, which on 21 July 1940, declared accession to the Soviet Union. The declaration states that the election of the People's Saeima took place on the basis of unconstitutional and illegally adopted election law in a state of political terror and notes that out of 17 lists submitted for the election only one was allowed to participate in the election, which had not stated prior to the election that Soviet power should be established in Latvia and it should join the Soviet Union and that results of the election were falsified. The declaration observes that the People's Saeima was formed by misleading the people and therefore did not express the sovereign will of people of Latvia. It also notes that the People's Saeima had no right to change the political system in Latvia and liquidate its sovereignty as only the people have such right and the issue was never submitted to a national referendum. Therefore the Declaration rules that, in accordance with international law, the annexation of Latvia to the Soviet Union was not valid and the Republic of Latvia is still de jure subject to international law as recognized by more than 50 countries.
Basis:
After concluding that the Republic of Latvia de jure is a sovereign country the Declaration makes note of previously adopted documents and explains that the Supreme Soviet is acting according to the will of inhabitants of Latvia. First it notes two previous declarations of the Supreme Soviet — "On sovereignty of state of Latvia" of 28 July 1989, which declared that the Latvian SSR will act as a sovereign state and that laws adopted by the Soviet Union will come in force in the territory of Latvian SSR only if the Supreme Soviet has ratified them and "In question of independence of Latvia" of 15 February 1990, in which the Supreme Soviet condemns declaration "On accession of Latvia to Soviet Union" of 21 July 1940, however none of these explicitly called for secession from the Soviet Union. Secondly it notes Appeal of All-Latvian congress of people deputies of 21 April 1990, which called for restoration of independence. Then it is stated that the Supreme Soviet is acting in accordance with the will of inhabitants of Latvia, which had been clearly expressed by electing as a majority those deputies, who had stated that they will restore independence of the Republic of Latvia in their reelection programme.
Act:
After establishing that the Republic of Latvia de jure is a sovereign country and that by the will of its people it should be independent, the Supreme Soviet ruled: 1. To recognize the priority of international laws over national laws. To hold to be illegitimate the treaty between the USSR and Germany of 23 August 1939, and the consequent liquidation of independence of Latvia resulting from Soviet military aggression on 17 June 1940. 2. To proclaim the declaration "On accession of Latvia to Soviet Union" of 21 July 1940, to be void from the moment of adoption. 3. To re-establish the authority of the Constitution of Latvia. The official name of the state of Latvia is the Republic of Latvia, in short Latvia. 4. To suspend the Constitution of Latvia until a new edition is adopted, except for the articles, which in accordance with the 77 article of the Constitution can only be amended if submitted to a national referendum: 1. Latvia is an independent democratic republic. 2. The sovereign power of the State of Latvia is vested in the people of Latvia. 3. The territory of the State of Latvia, within the borders established by international agreements, consists of Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme and Zemgale. 6. The Saeima shall be elected in general, equal and direct elections, and by secret ballot based on proportional representation. Article 6 shall be applied when the governmental institutions of independent Latvia have been restored, which grant free elections. 5. To set a period of transition to de facto independence until the first session of the new Saeima. During the transitional period the highest power of the state shall be the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia. 6. During the transitional period the Constitution of the Latvian SSR and other laws of the Latvian SSR in force at the time when the declaration was made may be applicable as long as they do not contradict articles 1, 2, 3, and 6 of the Constitution of Latvia. Disputes over the applicability of laws shall be resolved by the Constitutional Court. During the transitional period laws shall be made or amended only by the Supreme Council. 7. To constitute a committee, which will elaborate a new edition of the Constitution of Latvia, suitable to the current political, economic and social state of Latvia. 8. In accordance with international human rights, to grant social, economic and cultural rights, as well as political freedoms, to the citizens of Latvia and other countries, who reside in the territory of Latvia. This shall fully apply to those citizens of the Soviet Union who chose to reside in Latvia without its citizenship. 9. To build Latvian-Soviet relationships upon the Latvian-Soviet peace treaty of 11 August 1920, in which the Soviet Union recognizes eternal independence for Latvia and which is still in force. To constitute a committee for negotiations with USSR.
Further developments
On 21 August 1991, after the Soviet coup d'état attempt, the Supreme Council adopted a Constitutional law, "On statehood of the Republic of Latvia", declaring Article 5 of the Declaration to be invalid, thus ending the transitional period and restoring de facto independence. However some elements which defined the transitional period remained in force until the first session of the 5th Saeima on 6 July 1993 - The Supreme Council remained the highest power of the state and the constitution was suspended. On 31 July 1990, the Supreme Council formed a work group of 22 deputies, which had to elaborate a new edition of the Constitution until 1 January 1990, though a new edition was never drafted and the Constitution was restored unamended. The Constitutional Court which was intended to resolve Constitutional disputes during the transitional period was only founded in 1996. To comply with international human rights as indicated in Article 8, the Supreme Council adopted a declaration of human rights immediately after the Declaration of independence.
Adoption
The Supreme Soviet was elected on 18 March 1990; it was the first election in Soviet Latvia in which multiple parties were allowed to participate. 201 deputies were elected. The declaration was adopted on 4 May 1990, in an open vote, a majority of two thirds — 132 votes — was required, 138 deputies voted for adoption of the declaration, 1 abstained, while others did not participate in the vote and therefore there were no votes against the declaration.
