62 Issue | Zarb-e-Jamhoor e-Newspaper | 11-17 Mar, 2012

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster JAPAN - M a r 1 1

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster is a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. It is the largest nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.

The plant comprises six separate boiling water reactors originally designed by General Electric (GE), and maintained by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). At the time of the quake, Reactor 4 had been de-fuelled while 5 and 6 were in cold shutdown for planned maintenance. The remaining reactors shut down automatically after the earthquake, and emergency generators came online to control electronics and coolant systems. The tsunami broke the reactors' connection to the power grid and also resulted in flooding of the rooms containing the emergency generators. Consequently those generators ceased working and the pumps that circulate coolant water in the reactor ceased to work, causing the reactors to begin to overheat. The flooding and earthquake damage hindered external assistance.

In the hours and days that followed, reactors 1, 2 and 3 experienced full meltdown. As workers struggled to cool and shut down the reactors, several hydrogen explosions occurred. The government ordered that seawater be used to attempt to cool the reactors—this had the effect of ruining the reactors entirely. As the water levels in the fuel rods pools dropped, they began to overheat. Fears of radioactivity releases led to a 20 km (12 mi)-radius evacuation around the plant, while workers suffered radiation exposure and were temporarily evacuated at various times. Electrical power was slowly restored for some of the reactors, allowing for automated cooling.

Japanese officials initially assessed the accident as Level 4 on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) despite the views of other international agencies that it should be higher. The level was successively raised to 5 and eventually to 7, the maximum scale value. The Japanese government and TEPCO have been criticized in the foreign press for poor communication with the public and improvised cleanup efforts. On 20 March, the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano announced that the plant would be decommissioned once the crisis was over.

The Japanese government estimates the total amount of radioactivity released into the atmosphere was approximately one-tenth as much as was released during the Chernobyl disaster. Significant amounts of radioactive material have also been released into ground and ocean waters. Measurements taken by Satellite image on 16 March of the four damthe Japanese government 30–50 km from the plant aged reactor buildings showed radioactive caesium levels high enough to cause concern, leading the government to ban the sale of food grown in the area. Tokyo officials temporarily recommended that tap water should not be used to prepare food for infants.

A few of the plant's workers were severely injured or killed by the disaster conditions resulting from the earthquake.

There were no immediate deaths due to direct radiation exposures, but at least six workers have exceeded lifetime legal limits for radiation and more than 300 have received significant radiation doses. Future cancer deaths due to accumulated radiation exposures in the population living near Fukushima have been estimated to be between 100 and 1,000. Fear of ionizing radiation could have long-term psychological effects on a large portion of the population in the contaminated areas. On 16 December 2011 Japanese authorities declared the plant to be stable, although it would take decades to decontaminate the surrounding areas and to decommission the plant altogether.

Commonwealth Day - M a r 1 1 CANADA, AUSTRALIA, GIBLRALTAR, U.K.

Commonwealth Day is the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations held on the second Monday in March, and marked by a multi-faith service in Westminster Abbey, normally attended by HM Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth High Commissioners in London. The Queen delivers an address to the Commonwealth, broadcast throughout the world. Also, in the year before the quadrennial Commonwealth Games, the Queen starts the Queen's Baton Relay on Commonwealth Day at Buckingham Palace, handing the baton to the first relay runner to start a journey that will end at the Opening Ceremony of the upcoming Games.

While it has a certain official status, Commonwealth Day is not a public holiday in most Commonwealth countries and there is little public awareness of it.

History Clementina Trenholme

Renovation Day GABON - M a r 1 2

Gabon celebrates Renovation Day, also known as National Day, to commemorate the anniversary of the establishment of the Gabonese Democratic Party in the same day in year 1968.

Gabon is a country located in the western African continent and bordered by the following African neighbouring countries: Cameroon (north), Equatorial Guinea (northwest), Republic of the Congo (southeast), and Gulf of Guinea (west). Its capital is Libreville. It gained independence from European rule (France) on August 17, 1960.

History Gabon’s politics is largely influenced by France. In

1910, Gabon was joined in a colonial and intergovernmental association called French Equatorial Africa. It continued to be part of the four ember territories of the federation until its dissolution in 1959. Even after the election of the first president of Gabon in 1961 (Léon M’ba), the French’s influence in the African country continued to exist.

The interest of French in the region surfaced during the attempted deposition to the then president M’ba in 1964. Hours after the planned military coup against M’ba’s government, France sent in its military forces to keep M’bas’ hold to the seat of power. M’ba continued to rule Gabon until his death in 1967. His vice president, Omar Bongo Ondimba, took over and became the second president of the country and ruled the country until his death in 2009.

During Bongo’s presidency, he established Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) in 1968. It was the only country allowed to exist until changes to Gabon’s political system was made in 1990 where other political parties were instituted (multi-party system).

Traditions, Customs and Activities

During the holiday, students and members of socio-civic organizations in Gabon join in people parade wearing uniform clothing or are dressed in traditional Gabonese clothing called ‘pagnes.’ Village women and men may also dress in uniform with their fellow villagers usually with prints from their sponsors (usually stores or name of sponsor private companies).

Parades end up in town plazas where party is held. Traditional and modern Gabonese music are played along with some popular international dance music. Also, it is not surprising to see people playing traditional musical instruments during the celebration.

Youth Day ZAMBIA - M a r 1 2

Zambia marks its annual celebration of Youth Day on the 12th of March. During the holiday, sporting events, tree-planting activities, and youth-related law implementation might take place during the celebration.

Zambia, whose capital is Lusaka, is one of the landlocked countries in the Southern portion of Africa. It shares borders with the following African countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo (north), Tanzania (north-east), Malawi (east), Angola (west), and Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, and (south). Zambia has a very young population where 60%-65% of its population falls below the age of 21. The young population, however, is threatened by the spread of HIV.

History The institution of Youth Day in Zambia coincides with the observance of the International Youth Day although

Zambia celebrates it far earlier than the celebration of the latter. Zambia, having one of the highest numbers of youth population across Africa, recognizes that its political efforts in reducing poverty also points out the increasing marginalization of this endangered sector of the Zambian society.

Youth Day in Zambia is an important political and social machinery; it helps the government reflect on how its effort is helping the youth curb the increasing problems it faces today. Zambia also uses this day to measure the youth’s contribution to society and how it can help them become more successful in their endeavour.

Traditions, Customs and Activities

Zambia celebrates Youth Day with usual street march where the youth participates in socio-civic action and sports activities which improves and enjoys their youth. Youth-oriented organizations such as the Grass Root Soccer organize yearly parades to spread awareness on legal, health, and economic issues which concerns the youth.

The local government, in partnership with non-governmental organizations (NGO) organize sporting events to which the youth can participate. Local leaders may deliver speeches recognizing the role of the youth in nation-building. Other activities such as tree-planting may also take place depending on the activities they organization planned for the day.

On the part of the government, this is the time when special laws that benefit the youth are passed and instituted.

Flags of members and the Commonwealth Flag are flown outside and on top of Westminster Abbey reintroduced Empire spectively.

Day in Canadian schools, first in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1898, on the last school day before 24 May, Queen Victoria's birthday. It was celebrated more each year.

A typical Empire Day in Hamilton schools occupied the entire day and included inspirational speeches by trustees and songs such as The Maple Leaf Forever and Just Before the Battle. Empire Day was instituted in the United Kingdom in 1904 by Lord Meath, and extended throughout the countries of the Commonwealth. This day was celebrated by lighting fireworks in back gardens or attending community bonfires. It gave the Queen's people a chance to show their pride in being part of the British Empire.

In 1958 Empire Day was renamed Commonwealth Day, in accordance with the new post-colonial relationship between the nations of the former empire.

The National Council in Canada of the Royal Commonwealth Society expressed in a 1973 letter to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau that Commonwealth Day should be observed on the same day throughout all countries of the Commonwealth. They asked that this notion be included on the agenda of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Ottawa that year. The item eventually appeared on the agenda of the 1975 meeting, and it was agreed that the Commonwealth Secretariat select a date, preferably one without previous historical connotations. At the meeting of officials in Canberra in 1976, the Canadian proposal of the second Monday in March was adopted.

Observance Australia:

In 2006 Elizabeth II delivered her Commonwealth Day address from St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, part of the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games that year in Melbourne.

Canada:

In Canada, the only official recognition is a federal government stipulation that the Royal Union Flag be flown alongside Canada's flag at government installations nationwide, "where physical arrangements allow.... Physical arrangements means the existence of at least two flag poles". The 1964 parliamentary resolutions creating the Maple Leaf flag also retained the Union Flag as an official symbol of Canada's membership in the Commonwealth, and allegiance to the Crown.

United Kingdom:

In the United Kingdom, the Union Flag is flown from public buildings on the second Monday in March to mark Commonwealth Day. The Scottish Parliament Building also flies the Commonwealth flag from the fourth flagpole.

Gibraltar:

Commonwealth Day is celebrated as a national holiday in Gibraltar.

Other Commonwealth countries:

In member states of the Commonwealth, Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the second Monday in March. In 2009, it was celebrated on 9 March. In some countries, such as Belize and In The Bahamas, a member of the Commonwealth since 1973, Commonwealth Day is marked officially in schools with special programmes and assemblies and flag-raising ceremonies. The Queen's Commonwealth Day message is often read at these events.

Moshoeshoe's Day LESOTHO - M a r 1 1

Moshoeshoe (c. 1786 – March 11, 1870) was born at Menkhoaneng in the Northern part of present-day Lesotho. He was the first son of Mokhachane, a minor chief of the Bamokoteli lineage- a branch of the Koena (crocodile) clan. In his early childhood, he helped his father gain power over some other smaller clans. At the age of 34 Moshoeshoe formed his own clan and became a chief. He and his followers settled at the Butha-Buthe Mountain.

King Moshoeshoe was the son of Mokhachane, a

minor chief of the Bamokoteli sub-clan. He was born at Menkhoaneng in Leribe, Lesotho as Lepoqo. During his youth, he was very brave and once organised a cattle raid against Ramonaheng and captured several herds. As was the tradition, he composed a poem praising himself where, amongst the words he used to refer to himself, said he was "like a razor which has shaved all Ramonaheng's beards", referring to his successful raid. In Sesotho language, a razor makes a "shoe...shoe..." sound, and after that he was affectionately called Moshoeshoe: "the shaver". He also referred himself as the person of Kali, thus showed that he was a descendant of the Great Kali or Monaheng who is said to be the ancestor of most Bakoena people in Lesotho with the exception of the senior BaMolibeli.

Moshoeshoe and his followers, mostly the Bakoena BaMokoteli, some Bafokeng from his maternal side and other relations as well as some clans including the Amazizi, established his village at Butha-Buthe, where his settlement coincided with the growth of Shaka and what came to be called the Lifaqane. Moshoeshoe’s reign coincided with the growth in power of the well-known Zulu chief, Shaka. During the early 19th century Shaka raided many smaller clans along the eastern coast of Southern Africa, incorporating parts of them into his steadily growing Zulu chiefdom.

Various small clans were forced to flee the Zulu chief. An era of great wars of calamity followed, known as the Mfecane/lifaqane. It was marked by aggression against the Sotho people by the invading Nguni clans. The attacks also forced Moshoeshoe to move his settlement to the Qiloane plateau. The name was later changed to Thaba Bosiu or "mountain of the night" because it was believed to be growing during the night and shrinking during day. It proved to be an impassable stronghold against enemies.

Diplomat

The most significant role Moshoeshoe played as a diplomat was his acts of friendship towards his beaten enemies. He provided land and protection to various people and this strengthened the growing Basotho nation. His influence and followers grew with the integration of a number of refugees and victims of the wars of calamity.

By the latter part of the 19th century, Moshoeshoe established the nation of the Basotho, in Basutoland. He was popularly known as Morena e Moholo/morena oa Basotho (Great King/King of the Basotho).

Guns were introduced with the arrival of the Dutch from the Cape Colony and Moshoeshoe determined that he needed these and a white advisor. From other tribes, he heard of the benefits missionaries brought. By chance, three representatives of the Society arrived in the heart of southern Africa : Eugene Casalis, Constant Gosselin and Thomas Arbousset. Moshoeshoe brought them to his kingdom. Later Roman Catholic Missionaries were to have a great influence on the shape of Basotho History (the first being, Bishop M.F. Allard O.M.I. and Fr. Joseph Gerard O.M.I.).

From 1837 to 1855 Casalis played the role of Moshoeshoe's Foreign Advisor. With his knowledge of the non-African world, he was able to inform and advise the king in his dealings with hostile foreigners. He also served as an interpreter for Moshoeshoe in his dealings with white people, and documented the Sesotho language.

In the late 1830s, Boer trekkers from the Cape Colony showed up on the western borders of Basutoland and subsequently claimed land rights. The trekkers' pioneer in this area was Jan de Winnaar, who settled in the Matlakeng area in May–June 1838. As more farmers were moving into the area they tried to colonise the land between the two rivers, even north of the Caledon, 'claiming' that it had been abandoned by the Sotho people. Moshoeshoe, when hearing of the trekker settlement above the junction, stated that "... the ground on which they were belonged to me, but I had no objections to their flocks grazing there until such time as they were able to proceed further; on condition, however, that they remained in peace with my people and recognised my authority."

Eugene Casalis later remarked that the trekkers had humbly asked for temporary rights while they were still few in number, but that when they felt "strong enough to throw off the mask" they went back on their initial intention.

The next 30 years were marked by conflicts.

Revolutionary Attack on the Presidential Palace CUBA - M a r 1 3

Revolutionary student groups FEU-DR attacked the presidential palace in an assassination attempt on Batista. Forty attackers were killed including José Antonio Echeverría (FEU leader) and Menelao Mora Morales (a former Autentico congressman). The Presidential Palace was Cuba’s equivalent of the US White House, housing the government offices of the President and his administration, and also the residential quarters of the first family. It had served this function since its inauguration in 1920. The Orestes Ferrara site has a set of pictures of this beautiful building over the years. On the afternoon of 13 March 1957. the FEU/DR attackers and their allies pulled up to the Presidential Palace in two automobiles and a delivery truck, where the attackers jumped out, opened fire on the guards at the entrance, and rushed the building to storm Batista’s office, which they found empty. Batista had gone to the family quarters on the third floor a few minutes earlier to check in his sick son. The attackers tried to reach those quarters, but the elevator being on the residential floor already there was no way for the attackers to get to the third floor. A gun battle of a few hours ensued. A few attackers escaped, but most were killed in the building. As the palace battle was in progress, Echeverria and DR confederates armed with pistols and machine guns assaulted the CMQ 24 hour news station Radio Reloj and shouted into the microphones that Batista was dead, rebel forces were in control, and called for a national strike and uprising by the military. Only the beginning of the message aired, that Batista was dead and had been slain by the DR. Echeverria didn’t realize the microphone cut out after his first few words, apparently due to volume-limiting circuitry. The attackers then fled to the University in their cars. Enroute, Echeverría ran into a patrol car and opened fire on the police, who shot back killing him.

The failed attack provoked brutal reprisals. That evening Batista's police force launched one of the worst waves of repression and political violence Cuba experienced in the 50s. Some police squads, apparently of their own initiative, rousted opposition leaders not involved in the attack—including Carlos Márquez-Sterling.

In the ensuing bloodbath one of the casualties was distinguished attorney and former senator Pelayo Cuervo Navarro, a prominent figure in theabstencionista opposition and leader of the Ortodoxo Party. Pelayo Cuervo was assassinated the night of March 13, as this new wave of violence surged. The leadership of the DR was eliminated by losses in the attack and its aftermath.

Constitution Day ANDORRA - M a r 1 4

The Constitution of Andorra (Catalan: Constitució d'Andorra) is the supreme law of the Principality of Andorra. It was adopted on 2 February 1993 and given assent by the Andorran people in a referendum on 14 March 1993. According to the Constitution itself, it was to enter into force the day of its publication in theButlletí Oficial del Principat d'Andorra, which occurred on 28 April 1993. The Constitution was signed by Andorra's two co-princes, the President of France, and the Bishop of Urgell, who at that time were François Mitterrand and Joan Martí Alanis respectively. The new constitution stipulates that these two officials are Andorra's heads of state. Indeed, this arrangement has existed for centuries, although at one time, the French king held the position now held by the French president.

Pi Day U.S. - M a r 1 4

Pi Day is a holiday commemorating the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 (or 3/14 in month/day date format), since 3, 1 and 4 are the three most significant digits of π in the decimal form. In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day. Pi Approximation Day is held on July 22 (or 22/7 in day/month date format), since the fraction22⁄7 is a common approximation of π.

History Larry Shaw created Pi Day in 1988. The holiday was

celebrated at the San FranciscoExploratorium, where Shaw worked as a physicist, with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, then consuming fruit pies. The Exploratorium continues to hold Pi Day celebrations.

