peacesojourner

Autumnal Equinox began this morning................

2012-09-22T20:00:00.000-04:00

Simultaneously, of course, the Vernal (Spring) Equinox occurs in the southern hemisphere, as people begin their springtime season and as those people in the Northern Hemisphere begin their fall quarter of the year. Autumnul Equinox 2012 begins Saturday, September 22, marking the first official day of fall, at 10:40 a.m.ET this morning. the tilted earth revolves around to where the sun shines directly on the equator, and the hours of daylight and dark are equal (12 hours each). The term "Equinox" has its origins in Latin, meaning 'equal night'. After today, we will have fewer hours of daylight and longer evenings. Traditionally peace and environmental activists call on people everywhere to celebrate the autumnal equinox by hugging a tree. Hugging trees not only relieves stress but also takes back the title "tree hugger" from those who would make it a term of ridicule and it also reminds people of the importance of trees to the environment.

Today is the first official day of autumn, which probably doesn't mean much to those living in the south where temperatures are still hitting the 90's. On the Autumnal Equinox, the length of day and night is nearly, but not exactly, equal, according to TimeandDate.com.

The Autumnal Equinox is also known as:Alban Elfed, Autumn Equinox, Fall Equinox, Cornucopia, Feast of Avilon, Festival of Dionysus, Harvest Home, Harvest Tide, Mabon, Night of the Hunter, Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, and the first day of autumn.

So there you have it - today is the first day of autumn and for those of us living in Northern parts of the United States. We have already started getting a chill in the air in the evenings, it is becoming dark earlier each evening and the leaves are changing colors and falling from the trees.

For those readers who live in the warmer climates you should try to visit the Northern states because the foliage is beautiful and it is the best time of the year here.

Go on out there and hug a tree today – I dare you!
peacesojourner

International Peace Day - 2012

2012-09-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

In 1981 the United Nations General Assembly declared, in a resolution sponsored by Costa Rica, the third Tuesday of September (the opening day of regular sessions of the General Assembly) as the International Day of Peace devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace.

In 2001 a new resolution was passed by the General Assembly, sponsored by the United Kingdom (giving credit to Peace One Day) and Costa Rica (the sponsors of the original day) to give the Day of Peace a fixed date and declare it as a global ceasefire day.

Today is set aside as the International Day of Peace which occurs annually on September 21. It is dedicated to peace, or specifically the absence of war, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone. It is observed by many nations, political groups, military groups, and peoples.

To inaugurate the day, the "Peace Bell" is rung at UN Headquarters. The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents. It was given as a gift by the Diet of Japan, and is referred to as "a reminder of the human cost of war." The inscription on its side reads: "Long live absolute world peace."

Each year individuals and organizations from 175 nations gather to promote peace in their communities and the world. At this very moment, UN peacekeepers around the world are risking their lives in the name of peace.

I send grateful thanks to a good friend of mine, Elvis Chinchilla Hernández , from El Salvador, who spent 18 months in Liberia as a peacekeeper.

These men and women in blue helmets – more than 100,000 in total, making them the second largest deployed military in the world – can be found in 16 of the world's most dangerous conflict areas. They are stationed in such hot spots as Lebanon, Haiti and Sudan, and are fighting to preserve and ensure peace.

Sometimes that means disrupting drug trafficking and maintaining law and order. Sometimes it means disarming former combatants and disposing of mines. And sometimes it means organizing elections or helping countries develop legal frameworks to ensure continued justice. In any case, this work is critical to American national security interests, yet it often goes under appreciated in this country and elsewhere.

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September 21st is the date generally associated with the Autumnal Equinox – a time of great astronomical and spiritual significance for a great many people.

The United Nations General Assembly re-opens on or around this date every year. In this sense, it is a very symbolic time globally. The following statements are excerpts from

‘100 reasons to ban nuclear weapons’ :

because nuclear weapons threaten humankind. Let's get rid of them for good -