Response
On 4 May 1990, after the declaration was adopted, the Communist Party of Latvia resolved that it was unconstitutional, contained notable contradictions and historical inaccuracies, and noted that such issues should be decided by referendum. The Communist Party deemed that the declaration might trigger the President of the Soviet Union to take countermeasures, therefore the party should launch a propaganda campaign against the declaration and ask the President of the Soviet Union to annul the declaration of the Supreme Soviet. On 14 May 1990, the President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev issued a decree stating that the declaration violated the Constitution of the Soviet Union and the Constitution of the Latvian SSR and thus stood void from the moment of adoption. The Supreme Council answered that the Constitution of the Soviet Union did not grant the president the right to annul acts adopted by Supreme Soviets of Soviet republics. Furthermore the Supreme Council announced that the Supreme Soviet, as the legal successor of the People's Saeima, had the right to annul its decisions which contradicted the Constitution of Latvia which was in force at the time these decisions were made and as the Constitution of the Soviet Union ruled that the Soviet Union was founded upon principles of self-determination, but Latvia was forcibly annexed, reference to it had no juridical basis regarding the Latvian SSR. It also noted that the law of the Soviet Union regarding secession from the Soviet Union to which the decree also referred was not in force in the territory of the Latvian SSR as the Supreme Soviet had not ratified it and that the law contradicted the Constitution of the Soviet Union and the Constitution of Latvian SSR, which provided that Soviet republics can freely secede from the Soviet Union. It was stated that the call for a referendum on secession from the Soviet Union to take place has neither a legal or a political basis, because Latvia had been annexed by the Soviet Union without holding a referendum, which was required by the Constitution of Latvia and Latvia was not seceding from the Soviet Union, but restoring its independence. It was noted that the Constitution of the Latvian SSR did not call for a referendum as it had been stated in the decree, but recommended two alternatives - either a referendum or a public debate which had de facto taken place as it had been discussed in the press and several public opinion polls had taken place showing that a majority of the public supported independence. Similarly in the All-Latvian congress of people deputies of 21 April 1990, 8003 had voted for restoration of independence and the declaration had been adopted by a vote of two thirds of members of the Supreme Soviet which was required for constitutional amendments. Furthermore, the Supreme Council referred to the result of elections of Supreme Soviet as a clear indicator of public opinion that supporters of independence had won the election. The Supreme Council stated that by 28 May 1990, it had received letters and telegrams from 646,726 residents of the Republic supporting the declaration and only 8,993 people had expressed opposition. Given these provisions, the Supreme Council stated that the Declaration was legitimate and in force.
Remembrance Day Netherlands - May 04
Remembrance of the Dead (Dutch: Dodenherdenking) is held annually on May 4 in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of World War II. Until 1961, the commemoration only related to the Dutch victims of World War II. Since 1961, the victims of other military conflicts (such as the Indonesian National Revolution in Indonesia) and peacekeeping missions (such as in Lebanon or Bosnia) are remembered on May 4 as well. Traditionally, the main ceremonies are observed in Amsterdam at the National Monument on Dam Square. This ceremony is usually attended by members of the cabinet and the royal family, military leaders, representatives of the resistance movement and other social groups. At 8:00 p.m., two minutes of silence are observed throughout the Netherlands. Public transport is stopped, as well as all other traffic. Radio and TV only broadcast the ceremonies from 19.00 until 20.30. Since May 4, 1994, the flags, having hung at half-staff during the day, are then hoisted to the music of the "Wilhelmus", the Dutch national anthem. Since 2001 the new protocol says it is correct to let the flag hang halfstaff. The main celebrations in Amsterdam are broadcast by the public broadcasting company NOS, but there are ceremonies in other cities and places as well. Especially notable are those at the Waalsdorpervlakte near the Hague, where many Dutch resistance fighters were executed during the war, and at the war cemetery Grebbeberg, which are broadcast by the commercial broadcasting companies. In many towns, before or after the two minutes of silence, people gather around a monument, listen to speeches, and lay down flowers to remember the dead. The next day, on May 5, Dutch people celebrate the liberation of the nation from the German occupation of 1940 to 1945.
2010 incident
The 2010 ceremony on Dam Square was disrupted towards the end of the two-minute silence by a 39-year-old man with a history of violent crimes and drug trading. Standing on the Rokin side of the square dressed as an Orthodox Jew, he refused to end a loud conversation on a cell phone during the two-minute silence, then pushed his way through the crowd while muttering unintelligibly and issued an extended loud scream that was heard all over the square. A person nearby dropped a suitcase in the resulting panic which prompted a cry of "Bomb, bomb, run!" which caused a panicked stampede among the 20.000 people crowd. Many people were trampled and some ended up trapped underneath crowd control barriers that were pushed over in the chaos. The sounds of the barriers falling were mistaken for gunshots by many people and added to the chaos. A total of 63 people were treated for injuries, mostly minor ones and some broken bones. The panic reaction was explained by many as resulting from the tension after the attack on the Dutch royal family that killed eight people just over a year before the incident. Queen Beatrix, who had been rushed to safety with the rest of the royal family, returned once the situation was under control and the ceremony was continued. The owner of the dropped suitcase was arrested but released because his suitcase contained only personal belongings. The 39-year-old man was also arrested and charged with disrupting public order and indirectly causing bodily harm. He later confessed to the police that he had been drinking and had screamed because of "frustrations in his personal life." He professed to be sorry and claimed there was no deeper meaning or thought behind his action.