On Pi Day 2004, Daniel Tammet recited 22,514 decimal digits of π.

On March 12, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution (HRES 224), recognizing March 14, 2009, as National Pi Day. For Pi Day 2010, Google presented a Google Doodle celebrating the holiday, with the word Google laid over images of circles and pi symbols.

At 9:26:53 on Pi Day 2015, the date will be 3/14/15 at 9:26:53, corresponding to 3.141592653.

Date abstractions from pi Pi Day is observed on March 14 because of the

date's representation as 3/14 in month/day date for- Larry Shaw, the creator of Pi Day, at the mat. This representation adheres to the commonly Exploratorium used approximation of 3.14 for π.

The fractional approximation of π,22⁄7, resembles the date July 22 in the day/month format, where it is written 22/7. Pi Approximation Day is therefore celebrated on July 22.

Celebration There are many ways of celebrating Pi Day. Some

of them include eating pie and discussing the relevance of π.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology often mails its application decision letters to prospective students for delivery on Pi Day. There are also some serious critical observations by scientists that wind up examples of false celebrations you find on the web. The New Scientist found several stimulating starting points for true mathematical celebrations.

White Day JAPAN - M a r 1 4

Wars Moshoeshoe signed a treaty with the British Governor, Sir

George Thomas Napier. Among the provisions of this treaty was the annexation of a tract of land (now called the Orange River Sovereignty) that many Boers had settled. The outraged Boers were suppressed in a brief skirmish in 1848, but remained bitter at both the British and the Sotho.

The situation erupted in 1851. A British force was defeated by the Sotho army at Kolonyama, touching off an embarrassing war for the British. After repulsing another British attack in 1852, Moshoeshoe sent an appeal to the British commander that allowed him to save face. Once again, diplomacy saved the Sotho kingdom. After a final defeat of the Tloka in 1853, Moshoeshoe reigned supreme.

However, the British pulled out of the region in 1854, causing the de facto formation of two independent states: the Boer Orange Free Stateand the Sotho Kingdom.

In 1858 Moshoeshoe defeated the Boers in the Free State-Basotho War and in 1865 Moshoeshoe lost a great portion of the western lowlands. The last war in 1867 ended only when the British and Moshoeshoe appealed to Queen Victoria, who agreed to make Basutoland a British protectorate in 1868. The British were eager to check Boer advances, and Moshoeshoe, with advice from Eugene Casalis, realized that continued pressure from the Boers would lead to the destruction of his king- Grave of Moshoeshoe I atop Thaba dom.

In 1869, the British signed a treaty at Aliwal with the Boers. It Bosiu. defined the boundaries of Basutoland and later Lesotho; those boundaries have not changed. The arable land west of the Caledon River remained in Boer hands, and is referred to as the Lost or Conquered Territory. This effectively reduced Moshoeshoe's kingdom to half its previous size.

Legacy

White Day is a day that is marked in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China on March 14, one month after Valentine's Day.

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low met Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, in 1911. Upon returning to Savannah, Georgia, she made her historic telephone call to a distant cousin, saying, "I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!"

GSUSA aims to empower girls and to help teach values such as honesty, fairness, courage, compassion, character, sisterhood, confidence, and citizenship through activities includingcamping, community service, learning first aid, and earning badges by acquiring other practical skills. Girl Scouts' achievements are recognized through rank advancement and by various special awards. Girl Scouts welcomed girls with disabilities early in their history, at a time when they were not included in most other activities.

Membership is organized according to grade with activities designed appropriately for each level. The GSUSA is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), and has an extensive history of accepting girls from any backgrounds.

In 1994, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, an industry publication, released the results of the largest study of charitable and non-profit organization popularity and credibility. The study showed that the Girl Scouts was ranked as the 8th "most popular charity/non-profit in America" of over 100 charities researched with 41% of Americans over the age of 12 choosing Love and Like A Lot for the Girl Scouts.

History Girl Scouting in the United States of America began on March 12, 1912 when Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized

the first Girl Scout troop meeting of 18 girls in Savannah, Georgia. It has since grown 3.7 million members. Low, who had met Baden-Powell in London while she was living in the United Kingdom, dreamed of giving the United States and the world "something for all the girls." She envisioned an organization that would bring girls out of their sheltered home environments to serve their communities, experience the out-of-doors, and give them the opportunity to develop "self-reliance and resourcefulness." Unlike other organizations, from its inception, Girl Scouts has been organized and run exclusively by women, for girls and women.

The organization's original name was the Girl Guides of America. In 1913, it was changed to the Girl Scouts of the United States and the organization was incorporated in 1915. The name was finally changed to the Girl Scouts of the United States of America in 1947, and was given a congressional charter on March 16, 1950. The GSUSA started with 18 members — within months, members were hiking through the woods in their knee-length blue uniforms, playing basketball on a curtained-off court, and going on camping trips. By 1920, there were nearly 70,000 members, and by 1930 over 200,000. In 2005 there were over 3.7 million Girl Scouts — 2.8 million girl members and 954,000 adult members — in the United States. More than 50 million American women have participated in the Girl Scouts.

Through its membership in the WAGGGS, GSUSA is part of a worldwide scouting family of over 10 million girls and adults in 145 countries. The names and ages of the levels — and the larger structure of the program — have evolved significantly. Troops were initially fairly independent before joining together into small councils, which have recently merged into larger councils.

The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, located in Savannah, Georgia in the former Gordon family home, became the National Girl Scout program center in 1956. It provides tours to thousands of Girl Scouts yearly. Upon Low's death in 1927, she willed her carriage house, which would eventually become The Girl Scout First Headquarters, to the local Savannah Girl Scouts for continued use. The first National Headquarters was in Washington, D.C., but it was moved to New York City in the spring of 1916 and has remained there ever since.

The aim of the Girl Scouts is that girls will develop to their full potential by pursuing four goals: developing their full potential; relating to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; developing a meaningful set of values to guide their actions and to provide for sound decision-making; and contributing to the improvement of society.

World War II:

During World War II, 1943–1945, many young Japanese-American girls were confined in internment camps with their families. Girl Scout troops were organized, even in these camps. These girls participated in many activities, including dramatic presentations, which took place in the Crystal City Internment Camp, located in Crystal City, Texas.

Desegregation:

Most Girl Scout units were originally segregated by race according to state and local laws and customs. The first troop for African American girls was founded in 1917; the first American Indian troop was formed in New York State in 1921; and the first troop for Mexican Americans was formed in Houston, Texas, in 1922. In 1933, Josephine Groves Holloway founded unofficial African American troops in Tennessee. She also fully desegregated the Cumberland Valley council in 1962. The first official African American troop in the South was founded in 1932 in Richmond, Virginia by Lena B. Watson and led initially by Lavnia Banks, a teacher from Armstrong High School. It first met in Hartshorn Hall, Girl Scouts raising the flag at a Municipal Virginia Union University.

By the 1950s, the GSUSA had begun significant national Band concert in Eau Claire, Wisconsin efforts to desegregate the camps and maintain racial balance. One of the first desegregations, accomplished by Murray Walls in 1956, was Camp Shantituck in Kentucky.

Later the same year, Martin Luther King, Jr. described Girl Scouts as "a force for desegregation". In 1969, a national Girl Scout initiative called Action 70 was created that aimed to eliminate prejudice. Gloria D. Scott, an African American, was elected National President of the Girl Scouts in 1975.

Wing Scouts:

The Wing Scout program was a Senior Girl Scout program for girls interested in flying and wanting to serve their country, started in 1941 and ending in the 1970s. In July 1942, 29 troop leaders from fifteen states met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to take Wing Scout leadership training. These leaders returned to their councils and began setting up Wing Scout troops. In 1959, Girl Scout Council in North San Mateo County, California was presented with an offer from United Airlines San Francisco Management Club President J. L. Burnside to start an aviation program for Senior Girl Scouts. One of the highlights of the Wing Scout program was the courtesy flight provided to Senior Girl Scouts using United Airlines' jets. For many of the girls, this was the first time they had flown in a plane. Senior Girl Scouts who had been in the program for three years were given the opportunity to take over the controls during flight in a small aircraft. The program was discontinued after United Airlines experienced financial setbacks in the 1970s.

Independence Day MAURITIUS - M a r 1 2

Mauritius officially the Republic of Mauritius (Mauritian Creole: Republik Moris; French: République de Maurice) is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 870 kilometres (540 mi) east of Madagascar. In addition to the island of Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands. Mauritius Island is part of the Mascarene Islands, with the French island of Réunion170 km (110 mi) to the southwest and the island of Rodrigues 570 km (350 mi) to the east. The area of Mauritius is 2040 km2; its capital city is Port Louis.

The United Kingdom took control of the islands in 1810, from France during the Napoleonic Wars, and Mauritius became independent from the UK in 1968. It is a parliamentary republic and is a member of the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the African Union, La Francophonie and the Commonwealth of Nations. Mauritius has an upper middle income economy.

The main languages spoken in Mauritius are Mauritian Creole, French and English. English is the only official language but the lingua franca is Mauritian Creole and the newspapers and television programmes are usually in French.

Asian languages also form part of the linguistic mosaic. The country's populace is composed of several ethnicities, including Indian, African, Chinese and French. The first European explorers found no indigenous people living on the island.

The island of Mauritius was the only home of the dodo (Raphus cucullatus). This bird was an easy prey to settlers because of its weight and inability to fly, and became extinct fewer than eighty years after the initial European colonization.

History The island of Mauritius was unknown and uninhab-

World Book Day Worldwide - M a r 1 4

Dutch period:

World Book Day by country Spain:

To celebrate this day Cervantes' Don Quixote is read during a two-day "readathon" and the Miguel de Cervantes Prize is presented by the King in Alcalá de Henares.

Catalonia:

In Catalonia, Spain, since 1436, St. George's Day has been 'The Day of the Rose', where the exchange of gifts between sweethearts, loved ones and respected ones is effectuated. It would be the analogous to Valentine's Day. Although the World Book and Copyright Day has been celebrating since 1995 internationally, the first time that books where also exchanged in 'The Day of the Rose' in Catalonia, was in 1926; also to commemorate the death of Cervantes and Shakespeare.

Sweden:

In Sweden, the day is known as Världsbokdagen (world book day), and the copyright part is seldom mentioned. Normally celebrated on April 23, it was moved to avoid a clash with Easter to April 13 in the year 2000 and 2011.

UK and Ireland:

In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, World Book Day is held annually on the first Thursday in March. Although it might be argued that this makes it more a "UK and Ireland Book Day" than a World Book Day as such, it was decided to avoid the established international 23 April date due to clashes with Easter school holidays, as well as the fact that it is also the National Saint's Day of England, St George's Day. In 2011 it was held on Thursday 3 March and was observed on Thursday 1 March 2012.

The Summer Day ALBANIA - M a r 1 4

Albania celebrates the lunar Spring Day (Albanian: Dita e Verës or Dita e Luleve) on March 14, and from 2004 it is a national holiday. It is an old pagan practice, particularly popular in the city of Elbasan, Central Albania.

According to some sources, Dita e Verës derives from the Arbëresh, an Albanian community that lives in Italy since the fifteenth century. On 14 March, the arbëresh of the Italian coast, collect a tuft of grass roots and soil, bringing it home to commemorate the anniversary of their emigration from Albania. In fact, some sources date back this celebration to the ancient Illyria. At that time, the feast was celebrated on March 1, which according to the Julian calendar, corresponded to the first day of the year.

Pilgrimages were made to the highest peaks in the Albanian mountains to be as close as possible to the Sun God and pray for the goodness and prosperity of the new year. The great fire crossed by men and young people symbolized the end of winter. Instead, wreaths and garlands on the doors of the houses wished good luck. The purity of the celebration has weakened over the centuries but came to this day thanks to the tradition preserved in the city of Elbasan.

The ritual of the Dita e Verës begins on the previous day with the preparation of sweets: the revani and ballakume, the blended butter, sugar, corn flour and egg yolks cooked in a wood oven. During the evening ballakume, dried figs, walnuts, turkey legs, boiled eggs, simite (a typical sandwich of the city) are distributed to members of the family. The oldest woman of the house remains awake at night and goes from room to room to put down grass on the cushions of couples, young people and children, a ritual that symbolizes the regeneration and quickening.

On the morning of March 14, the elderly leave the door open as a sign of generosity, a pitcher filled with fresh water and take home a clump of green grass. The youngest fertilizes the orange and olive trees, but the smaller ones are the first to make the "lucky" visits to neighbors and relatives who give them turkey legs, dried figs and nuts. Finally lunch on March 14, should be eaten outdoors in the company of friends and relatives.

Constitution Day BELARUS - M a r 1 5

In 1994, the country of Belarus gained a new constitution and the right to democratic elections. Constitution Day was celebrated as a changing for the better of a democratic Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko won those elections, but soon worked to secure his position as leader of the country through the 1996 Belarus Referendum. This highly contentious referendum altered the constitution, abolishing the parliament and putting in an assembly of cronies. Afterwards, Constitution Day lost its meaning to many people who saw Lukashenko’s changes as a destruction of democracy.

History

After Belarus severed connections with the Soviet Union in July 1990, work set out to bring democracy to the people. A new constitution came into effect on March 15, 1994, allowing for democratic elections. The people of Belarus marked March 15 as Constitution Day, and at first they were excited. In two-part elections in June and July 1994, Alexander Lukashenko was elected as president of the country.

Lukashenko quickly made enemies by refusing to install real free-market reform to Belarus. The World Bank and the IMF both severed funding to the country in 1995. But Lukashenko wanted more control, and in July 1996, he asked the legislature to extend his term from five to seven years, add a second chamber of legislature, and add a constitutional court for which he’d appoint half of its members. Under his proposition, Lukashenko would also be immune to prosecution for life and would be able to dissolve the parliament at will. He threatened to hold a referendum if the legislature refused.

In November, Lukashenko, determined to hold his referendum, declared that the results would be legally binding. This incited Viktor Gonchar, chief electoral officer, to declare the referendum unconstitutional. On November 15, Lukashenko dismissed Gonchar, and the parliament began with impeachment proceedings.

Protests erupted and officials resigned. Lukashenko’s pushed the Belarus Referendum despite the chaos, and on November 25, he declared it passed with 70.5 percent approval. The next day, Lukashenko dissolved the original parliament and set up a new one with his own supporters. Impeachment proceedings were suddenly dropped by the constitutional court.

On March 15, 1997, a massive protest with more than 10,000 people was held in Minsk, the countries capital.

“Marchers chanted, ‘’Down with Lukashenko!’ and ‘Freedom! Independence!’,” reported the New York Times.

One of the more poignant demonstrations of the malice placed towards the constitution occurred on Constitution Day in 2005. Dzmitryy Dashkevich, an opposition activist, brought three black coffin-like structures to October Square in Minsk, claiming they represented three “funerals” for the constitution in 1995, 1996, and 2004, times when the constitution was altered further away from democracy.

Another highly contested election in 2006 saw Lukashenko remain in power, prompting even more to demonstrate. Protests and demonstrations have since been commonplace on Constitution Day, a day that is flaunted for its importance by state-run agencies.

TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS AND ACTIVITIES An air of fear is said to surround anti-Lukashenko activists. Fears of being imprisoned, tortured, or spied on

St. Urho's Day FINLAND - M a r 1 6

The Battle of Grand Port, 20–27 August 1810

In 1598 a Dutch squadron under Admiral Wybrand Van Warwyck landed at Grand Port and named the island "Mauritius", in honour of Prince Maurits van Nassau, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. However, it was not until 1638 that there was a first attempt of Dutch settlement.

It was from here that Dutch navigator Abel Tasman set out to discover the western part of Australia. The first Dutch settlement lasted only twenty years. Several attempts were subsequently made, but the settlements never developed enough to produce dividends and the Dutch abandoned Mauritius in 1710. They are remembered for the introduction of sugar-cane, domestic animals, and deer.

French period:

France, which already controlled neighboring Île Bourbon (now Réunion), took control of Mauritius in 1715 and later renamed it Île de France (literally, Island of France). The 1735 arrival of French governor Mahé de La Bourdonnais coincided with development of a prosperous economy based on sugar production. Mahé de La Bourdonnais established Port Louis as a naval base and a shipbuilding centre. Under his governorship, numerous buildings were erected, a number of which are still standing today - part of Government House, the Chateau de Mon Plaisir at Pamplemousses, and the Line Barracks. The island was under the administration of the French East India Company which maintained its presence until 1767.

