Just like every January 30th, we're celebrating Peace Day once again.
The school's library team organizes activities to commemorate the date. Big posters have been displayed in the main hall to remind us. Music on the peace topic will be played during the breaks. Each classroom door shows a small poster with a quote about peace. On my class door, the lyrics of Lennon's "Imagine' like shown here.
After last week's terrorist attacks in Paris and Mali, here's a map that shows the number of victims in terrorist attacks last year around the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index released last Tuesday.
Boko Haram is the most dangerous terrorist group in the world. Set in northern Nigeria, this group killed more than 6.600 people last year. The IS group came second killing a little more than 6.000 people. Both these terrorist groups are responsible for more than half the deaths (51%) by terrorism in the most deadly year in history, with an 80% rise in comparison to the previous year.
32.654 people died last year in terrorist attacks, (nine times more victims than in 2000). 80% of these attacks occur in only five countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria & Siria.
To end our Peace Week 2013, we have chosen a medley of two classic American songs, which symbolise hope on a better world. We wanted to end the week with some optimism.
The songs are "SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW" taken from the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" and originally sung by actress Judy Garland, which has been joined together with 1967 Louis Armstrong's jazz classic "WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD". This medley version was performed by Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole in 1993. Here's an audio of his version with lyrics in English and Spanish translation. Sing along.
Audio "SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW-WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD", Israel Kamakawiwo'ole:
Today's officially the School Day of Peace and Non-Violence, and for such a day we could only choose a classic peace song by John Lennon "IMAGINE". Can you imagine all the things he says in the song? He says it's easy...doesn't seem so when we take a look at the real world, but lets try.
The School Day of Non-violence and Peace (or DENIP, acronym from Catalan-Balearic: Dia Escolar de la No-violència i la Pau), is an observance founded by the Spanish poet Llorenç Vidal Vidal in Majorca in 1964 as a starting point and support for a pacifying and non-violent education of a permanent character. Celebrated on January 30 or thereabouts every year, on the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi, in schools all over the world.
Our school's library is devoting this whole week to the celebration of peace, reading texts and listening to songs, among other activities. The library's blog will have a new post each day of this week with a song related to peace and human rights. ClickOnEnglish will share those which have songs in English.
Today's the first one, with a song by British singer Phil Collins "ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE". The song is about homeless people, an issue which is relevant in Spain nowadays as many people are losing their houses because of the economic crisis. Peace cannot be reached without social justice.
The “School Day of Non-violence and Peace”, founded in 1964 and also known as World or International Day of Non-violence and Peace, is a pioneering, non-state, non-governmental, non-official, independent, free and voluntary initiative of Non-violent and Pacifying Education, which is now practised in schools all over the world and in which centres of education, teachers and students of all levels and from all countries are invited to take part.
It advocates a permanent education in and for harmony, tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights, non-violence and peace.It is observed on January 30 or thereabouts every year, on the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi.
As usual the IES Rafael Dieste's library is organizing an activity for Friday January 28th with some classes during one of the morning sessions (5th hour). They'll be listening to some songs related to peace, some of them in English.
One of them is "BLOWING IN THE WIND" original by Bob Dylan. Today we're posting versions of the song: Peter, Paul & Mary's audio with lyrics, and more recent singers: Katie Melua & Alanis Morisette, who have covered the song in live concerts. Enjoy peacefully!
Video "BLOWING IN THE WIND", Peter, Paul & Mary's:
Video with Katie Melua's live version:
Video with Alanis Morisette's version:
Another song is Oscar Peterson's "HYMN TO FREEDOM". Here's the video of the choir version with on screen-lyrics:
On January 30th, School's Peace Day is commemorated. This year as it's Saturday, it'll be celebrated on Friday 29th. The teachers at our school library will be reading and listening to texts, poems & songs related to peace awareness. One of the songs they've chosen is by Declan Galbraith "TELL ME WHY". I include below the video of the song with English lyrics & Spanish subtitles and some information about this young artist.
Declan John Galbraith (born 19 December 1991, Hoo St Werburgh, Kent) is an Englishsinger of Irish and Scottish origin. He and his family are now living in South East England. His grandfather was in a band, played several instruments, and took Declan to Fleadhs (concerts) he was participating in, and the mix of Scottish and Irish musical traditions inspired Declan and became his early musical influence.
When 7 years old he insisted on singing spontaneously at the annual Rochester Dickens Festival, a two-day event where people were invited to dress up in Victorian costumes to celebrate the life and times of the famous author Charles Dickens and his links with their town. Little Declan, dressed up as a chimney sweep, started singing. Soon after this he started to enter local talent contests and within a year he had won 15 titles and more than £1,000.
As a result of his success in the talent shows, the major recording companies soon heard about Declan and he was signed to his first recording contract in England. His first recording was ‘Walking in the Air’, which was released on a special Christmas Hits album, also featuring Westlife, Elton John and Elvis Presley. Declan loves to sing to live audiences and among some of performances included the Queen’s Jubilee at St Paul’s Cathedral, when he sang ‘Amazing Grace’ accompanied by the St Paul’s Choir and singing in front of more than 22,000 people at an Elton John concert.
His first self-titled album, Declan, with Irish traditional songs and some specially written material became charted in the U.K. and Ireland. Within the year of release it had 200,000 copies in Germany.
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