Greenery Day Japan - May 04
Greenery Day (みどりの日 Midori no hi) is a Japanese holiday. Between 1989 and 2006 it was celebrated on April 29. In 2007 Greenery Day was moved to May 4. The present observation of Greenery Day as a national holiday in Japan stems from the celebration of the Emperor Shōwa's birthday on April 29 every year during the Shōwa era. In 1989, following the ascension of the current Emperor Akihito to the Chrysanthemum Throne, the name of the holiday was changed from "Birthday of the Emperor" to "Greenery Day". Officially, as its name suggests, it is a day to commune with nature and to be thankful for blessings. The day was renamed to "Greenery Day" to acknowledge the controversial wartime emperor's love for plants without directly mentioning his name. However, in practice it is seen as just another day that expands the Japanese Golden Week vacation. In 2007, Greenery Day moved to May 4, and April 29 was changed to Shōwa Day in accordance with a 2005 revision of the law pertaining to public holidays. The Shōwa Emperor reigned for 62 years and 2 weeks. On May 3, 1947, he became a symbol of Japan by the new constitution of the country.
HUNGARY Hungarian-Moldavian business cooperation strengthened
Photo: Csaba Pelsőczy
(Online 24 Apr) Hungary wants to step up energy cooperation with Moldova, State Secretary Péter Szijjártó said on Wednesday. At a press conference after a meeting of the HungaryMoldova joint economic committee, he stated that Moldovan electricity projects and linking Moldova’s network to
ian companies were also interested in maintenance of the fleet of the Moldovan airlines and contributing to water management projects. Moldovan Deputy Minister of Economy Octavian Calmic pointed out that business cooperation with Hungary was crucial for his country, and trade turnover could be further
and export agency to promote direct links between companies. Deputy Minister Calmic thanked Hungary for the country's support in Moldova's endeavours to join the EU. He also voiced hope that Moldova could conclude its associate membership and free trade agreements with the
EUFOR exercise with Hungarian participation in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Online 22 Apr) Hungarian, British, Austrian, Turkish and local forces are jointly exercising the use of EUFOR’s new force structure, which has been augmented with the Intermediate Reserves Forces, EUFOR Chief of Staff Brig.-Gen. József Szpisják told Hungarian News Agency MTI on Thursday, April 18. Reinforced with the national support element, a 117-strong intermediate reserve company of the Hungarian Defence Forces EUFOR contingent arrived in Sarajevo on Monday, April 15 to participate in the twoweek international exercise Quick Response 2013. During the first week, the soldiers demon-
strate their ability to successfully activate, quickly deploy and integrate companies held at readiness within EUFOR’s Intermediate Reserves Forces normally stationed outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In the second phase of the exercise, to display their interoperability, they are going to train with the armed forces of BosniaHerzegovina under a fictitious Peace Support Operation (PSO) scenario in the garrisons of Kalinovik and Pazaric. Exercise Director József Szpisják pointed out that from the standpoint of Hungarian foreign/security policy and maintaining stability in the Balkans, Hungary’s engagement in Bosnia is
very important. The Hungarian Defence Forces have been participating in Operation Althea of the European Union Force (EUFOR) since 2004. At present, 19 soldiers are serving with the mission in individual positions while 26 as members of the Hungarian contingent in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Since last September, most personnel of the contingent have been placed on standby in Hungary as part of a reserve force. According to the rotation schedule of the new force structure, in the summer of 2013 the Hungarian contingent is to deploy to Bosnia-Herzegovina where it will continue executing its tasks in the EUFOR mission.
Strategic partnership agreement concluded with Waberer’s International
Hungary can’t join the Eurozone says PM Orbán
(Online 26 Apr) Hungary cannot seriously consider joining the Eurozone until the country’s average economic development reaches 90% of the level of euro states, Prime Minister Orbán stated. Once the country’s economy has reached that level, it will be able to take the “next step”, he told a press conference after a cabinet meeting held in Kémes, Southern Hungary.
Until that time, Hungary must focus on strengthening its own economy, he added. “Hungary is aware that we live in Europe and we are part of the European market. At the same time, we have our own currency and our own national economy, but we cannot isolate ourselves from what is happening around us,” the Prime Minister emphasised. At the same time, he added, speculators rule
over a substantial part of the European economy and Hungary is also threatened by this phenomenon. He said there had been a recent speculator attack against the forint, though this had been successfully handled within a short period of time. The government is preparing against speculation by operating a stable economy and pursuing a stable financial policy, he pointed out.
Employment improved again in the first quarter of 2013
Photo: MTI
Photo: Csaba Pelsőczy European Union countries are areas Hungarian electricity provider MVM is interested in. Establishing a direct air link between Budapest and Kishinev was also discussed. The State Secretary said Hungar-
boosted. After the press conference, the two countries’ officials signed a cooperation agreement on behalf of the Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency (HITA) and Moldova's investment
community before the end of 2013. State Secretary Szijjártó and Deputy Minister Calmic are co-chairs of the Hungarian-Moldovan Joint Economic Committee.