From 1767 to 1810, except for a brief period during the French Revolution when the inhabitants set up a government virtually independent of France, the island was controlled by officials appointed by the French government. In particular Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen a successful general in the French Revolutionary Wars and in some ways a rival of Napoleon, ruled as Governor General of Mauritius and Réunion from 1803 to 1810. British naval cartographer and explorer Matthew Flinders was arrested and detained by Decaen on the island for most of this period, in contravention of an order from Napoleon. During this period, the Napoleonic wars, Île de France became a base from which French corsairs organised successful raids on British commercial ships. The raids continued until 1810 when a strong Royal Navy expedition led by Commodore Josias Rowley was sent to capture the island. Despite winning the Battle of Grand Port, the only French naval victory over the British during these wars, the French surrendered to a British invasion at Cap Malheureux three months later. They formally surrendered on 3 December 1810, on terms allowing settlers to keep their land and property and to use the French language and law of France in criminal and civil matters. Under British rule, the island's name reverted to the original one.

British period:

World Book and Copyright Day (also known as International Day of the Book or World Book Days) is a yearly event on 23 April, organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishingand copyright. The Day was first celebrated in 1995 and in 2012 the UK World Book day was celebrated on March 1, 2012.

World Book Day was celebrated for the first time on April 23. The connection between 23 Apriland books was first made in 1923 by booksellers in Spain as a way to honour the author Miguel de Cervantes who died on that day.

In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on this date because of the Catalonian festival and because the date is also the anniversary of the birth and death of William Shakespeare, the death of Miguel de Cervantes, Inca Garcilaso de la Vegaand Josep Pla, and the birth of Maurice Druon, Vladimir Nabokov, Manuel Mejía Vallejo andHalldór Laxness.

Although 23 April is often stated as the anniversary of the deaths of both William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, this is not strictly correct. Cervantes died on 23 April according theGregorian calendar; however, at this time England still used the Julian calendar. Whilst Shakespeare died on 23 April by the Julian calendar in use in his own country at the time, he actually died ten days after Cervantes because of the discrepancy between the two date systems. The apparent correspondence of the two dates was a fortunate coincidence for UNESCO.

by the KGB have all been mentioned by the more vocal of protestors. What originally was seen as a reason to celebrate democracy in an independent Belarus is now scoffed at as state propaganda hiding a dictatorlike regime. Human rights days have become increasingly popular as people pressure Lukashenko to answer to the imprisonment and death of many opposition figures. Constitution Day is seemingly derided as a joke and the death of democracy and independence in the country. As such, it’s not celebrated by many as a real holiday.

ited before its first recorded visit, by Arab sailors during the Middle Ages who named it Dina Arobi. In 1507 Portuguese sailors visited the uninhabited island and established a visiting base. Portuguese navigator Diogo Fernandes Pereira was probably the first European to land on the island at around 1511.

The island appears with a Portuguese name 'Cirne' on early Portuguese maps, probably because of the presence of the dodo, a flightless bird which was found in great numbers at that time. Another Portuguese sailor, Dom Pedro Mascarenhas, gave the name Mascarenes to the group of islands now known as Mauritius, Rodrigues andRéunion. The Portuguese did not stay long as they were not interested in these islands.

The British administration, which began with Robert Farquhar as governor, was followed by rapid social and economic changes. Slavery was abolished in 1835. The planters received two million pounds sterling in compensation for the loss of their slaves who had been imported from Africa and Madagascar during the French occupation. The abolition of slavery had important repercussions on the socio-economic and demographic fields. The planters turned to India, bringing in a large number of indentured labourers to work in the sugar cane fields. Between 1834 and 1921, around half a million indentured labourers were present on the island. They worked on sugar estates, factories, in transport and construction sites. Additionally, the British brought 8740 Indian soldiers to the islands.

Indians mainly originated from Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. The first group arrived in 1721 fromBengal and Pondicherry. Most were Bengali or Tamil. Port-Louis was divided into three sectors, with the Indian community in the eastern suburb of ‘Camp de Malabar’. A great number of Hindus from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were brought as indentured labourers. There was also massive immigration from Madagascar, Southern and Eastern Africa, Mozambique and Comoros. Chinese immigrants who were in commerce also arrived later and the colony was transformed into a predominantly Asiatic population. The expanding marketing sector also attracted many traders from North India.

As the Indian population became numerically dominant and the voting franchise was extended, political power shifted from the Franco-Mauritian and their Creole allies to the Indo-Mauritian. Cultivation of sugar cane flourished, for export of sugar to England. Economic progress saw improvement of the means of communication and a gradual upgrading of infrastructure.

Following constitutional conferences held in London in 1955 and 1957, the ministerial system was introduced and general elections were held on 9 March 1959. Voting took place for the first time on the basis of universal adult suffrage and the number of electors rose to 208,684. A Constitutional Review Conference was held in London in 1961 and a programme of further constitutional advance was established. The last constitutional conference, held in 1965, paved the way for Mauritius to achieve independence. After general elections in 1967, Mauritius adopted a new constitution and independence was proclaimed on 12 March 1968. Mauritius became a republic on 12 March 1992.

The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. The revolution in the Kingdom of Hungary grew into a war for independence from the Austrian Empire, ruled by the Habsburg monarchy.

Many of its leaders and participants, including Lajos Kossuth, István Széchenyi,Sándor Petőfi, Józef Bem, are among the most respected national heroes in Hungarian history. The anniversary of the Revolution's outbreak, 15 March, is one of Hungary's three national holidays.

Pretext

In 1825, Emperor Francis II convened the Diet in response to growing concerns amongst the Hungarian nobility about taxes and the diminishing economy, after the Napoleonic wars. This – and the reaction to the hot-headed reforms of Joseph II – started what is known as the Reform Period (Hungarian: reformkor). But the Nobles still retained their privileges of paying no taxes and not giving the vote to the masses. It was in this time that Hungarian became an official language instead of Latin as had been used formally before.

The influential Hungarian politician Count István Széchenyi recognized the need to bring the country up-to-date. The Hungarian Parliament was summoned once again in 1825 to handle financial needs. A Liberal Party emerged in the Diet, which put its attention on providing for the peasantry.

Lajos Kossuth, a famous journalist of the time, emerged as the leader of the lower house of Parliament.

Kossuth's aspiration was to build a modern democratic, liberal state with a constitution, ensuring civil equality. The people supported him in this modernisation, even though the Habsburg monarchs obstructed all important liberal laws about their civil and political rights and the economic reforms.

Many reformers (like Lajos Kossuth, Mihály Táncsics) were imprisoned by the authorities.

Revolt The Revolution started on March 15, 1848.

St. Urho is a fictional Finnish saint who is said to have chased away the grasshoppers to save the grape crop. St. Urho's Day is traditionally March 15th, and there are widespread celebrations across northern Minnesota, and indeed, many places with populations of Finnish descent.

Finland, Minnesota has long celebrated St. Urho's Day (March 13, 2010 marked the 35th annual celebration), but in 2007 the committee who had been putting on the event for years decided to retire. For a brief time it seemed that maybe Finland, Minnesota would no longer have the saint's celebration. However, Friends of the Finland Community decided to step in and continue the tradition. In Finland, MN, St. Urho's Day is celebrated the Saturday closest to March 15th. There is a beauty pageant, a parade, music, facepainting, food, snow sculptures, and other community festivities.

Zarb-e-Jamhoor

CONGRATULATES MAURITIUS ON

Artist Mihály Zichy's painting of Sándor Petőfireciting the Nemzeti dal to a crowd on March 15, 1848

The bloodless mass demonstrations in Pest and Buda forced the Imperial governor to accept all twelve of their demands. After that, there were many insurrections throughout the Kingdom; on the pressure, the Governor-General's officers, acting in the name of the King appointed Hungary's new parliament with Lajos Batthyány as its first Prime Minister. The new government approved a sweeping reform package, referred to as the "April laws", which created a democratic political system. The newly established government also demanded that the Habsburg Empire spend all taxes they received from Hungary in Hungary itself, and that the Parliament should have authority over the Hungarian regiments of the Habsburg Army.

In the summer of 1848, Hungarian Government ministers, seeing the civil war ahead, tried to get the Habsburgs' support against the conservative Josip Jelačić.

They offered to send troops to northern Italy. By the end of August 1848, the Imperial Government in Vienna officially ordered the Hungarian Government in Pest not to form an Army. Jelačić, being a Count in Croatia and Dalmatia, which were at that time part of Hungary, had a different view. He invaded Hungary to dissolve the Hungarian Government, without any order by the Austrian throne.

Hungary now had war raging on three fronts: Jelačić's Croatian troops to the South, Romanians in Banat and in Transylvania to the East, and Austria to the West.

Hungarian liberals in Pest saw this as an opportunity.

In September 1848, the Diet made concessions to the Pest Uprising, so as not to break up the Austro-Hungarian Union. But the counter-revolutionary forces were gathering. After many local victories, the combined Bohemian and Croatian armies entered Pest on 5 January 1849 to put down the revolt.

Austria had its own problems with the revolution in Vienna that year. So at first it acknowledged Hungary's government. The Austrian monarchy also made other concessions to subdue the Vienna masses: On 13 March 1848, Prince Klemens von Metternich was made to resign his position as the Austrian Government's Chancellor. He then fled to London for his own safety.

After the Austrian revolution in Vienna was beaten down, the kamarilla orchestrated Franz Joseph I of Austria to replace his uncle Ferdinand I of Austria, who was not of sound mind. With Franz Joseph on throne, Austria now again refused to accept the Hungarian government. In the end, the final break between Vienna and Pest occurred when Field-Marshal Count Franz Philipp von Lamberg was given control of every army in Hungary (including Jelačić's). He went to Hungary where he was mobbed and viciously murdered, upon which the Imperial court, without authority for such, ordered the Hungarian Parliament and Government dissolved, and uniliterally appointed Jelačić – the same illegal invader referred to above – to take Lamberg's place as Palatine and commander-in-chief.

War between Austria and Hungary had officially begun.

War of Independence

In 1848 and 1849, the Hungarian people or Magyars, who wanted independence, formed a majority only in about a third of the total country known as "Hungary and Transylvania," and the Magyars were boxed in by their traditional enemies. In the north, from Pressburg (now Bratislava, Slovakia) to the Danube and the Tisza were several million Slovaks and a few Ruthenians.

Croats and Slovenes lived in the south, between the Danube, the Sava and the Drava. More to the east, there was a Serb colony numbering over a million. These Slavic areas – the Slovenes and the Serbs – were linked with the Wallachians and the Saxons of Transylvania.Often these different races were at war with each other.

In 1848– 49, the Austrian monarchy, and those advising them, skillfully manipulated the Croatian, Serbian and Romanian peasantry, making promises to the Magyars one day and making conflicting promises to the Serbs and other groups the next. Some of these groups were led to fight against the Hungarian Government, by their priests and officers who were loyal to the Habsburg monarchy.

The Hungarian cockBut in 1848 and 1849, the Hungarians were supported by most Slovaks, Germans, Rusyns and ade used in 1848 Hungarian Slovenes, the Hungarian Jews, and many Polish, Austrian and Italian volunteers.

Occasionally, the Austrian throne would overplay their hand in their tactics of divide and conquer in Hungary – with some quite unintended results. This happened in the case of the Slovaks who had begun the war as at least indifferent if not positively anti-Magyar, but came to support the Hungarian Government against the Dynasty. But in another case, the Austrians' doubledealing brought some even more surprising new allies to the Hungarian cause during the war in 1849:

Serbs:

To the east of the Tisza to the Transylvanian border lay the part of Hungary called "The Banat", the southern boundary of which was the Danube. On its southern bank lies the city of Belgrade in the district of Syrmien (now Syrmia, Serbia). For centuries the Danube here had served as the boundary between the Ottoman and Austrian empires. But since 1804, the independent nation of Serbia had formed south of the Danube with Belgrade as its capital. So in 1849, the Danube divided Serbia from the Kingdom of Hungary. The Hungarian district on the northern side of the river was called "Vojvodina", and was home to more than a million Serbian colonists. Vojvodina had long sought its own independence as a nation or, as an alternative, attachment with the independent nation of Serbia on the other side of the Danube. Even before the revolution of 1848 the Austrian monarchy had promised an independent status for Vojvodina within the Austrian Empire.

Toward this end, Josif Rajačić was appointed to "Patriarch" of Vojvodina in the February 1849. Rajačić was a supporter of the Serbian national movement, although somewhat conservative with pro-Austrian leanings. At a crucial point during the war against the Hungarian Government , in late March 1849 when the Austrians needed more Serbian soldiers to fight the war, the Austrian FieldMarshal Georg Rukavina Baron von Vidovgrad, who commanded the Austrian troops in Hungary, officially re-stated this promise of independence for Vojvodina and conceded to all the demands of the Patriarch regarding Serbian nationhood. Acquiescence to the demands of the Patriarch should have meant a relaxation of the strict military administration of Vojvodina. Under this military Battle at Tápióbicske (4 April administration in the border areas, any male between the ages of 16 years and 1849) by Mór Than 60 years of age could be conscripted into the army.

The Serbs of Vojvodina were expecting their requirement for Austrian military conscription to be the first measure to be relaxed.

But the new Emperor Franz Joseph had other ideas and this promise was broken not more than two weeks after it had been made to the people of Vojvodina. This caused a split in the population of the Vojvodina and at least part of the Serbs in that province began to support the elected Hungarian Government against the Austrians.

Some Serbs sought to ingratiate the Serb nation with the Austrian Empire to promote the independence of Vojvodina. Believers in the idea of a "Greater Serbia" hoped that an independent Vojvodina would sooner or later attach itself to the Serbian nation.

Believers in Greater Serbia already looked forward to acquiring Bosnia (37.1% Serb), Herzegovina (37.9% Serb), and Montenegro (32.0% Serb). But some supporters of Greater Serbia also threw in acquisition of the northern part of Albania (less than 1% Serb) as another desirable goal for Serbian acquisition, not so much because of any ethnic link, but rather so that the Greater Serbia would have ""access to the sea".

With war on three fronts the Hungarian Government should have been squashed immediately upon the start of hostilities.

However, events early in the war worked in favour of the Government. The unity of the Serbs on the southern front was ruined

by Austrian perfidy over the legal status of Vojvodina.

Some right-wingers in the Serbian national movement felt that a "revolution" in Hungary more threatened the prerogatives of landowners, and the nobles in Serbian Vojvodina, than the occupying Austrians.

At the start of the war, the Hungarian forces (Honvédség) won many battles against the Austrians, for example at the Battle of Pákozd in September 1848 and at the Isaszeg in April 1849, at which time they even stated the Hungarian Declaration of Independence from the Habsburg Empire. The same month, Artúr Görgey became the new Commander-in-Chief of all the Hungarian Republic's armies.

Russians:

Because of the success of revolutionary resistance, Franz Joseph had to ask for help from the "gendarme of Europe" Czar Nicholas I of Russia in March 1849. Russian armies, composed of about 8,000 soldiers, invaded Transylvania on 7 April 1848. But as they crossed the Southern Carpathian mountain passes (along the border of Transylvania and Wallachia), they were met by a large Surrender at Világos, 1849 Hungarian revolutionary army led by Józef Bem, a Polish-born General.

Bem had been a participant in the Polish insurrection of 1830 – 1831, had been involved in the uprising in Vienna in 1848 and, finally, became one of the top army commanders for the Hungarian Republic from 1848 – 1849. When he encountered the Russians, Bem defeated them and forced them back out of the towns of Hermannstadt (now Sibiu, Romania) and Kronstadt (now Brașov) in Transylvania, back over the Southern Carpathian Mountains through the Roterturm Pass into Wallachia. Only 2,000 Russian soldiers made it out of Transylvania back into Wallachia, the other 6,000 troops being killed or captured by the Hungarian Army. After securing all of Transylvania, Bem moved his 30,000–40,000-man Hungarian army against Austrian forces in the northern Banat capturing the city of Temesvár (now Timişoara, Romania).

Austrians:

Meanwhile, the Austrians followed the Danube down from Vienna and crossed over into Hungary to envelope Komorn (now Komárom, Hungary and Komárno, Slovakia). They continued down the Danube to Pest, the capital of the Hungarian Kingdom.

After some fierce fighting, the Austrians, led by Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz, captured Pest and held it for a short while before being forced to give up their positions and move across the Danube to the town of Buda, located directly across the Danube from Pest. (the town was known in German as Ofen and later Buda and Pest were united into Budapest).

In April 1849, the Hungarian Government enjoyed success on this western front, crossing the Danube and forcing the Austrian Army to retreat from Buda back up the Danube. The Hungarian Army relieved the Austrians at Komárom and pushed them back towards Vienna.

Thus, the Hungarian Government was initially successful on its eastern front (Transylvania) against the Russians, and on its western front against the Austrians. But there was a third front – the southern front in the Banat, fighting the troops of the Serbian national movement and the Croatian troops of Jelačić within the province of Vojvodina itself. Mór Perczel, the General of the Hungarian forces in the Banat, was initially successful in battles along the southern front.

