SI MONTHLY NEWS July 2006 Comments
From SI Exco News
THE HISTORY OF CANAKKALE…
Canakkale is one of the precious places where a lot of civilizations were accommodated throughout the history. Together with the historical remnants, you can see the great combination of blue and green.
Dardanelles, whose shores touch both Europe and Asia, connects the sea of Marmara to the Aegean and the bank of European to Asia. That's why it has had a strategic significance since the Ancient Ages and has an active role in the history of civilization.
The city was known as Hellespontos and Dardanel in ancient times and has continued to resume its role as a major residential center since 3000 A.D. The province bearing the name Canakkale is 9,737 km squares with a 671 km coastline.
It is known that from the ancient ages people have settled this area. As the people living in the Aegean coast started seamanship the Greek sailors came here and had commercial relations with the community living here. Later Athens dominated the coasts of the straits. In the following centuries different societies captured Canakkale.
When under the control of Ottoman Empire, Fatih, The Emperor, had two citadels built on the narrowest two banks of the strait to be able to protect it. The citadel in the bank of Thrace was called as Kilitbahir and the citadel in the Anatolian bank was called Canak-kalesi or Sultan's Castle(1452-53).
The date The Sultan's Castle was built was the first step of building today's Canakkale. The city has expanded through the time. Fatih built a mosque and Turkish hamam there. The following emperors understood the importance of the strait and they gave necessary importance to it while defending the country.
Later on it was exposed to the invasion of the Venetians and after that the Russian fleet forced the Strait, but later Ottoman Empire got the control again. Canakkale suffered its most difficult, but most honourable, days during the First World War. Turkish Soldiers established a legend that the Canakkale Strait was impassable. The importance of the Strait was once more understood after the war. Canakkale became a province of Turkey after the formation of the Turkish Republic.
Memories of Latina from India
Hi Friends,
Greetings to you and your families from all of us here in Servas India.
Four months have gone by after our wonderful meeting at Latina for the General Assembly. The memories still linger on and I sometimes wish that we relive these moments again. The excellent hospitality and conference arrangements starting with our breakfast till night has made this occasion a wonderful and a memorable gathering.
This was my first International Servas Conference and I thoroughly enjoyed each moment of it and I have tried to capture some of these lovely moments by my camera. I have uploaded them to the following website for your viewing:
http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l42/subramanianlv/
I am not an expert photographer, hence please excuse me for my poor shots.
I do look forward to meeting each of one as Servas Travellers (prior to our next GA) or as Delegates at the next General Assembly (hopefully in India).
Regards and best wishes,
Lvs, India
Our Responsibilities
As human beings we have a responsibility towards others:
Whether Catholic or Protestant Christian, Sunnite or Shiite Muslim, Sikh, Hindu or Buddhist, or any other religion; we all have a responsibility towards our fellow man.
As Nationals of a political territory or economic region; we have a responsibility towards our fellow man.
As Men or as Women; black, white, yellow, red, old or young; we have this responsibility.
Some times this responsibility is called "Human Rights"
So why are politicians incapable of fulfilling their greatest responsibility?
Whatever reference we use to describe ourselves, we must now assume that responsibility, as individuals, and do something to persuade our politicians that they HAVE TO fulfil their obligations. They MUST stop war. They MUST NOT encourage war. They MUST learn to negotiate not impose by force. They MUST be taught that peace is in everybody's interest.
And so, here is my plea:
Dear Important Person,
As a citizen of this planet, I urge you once and for all to negotiate a peace process in the Middle East, in Africa and anywhere else that considers war an answer to their problems.
Politicians in the first world originally created most of the current problems, so we have an even greater responsibility to put right the wrongs that we created.
Please help other citizens of the world to get on with their ordinary lives and not risk death by warfare, (after all, it makes economic sense!).
I cannot support a political regime that supports or encourages war.
Earn my vote: create peace.
Yours in trust, Angela Fay, France
uploaded by Amelia