C los e a nd f r ie ndly H unga r ia n- C hine s e r e la t ions : Tibor N a v r a c s ic s (Online 24 Apr) Hungarian-Chinese links have moved beyond protocol and involve close friendly relations in economic and cultural cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics stated on Wednesday. At the second partnership conference of Hun-
garian and Chinese local councils he pointed out that that the success of cooperation is clear: twice as many Chinese participants and three times more Hungarians are attending the current conference than the first event in 2008. A total of 170 Chinese and 240 Hungarian local council
representatives and businesspeople registered this year. The sharp increase is partly the result of many personal links that were developed in recent years, Deputy Prime Minister Navracsics added.
State Secretary Szijjártó opens HungarianRussian trading house in Moscow
(Online 26 Apr) The document was signed by Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga and Waberer’s President-CEO György Wáberer on Friday in Budapest. At the signing ceremony, Mihály Varga stressed that after several Strategic Partnership Agreements had been concluded with large enterprises with headquarters all over the world, this time the Government is concluding an agreement with a company that was established in Hungary and has become multinational. György Wáberer said that the Agreement is expected to result in higher competitiveness and further expansion for the company. The chief executive officer – who is also President of the Association of Hungarian Road Hauliers – urged the Government to provide tax breaks from the local business tax, weight tax and the tax on the transfer of property parallel to the introduction of the e-toll fee in July. Speaking about this issue, he also
said that two years ago, during the flood in Eastern Hungary, hauliers made a pledge to the Government that they would purchase fuel in Hungary so that a higher share of fuel tax revenues could benefit flood victims. As a result, the so-called commercial fuel regulation was formulated which provides tax deductions of several billions of forints a year for road hauliers provided they purchase their fuel in Hungary and thus boost fiscal revenues by some HUF 10bn. As the President-CEO explained, tax breaks provided after the e-toll system is introduced will have similar advantages, as without these the e-toll fees – which the Government anticipates will add HUF 150bn to fiscal revenues – would place Hungarian hauliers at a disadvantage in comparison to their regional competitors. He also estimated that such tax incentives could total HUF 10-15bn-a-year. He reasoned that hauliers provide 6-8 percent of Hungarian GDP,
and this sector has quadrupled since the EU accession. Even during the crisis, he added, the sector had increased by 2-3 percent annually. Among the Government’s economic policy measures, Mihály Varga highlighted the decrease of the corporate tax rate to 10 percent for enterprises with an annual revenues below HUF 500 million and the cutting of red tape as well as steps to improve the labour prospects of the older generation, young career-starters and mothers with small children. He also said that in the upcoming EU fiscal period the Government will spend 60 percent of available funding on economic development. Mihály Varga pointed out that Waberer’s pays HUF 6bn in taxes and employs 1700 people. He also agreed that Governments in emerging countries must support the training of truck drivers and assist them in obtaining an international driving license, thus helping them find employment.
The Old-Drava program is a test for the Government
(Online 26 Apr) According to a report by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) published this morning, the total number of those in employment increased further in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year. The number of people in employment aged 15-74 years increased to 3 million 818 thousand and thus their employment rate edged up to 50 percent. In the period January-March 2013, the number of people in employment in the 15-64 year age group was also up from 3 million 756 thousand one year ago to 3 million 787 thousand, an increase of 31 thousand. In light of the latest KSH labour market statistics, the number of those in employment aged 15-74 years increased by 0.7 percent or 26 thousand year-on-year, people
which increase is higher than the 0.6 percent figure registered in the previous period. In the age bracket of 15-64 years, the employment rate edged up from 55.7 percent in the same period of the previous year to 56.6 percent, which constitutes an improvement of 0.9 percent. As far as the gender aspect of employment is concerned, the employment rate of men aged 15-64 years was 0.7 percentage points higher (to 61.5 percent), while that of women increased more than in the previous period, by 1 percent (to 51.8 percent). Among men aged 15-64 years, 2 million 21 thousand were in employment, while the relevant figure for women was 1 million 765.5 thousand, an increase of 22 thousand. The employment rate in the 15-24 year age group increased by 0.8
percentage points to 18.3 percent over the past year, and the number of people in employment was 210 thousand in this age group. The employment rate among those of prime working age (25-54 years) improved by 0.3 percentage points, whereas among those aged 55-64 years this indicator was up by 1.8 percentage points. It has been an indisputably positive development that the employment rate for those aged 15-64 years improved in practically every region – with the exception of Western Transdanubia and the Northern Great Plain. These constantly improving employment figures confirm the effectiveness of the Govmeasures ernment’s aimed at facilitating the creation and protection of jobs.