Laval Nugent von Westmeath was the Austrian Master of Ordnance, but was serving as the general in the field attempting to marshall all the Serbs still loyal to the Austrian throne, for another offensive against the Hungarian Government. Here, even on the southern front the Hungarian Armies were proving successful, initially.

This combat led to the Vienna Uprising of October 1848, when insurgents attacked a garrison on its way to Hungary to support forces. After Vienna was recaptured by imperial forces, General Windischgrätz and 70,000 troops were sent to Hungary to crush the last challenge to the Austrian Empire. By the end of December, the Hungarian government evacuated Pest. However this army had to retreat after heavy defeats from March to May 1849 and General Windischgrätz was removed as well. In April 1849, Ludwig Baron von Welden became the new supreme commander of Austrian forces in Hungary. Without destroying the Austrian army, the Hungarians stopped, besieged Buda and prepared defenses. In June 1849 Russian and Austrian troops entered Hungary heavily outnumbering the Hungarian army. After all appeals to other European states failed, Kossuth abdicated on August 11, 1849 in favour of Artúr Görgey, who he thought was the only general who was capable of saving the nation. On August 13, Görgey signed a surrender at Világos (now Şiria, Romania) to the Russians, who handed the army over to the Austrians.

However, in May 1849, Czar Nicholas I pledged to redouble his efforts against the Hungarian Government. He and Emperor Franz Joseph started to regather and rearm an army to be commanded by Anton Vogl, the Austrian lieutenant-field-marshal who had actively participated in the suppression of the national liberation movement in Galacia in 1848. But even at this stage Vogl was occupied trying to stop another revolutionary uprising in Galacia. The Czar was also preparing to send 30,000 Russian soldiers back over the Eastern Carpathian Mountains from Poland. Austria held Galacia and moved into Hungary, independent of Vogl's forces.

Aftermath:

Julius Jacob von Haynau, the leader of the Austrian army, has been appointed plenipotentiary of restoring order at Hungary after the conflict. He ordered the execution of the The 13 Martyrs of Arad (now Arad, Romania) and Prime Minister Batthyány was executed the same day in Pest.

After the revolution, in 1849 the whole country was in "passive resistance". In 1851 Archduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen was appointed as Regent, which lasted until 1860, during which time he implemented a process of Germanisation.

Kossuth went into exile after the revolution. In the US he was most warmly received by the general public as well as the then US Secretary of State, Daniel Webster, which made relations between the US and Austria somewhat strained for the following twenty years.Kossuth County, Iowa was named for him. He then also travelled through Constantinople, theOttoman Empire and to Turin, Italy.

Kossuth thought his biggest mistake was to confront the Hungarian minorities. He set forth the dream of a multi-ethnic confederation of republics along the Danube, which might have prevented the escalation of hostile feelings between the ethnic groups in these areas.

Many of Kossuth's comrades-in-exile joined him in the United States, including the sons of one of his sisters. These "FortyEighters"fought on the Union side in the US Civil War. After the Hungarian Army's surrender at Világos in 1849, their revolutionary banners were taken to Russia by the Tsarist troops, and were kept there both under the Tsarist and Communist systems. But in 1940 the Soviet Union proposed to the Horthy government to exchange the banners for the release of the imprisoned Hungarian Communist leader Mátyás Rákosi – which was accepted.

J.J. Robert's Birthday LIBERIA - M a r 1 5

In Japan

In Japan, Valentine's Day is observed by females who present chocolate gifts (either store-bought or handmade), usually to a male, as an expression of love, courtesy or social obligation. A handmade chocolate is usually preferred by the receiver, because it is a sign that the receiving male is the girl's "only one". On White Day, the converse happens: males who received a honmeichoco (本命チョコ, "chocolate of love") or giri-choco (義 理チョコ, "courtesy chocolate") on Valentine's Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts. Traditionally, popular White Day gifts are cookies, jewellery, white chocolate, white lingerie and marshmallows.

Sometimes the term sanbai gaeshi (三倍返し, literally, "triple the return") is used to describe the generally recited rule that the return gift should be two to three times the cost of the Valentine's gift.

Although he had ceded much territory, Moshoeshoe never suffered a major military defeat and retained most of his kingdom and all of his culture. His death in 1870 marked the end of the traditional era and the beginning of the modern colonial period. Moshoeshoe Day is a national holiday in Lesotho celebrated every year on March 11 to commemorate the day of Moshoeshoe's death.

Girl Scout Day U.S. - M a r 1 2

Revolution of 1848 HUNGARY - M a r 1 5

The birthday of J. J. Roberts is celebrated in Liberia, a country in West Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean on its south-west portion of the land. It also shares borders with Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea. He is the first and seventh president of country on January 3, 1848 to January 7, 1856 and on January 1, 1872 to January 3, 1876 respectively.

History Born on March 15, 1809, Roberts migrated from Norfolk, Virginia

(USA) to Liberia at the age of 20 in 1829. He initially put up a business and later engaged in Liberian politics which he led twice: one in 1848 and one in 1872.

There were various theories in Roberts’ emigration but two of the most popular are Roberts’ worry of the passing of laws in the US (Black Codes), especially the northern and southern states, which curtail the rights of African-Americans in the region and Roberts’ wanting to devotion to the spread of Christianity in this region of Africa called Liberia.

Together with his family, he joined an expedition which allowed them to set foot on the African nation on February 9, 1829. On the ship on the way to Liberia was James Spriggs Payne who became the fourth president of Liberia. Just like, Roberts, Payne was also based and born on Virginia, USA. Between 1829 and 1833, Roberts and his family got involved in businesses in Monrovia, the country’s capital. The start of Roberts’ entry into Liberia’s politics happened on 1833 when he became Liberia’s high chief. He was tasked to collect taxes and deal with mounting rebellions in the region; this work continued until he was elected vice governor by an organization based in US that aimed to liberate black slaves and to launched an expedition to establish a new state for the freed black slaves in the US – The American Colonization Society.

Roberts died on February 1876 barely completing the last two months of his term. He was noted to have left a large sum of money ($10,000) and dedicated his assets to be used for the improvement of Liberia’s educational system as written on his will. It is his act of generosity and his unforgettable legacy to the people of Liberia made his people mark a day that commemorate his birthday.

Traditions, Customs and Activities

Parades and other exciting activities are held during the holiday including musical events in major cities and towns across Liberia. Special meals are prepared as part of the celebration with dumboy, fufu, and soups made of goat meat are cooked and served with coffee.

Camp Fire Boys & Girls Founders Day U.S. - M a r 1 7

Camp Fire USA, originally Camp Fire Girls of America, is a nationwide American youth organization that began in 1910. The organization has been co-ed since 1975 and welcomes youth from pre-kindergarten through age 21. Camp Fire was the first nonsectarian, multicultural organization for girls in America. Its programs emphasize camping and other outdoor activities for youth.

Its informal roots extend back to 1910, with efforts by Mrs. Charles Farnsworth in Thetford, Vermont and Luther Gulick M.D. and his wife Charlotte Vedder Gulick on Sebago Lake, near South Casco, Maine.

Camp Fire Girls, as it was known at the time, was created as the sister organization to the Boy Scouts of America. The organization changed its name in 1975 to Camp Fire Boys and Girls when membership eligibility was expanded to include boys. In 2001, the current name, Camp Fire USA, was adopted.

Camp Fire's programs, including small group experiences, after-school programs, camping and environmental education, child care and service learning, build confidence in younger children and provide hands-on, youth driven leadership experiences for older youth.

History

In 1910, young girls in Thetford, Vermont, watched their brothers, friends, and schoolmates – all Boy Scouts – practice their parts in the community's 150th anniversary, which would be celebrated the following summer. The pageant's organizer, William Chauncey Langdon, promised the girls that they, too, would have an organized role in the pageant, although no organization such as Boy Scouts existed then for girls. Langdon consulted with Mrs. Charles Farnsworth, preceptress of Horace Mann School near Thetford, Vermont. Both approached Luther Halsey Gulick M.D. about creating a national organization for girls. Gulick introduced the idea to friends, among them G. Stanley Hall, Ernest Thompson Seton, and James West, executive secretary of the Boy Scouts. After many discussions and help from Gulick and his wife Charlotte, Langdon named the group of Thetford girls the Camp Fire Girls.

In 1907, the Gulicks had established Camp WoHeLo, a camp for girls, on Lake Sebago, near South Casco, Maine. There were seventeen WoHeLo maidens at the camp in the summer of 1910. Both the Vermont group and the Maine group would lead to the creation of the organization formally organized as Camp Fire Girls in 1912.

On March 22, 1911 Dr. Gulick organized a meeting "To consider ways and means of doing for the girls what the Boy Scout movement is designed to do for the boys". On April 10, 1911 James E. West issued a press release from Boy Scouts of America headquarters announcing that with the success of the Boy Scout movement a group of preeminent New York men and women were organizing a group to provide outdoor acitivites for girls, similar to those in the Boy Scout movement.

Camp Fire Girls of America was incorporated in Washington, D.C, as a national agency on March 17, 1912.

By December 1913, Camp Fire Girls' membership was an estimated 60,000, many of whom began attending affiliated summer camps. The Bluebird program was introduced that year for younger girls, offering exploration of ideas and creative play built around family and community. In 1989 the Bluebirds became Starflight.

The first official Camp Fire handbook was published in 1914. During World War I Camp Fire Girls helped to sell over one million dollars inLiberty Bonds and over $900,000 in Thrift Stamps; 55,000 girls helped to support French and Belgian orphans, and an estimated 68,000 girls earned honors by conservation of food.

The first local Camp Fire council was formed in 1918 in Kansas City, Mo. Later in 1977 Kansas City would become the national headquarters for Camp Fire.

Camp Fire celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1960 with the "She Cares ... Do You?" program. During the project, Camp Fire planted more than two million trees, built 13,000 bird houses, and completed several other conservation-oriented tasks. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Camp Fire Girls, in connection with their Golden Jubilee Convention celebration, a stamp designed by H. Edward Oliverwas issued featuring the Camp Fire Girls insignia. A new program, Junior Hi, wherein twelve- and thirteen-year-old girls explore new interests as a group and as individuals was created in 1962. This program name changed later to Discovery. That same year, the WoHeLo medallion became Camp Fire's highest achievement and honor.

In 1969, Camp Fire Girls were allowed to be "Participants" in BSA's Explorer Posts (for boys 14 and older). This arrangement ended in 1971, when the BSA made Explorers a co-ed program. Membership was at 274,000 by 1974 in 1,300 communities of the United States. Camp Fire expanded its horizons in 1975, welcoming boys to participate in all Camp Fire activities. While boys were invited to Camp Fire Girls Horizon Conferences in the late 1960s and early 1970s, official membership was not offered them until 1975, when the organization became coeducational. Camp Fire decided boys and girls should be together in one organization, so they learn to play and work alongside each other and appreciate their similarities and differences in positive ways. Thus they understand that people from either gender can be their teachers, coworkers, supervisors, confidantes, coaches, and friends.

In 1977, Camp Fire's head office moved to Kansas City from New York, where it is still located today. Teens in Action was introduced in 1988 as a one-time social issue campaign to energize the older teen program. Today Teens in Action, Camp Fire USA's service–learning program for teens, serves over 60,000 teens.

The first Absolutely Incredible Kid Day, a call to action for all adults to communicate through letters their love and commitment to children, took place in 1997. In 2003 to further its commitment and inclusiveness, Camp Fire USA began translating its curricula to Spanish. As a way to excite and educate children in Pre-K, the Little Stars program was introduced in 2005. Designated for ages 3–5 Little Stars builds confidence and a sense of belonging in children.

Gamma Phi Beta Sorority partners with Campfire USA to build resiliency in girls by volunteering at and fundraising for Campfire USA camps and programs.

St. Patrick's Day Worldwide - M a r 1 7

Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig (The Festival of Patrick); Ulster-Scots: Saunt Petherick's Day) is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March in Dublin, Ireland. The tradition came about at the instigation of the Irish Protestant organisation The Knights of St. Patrick. The inaugural parade took place on 17 March 1783. In what has been described as an act of cultural re-orientation the British established a new focus of ritual and spectacle in the figure of St. Patrick, a pre-reformation saint who appealed to both the Roman Catholic and Irish Protestant traditions in Ireland (Cullen, 1997, p.67) Guarding the inaugural procession were the mainly Protestant Volunteers who were charged with keeping order on the streets and at the service in the Protestant St. Patrick's Cathedral. The subsequent celebrations took place in two venues: on 17 March in the ballroom (which the Lord Lieutenant Earl Temple II had renamed after St Patrick) of Dublin Castle, the ancient seat of British power in Ireland, in the old part of the city, and, on the 18 March, at the Rotunda, a site closely associated with the Volunteers leaders Lord Charlemont and the second Duke of Leinster (Dublin 1745-1922 Hospitals, Spectacle & Vice by G. A Boyd p95/6). It supposedly commemorates Saint Patrick(c. AD 387– 461), the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Roman Italian Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early seventeenth century, and has gradually become a secular celebration of Irish culture in general.

The day is generally characterised by the attendance of church services, wearing of green attire and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol, which is often proscribed during the rest of the season.

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. Today, St. Patrick's Day is probably the most widely celebrated saint's day in the world.

Saint Patrick

Little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father and grandfather were deacons in the Christian church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest.

In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to Christianise the Irish from their native polytheism. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on 17 March 461, and according to tradition, was buried at Downpatrick. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish church.

Wearing of the green

Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.

Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day. In the 1798 rebellion, to make a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention.

The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from a song of the same name.

In Ireland

Saint Patrick's feast day, as a kind of national day, was already being celebrated by the Irish in Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries. In later times he became more and more widely known as the patron of Ireland. Saint Patrick's feast day was finally placed on the universal liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church due to the influence of Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding in the early 1600s. Saint Patrick's Day thus became a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland.

The church calendar avoids the observance of saints' feasts during certain solemnities, moving the saint's day to a time outside those periods. Saint Patrick's Day is occasionally affected by this requirement, when 17 March falls during Holy Week. This happened in 1940, when Saint Patrick's Day was observed on 3 April in order to avoid it coinciding with Palm Sunday, and again in 2008, where it was officially observed on 14 March (15 March being used for St. Joseph, which had to be moved from 19 March), although the secular celebration still took place on 17 March. Saint Patrick's Day will not fall within Holy Week again until 2160. (In other countries, St. Patrick's feast day is also 17 March, but liturgical celebration is omitted when impeded

by Sunday or by Holy Week.)

In the United States St. Patrick's Day, although not a legal holiday anywhere in the United States, is nonetheless widely recognized and celebrated

throughout the country. It is primarily celebrated as a celebration of Irish and Irish American culture; celebrations include prominent displays of the colour green, feasting, copious consumption of alcohol, religious observances, and numerous parades.

The holiday has been celebrated on the North American continent since the late eighteenth century, prior to the American Revolution.

In Argentina

In Argentina, and especially in Buenos Aires, all-night long parties are celebrated in designated streets, since the weather is comfortably warm in March. People dance and drink only beer throughout the night, until seven or eight in the morning, and although the tradition of mocking those who do not wear green does not exist, many people wear something green. In Buenos Aires, the party is held in the downtown street of Reconquista, where there are several Irish pubs; in 2006, there were 50,000 people in this street and the pubs nearby. Neither the Catholic Church nor the Irish community, the fifth largest in the world outside Ireland, take part in the organisation of the parties.

In Canada

One of the longest-running Saint Patrick's Day parades in North America occurs each year inMontreal, the flag of which has a shamrock in one of its corners. The parades have been held in continuity since 1824.

In Quebec City, there was a parade from 1837 to 1926. The Quebec St-Patrick Parade returned in 2010, after an absence of more than 84 years. For the occasion, a portion of the NYPD Pipes and Drums were present as special guests.

The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team was known as the Toronto St. Patricks from 1919 to 1927, and wore green jerseys. In 1999, when the Maple Leafs played on Hockey Night in Canada(national broadcast of the NHL) on Saint Patrick's Day, they wore the green St. Patrick's day-themed retro uniforms. There is a large parade in the city's downtown core that attracts over 100,000 spectators.

Some groups, notably Guinness, have lobbied to make Saint Patrick's Day a national holiday in Canada. Currently, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador is the only jurisdiction in Canada where Saint Patrick's Day is a provincial holiday.

In March 2009, the Calgary Tower had changed its top exterior lights to new green-coloured CFL bulbs just in time for Saint Patrick's Day. The lights were in fact part of the environmental non-profit organisation, Project Porchlight, and were Green to represent environmental concerns. Approximately 210 lights were changed in time for Saint Patrick's Day and almost resemble a Leprechaun's hat during the evening light. After a week, regular white CFLs took their place, saving the Calgary Tower around $12,000 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 104 metric tonnes in the process.

