By: David J. Smith, January 4, 2016
At the start of the new year, I want to share this email from Ted Lollis who has over the years collected a list of peace monuments both in the U.S. and globally. This is a great resource to share with students.
Dear Friends,
Please go to http://peace.maripo.com/y_2015.htm to see photos and descriptions of 22 new peace monuments in 2015.
In the USA, 2015 saw four new monuments in California, two in Virginia, and one each in New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania. Outside the USA, there were new peace monuments in Argentina, Belgium, China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Two of the 2015 monuments represent Korean “Comfort Women.” The year ended with an agreement by Japan to create a one billion yen fund to benefit the 46 surviving Comfort Women, but payment may depend on the removal of a 2011 Comfort Women peace monument in Seoul, South Korea. See http://peace.maripo.com/p_comfort_women.htm.
The number of 22 new monuments is surprisingly low. Annual counts for 2009-2014 ranged from 32 to 45 and averaged 39 new peace monuments per year. Of course annual totals can increase if and when previously unknown monuments come to light.
If you know of a new or previously unknown peace monument anywhere in the world, please let me know. Thanks. (Ted can be reached at geovisual@comcast.net)
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