A labour-based economy is the k e y t o c r i s i s r e c o v e r y : Orbán (Online 24 Apr) Developing a labour-based economy will be key to boosting living standards in the country, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Wednesday. Vocational training needs to be adjusted to the demands of the economy, respect for manual labour restored and the education system needs to become more transparent and standardised, he declared at the opening ceremony of the finals of a national vocational student competition. He said it has been commonly understood that the usefulness of good vocational training can
match that of a university degree. "Now we also realise that this can even be true the other way round: not all degrees are worth as much as a good vocational skill," he added. "Europe, as it is trying to recover from the economic crisis, must face the old truth that we won't be able to climb out of the pothole without creating real value," the Prime Minister stated. The current competition also sends the message, it is wrong to think that only those will succeed today who "can produce significant profits from dubious business operations with the least
amount of actual work", he added. Hungarians have proven that they possess good professional skills and are hard-working. If this were not the case, large international companies such as Mercedes, Audi or Lego would not have invested here, Prime Minister Orbán said. In his opening speech, head of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry László Parragh said that nearly 200 students from 110 schools will be participating in the three-day competition and festival, held at Budapest's Hungexpo Exhibition and Fair Centre.
M inis te r B a log te s tif ie s in a lle ge d R om a s c hool s e gr e ga t ion c a s e Photo: Miniszterelnökség (Online 22 Apr) State Secretary Péter Szijjártó, who also serves as Government Commissioner in charge of HungarianRussian bilateral relations, on Monday opened the Hungarian
ian-Russian economic, trade and business relations is an important element of the Government's "opening to the East" policy. "The Government's main economic policy objec-
trade relations within 3-4 years," he said. The State Secretary emphasised after talks with Russian Farm Minister Nikolai Fedorov that Russian deliveries to Hungary amounted to
Photo: Károly Árvai
(Online 25 Apr) The Government held an offsite cabinet meeting in Kémes, South Hungary to gain information about the status and economic prospects of Baranya County. The Old-Drava Regional Convergence Programme, which will involve a total of 43 towns, was in the focus of the Government’s offsite cabinet meeting in
Head of the Baranya County Assembly Zsolt Tiffán said infrastructural developments, mainly new roads, were needed to attract more investment to the region. In addition, he informed the Governmental delegation about prospects for job creation as well as the status of agriculture, education and Roma communities.
agriculture and tourism by restoring the Drava River to its original state. The Programme is also a priority for the Ministry of Rural Development, Minister Sándor Fazekas said, adding that numerous invitations to tender will also be available during the period 2014-2020. Zsolt Tiffán also highlighted the importance of supporting the em-
Photo: Miniszterelnökség Trading House in Moscow, established in cooperation with the Questor Group. The Trading House consists of a business and investment centre and a consignment storage base. Its tasks will include investment brokerage, business advice, and trade and tourism activities. State Secretary Szijjártó stated that the significant strengthening of Hungar-
tive is to make Hungary a European production hub, but at the same time, it is also necessary to sell our products. As a result, the main economic policy task is to find markets for Hungarian industrial and agricultural products. The Trading House in Moscow is expected to play a crucial role in balancing out the 5 billion dollar Hungarian deficit in Hungarian-Russian
8.8 billion dollars last year while Hungary's exports to Russia made up merely 3.3 billion. Hungary could narrow the gap mainly by stepping up its agricultural and food industry exports, he added. He also pointed out that Hungary planned to extend its network of representation offices with new branches in Rostov, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk and Krasnodar.
EU m e c ha nis m not t a r ge t e d a ga ins t a ny one c ount r y : M inis t e r M a r t ony i (Online 22 Apr) The issue of the a new and more effective mechanism to safeguard fundavalues in mental Member States proposed by the foreign ministers of Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland remains on the EU agenda, and the majority of Member States have
expressed their support for the initiative – stated Foreign Minister János Martonyi following the meeting of the General Affairs Council on Monday. The Minister stressed that Hungary was not mentioned in the discussion of the proposal at all, and he added that it would be a mistake to
placed by an era of challenges, marked by tensions over the future of the Hungarian faculty of Targu Mures the (Marosvásárhely) Medical University, the issue of restitution, controversy over the use of the Szekler flag and plans for a regional-administrative reform. Zsolt Németh stressed that Hungarians in Transylvania need to be persistent and must join forces in order to accomplish their goals. He added that during the course of restructuring the regions it was difficult to ignore the preference of the entire Hungarian minority with respect to
Photo: Károly Árvai Kémes, South Hungary. The Programme’s success is a test of the Government and the country to see what can be achieved in disadvantaged regions, the Prime Minister said. Hosting the meeting,
make any connections between this proposal and Hungarian politics. The Hungarian Foreign Minister noted that German Foreign Minister Westerwelle Guido made it clear when he presented the proposal that it was not targeted against any particular Member State. (Online 25 Apr) At a sitting of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg yesterday, Dr. Péter Mihalovics, ministerial the administrative bor- commissioner at the ders of the regions in Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, Romania. Hungary will help Tran- gave an address on the sylvania's ethnic Hun- responsibility of governgarian community to ments and education, achieve its goals with public education and alevery possible means, ternative education sysZsolt Németh said. The tems in dealing with Hungarian Minister of problems and chalState claimed that Hun- lenges affecting young and Romania people. gary should come to agree- At the Council of Euments in the 1989 spirit rope's plenary session of Timisoara (Temesvár), on Wednesday, Dr. when Hungarian and Péter Mihalovics, minisRomanian citizens held terial commissioner for hands in a line to protect coordination of the proReverend László Tőkés, gramme ‘For the Future who was persecuted by of the Next Generation’, the Romanian authorities.