Zarb-e-Jamhoor

CONGRATULATES INDEPENDENCE HUNGARY ON DAY 2012 NATIONAL DAY Mar 15

J á nos M a r t ony i r e c e iv e d A f r ic a n m is s ion le a de r s

HUNGARY The guarantors of success are job creation and businesses: Orbán (Online Mar 09, 2012) At the handover ceremony for the new production hall at Linamar Corporation in Orosháza, Prime Minister Orbán Viktor said that support for businesses and job creation will be the guarantors Hungary’s of success. Linamar, which prod u c e s agricultural maand chinery parts for the auto industry, has built a new production hall at a cost of HUF 6.9 bn and has thus provided 250 new jobs.

The Prime Minister said that for Hungary to be successful, doors must be for opened businesses, because only they can create secure long-term employment opportunities, though even the State has launched public employment programmes which provide public work opportunities for 206,000 people.

The Government will support those investment projects which result in the creation of new jobs, as in Hungary it is necessary for 5.5 million people to be en-

gaged in regular, well-paid work – and to pay taxes – in order for the country to move forward on the path

of success and sustained growth.

This can provide stability, and this is the only way to ensure a predictable

welland planned future.

The Canadian Linamar Group first came to in Hungary 1992, and its recently completed project increases its previous production hall caof pacity 11,000 square metres by an5,000 other square metres.

Modern social facilities and a renovated car park also form part of the project, which received HUF 1.5bn in EU funding.

Linamar has also completed a major investment in plant and machinery connected to the new auto industry and general machinery prod u c t i o n projects. It employs a total of 2,100 people, and is thus the largest industrial employer in the region.

This week also saw the opening ceremony at the KnorrBremse servvehicle ice in factory Kecskemét.

That project, out carried with government support, provides more than 1,000 new jobs in Eastern Hungary.

Hungarian Government committed to IMF-EU agreement and ready to start negotiations (Online Mar 08, 2012) Tamás Fellegi (Minister without Porfolio for Liaising with Certain International Financial Organisatons) today confirmed that the Hungarian Government continued to make efforts towards the earliest possible commencement and closing of negotiations with the IMF and the EU. He outlined that Hungary is ready to accept any conditions, which supports its long-term economic and social stability, improvement of its competitiveness, the perm a n e n t restoration of market and investor confidence in the country, and the Government’s efforts at setting the Hungarian economy to a permanent growth trajectory - so long as they did not infringe upon the country’s sovereignty.

In his address entitled “Before IMF, After IMF” Minister Fellegi highlighted that expert consultations had been regularly held with the representatives of the European Commission (EC) and the IMF since January relating to the content of the Country Report and the expected macro-economic data in the interest of starting the official negotiations with the IMF and the EU to provide financial support as a safety net for Hungary. He expressed his hope that the results achieved in the infringement proceedings and the consultations to be held with the rep-

resentatives of the IMF and the ECB in the next period would open the way to the earliest possible start of

negotiations.

Tamás Fellegi confirmed that the Government remains firmly committed to market financing and Hungary does not need to promptly draw down the IMF-EU funds. He pointed out that the agreement was actually preventative in that it would help avoid the need to rely on this kinds of support in the future, as opposed to market financing.

Minister Fellegi outlined his view that the Hungarian Government’s responsibility is, in addition to securing the

funds required for economic growth, reducing the financial pressure on people and businesses via the direct and indirect means available. He emphasized that the financial security provided by the stand-by agreement with the IMF and the EU would give Hungary the opportunity to stabilise the exchange rate of the forint, cut the yield on government securities, and thus save tens of billions for the Government budget.

He stated that a reduction in government security yields may proportionately cut interest on retail and corporate loans, and the drop in capital costs would render Hungary more competitive in looking to secure foreign investment. He added that the IMF-EU agreement may also be an important guarantee for banks in financing the Hungarian economy.

Tamás Fellegi stated that the Government had underestimated the unfavourable effects of the debt crisis and prolonged recession, as well as the extent of the market reaction to the measures taken, and such a loss of external and internal confidence generated by the effects was not expected. He reiterated that the permanent restoration of the confidence of markets and investors is the priority objective for Hungary.

GDP data: in line with expectations and more dynamic than the EU average (Online Mar 09, 2012) In line with preliminary data, Hungarian GDP grew by 1.4 percent in Q4 2011 to compared the corresponding period of the year before – the Hungarian Statistical Office has reported today.

The detailed report also sugthat gests economic growth in Hungary has been significantly higher than the EU average and thus the country has continued closing the gap with the rest of Europe. The year-on-year expansion was 1.7 percent.

In most European countries – contrary to the Hungarian data – there has been a substantial slowdown. As far as the EU 27 is concerned, the pace of expansion fell from 1.4 percent to 0.9 percent compared to the previous quarter. Economic growth moderated from 2.7 percent to 2 percent in Germany, whereas in the Czech Republic growth fell from 1.2 percent to 0.5 percent. In the region Poland has the best figures, as their growth rose to 4.3 percent after 4.2 percent in Q3.

According to historic data, the Hungarian economy has delivered a solid performance since Q2 2010, and despite the steadily deteriorating global economic developments GDP growth has been around 1.5 percent. The good news is that seasonally adjusted quarterly expansion was 0.3

percent which signals dynamics similar to the previous quarter’s.

Analyzing production, the greatest growth of almost 28 percent has been achieved by agriculture, and thus this sector added 0.9 percent to overall economic expansion. Despite the slowing global economy, the industrial sector has grown by 3.5 percent, a higher figure than in the previous quarter, which was primarily due to the improving performance of the processing industry. Therefore, this sector has contributed to growth by a similar extent like agriculture with 0.8 percent. Similarly to previous quarters, construction has had a negative impact, but the sector has now delivered its best result for a long time: its 1.4 percent contraction signals stabilization after negative growth of 10 percent and more during the previous corresponding periods.

Consequently, primary and secondary sectors (agriculture, industry and contruction) added as a whole 1.6

to percent GDP growth. service The sector has also had a negative impact similarly to the trends of previous quarters: its 0.6 percent contraction resulted in a 0.3 p e r c e n t weaker GDP The figure. fall biggest was registered in the field of financial, insurance and real servestate ices.

Analyzing consumption, household spending continued to grow in comparison to the previous quarter (by 0.1 percent), and therefore one can state that, due to the measures of the government aimed at boosting domestic demand, this sector shows no signs of weakness in spite of deteriorating ecoconditions.

Public nomic consumption, however, continues to decline, and there are similarly negative trends in investment spending.

Net export data has still been contributing to growth by the greatest extent, which is due to a relatively steadily expanding export sector and the less dynamically growing imports.

It is obvious, that despite deteriorating global economic conditions, Hungary has managed to deliver economic growth significantly higher than the EU average. As the detailed report implies, the engines of domestic economy show signs of recovery, but the main source of growth has still been foreign trade.

H unga r y s uppor t s Se r bia ’s f ur t he r int e gr a t ion (Online Mar 08, 2012) In their meeting on 1 March 2012, the heads of state and government of the European Union officially granted candidate status to Serbia. Thereby the Western Balkan country opened a new chapter in its institutional relations with the EU and its accession process.

Hungary – as a Member State committed to the advancement of the region’s integration and an active supporter of the accession of the countries in the region – considers

the decision to be its own success as well. We are convinced that the welfare and stability of the Balkans are above all promoted by the outlined predictable European perspective, as previous experience of the enlargement suggests.

The European Council’s decision of yesterday reinforced the credibility of this perspective: it acknowledged Serbia’s efforts for reforms in the past few years and appreciated the latest results of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

Hungary considers the promotion of the accession process to be its task in the future as well and pays particular attention to the neighbouring countries’ preparation for accession.

Consulting with our partners, we are ready to support Serbia’s preparation for the start and the successful conclusion of accession negotiations on a bilateral basis. Moreover, we are encouraging Serbia to address the fulfilment of the conditions set by the European Union as a matter of priority.

Vik t or Or bá n: Ge r m a n indus t r y is H unga r y ’s t op a lly (Online Mar 07, 2012) Another major project is being launched in Hungary. The opening event the of Kecskemét of project Knorr-Bremse’s utility vehicle division was held on 6 March 2012 attended

by Prime MinisViktor ter The Orbán.

Prime Minister also made a speech.

The Prime Minister stressed that German industry was Hungary’s ally. The KnorrBremse project implemented with the Government’s support will create more than a thousand new jobs in East-Hungary. The Government hopes that those working in the factory will find steady jobs providing a dependable living.

The Prime Minister observed the that Kecskemét project was an important indication. It sigthat nals is Hungary moving away from the crisis and zone, are „things heading in the right direction".

In the United States, too, we may observe signs indicating that the world economy may be finding a way out of the crisis. Hungarians in the last two years have made a great deal of effort and have worked hard to correct the errors of the past; they have worked hard for the achievements, for the good news, the Prime Minister said.

In 1999 Knorr-Bremse was one of the first investors in Hungary which did not simply wish to obtain work force on the local market but also set up a development centre.

This is not the first large project that has been launched in the past year

and a half. The Government attempts to support all significant projects creating jobs with the means at its disposal as increased employment is one of its top economic-policy priorities. Already in 2010, the Government radically reduced corporation

tax from 19% to 10%. As part of the Széll Kálmán Plan, the Government significantly reduced the administrative burdens of businesses, by some HUF 500 billion, and simplified the licensing procedures of projects and public procurements. Additionally, the Government has launched the re-organisation of the vocational system.

As a result of this programme, Hungary will be able to offer highlytrained experts with extensive practice-oriented experience to projects and businesses moving to Hungary.

to Thanks these efforts, major three automobile manufacturers have decided increase to their production in Hungary. By virtue of investments in the automobile industry (Audi, Opel, Mercedes), new 27,500 jobs are being created indirectly.

Audi is effecting an investment in the magnitude of almost a billion euros; the new factory which will manufacture 500 new cars daily and some 100,000 to 130,000 annually will start its operation with full capacity as of the second half of 2013. Based on the Government’s decision, this is a priority and project, thanks to the accelerated procedures and fast-track processing of the required official licences and permits, people will be able to start work sooner.

The company create will 1,800 new jobs directly. Audi also entered into a cooperation agreement with the Győr Szent István University, as part of which the company will take part in research and development and innovation programmes.

Opel launched a project worth EUR 500 million in Szentgotthárd where a new engine plant is being built. By the end of 2012, with the availability of the full manufacturing capacity, the factory will manufacture some 500,000 engines annually. The Kecskemét plant of Mercedes will launch production at the end of 2012, and will create more than 10,000 jobs.

H unga r y ’s e que s t r ia n s e c t or t o be de v e lope d (Online Mar 07, 2012) The Government has approved an equestrian programme named after ‘Kincsem’, the historic Hungarian racehorse.

This programme aims to develop the Hungarian equestrian sector and ensure its sustainability, integrating national equestrian education culture, horse riding tourism, stud farms, equestrian sports, hippotherapy and horse racing. Thus Hungary’s role in horse tourism, based on a long and famous tradition of horsemanship, may increase still further within Europe.

The Government’s equestrian programme is being co-ordinated by ministerial delegate László Horváth, who has overseen several months of work and consultation, preceded by years of similar work. Professional riders’ organisations, who have been waiting years for the rebirth of the sector, have also participated in its development.

There are many economic opportuni-

ties in equestrian culture, for example: increased domestic tourism, catering and accommodation services, infrastructure, job creation and cultural life. The implementation of projects set out in the programme will begin immediately, and there will be developments in a number of areas this year. There will also be a full review of the funding system for the equestrian sector, as well as institutional reinforcement of the system.

Education connected to equestrian culture will be more prominent in the public education system. The aim is to see future generations knowledgeable about and attached to horses and equestrian culture. The opportunity to encounter and to ride horses might therefore not be rare and unaffordable experiences for children, but as natural as swimming lessons are today.

The development of equine therapy services, already widely used for the treatment of certain conditions, is

also part of the programme.

The Government would make offroad riding easier. Hungary’s network of bridleways and footpaths is under further development, as is the network’s digital mapping. The Horse Racing Act and an Act on state stud facilities are also under preparation.

The training system for horse riding is also being reviewed. More key tourist facilities are being developed as planned. The conscious cultivation of Hungary’s unique cavalry traditions (e.g. the Hungarian hussar tradition) is also part of the programme.

The programme is named after ‘Kincsem’: the late-19th-century multiple prize-winning racehorse, known as the invincible ’miracle mare’. During her lifetime she ran in 54 races over four seasons, always beating Europe’s best horses, and becoming a legendary icon in the history of thoroughbreds.

H unga r y ’s e que s t r ia n s e c t or t o be de v e lope d (Online Mar 07, 2012) The Government has approved an equestrian programme named after ‘Kincsem’, the historic Hungarian racehorse.

This programme aims to develop the Hungarian equestrian sector and ensure its sustainability, integrating national equestrian education culture, horse riding tourism, stud farms, equestrian sports, hippotherapy and horse racing. Thus Hungary’s role in horse tourism, based on a long and famous tradition of horsemanship, may increase still further within Europe.

The Government’s equestrian programme is being co-ordinated by ministerial delegate László Horváth, who has overseen several months of work and consultation, preceded by years of similar work. Professional riders’ organisations, who have been waiting years for the rebirth of the sector, have also participated in its development.

There are many economic opportuni-

ties in equestrian culture, for example: increased domestic tourism, catering and accommodation services, infrastructure, job creation and cultural life. The implementation of projects set out in the programme will begin immediately, and there will be developments in a number of areas this year. There will also be a full review of the funding system for the equestrian sector, as well as institutional reinforcement of the system.

Education connected to equestrian culture will be more prominent in the public education system. The aim is to see future generations knowledgeable about and attached to horses and equestrian culture. The opportunity to encounter and to ride horses might therefore not be rare and unaffordable experiences for children, but as natural as swimming lessons are today.

The development of equine therapy services, already widely used for the treatment of certain conditions, is

also part of the programme.

The Government would make offroad riding easier. Hungary’s network of bridleways and footpaths is under further development, as is the network’s digital mapping. The Horse Racing Act and an Act on state stud facilities are also under preparation.

The training system for horse riding is also being reviewed. More key tourist facilities are being developed as planned. The conscious cultivation of Hungary’s unique cavalry traditions (e.g. the Hungarian hussar tradition) is also part of the programme.

The programme is named after ‘Kincsem’: the late-19th-century multiple prize-winning racehorse, known as the invincible ’miracle mare’. During her lifetime she ran in 54 races over four seasons, always beating Europe’s best horses, and becoming a legendary icon in the history of thoroughbreds.

Sándor Fazekas concludes Agreement with Algerian Minister of Agriculture (Online Mar 06, 2012) Hungarian-Algerian agricultural relations have gained new impetus. Minister of Rural Development Sándor Fazekas, acting in representation of the Hungarian government, and Algerian Minister of Agriculture Rachid Benaissa, have signed an Economic Cooperation Agreement (ECA) in Algiers on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Benaissa, who studied as a veterinary surgeon in Hungary, was last in Budapest in September 2011, attending the OMÉK agriculture fair, where he signed a Hungarian-Algerian Agricultural Cooperation Agreement with his Hungarian counterpart. Significant advances have occurred during the past six months within the areas covered by the agreement. On March 6, four other agreement were concluded in Algiers in the presence of the two Ministers. The Algerian National Institute of Soils, Irrigation and Drainage (INSID) and the Research Institute for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Irrigation (HAKI) of Szarvas, Hungary, signed an agreement regarding joint training of experts, research and development, and the creation of water-saving model facilities.

The Algerian Technical Institute of

(ITELV) and the Breeding Herceghalom Research Institute for Animal Breeding and Nutrition (ÁTK) concluded an agreement on the development of dairy cattle stocks, rational and economical feeding methods, the genetic development of the local Cheurfa breed, and on the certification and branding of agricultural products.

The two institutes have been in contact since 2008. The ÁTK was involved in preparative work on the trading of stock animals for breeding and of materials for breeding (bulls, heifers, frozen sperm, embryos) between the two countries, as a result of which embryos produced in Hungary were implanted into animals that were bred in Algeria. Based on experience gained with Hungarian grey cattle and on scientific data, the ÁTK and the North-African research institute are working jointly to prepare a programme for the preservation and modern utilization of the original genetic stock of autochthonous Algerian cattle breeds. Algerian experts will arrive at the research Institute in Herceghalom during the first quarter of 2012 for a one-month post-graduate training course on reproductive biology care and feed-testing methods. It is well known in Algeria, that Hungary has great experience in the

preservation of the genetic material of autochthonous domestic animals.