(Online 26 Apr) An international conference was organised in Budapest on the use of opioid medicines for curative purposes. The aim of the ATOME (Access to Opioid Medication in Europe) Project is to improve access by patients to opioid medication in those 12 countries of Central and Eastern Europe, where the per capita consumption of morphine is very low, as shown by statistical evidence. In our country, the use of this type of medicines can be regarded to be low and it can be stated that several factors jointly contribute to this tendency. From among the main ones, the attitude of society is to be mentioned, as the use of
opioid medication is generally seen by patients and their families as the sign of approaching death. Legislation providing for strict control, as well as the lack of knowledge on good practices of pain management constitute further barriers to adequate use responding to needs. The conference was opened by Dr. Hanna Páva, deputy secretary of state of the Ministry of Human Resources. During the one day meeting, leading Hungarian and international experts lectured on pain management, palliative care and the global and national situation of harm reduction. Following keynote speeches, participants, representing the medical
basis until a permanent mission is esta b l i s h e d th e r e . Hungary withdrew i ts a m b a s s a d o r fr o m Baghdad when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1 9 9 0 , w h i l e a l l o f i ts diplomats were withdrawn in 2005 due to the dangerous security situation. During the war in Iraq, the diplomats
ployment of Roma people in the region and he noted that 420 people are at present working in the Old-Drava Programme, and many of them are of Roma origin.
spoke in connection with a submission to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development. The main topics of the meeting were more effective assertion of young people’s fundamental rights and increasing equality between the sexes. The commissioner said that the greatest economic and social challenge facing the European Union is to provide reassuring answers to young people experiencing hopelessness and the despair of unemployment. He stressed that the operation of education, public education and alternative education systems which are
suitably responsive to the new challenges, and the rapid and prudent handling of sensitive issues are priority tasks for governments. The Hungarian government is seeking to respond with education reform which is contemporary and contains substantive solutions. Dr. Mihalovics said that, in addition to addressing the challenges of providing employment, the new legislation is aimed at providing talent management, promotion of equal opportunities for students, and the opportunity for Hungarian society’s long-term development.
A labour-based economy is the key to crisis recovery: PM
profession, health policy experts and patient organisations discussed further steps necessary for increasing the use of opioid medicines and the development of palliative medicine in four round tables. The conference provided a valuable opportunity for the detailed and extensive, national aspects led review and discussion on how to improve access to opioid medicines. Integrating WHO guidelines, published in 2011, into national health policy might induce forward looking changes in the use of opioid medicines, the review of controlling aspects, the elaboration of medical professional guidelines as well as shaping legislation.
Hungarian ambassador assigned to Bagdad after 22 years (Online 26 Apr) Hungary has assigned an ambassador to serve in Iraq for the first time in 22 years. Ti b o r Szatmári presented his credentials to Kh u d a yr M u s a J a fa r Abbas al-Khuzai, t h e Vi c e P r e s i d e n t of Iraq, in Baghdad a n d w i l l tr a v e l to th e city on a regular
Mr. Tiffán, who is also Government Commissioner for the Coordination of the Old-Dráva Programme, said that the convergence programme will make HUF 25 billion available for developing irrigation,
Péter Mihalovics speaks in Strasbourg about support for young Hungarians
International conference on improving access to opioid medicines in Hungary
were assigned to serve first in Damascus and later in Amman in Jordan. In the past years relations with Iraq were r e v i v e d , w h i c h o ff e r great business opportunities for Hungarian firms in the c o u n t r y ’s recons tr u c ti o n p r o j e c ts.
day-to-day good teacher-parent relations. The institution is open to Roma as well as nonRoma students. The families who live in the Huszár estate support the school and the opportunity to send their children there. The students are able to study in a loving, accepting and open atmosphere, close to their families. However, CFCF has accused the school of segregating Roma children and hindering their integration into society. Minister Balog has put forward a detailed proposal on settling the dispute, stating that the Ministry of Human Resources will provide all necessary preconditions on their part. CFCF’s work is often helpful in other cases, but at the moment they are hindering the work begun by the church, he added. The Hungarian Government condemns all forms of segregation. It is important however to differentiate between integration and segregation. This school in the Huszár estate offers a solution to a special problem, which in inter-
national terms can best be compared to the Harlem Children’s Zone. After having personally verified the institution’s successful functioning, the Minister decided to testify on the side of the local government and the Greek Catholic Church. The ambassadors of Israel and the United States have both recently visited the institution to learn about its integrated education programme, which is helping Roma children enter education secondary with the same opportunities as their non-Roma companions. After meeting the children, AmbasIlan Mor sador acknowledged the work of the Greek Catholic Church and offered his assistance. Following today’s hearing and Minister Balog’s statement, the parties have reached an agreement resulting in the Court suspending the trial for six months. During this period, the parties will have the opportunity to reach a consensus on the issue.