The Algerian National Centre of Artificial Insemination and Genetic Breeding (CNIAAG) and the Pécsbased EMBRIO Ltd. concluded a contract on the use of state-of-the-art biotechnology in the development of their dairy and meat cattle, and their horse breeding programmes.

The Algerian Holding Company for Animal Production, SGP PRODA, and Bábolna-based Bábolna Tetra, concluded an agreement on the establishment of a joint venture corporation. The company, which would be involved in the breeding of poultry layer pairs (Tetra hybrid), will serve the Algerian, regional and international markets.

Discussions are also close to conclusion regarding the rehabilitation of Algiers Zoo and the attached 307 hectare park by Hungarian partners with the help of experts from the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden.

Successful restoration of the establishment could well be the spectacular flagship project of renewed Hungarian-Algerian economic cooperation.

Agreements on the elaboration of apiary, viniculture and mushroom growing programmes were also concluded during the official visit.

Expression of gratitude to the people and politicians of Poland and Lithuania (Online Mar 06, 2012) Hungary would like to thank the people and politicians of the Republics of Lithuania and Poland – including, of course, the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk – for standing by Hungary in its efforts to determine its own fate, and for espousing Hungary's right to sovereignty and self-determination.

Hungary expresses its gratitude for

the support it has received in the face of intense and unjustified political pressure.

The Hungarian Parliament adopted a resolution on this on Monday. The parliamentary resolution also registers the fact that, as history has always shown us, solidarity between the Hungarian, Polish and Lithuanian nations points to something even

wider: it is a manifestation of commitment to the shared freedom of European nations, and to the future of Europe. Hungary sees Poland and Lithuania as two particularly important friends and allies who can be relied on in times of difficulty, and it seeks to maintain co-operation with them for the creation of a strong, united and stable Europe.

C e nt r a l Eur ope a n Polic e C olle ge is 2 0 y e a r s old

(Online Mar 08, 2012) Foreign Minister János inMartonyi the formed heads of the emAfrican bassies in Hungary about the main pillars of the new Hungarian Foreign Policy Strategy, highlighting the policy of global opening and its African aspects.

He emphasised that we intend to play a more active role in the international organisations’ activities related to Africa. As János M a r t o n y i János Martonyi claimed, we had given concrete evidence of this during our EU Presidency. Concerning bilateral relations, the Foreign Minister said that we intend to pay more attention to the continent in our economic diplomacy and asked active coopera-

Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Germany and Switzerland have been involved in the cooperation of the founders – Austria and Hungary - later. The idea to train the participants of the cross-border authority cooperation in common college according to common principals played central role in the establishment – said Sándor Pintér. We have succeeded to set up the college in one year, since that time new countries have been participated and the

highlighted the joint action against illegal immigration as an example of the cooperation between Austria and Hungary.

Following the opening speeches of the Ministers, Sándor Pintér honoured the former Extraordinary Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary, Gábor Fontányi, who played essential role in the establishment of the college. The former diplomat has been awarded with the Order of Merit (military) – Commander Cross with a

(Online Mar 08, 2012) The Government strives to achieve, as the guiding principle of its efforts, that Hungary should enjoy the fruits of the labour and enterprise of minimum 5.5 million people, the Prime Minister declared on Thursday in Budapest, at the Business Opening Forum of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chamber).

Viktor Orbán also underlined that Hungary was not, in his opinion, responsible for the delay in the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union; responsibility for the delay lies with the other party.

The Prime Minister stated in his lecture that 3.8 million people had actively worked in 2010, however, 1.2 million of them had not paid taxes; consequently, 2.6 million people supported the country. This is unsustainable, this is absurd, and tragic in the long run, Viktor Orbán warned, who believes that unless we manage to achieve that minimum 5.5 million people should work and pay taxes, the Hungarian economy has no future, and the Government will not be able to implement its programme.

This is also a social-policy objective as the contributions of 5.5 million people would automatically result in the reinforcement of the middle classes, Viktor Orbán said. The Prime Minister believes that if there is no stable middle class, there is no political stability, and the economy is unable to generate the pensions payable to the country’s pensioners. If the election campaign is more about re-distribution than taxation, the government simply cannot succeed. If the opposite is proclaimed, however, we may confidently claim that we have succeeded in transforming society into a middleclass-centred community. Taxation and the middle classes „must be merged”; this is the stake, in the Prime Minister’s opinion, of the political challenges of the next year and a half.

As regards political stability, the Prime Minister said, had they abandoned the goal of preserving this stability, the streets of Budapest and the countryside would have looked like the streets of Athens. While Hungary is past the radical stage of reforms and transformation, and therefore the period of consolidation to come will be more peaceful and calm, there is no reform that would inspire universal agreement. However,

and cross-border crime through joint training programmes. Police officers with a higher level of education take part in the training primarily which is held in German language. The training focuses on the following priority areas: cooperation in border security, border surveillance and criminal police matters.

areas of activities have been increased. During 20 years about four thousand people took part in the trainings.

We can only counter international crime successfully, if we cooperate on an international level – emphasized Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Austrian Federal Minister for the Interior. She

Star for facilitating the political, economic and police cooperation between Austria and Hungary.

Ministers held discussion on several issues including illegal migration, asylum and the EU cooperation after the ceremony.

this does not excuse the Government from the obligation to see its programme through.

The Prime Minister said he supported

the proposal of László Parragh, President of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, that the Chamber and the Government should jointly review the reforms imple-

mented to date and should determine which of these „may have gone astray, in an undesirable direction”.

According to plans, these would be

„identified” by the end of March, and the Cabinet would honour the recommendations of this joint committee by the end of April.

In his speech, the Prime Minister also made mention of the negotiations to be conducted with the IMF and the EU. He believes that it is not Hungary

but the other party that is responsible for the delay. „I’ve been waiting by the conference table for two months, but they’re not coming to join me”, and this is a problem, the Prime Minister stated, adding that Hungary declared its intention to engage in negotiations, identified the position it wishes to pursue in the negotiations and also settled the issues related to the central bank.

Viktor Orbán branded the European Commission’s proposal that the EU cohesion funds intended for Hungary should be suspended as an extremely narrow-minded policy and a poor management concept. How can the EU and the European economy recover from the crisis if it represents a bad management mentality that favours the bad and punishes the good, he asked, remarking that Hungary’s budget deficit will be the 7th or 8th lowest in the EU this year and also in 2013, while the country will also be able to reduce its state debt. At the same time, he repeated that he believed Hungary would not be denied a penny.

The Prime Minister stated he was not satisfied with the utilisation of EU aid in Hungary; changes must be made in order to render the utilisation of EU funds more effective.

In response to the foreign criticisms levelled against Hungary, the Prime Minister remarked, the Government had, also to date, resisted any pressure that only supported radical resistance, however, there were some issues on which we must be straightforward.

László Parragh speaking before Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, Hungary will have to face five major challenges this year. According to the President of the Chamber, Hungary must seek cooperation with business circles, while the issue of financing, the full implementation of the structural reforms, the extension of employment and the initial steps towards launching economic growth also represent further challenges. László Parragh declared, the Chamber provides its full support for structural changes. He said that if these reforms can be fully implemented, Hungary will have placed itself on a sustainable path. The President of the Chamber believes it is also equally important that Hungary should not fall very far behind Germany.

Hungary is preparing for a national holiday (Online Mar 10, 2012) The fifteenth of March is one of the most important Hungarian national holidays.

It is the anniversary of the 1848 revolution. The Government is in the last phase of its preparations for this proyear’s to grammes which, similar to year’s last events, everyone is welcome, the from youngest to the oldest. This national holiday, too, as all others since the change of government in 2010, will be held without intimidating cordons, in departure from the practice of the years before.

Main venues of programmes: Kossuth Lajos tér, the MuNational seum and the Buda Castle in Budapest.

Slogan of this cereyear’s monies: „Honto the our brave”.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will make a ceremonial speech before the crowd in Kossuth Lajos tér at 3.00 p.m. on 15 March.

Celebrations will commence in same this venue, at 8.00 a.m. with the hoisting of the national flag. This will be followed by a ceremonial march to the Hungarian National Museum, one of the symbolic venues of the revolution. The procession will be accompanied by a military band and the National Cavalry Guard of Honour. István Tarlós, Budapest’s Mayor will deliver a ceremonial speech on the stairs of the Museum at 9.00 a.m. The Parliament Building will be open to the public from nine in the morning until two in the afternoon.

The beautiful Buda Castle will await visitors with family programmes all day long. The Castle will host events such as folk dance classes, folk music performances, free museum visits in several venues, a literary stage, a dog market, contemporary role-play, a fair, a puppet theatre, a stilt march, a weaponry display, cannon assembly and duels, to mention just some of the programmes organised to entertain

visitors.

The programmes are organised by the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, which agreed with the Budapest Metropolitan Mayor’s Office on the use of metropolitan public

premises for the 15 March events weeks ago, as well as with the representatives of the One Million for Freedom of Press in Hungary Movement who will hold a demonstration in Szabadsajtó út pursuant to the agreement.

The organisers of the 21 January Peace March announced another progovernment demonstration for the national holiday.

According to conservative estimates, the January event of the Peach March was attended by more than 400,000 people, the largest peaceful civil crowd on the streets of the Budapest since the change of regime, furthermore, in support of the Government.

Historical background information on the national holiday: on 15 March, the country commemorates the 1848/49 freedom fight which was one of Hungary’s most decisive historical events.

The events in Hungary, with indelimited pendence under the protectorate of the Hapsburg took Empire, place as part of the 1848 wave of revolutions in Europe, which a induced process of bourgeois transformation with its social reforms.

Revolution broke out also in Pest on 15 March 1848 in the wake of news of the Vienna revolution.

The Vienna Court was compelled to consent to the appointment of Count Lajos Batthyány as Prime Minister on 17 March, agreed to the establishment of an independent Hungarian government and pledged to ensure that the King would sanctify the reform laws.

The new government established with the of leadership Lajos Count Batthyány was no longer accountable to the King but to the elected representatives of the people, Hungarian Parliament, and an independent and responsible government could come into being.

It testifies to the significance of the revolution that the ruling powers eventually only succeeded in crushing it with the assistance of the Russian army.

A 200 000 strong Russian army broke into Hungary in mid-June 1849; the Hungarian leadership was unable to resist, and the combined actions of the two great powers sealed the fate of the Hungarian revolution and freedom fight. A period of reprisal began after the end of the revolution; the Austrian court martial sentenced hundreds of officers and civilians to death, and many more to imprisonment in the castle. From among the captured soldiers, the Hungarians, Seclers, Polish and Germans were forcibly conscripted into the Austrian Army, while other nationals were released.

Thirteen generals of the Hungarian revolution, the Arad martyrs, were executed in Arad on 6 October 1849.

The Hungarian Government would Support the setting up of an International Environmental Organisation (Online Mar 10, 2012) "It would be a significant step in the right direction if a decision were to be reached on the establishment of an Intern a t i o n a l Environmental Organisation at the Sustainable Development Summit Meeting in June.

The Hungarian Government would support the setting up of such an organisation in harmony with the intentions of the E u r o p e a n Union" – an- Zoltán Illés, Sándor Fülöp and Márta Vetier the nounced present that a long preparation State Secretary for Environmental Af- process precedes the "RIO+20" interfairs of the Ministry of Rural Develop- national summit meeting. Hungary ment. Zoltán Illés added, "For such an has joined the United Nations' organisation to operate efficiently, it "Friends of Water" Group, in addition requires a mandate, suitable instru- to which the Ministry is organising ments and a financial budget." several debates and conferences in In preparation for the "RIO+20" sum- preparation for the summit. mit meeting, the Ministry of Rural De- At the preparatory forum, the reprevelopment organised a civil forum, to sentatives of the non-governmental which 200 non-governmental organi- organisations also voiced their opinsations received an invitation. Topics ions on the RIO+20 summit. Greenunder discussion at the event in- peace urges immediate responses to cluded the issue of global environ- the most pressing issues affecting the mental administration, the green environment, such as global warming economy, and the effects of climate and the challenges facing sustainable change on water management. development. The representative of At the forum, the State Secretary for the WWF drew attention to the fact Environmental Affairs reminded those

that if the nations of the world do not find a rapid and reassuring solution, then the exhaustion of the water, food and energy supply will endanger both the planet and the people it sustains.

At the forum, the Deputy-Comfor missioner Fundamental Rights responsible for the protection of the interests of future generations spoke of the fact that an irreversible process has begun with regard to climate, the earth's productivity and biodiversity. Sándor Fülöp added, the state of the planet has deteriorated catastrophically since the first Rio conference 20 years ago.

The UN General Assembly decided in 2009 to organise a high-level international summit meeting in 2012 entitled UN Sustainable Development Conference. It was proposed by Brazil that the summit should mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, and this is why it is also referred to as the "RIO+20" summit.

It's time to Celebrate Handmade Hungarian Flavours once again (Online Mar 09, 2012) The Handmade Hungarian Tastes Market will be held for the third time between March 9 and 11 at the Millenáris this year; 120 exhibitors from 11 Hungarian regions will await visitors with 5000 traditional Hungarian flavours. Hungarian caviar, a product made from the eggs of fish reared exclusively in Hungary and by Hungarian producers, will have its public debut at the event. At the opening ceremony, State Secretary Endre Kardeván stressed that it is becoming increasingly important to consumers that they purchase Hungarian foods with high added value, produced using traditional methods. In addition to price, conscious consumers these days also check to make sure that the product in question contains the fewest possible additives.

The goal of the Ministry of Rural Development is to facilitate the production of high quality, safe, monitored food products with a high added value. The Ministry continuously reviews the Hungarian Food Registry (the Codex Alimentarius), and the Traditions–Flavours–Regions Programme also aims to preserve of our unique products. The commitment of the Ministry to the issue is clearly shown by the fact that the State Secretariat for Food Chain Control Supervision and Agricultural Administration is taking part at the event with an information stand – emphasised the State Secretary.

For the first time this year, Hungarian foods and those arriving from across the border will be presented according to their region of production, so visi-

tors will be able to taste the diverse and often extraordinary delicacies characteristic of a certain region together.

In addition to tasters, the various regions will also present their various opportunities for tourism; adults and children may enjoy a wide variety of programmes such as folk dancing, sausage tying, butter churning, honey spinning, making marzipan, cooking on stage, and musical concerts.

The main goal of the organisers, Handmade Hungarian Tastes Ltd. and Humán Teletex Ltd., is for traditional Hungarian flavours and delicacies to return to shop shelves, home pantries and the dining room table. They work to promote genuine Hungarian foods and flavours, and to support Hungarian producers.

Agreement on the consular representation of Australia in Syria (Online Mar 09, 2012) Following the agreement with Canada, Hungary also ensures the limited consular representation of Australia in Syria. This is provided for by the bilateral agree-

ment of 6 March 2012, under which Hungary’s Embassy in Damascus safeguards the interests of Australian citizens in the Middle Eastern country as far as possible.

Hungary concluded a similar agreement with Canada a few days ago, and entered into similar cooperation with several states during the revolution in Libya.

DG of the IAEA to visit Hungary in the Summer (Online Mar 08, 2012) The Board of Governors (BG) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is holding its regular annual meeting between 5-8 March, 2012. Hungary is currently a member of the policy-making body of the organisation headquartered in Vienna. The Hungarian delegation is represented by Minister of State for Climate Change and Energy Pál Kovács of the Ministry of National Development acting as governor.

With its first anniversary approaching, the Fukushima nuclear disaster is once again given increased attention around the globe. Since the devastating accident, one of IAEA’s most urgent objectives is to increase the social acceptance of nuclear energy, maintain and reinforce public confidence and improve transparency.

At the Board of Governors’ meeting, Director General of IAEA Yukio Amano stressed that despite the Fukushima accident the spread of nuclear energy is undiminished, and drop in the number of new projects is

merely temporary. In 2011 altogether 65 nuclear power plants were under construction, 44 of which of them in Asia, the continent that remains the focus of growth.

During planning IAEA’s support projects, special attention was paid to cancer research in 2010 and water purification in 2011. According to the Director General’s plans, this year the reduction of famine will be placed in focus. The research supported by the Agency has already resulted in spectacular findings in food production.

Hungary intends to provide active support, even in an international context, to IAEA’s Action Plan on Nuclear Safety approved last year. Similarly to all other Member States of the European Union, Hungary has also performed stress tests in its operating nuclear power stations.

In his address Pál Kovács informed the 5 March 2012 meeting of the Board of Governors that the report of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Office found the Paks Nuclear Power Plant safe and identified no need of any

prompt action. The reviewing experts pointed out the significance of the interventions introduced in the facility in 2008 to increase safety. The Minister of State stressed that being a Member State of the European Union, Hungary paid special attention to the uninterrupted improvement of safety in nuclear power plants.