National road reconstruction program under way
Hungary welcomes SerbiaKosovo agreement (Online 22 Apr) Minister of State Zsolt Németh welcomed the agreement between Serbia and Kosovo concluded during his visit in Romania. Addressing a delegates' assembly of the Transylvanian Hungarian People's Party (EMNP) in Cluj (Kolozsvár), Zsolt Németh said that the agreement closed a difficult historical period and contained provisions for autonomy, which he said should also inspire Hungarians. The Hungarian Minister of State said that the former "honeymoon" in Romanian-Hungarian relations had been re-
(Online 23 Apr) Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog testified in front of the Nyíregyháza Court with relation ot the case of the Miklós Sója Kindergarten and Elementary School, run by the Greek Catholic Church. The Chance for Foundation Children (CFCF) has sued both the local government and the church, demanding closure of the institution that, according to CFCF, segregates Roma children. The Miklós Sója Kindergarten and Elementary School was opened in 2011, after the Greek Catholic Church took over the school. The institution was reopened with the concept of offering high quality education to children living in Roma-inhabited the Huszár estate, in deep poverty. Currently, there are 10 teachers working with 35 children, developing learning programs for each pupil individually. The school has reached several important goals that many other institutions struggle to achieve, such as having every student attend classes, and maintaining
(Online 24 Apr) Developing a labour-based economy will be key to boosting living standards in the country, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Wednesday. Vocational training needs to be adjusted to the demands of the economy, respect for manual labour restored and the education system needs to become more transparent and standardised, he declared at the opening ceremony of the finals of a national vocational student competition. He said it has been commonly understood that the usefulness of good vocational training
can match that of a university degree. "Now we also realise that this can even be true the other way round: not all degrees are worth as much as a good vocational skill," he added. "Europe, as it is trying to recover from the economic crisis, must face the old truth that we won't be able to climb out of the pothole without creating real value," the Prime Minister stated. The current competition also sends the message, it is wrong to think that only those will succeed today who "can produce significant profits from dubious business operations with the
least amount of actual work", he added. Hungarians have proven that they possess good professional skills and are hard-working. If this were not the case, large international companies such as Mercedes, Audi or Lego would not have invested here, Prime Minister Orbán said. In his opening speech, head of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry László Parragh said that nearly 200 students from 110 schools will be participating in the three-day competition and festival, held at Budapest's Hungexpo Exhibition and Fair Centre.
Development of Special Forces capability an important element (Online 24 Apr) The development of Special Forces capability is a priority in the strategic plan of the Ministry of Defence for the period until 2022, Minister of Defence Csaba Hende told Maj.-Gen. Michael Repass, Commander of United States Special Operations Command Europe in Budapest. At their meeting held on Monday, April 22, the two partners discussed the Hungarian–American military relations, with special regard to the cooperation of Special Forces units in Afghanistan and the capability development of the HDF Special Forces Battalion. The generation and development of the Special Forces capability in the Hungarian Defence Forces has been going on since
2005, based on the HDF 34th “Bercsényi László” Special Forces Battalion. Since 2009, Hungarian Special Forces units have been deployed with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operation as part of a US force. The participation of the Hungarian Defence Forces Special Forces units underwent transformation in November 2012, and they have been reinforced both in terms of strength and capabilities. The contingent with an independent staff element is composed of two Special Operations Teams (SOTs) and operates under the US-led Task Force-10 Headquarters. Its tasks are to drive back the anti-government forces and to train and support the Afghan National Security
Forces (ANSF). Recently NATO issued an official report to confirm that the Hungarian Special Forces capability – which is being developed with assistance from the United States – has reached Full Operational Capability (FOC) by NATO standards. According to the press release, during the discussion Michael Repass praised the performance and professionalism of the Hungarian soldiers serving with Special Forces units. The two partners agreed that the development of Special Forces is equally important for both countries. At the meeting, Minister Hende decorated the American commander with the Service Medal “For the Alliance”.
(Online 22 Apr) “The Government aims to carry out the reconstruction of the national public road network in the medium term with the necessary funds” said Pál Völner, state secretary of infrastructure on 17 April 2013 in Bajna, at the opening event of the reconstruction of the connecting road between Tát, Tarján and Tatabánya. With a budget of over HUF 2.4 billion, road reconstruction scheduled for 2013 in the framework of the New Széchenyi Plan is launched in KomáromEsztergom County as well. The works are scheduled to be completed in early October along the 18.8 kilometre road section. The funds of the Central Transdanubia Regional Operational Programme will be used this year in the county for the reconstruction of approximately 41 kilometres of minor roads that are of a seriously deteriorated condition. In the course of the reconstruction of the TátTa r j á n - Ta t a b á n y a connecting road, the road surface will be fitted with a structural reinforcement layer of variable thickness, and the track structure will be fully replaced in places that reveal load capacity problems. The water drainage system will be reconstructed, and the building contractors will
also carry out the cleaning and covering of ditches. The traffic technology equipment will be modernised. The seven bridges located along the section will be fully reconstructed, and the Árok Bridge in Nagysáp will be widened. The bus bays and platforms will be reconstructed, and a new bus bay will be built in place of the current stop on the hilltop in Nagysáp. The reconstruction of the minor road will result in tangible changes in the lives of approximately 5,000 people living in and regularly travelling through the region as early as autumn. Owing to improved accessibility, the municipalities in question may also become more attractive for enterprises. In the years following the successful completion of the projects, the road management organisation and the Regional Development Agencies will closely monitor the condition of the reconstructed road section to preserve the excellent quality of the minor road. At the opening event, with respect to the national road reconstruction plans, Pál Völner said: “A national road reconstruction programme is being drawn up as part of the National Transport Strategy. According to the proposed target values, the deterioration of the pavements and bridges should be con-
tained within three years. The key technical parameters should be restored to at least levels measured in 2000 by the end of the decade. Road sections in the worst condition are expected to be repaired from 2014 in the initial phase of the prepared projects.” This year, approximately 600 kilometres of secondary minor roads – long in need of repair will be reconstructed through the investments of Hungarian Public Road Nonprofit Ltd. with the funds of the Regional Operational Programmes of the New Széchenyi Plan. The public road manager can launch development projects with approximately HUF 87 billion, equalling three times the value available last year (see attached map). Most works commenced in the first half of the year will be completed before the end of the year. Based on the decisions of the Ministry of National Development, a total of over HUF 114 billion is available between 2010 and 2013 for successful tenderers for the reinforcement and reconstruction of the secondary road network. In relation to the development of roads with numbers 4-5, nearly 100 per cent of funds have been contracted in all regions in the current programming period.