Domestic achievements allow Hungary to offer its experiences and available means in the field of nuclear safety to international specialists during the IAEA BG meeting. For instance, the Maintaining and Practice Centre of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant is especially suitable for the implementation of and training in fast accident prevention.

The traditionally good relations between Hungary and the IAEA are further strengthened by the fact that during his bilateral discussions with Pál Kovács, Director General Yukija Amano confirmed his acceptance of the Ministry’s invitation to Hungary at the end of June.

János Martonyi participated in the V4 + Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Prague (Online Mar 08, 2012) On 5 March 2012, in the framework of the Czech Presidency of the Visegrád Cooperation János Martonyi participated in the extended V4 Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Prague. Besides the Foreign Ministers of the Visegrád countries, the Baltic states, and the Eastern Partners; the Foreign Minister of Denmark holding the current Presidency of the Council of the European Union, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle were also invited to the event, which centred around the Eastern Partnership.

This was the third occasion that the Foreign Ministers met in the framework of the Eastern Partnership meetings, which were originally initiated during the Hungarian Presidency.

The extended Foreign Ministerial meeting, which is organised by the V4 countries every autumn on the topic of the Western Balkans as well, has grown into one of the most important framework for consultation, provides an excellent occasion to review the questions and requirements concern-

ing the programme of the Eastern Partnership, and contributes to the promotion of these countries’ advancement towards the Euro-Atlantic integration.

As a significant element of the Visegrád countries’ cooperation in foreign affairs, we support the Eastern Partners’ (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, and Ukraine) advancement towards the Euro-Atlantic integration and share our experience regarding democratic transition and integration. Besides reviewing current issues, the main purpose of this year’s meeting was to kick off the new Eastern Partnership Programme of the Visegrád Group.

The programme which was formed and drawn up during last year’s Hungarian Presidency of the International Visegrád Fund (IVF) can significantly contribute to the adoption of European values and norms, as well as to the strengthening of civil society in Eastern Partner countries through the projects supported by the IVF. From 2012 the V4 countries – in cooperation with third countries – intend to support Eastern Partner countries by implementing greater flagship proj-

ects, minor programmes, which among others help in the acquisition of the practice of tenders, and by launching a university study and scholarship programme.

A further declared objective of the programme is to improve the relations between the countries of the region, stimulating cross-border and regional cooperation by including civil society organisations, universities, students and local authorities. To provide more information on the opportunities it offers, the Visegrád Fund soon creates its own website and launches an information campaign in the V4 and Eastern Partnership countries.

Concerning the meeting, Foreign Minister János Martonyi emphasised that the Eastern Partnership programme of the V4 countries demonstrates how inclusive the Visegrád Cooperation is.

The V4 group has become a symbol of successful regional cooperation.

The head of Hungarian diplomacy finds it important to sustain balance between the V4’s activity in the area of Eastern Partnership and in the Western Balkans.

Int e r na t iona l C onf e r e nc e on C y be r s pa c e in B uda pe s t the attention of international cyberspace experts, as well as businessmen and scientists to the opportunities in Hungary, which serves the development and the international relations of the country. Due to its political and professional significance and the high level of various participants (government, academicresearcher, business, NGO), the conference is one of the distinguished diplomatic and professional events in 2012.

The organisation of the conference promotes more effective and secure use of the world wide web and – through this – the economic growth

targets, innovation, R&D activities, the knowledge industry, the creation of jobs, security, the reduction of bureaucracy, and the development of e-governance.

The detailed schedule of the conference and the programmes accompanying it is to be compiled in the following months with the help of national and international partners, scientists, the industry, businessmen, and the civil society. In order to coordinate the organisation, the Government sets up a Conference Workgroup, the Foreign Minister appoints a ministerial commissioner and sets up a Conference Secretariat.

The k e y f ina nc ia l de v e lopm e nt s of t he c e nt r a l s ubs y s t e m of t he s t a t e budge t in Fe b 2 0 1 2 (Online Mar 07, 2012) The 2012 data of the central subsystem of the state budget In February 2012 the deficit of the central subsystem of the state budget was 393.9bn HUF. Within that, the central budget had a deficit of 404.5bn HUF, social security funds had a deficit of 3.7bn HUF and the extrabud-

getary funds had a surplus of 14.3bn HUF. In February 2011 the central subsystem of the state budget had a deficit of 436.9bn HUF. Therefore, at the end of February 2012, the deficit of the central subsystem of the state budget was 286.6bn HUF, whereas at the end of February 2011 it was 559.7bn HUF.

In case of pro-rata deficits of the central subsystem in 2011 and 2012 calculated on identical bases and excluding one-off items, the deficit of 32.1 percent this year was more favourable than the 39.4 percent figure of last year.

The Hungarian government has been mending the mistakes of the past - Reply to the European Commission Communication of 6 Mar (Online Mar 07, 2012) The government has been and will be committed to achieving the deficit target. The proof of this commitment is that this is the first government since Hungary’s EU accession in 2004 which cut the budget deficit to below 3 percent.

It might be an issue whether the government had applied the best instruments to achieve its objective; nonetheless the objective has been reached unquestionably. Namely, it

Sándor Pintér, Gábor Fontányi

tion of the ambassadors. János Martonyi explained that we would prefer the participation of Hungarian small and medium enterprises and civil society organisations in the African projects of the European Development Fund. Regarding the Arab

Orbán: the country should enjoy the fruits of the labour of minimum 5.5 million people

(Online Mar 08, 2012) On 15 February 2012 the Hungarian Government decided to organise the International Conference on Cyberspace in Budapest on 4-5 October 2012.

Hungary’s aim – by organising a meeting following the London Conference on Cyberspace – is to promote international thinking on the analysis of activities in cyberspace, on the free and secure use of cyberspace to serve economic growth and social development.

The conference reinforces Hungary’s role in this area which is decisive in science, economy and politics. A further aim of the conference is to direct

(Online Mar 06, 2012) On the occasion of 20th anniversary of CentralEuropean Police College (CEPOL) established on the initiative of Hungary and Austria ceremony was held on Monday evening in Vienna with the participation of Sándor Pintér, Interior Minister of Hungary and Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Austrian Federal Minister for the Interior.

Aim of the college is to encourage international law enforcement cooperation for the fight against organised

with the African leaders

Spring, he offered to share our experience of democratic transition.

The African mission leaders extheir pressed thanks to the Foreign Minister for providing information. They emphasised that they are happy to see Hungary’s increasing attention and active work concerning their region; thus, they are ready for dynamic cooperaThey tion. explained that and Europe Africa undergo changes faster and faster, while both continents face new challenges in the globalised world. Thus, it is particularly high time to foster and improve our relations, which was served by this meeting as well.

has not been argued whether or not Hungary would meet the below 3 percent deficit target.

The government informed the European Commission already in March that in order to secure the deficit target it would adjust the budget by about 0.4 percent of GDP. The government has also adopted a resolution on this issue.

The government is strongly committed to adhering to the figures of the

Hungarian budget in line with EU requirements, even if the method of calculating such key figures is often unreliable.

The government considers the excessive deficit procedure against Hungary a technical issue. It is reassuring, however, that this opinion is shared by the Hungarian member of the European Commission László Andor, too.

The Response of the Government of Hungary to the Announcement of the European Commission (Online Mar 07, 2012) The Hungarian Government welcomes the decision of the European Commission to accept the answers submitted by Hungary in ninety per cent of the issues raised by the Commission. Therefore,

these can be settled now.

The Government today approved the necessary draft amendments for the laws concerned and will send them this same day to the European Central Bank for consultation. As regards

the remaining unresolved questions, the Government is ready to continue the dialogue with the European Commission.

PAKISTAN US wants relations with Pakistan on upward trajectory: State dept (Online) WASHINGTON: As Pakistan conducts a Parliamentary review of its bilateral ties with US, a State Department official said Washington wants to have its relationship with Pakistan always on an upward trajectory.

"We obviously always want our relationship with Pakistan to be on an upward trajectory," the State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily

news conference yesterday.

US, she said, wants to improve its relationship with Pakistan.

However, Nuland refused to answer questions related to the announcement of appointment of a new ISI chief.

Pakistan-US relations have been buffeted by several crises since last year, including the gunning down of two Pakistani men by a CIA contractor in Lahore, the killing of

Osama bin Laden by American commandos in Abbottabad and a cross-border NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.

Gilani ordered a Parliamentary review of bilateral relations and new "terms of engagement" for the US will be unveiled after a joint session of the two houses of Parliament that is likely to be held later this month.

New ISI chief shares tenuous link with Shah Rukh Khan (Online) ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's new ISI chief, Lt Gen Zahiris ul-Islam, the nephew of NaIndian tional Army Shah hero Nawaz Khan and through him, shares a tenuous link Bollywith star wood Shah Rukh Khan.

Islam's father served as a brigadier in the Pakistan Army and Shah Nawaz Khan, who was a major general in the INA led

by Subhas Chandra Bose, was his uncle, leading Pakistani defence analyst Ikram Sehgal told PTI. "One son of Shah Nawaz Khan went with him at the time of Partition, while another, Mahmood Nawaz, stayed on in Pakistan and became a full colonel. In fact, Mahmood Nawaz went and met his father only after retirement as he could not travel to India while he was in service," Sehgal said, providing details of the new ISI chief's extended family.

Shah Rukh Khan's late mother La-

teef Fatima was the adopted daughter of Shah Nawaz Khan, according to the Bollywood star's biography on several websites.

Islam, who was yesterday appointed the new head of the powerful spy agency by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, comes from a military family and was born in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. It could not immediately be ascertained whether Islam had ever met Shah Nawaz Khan, who died in 1983.

Shah Nawaz Khan was himself born at Kahuta and served in the British Indian Army during World War II. He was captured when Japanese troops overran Singa-

pore in 1942 then and joined the He INA. s u b s e quently f o u g h t alongside Japanese f o r c e s against the in British Burma (now Myanmar).

S h a h N a w a z Khan was captured by the British and put on with trial other INA officers in 1946. They were convicted for treason but were discharged due to intense pressure from the public.

He later joined the Congress party and was elected to the Lok Sabha four times. Before Islam's appointment as the ISI chief, some media reports had suggested that Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan's uncle Maj Gen Isfandyar Ali Khan Pataudi, a deputy director general in the spy agency, was in the running for the top slot. However, sources told PTI that Pataudi was never seen as a serious contender for the post of ISI chief.

Pakistani Shad Begum receives US courage award (Online) Shad a Begum, lady brave from Pakistan was among 10 of the world’s leadwomen ing activists the United States (US) honored their efforts to improve the living-standard of the gender.

US Secretary State of Hillary Clinton presented the International of Women Courage Award of US State Department to Shad Begum on March 8th, 2012.

It was a truly matter of great honor for Pakistani people that a woman of lower educational class has proved that if you posses a passion to go beyond the limits in order to achieve certain aims, no hurdle, obstruction or barricade detract your from accomplishing that achievement.

Hailing from Lower Dir district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Shad Begum worked for women in a deeply conservative area, which was briefly run by the militants before the Pakistan Army cleared it in May 2009.

On the occasion, Hillary Clinton said that all 10 women had worked diligently to improve the lives of women and girls, sometimes at great personal risks. Some of them

were also imprisoned and abused for their efforts, she added.

Pakistani ambassador to the US, Sherry Rehman was also present at the ceremony. She upraised the PPP’s led government’s enacted legislative measures to protect and advance women’s rights.

She observed, “We passed legislation criminalizing sexual harassment in the workplace. We passed legislation making it mandatory to appoint neutral mediators at all levels to adjudicate charges of sexual discrimination”.

Shad Begum founded Anjuman Behbood-i-Khawateen Talash (ABKT), which is also the first women rights organization in the region. Later, the name of the organization was changed as Association for Behavior and Knowledge Transformation

(ABKT).

As founder and executive director of ABKT, She provides political traini n g , microcredit, primary education, and health servto ices women in the native area. howShe, ever, not only empowered the women of Dir to vote and run for office, she herself ran won and local seats in the 2001 and 2005 elections against local conservatives who tried to ban women participation.

In the traditional Pashtun culture, women are discouraged to consult with any male doctors so many women die from illness without getting proper treatment.

The brave lady raised this issue before the authorities, commencing an effective campaign for this purpose.

Additionally, Shad Begum and her organization also executed several projects including construction of hanging bridges, installation of hand pumps, sinking wells, pavement of streets, provision of small loans to local traders and capacity building of women at grassroots level.

Pakistan's top court targets army (Online) ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's powerful military establishment is under rare scrutiny from the country's top court, which after a gap of 16 years has opened an investigation into allegations the army funneled money to politicians to influence elections.

The case has showcased the emerging power of the Supreme Court, which is also hearing a contempt case against the prime minister that could see him imprisoned.

The court's activism has led to some uncomfortable headlines for politicians and pierced the perception of the generals' invulnerability.

But it's unclear who, if anyone, will be held accountable.

Indeed, some critics say by moving against the generals now, the court is just seeking to deflect criticism that it focuses solely on the alleged misdeeds of the elected civilian government and wants to dislodge President Ali Zardari, with the supposed nod from the military itself.

The court is also demanding answers from the army and spy agencies over the fate of hundreds of "missing" Pakistanis: suspected militants or separatists picked up and held by military authorities for months and years in secret detentions.

Analysts say the developments are part of jostling between the army, the court and the government, with each wanting to stake a claim on its sphere of influence. There seems to be a balance among them so far, with no side willing or strong enough to strike a decisive blow against another. Speculation of a military coup or the imminent ousting of the government, frequently raised in the media just a few months ago, has receded.

The court is acting on a petition filed

in 1996 by former Air Vice Marshal Asghar Khan, demanding it investigate what he claimed were payments to right-wing politicians made by the army-run Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency, known as the ISI. The money was to be used to ensure that the Pakistan People's Party — currently in power — would not win the 1990 general elections.

Without explaining why, the court began hearing the case last month.

Testimony this week has shone a light on longtime allegations that the ISI has tried to influence elections.

On Thursday, Yunus Habib, a 90year-old banker from the stateowned Mehran Bank, testified that he doled out the equivalent of $1.5 million in bank funds to politicians and ISI officers on the orders of then army chief Gen. Aslam Beg and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who was considered close to the army.

Some of the politicians who allegedly took the funds remain powerful political players, including opposition leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He has denied taking any money.

On Friday, former ISI chief Lt. Gen. Asad Durrani testified that he was directed by Beg to distribute the money among politicians from the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, a rightwing political alliance allegedly set up by the military establishment to counter the PPP. He said Beg told him the money had been collected from the business community in Karachi.

The alliance led by Sharif went on to win enough seats to form a coalition government.

What happens next is uncertain.

Khan's lawyer Salman Raja said he wanted criminal cases brought against all those who distributed

and received the money. That would roil the political scene and likely be opposed by the army.

Moreover, the nature of the evidence against them is unclear.

Pakistan's Information Minister Firdous Awan, a PPP member, urged the court to prosecute those involved.

"The court has already unveiled the faces. It shall now punish them," she said Saturday. The party is enjoying seeing the army and Sharif on the defensive.

Retired justice Tariq Mahmood said the case was a "morale booster" for the current government, but that it was unlikely anyone would be put on trial. "The government now has a chance to bring the intelligence agencies ... under its control," he said.

Political analyst Moeed Pirzada said the case put both the military and Nawaz Sharif on the defensive, which benefits the current PPP government, but would likely remain inconclusive. He said the court saw the case as "an opportunity to assert itself" following criticism by some over its pursuit of President Asif Ali Zardari.

Supreme Court justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudry has been accused of pursuing a vendetta against Zardari's PPP government.

Zardari opposed Chaudry's reinstatement to the job in March 2009.

The court has ordered Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani to reopen a corruption probe against Zardari.

Gilani has refused, arguing that Zardari has immunity from prosecution so long as he remains president. If found guilty of contempt for ignoring the order, Gilani could be imprisoned for six months and lose his job.

Baloch separatists not to be backed, Pakistan assured (Online) ISLAMABAD: As the insurgency in Balochistan gets into international limelight, several foreign governments have assured Pakistan of steps to curb activities of Baloch separatists on their soil.

“We have been assured that their re- Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit spective terriunsuccessfully tried to block the tories would not be used for rebel leaders from getting asylum in anti-Pakistan activities,” Foreign Of- those countries. fice spokesman Abdul Basit said on Western governments have been Friday while responding to a ques- generally sympathetic to Baloch tion about enhanced activities of ex- separatists and some of them are patriate Baloch activists, who have allegedly patronising them indibeen rejuvenated by the US Con- rectly.The spokesman said gressional hearing and tabling of a Balochistan was an ‘internal matter’ resolution on Balochistan. which would be dealt with in “our The spokesman said that taking no- own constitutional political way”. tice of those activities, the foreign Replying to a question about Kashministry “made demarches to the mir, he said normalisation of relarelevant governments”. tions with India depended on The Embassy of Switzerland was resolution of the Kashmir issue. the latest one to get such a protest “Doubtless, we are taking steps on note last week. the path to normalise PakistanMany Baloch leaders and activists India relations, but reaching the have taken refuge in European final destination will inevitably be countries from where they have contingent upon realisation of been actively promoting their Kashmiris’ aspirations,” Mr Basit cause. said.

Pakistan has on several occasions “Kashmiris have given enormous

sacrifices in their legitimate struggle.

The democratic government and the people of Pakistan strongly believe that the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions is essential for viable peace in South Asia,” he said.

The two countries have made significant progress towards liberalising trade. The federal cabinet last month took an important decision about the negative trade list. It has already approved in principle the MFN status for India.

These developments gave rise to fears that the government has relegated the Kashmir issue on its set of priorities for ties with Delhi.

But, Mr Basit insists that “Jammu and Kashmir dispute is about the people of Kashmir; it is about their inalienable right to self-determination. There is, therefore, no question of freezing this issue or putting this core dispute on the back burner.

Realistically speaking, nor it can be done”.

Pa le s t inia n e nv oy t o we lc om e GM J de le ga te s (Online) KARACHI Palestine Foundation Pakistan has announced that Palestinian ambasto sador Pakistan Hazem Abu Shanab will receive the participants Global of to March Jerusalem at Wahga Border on March 10 (today). anThe nouncement was made at a press briefing here at a local hotel. The PLF central office-bearers Muzaffar Hashmi, Qazi Ahmed Noorani Siddiqui, Maulana Sadiq Raza Taqvi and Sabir Karbalai spoke at the briefing. They informed that Palestinian land was under Zionist occupation since 1948 and Jerusalem (Bait al Maqdas) was under occupation since 1967. Illegal settlements of Jews are erected time and again around Jerusalem and all they do for occupation of Bait al Maqdas. When Palestine issue is tabled in the United Nations Security Council, the US, global imperialist power, exercised veto power in

favour of Israel.

They said they wanted to expel remaining Palestinians from the land of Palestine like they did it since 1948.

They said the GMJ was being organised to highlight this core issue to the notice of world. Jerusalem is sacred for Muslims and Christians as well and Israel keeps violating the sanctity of Bait al Maqdas.

People from almost all over the world have joined hands to become the part of GMJ. They will peacefully march to Jerusalem on March 30 from four borders of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

The PLF office-bearsaid ers that Asian countries’ caravan was reachPaking via istan Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippine and India.

Pakistanis too largely attend the g l o b a l march. The Asian participants of the GMJ will reach after visiting several cities of Pakistan and from there they will continue via Turkey and sea routes and reach Beirut.

The delegates will reach on Saturday (today) and address at Multan Press Club on Sunday March 11.

They will address at Karachi Press Club on March 12. They will visit the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah on March 13. Palestinian ambassador, Sindh chief minister and other eminent figures will accompany them there. The PLF has formed arrangement committees in Lahore, Multan, Sukkur and Karachi to accord them warm welcome.

Pa k is t a n’s inte r na t iona l is ola t ion s e t to e nd, s a y s PC B c hie f (Online) “The [Bangladesh team’s] visit will end Pakistan’s international cricket isolation,” Zaka told Dawn during his brief visit to the city on Thursday evening.

Pakistan hasn’t hosted an international cricket match since March 2009 when the Sri Lankan cricket team bus was attacked by terrorists on its way to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Zaka added that bringing international cricket back to Pakistan was his main aim.

“From day one after taking charge as the PCB chairman, I have been committed to and our isolation from world cricket,” he said.

“Convincing Australia, England and West Indies to tour Pakistan is definitely a difficult task but I’ve tried

my best to conthe vince Bangladesh government to send their team.”

The PCB chairman said matchfixing was an act individual and the Board should not be blamed if any player gets involved in it.

He said cricket at grass-roots level in the country was on decline.

“Over the last couple of years, little talent has come up from the grassroots level but we are trying to address that issue by organising talent hunt camps in all district headquar-

ters,” he added.

Zaka said Pakistan needed another coach after Aaqib Javed’s departure to Dubai although they had engaged former Test pace bowler Sarfraz Nawaz for a short period.

Thirty-two churches recognised by Parliament to date (Online Mar 07, 2012) The number of churches recognised by Parliament has risen to thirty-two. Parliament decided on the amendment of Act CCVI of 2011 on the Freedom of Conscience and Religion and the Status of Churches, Religious Denominations and Religious Communities on 27 February.

Parliament passed the new church legislation, the cardinal bill concerning the freedom of conscience and religion and the status of churches, religious denominations and religious communities, on 30 December 2011. The passage of the law was preceded by a series of lengthy consultations with churches.

Fulfilment of international commitments The new church legislation, in harmony with the Fundamental Law, conforms to Hungary’s international commitments and is fully in conformity with the covenants set forth in Articles 2, 18 and 26 of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in Articles 2, 18 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in Articles 9 and 14 of the Covenant concerning the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, in Article 1 of Optional Protocol 12 to the Covenant and in Article 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The new church law is also in harmony with Article 17(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which delegates the statutory regulation of religious and church affairs to national competence.

Freedom of religion enhanced According to Hungary’s Fundamental Law, everyone has the right to the freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This extends to the free determination or changing of religious beliefs or other convictions and the freedom for everyone to profess or not to profess, exercise or teach their religion or other convictions by way of religious acts and ceremonies or in any other way, whether individually or collectively with others, both publicly and privately. In Hungary, the State and churches operate in separation; churches are independent and the State cooperates with them in the interest of the attainment of communal objectives. The detailed rules governing churches are set forth in a cardinal law. The Fundamental Law lays down that everyone has the right to freely establish organisations or to join organisations, and proclaims the freedom of opinion. At the same time, as a new element, both the Fundamental Law and the new church legislation stipulate that the State cooperates with churches in the interest of the attainment of communal objectives.

The new church law that entered into force on 1 January 2012 guarantees the freedom of conscience and religion on both an individual and communal level. It looks upon churches as cohesive social factors of great significance that convey genuine values and create communities. Based on the Fundamental Law, the new legislation continues to provide for the due separation of the State and churches and provides, in this context, full autonomy for churches, while it prescribes cooperation for the attainment of communal goals. Therefore, the free exercise of religion is fully guaranteed, as it was in the past, not only individually but also on a communal level.

By virtue of the passage of the law, a multi-tier religious communal system will come into being, in harmony with the relevant European trends and legal system. In addition to the status of church, the status of association will also come into being, and the law provides that associations operating institutions, too, may enter into agreements with the State.

The new church law provides a high degree of autonomy and freedom of operation for recognised churches, also by European standards, and offers them access to significant state aid both for the pursuance of religious activities and the fulfilment of public duties. At the same time, it guarantees the exercise of the freedom of conscience and religion, both individually and communally, also outside the framework of church organisations and makes available state funding for the operation of associations as well.

Elimination of business churches The purpose of the new legislation was to restore the prestige and rank of the operation of churches. The unsustainable nature of the regulations previously in force became increasingly obvious in the last twenty years; the extremely generous conditions of the establishment of churches provided ample scope for abusing a fundamental right, permitted fraudulent organisations to illegally draw on the funding made available to churches and allowed the registration as churches of organisations which did not actually engage in religious activities. This resulted in the untenable situation that there were more than 300 registered „churches” in Hungary, dozens of which quite obviously did not pursue any kind of religious activities but were simply set up to profit from the benefits offered by the State.

Therefore, the conditions of eligibility for recognition as a church under the new regulation aim to ensure that only organisations clearly and genuinely engaged in religious activities may seek recognition as churches.

The new law is able to remedy the shortcomings that characterised the former legislation. It lays down, for instance, clear and detailed rules with respect to application for registration and the process of registration.

What are the conditions of recognition as a church?

The new church legislation makes no distinction between churches and does not identify different statutory categories. The list constituting a schedule to the new church law is open. Consequently, any religious community currently operating in Hungary may seek recognition as a church.

As the new church law delegated the power of the recognition of churches to the competence of Parliament, the duties of registration were referred to the hands of the minister responsible for the coordination of liaison with churches.

Parliament may decide on the registration as churches of any further religious communities not specifically identified in the new church legislation, in the form of an amendment, by duly supplementing the list constituting a schedule to the new Church Act. With regard to the cardinal nature of the schedule to the new church law, this will be subject to the vote of the two-third majority

of the attending members of Parliament.

An application for registration may be submitted if an association is primarily engaged in religious activities, has a creed and rite summing up the essentials of its teachings and has operated internationally for at least one hundred years or has operated in Hungary as an association under organised auspices for minimum twenty years, a period which also includes the term of operation as a church prior to the entry into force of the new church legislation. It is a further important condition that applicants must have approved statutes, a deed of foundation or internal church rules and duly elected officers and representative bodies, and their representatives are required to declare that the activities of their respective organisations are not contrary to the Fundamental Law or any other legal rule and do not infringe the rights and freedom of others. The recognition of an organisation must be refused if the competent state agency established the existence of national security risks in the course of the operation of the organisation or if its activities violate the right to physical, mental and spiritual health, the protection of life or human dignity.

Who decides on recognition as a church?

Parliament may decide on the registration of religious communities as churches in the form of an amendment to the law. The Government has no say in which organisations are recognised as churches. The Government (the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice) only performs administrative, executive tasks; it registers churches based on Parliament’s decision.

It is the duty of the parliamentary committee concerned with religious affairs to examine whether the criteria determined in the new church legislation are fulfilled. As part of this duty, the chair of the committee consults the President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences with respect to the conditions relating to the nature of the given religious activities and the actual term of operation, and may, if all criteria are found to be met, invite the organisation to verify the same. Based on a popular initiative, the committee must present a draft amendment to Parliament. If the conditions of recognition do not exist, the committee must specifically state so in the reasoning of its draft proposal, however, the draft amendment must, also in this case, be submitted to Parliament and the plenary meeting of Parliament decides on the proposed bill.

If Parliament does not support the recognition as a church of an association identified in the proposed bill, it publishes its decision thereon in the form of a parliamentary resolution.

By virtue of the above regulation, the State effectively provides a constitutional status for recognised churches.

How can an organisation seek recognition as a church?

The legal representative of an organisation engaged in religious activities as its fundamental purpose may seek recognition as a church on the basis of the rules relating to popular initiatives, with the signatures of minimum one thousand electors. We must stress in this context that the organisation is not required to verify church membership but is merely required to gather signatures from those supporting its cause, for the purposes of which it has two months at its disposal. The signatures are certified by the National Electoral Committee which has competence in this matter. If the initiative is submitted belatedly or the National Electoral Committee establishes as a result of the verification of the signatures that the number of valid signatures does not reach the applicable limit, the Speaker of the House announces at the next session of Parliament following the receipt of notification from the National Electoral Committee that the initiative did not conform to the statutory requirements. An appeal may be submitted against the decision of the National Electoral Committee to the Curia. The initiative may be submitted to the Chair of the National Electoral Committee once, within two months of the certification of the signature sheets. If the applicable number of valid signatures is available, the Chair of the National Electoral Committee notifies Parliament of this, and Parliament must place the initiative on its agenda and must adopt a decision within three months of notification.

Churches recognised by Parliament Parliament decided on the recognition of 14 churches in the first round at the end of December 2011. The churches recommended for recognition were identified partly on the basis of their historical past and partly with a view to their outstanding social significance. The 14 churches recognised already in the first round fully reflected the religious affiliation of Hungarian society. The fourteen churches in question cover 99% of those with religious beliefs.

1. Hungarian Catholic Church 2. Reformed Church in Hungary 3. The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary 4. Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities 5. Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation 6. Autonomous Orthodox Community of Hungary (Stausquo ante) 7. Buda Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church 8. Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople – the Orthodox Exarchate in Hungary 9. Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Hungary 10. Romanian Orthodox Diocese in Hungary 11. Hungarian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) 12. Hungarian Diocese of the Unitarian Church in Hungary 13. Baptist Union of Hungary 14. Faith Church In addition to the churches approved

by Parliament in the first round, further organisations submitted applications for recognition, and Parliament therefore decided on the recognition of another 18 churches on 27 February 2012.

15. United Methodist Church in Hungary 16.

Evangelical Pentecostal Church in Hungary 17. St. Margaret’s Anglican Episcopal Church 18. Transylvanian Congregation 19.

Seventh-day Adventist Church 20. Coptic Orthodox Church of Hungary 21. Apostolic Christian Church of Nazarene

22. Hungarian Society for Krishna Consciousness 23. Free Church of the Salvation Army of Hungary 24. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 25. Hungarian Church of Jehova’s Witnesses Hungarian Islam Council: 26. Church of Muslims of Hungary 27. Hungarian Islamic Community Buddhist religious communities 28. Dharma Gate Buddhist Church 29. Buddhist Mission, Buddhist Church Arya Maitreya Mandala of Hungary 30. Hungarian Karma Kagyu Buddhist Community 31. Chinese Chan Buddhist Church of Hungary 32. Diamond Way Buddhist Community Operation of unregistered churches In contrast to previous practice, the registration of churches recognised

by Parliament and the keeping of the relevant register fall within the duties of the Minister. This practical arrangement ensures the keeping of standard, up-to-date and transparent records, which the previous decentralised court registration practice was unable to achieve (churches were often recorded in collective registers also featuring civil organisations).

Churches which submitted applications for recognition as churches by the repeal of Act C of 2011 will retain their status as churches until 29 February 2012. Parliament must decide on their recognition or the refusal of their applications by this date. In this case, no popular initiative is required; the committee only investigates the existence of the statutory conditions necessary for recognition. The Minister will publish a communiqué on the churches concerned on the website of the Ministry under his supervision.

All organisations previously registered as churches which will continue to operate as associations as of 1 January 2012 may submit to the tribunal the data necessary for registration under the Act on Civil Organisations as part of a change registration procedure until 29 February 2012 in accordance with the rules governing associations, and may continue their operation as associations engaged in religious activities as their fundamental purpose. These organisations will function as the general legal successors of the former churches, or if they satisfy the criteria of recognition as churches, they may seek their repeated recognition as churches under the rules relating to popular initiatives. If an organisation fails to make a declaration with respect to its continued operation or issues a negative declaration or fails to meet the relevant conditions by 30 June, it is transferred under forced dissolution (forced deletion). In the case of organisations, however, which submitted applications for recognition as churches by the repeal of Act C of 2011 as described above and qualify as churches until 29 February 2012, these deadlines are extended by two months. Based on the former legislation, churches were registered in a decentralised manner, at county or metropolitan level.

In the majority of cases, there were mixed registers for churches and social organisations, and there was no separate church register. As, in addition to the 14 churches already recognised by law, another 85 religious communities sought their recognition as churches by 20 December 2011 and 187 churches applied for 1% donations from the personal income tax revenue in the year before, it may be presumed that over a hundred of the former registered churches did not actually and effectively maintain operations of any kind.

If an organisation is registered as a church, the Minister notifies the court of this fact in the manner determined by law, and the organisation is thereafter deleted from the court records. The status of the organisation as an association will cease and the organisation will continue to operate as a church entity.

The new church legislation also enables smaller churches to acquire the status of church; if they are nonetheless unable to meet the relevant criteria, 10 individuals may establish religious associations as legal entities against the fulfilment of minimal conditions, as part of which they may exercise their religion unhindered also on a communal level.

Additionally, the legal rules permit just 3 individuals to establish a civil society, without a financial contribution or organisational framework, for the advancement of their common goals of a non-financial nature and the coordination of their communal activities.

The rights, freedom of conscience and religion and the religious activities of associations engaged in religious activities as their fundamental purpose are governed by all the provisions which are not reserved by the new church law exclusively for recognised churches, in particular, • the State may not control and supervise their operation; • the State may not investigate or review their decisions of a religious nature and may not enforce their implementation; • the special rules relating to the management of personal data in the course of religious activities also apply to associations; • church services and, with regard to the smooth and undisturbed operation of church governance, churches, cemeteries and other holy venues enjoy increased protection under infringement and criminal law; • they may use the designation „church”; • they may gather donations and may receive 1% donations from the personal income tax revenue; • they may only disclose their membership records based on the specific permission of their members; • they may operate institutions of higher education as well as institutions of public education and social institutions, and the State provides funding for the operation of these; • they may retain their arable land estates.

The new church legislation guarantees full legal succession for former churches now converting into civil organisations, while the other legal rules serving to supplement the underlying law provide for the protection of property and acquired rights, including the possibility of the continued retention of title to any arable land they may own at present, which legal entities are not otherwise permitted to acquire in Hungary and which churches, too, may only obtain by way of maintenance, annuity or donation agreements.