Hungary joins the open Government partnership (Online 26 Apr) Hungary has joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP), an international initiative launched in September 2011 with a view to increasing transparency of government activities and fighting corruption. France Maude, the
British politician who chaired OGP’s London session, welcomed Hungary among the members of the partnership. The government, which had launched the most intensive anti-graft campaign of the past 20 years, decided to join the OGP last year and de-
fined its commitments in an action plan. The government pledged to increase the transparency of fiscal data, public procurements, the use of public property and the spending of taxpayers’ money.
Hungary committed to European values (Online 26 Apr) The Hungarian Government is committed to upholding European values and norms, Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi said in Ljubljana, Slovenia on April 26, 2013. Answering a question on the sidelines of talks with his Slovenian counterpart, Minister Martonyi said that Hungary was in constant dialogue with
EU institutions and with the European Commission. “As regards Hungary’s so-called infringements, it is my conviction that we will find a way of resolving them.” On the previous day, an unnamed Brussels source told Hungarian News Agency MTI that the European Commission would launch a new
infringement procedure against Hungary over parts of the law on excise duty pertaining to spirits. In addition, infringement procedures may also be launched in connection with the fourth constitutional amendment, the commissioner for basic rights and justice, Viviane Reding said recently.
Hungary protests against kidnapping of Syrian bishops (Online 26 Apr) The Ministry of Foreign A ff a i r s has condemned the recent abduction of two Christian bishops in Syr i a . Hungary feels deep concern over the emergence of „religiously motivated vi-
olence” in Syria as it endangers the success of democratic transition, the Mini str y s a i d i n a sta te m e n t i ssu e d o n Ap r i l 26, 2013. Bishop Boulos Ya z i g i o f t h e G r e e k Orthodox Church and Bishop John
Ibrahim of the Assyrian Orthodox Church were kidnapped by gunmen on Monday while they were travelling outside Aleppo tow a r d s t h e Tu r k i s h b o r d e r. T h e i r d r i v e r w a s sh o t d e a d .
It gives me great pleasure to address you all on this very special day. As Pakistan is nearing its landmark elections, The Netherlands is celebrating the investiture of a new Head of State. After 33 years on the throne, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix will abdicate today, followed by the investiture of her eldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander. Thus, the Netherlands will have a King again, for the first time since 1890. 1890 is a long time ago. But not as long ago as the first Dutch presence in the subcontinent, which included a small Dutch trading post in Thatta, Sindh, more than 350 years back. My country is certainly not new to this region! Diplomatic ties between Pakistan and the Netherlands were established soon after independence, and bilateral development cooperation between our nations dates back to 1957. Over more than half a century, the Dutch have been a reliable partner in development fields, including good governance, water management and education. The Dutch-Pakistan relation has been one of mutual assistance and trust. Pakistan was there in 1953 to assist the Netherlands when my country was inundated by floods and, reciprocally, the Netherlands was one of the first country to help Pakistan with physical and financial aid at the times of the devastating earthquake of 2005 and the floods of 2010/11. The nature of Dutch-Pakistani relations has been changing. After 50 years of development cooperation, much has been achieved. The time has arrived to shift our focus from aid towards trade. The Netherlands is 5th largest exporter in the world. Our economy ranks among the top 20 in the world in terms of GDP. In fact, the Dutch GDP is 4 times larger than that of Pakistan, with a population less than that of Karachi. Current bilateral trade stands between 750 and 800 million US dollars, a relatively small amount considering the size and potential of Pakistan. There are great opportunities for B2B ties to flourish in the two countries – for instance in the areas of water management, alternative energy, agriculture and logistics. Facilitating long term business relations in these fields will benefit both nations. Major Dutch companies that have been active for decades in Pakistan indeed provide the best illustration of this fact, including Shell, Unilever, Philips, Engro Vopak, Haskoning and Akzo Nobel. Therefore, while the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Islamabad will continue to support projects in the field of stability, security and human rights in Pakistan, our main focus will be on the enhancement of economic and other ties. In partnership, we will relentlessly continue our efforts for the prosperity of our people!