UNESCO Courier articles from May 1995

UNESCO Courier archives from May 1995

The Abbe Pierre. (humanitarian Henri Groues)(Interview)
May 1, 1995... The Abbe Pierre (a pseudonym adopted in 1942 by Henri Groues, born in Lyons, France, in 1912) has championed the cause of the poor and dispossessed for almost half a century. He is internationally known for his work with Emmaus, the charitable...

A mysterious journey. (pilgrimage)(The Pilgrim's Way)
May 1, 1995... Pilgrimages are a feature of most of the world's religions Between non-existent pillars, bathed in unearthly light, a human clone advances without moving. As he looks around or continues on his imaginary way, the perspective changes and...

The thrice-holy city. (Jerusalem)(The Pilgrim's Way)
May 1, 1995... Jerusalem is a magnet for Jewish, Christian and Muslim pilgrims from all over the world Jerusalem enjoys the unique privilege of being holy three times over - for Jews, Christians and Muslims. The Jews learn in the Torah (a Hebrew...

Pathways to enlightenment. (pilgrimages in Japan)(The Pilgrim's Way)
May 1, 1995... In Japan some pilgrimages involve a grand tour of almost a hundred temples. Others take only a few minutes' walk. Pilgrimages in Japan usually combine a serious religious intention with a readiness to enjoy the journey as an excursion of...

The road to Compostela. (town of Santiago de Compostela in Spain)(includes related article)(The Pilgrim's Way)
May 1, 1995... In medieval times the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela on Spain was a major attraction for western Christian Europe "Who can this great and powerful figure be to whom Christians from both sides of the Pyrenees throng to address their...

Messengers of light: Chinese Buddhist pilgrims in India. (includes related article)(The Pilgrim's Way)
May 1, 1995... Chinese monks embarked on a long and arduous journey when they sought instruction at the wellsprings of Buddhism When Chinese Buddhist pilgrims set out for India on the "Western journey" - the title many of them gave to the record they kept of...

Pilgrimages in Judaism.(The Pilgrim's Way)
May 1, 1995... The ancient Jewish tradition of pilgrimage has survived many changes Pilgrimage was "a duty laid on Israel". This legal obligation (hoq) is stipulated three times in the Torah, the foundation text of Judaism: "Three times a year all your males...

Where the rivers meet. (Kumbha Mela festival in India)(The Pilgrim's Way)
May 1, 1995... At the confluence of the Ganges and the Jamuna rivers, millions of Indian pilgrims gather for the Kumbha Mela festival At the heart of any pilgrimage in India, there is a confluence of waters. From the trickle of underwater springs through the...

The heart's infinity. (the Kaaba in the pilgrimage to Mecca)(The Pilgrim's Way)
May 1, 1995... The visit to the Kaaba is the crowning moment of the great pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the three holy cities of Islam. In the mystic tradition it is identified with the heart. Here a modern pilgrim describes his innermost feelings. A mere...

Unfettered freedom. (freedom of expression)(Commentary)
May 1, 1995... The exercise of the right to freedom of expression fully demonstrates the two dimensions of freedom: the absence of arbitrary power, and the ability to express oneself. The first dimension - the absence of despotic pressure or physical or...

The mystery of Persepolis. (Persian city destroyed in 330 B.C.)(includes related article)(UNESCO in Action: Heritage)
May 1, 1995... Royal residence and spiritual capital of the Persian empire, Persepolis (Takht-e Jamshid in present-day Iran) came to a tragic end when it was destroyed by Alexander the Great. Excavations on the site, which was abandoned for many centuries, have...

The Latin American intellect.(UNESCO Archives)(Transcript)
May 1, 1995... The Mexican writer Alfonso Reyes, a passionate humanist, historian, poet and critic, was one of the leading Latin American thinkers of the first half of the twentieth century. He was among the first intellectuals of Latin America to take an...

Mining: a clean bill of health?(Greenwatch)
May 1, 1995... Our needs for the earth's mineral resources are constantly increasing, but it is no secret that mineral extraction can cause damage to the environment. How high are these environmental costs? "The industrial sector," writes Mostafa K. Tolba,...

The eye and the ear. (music appreciation)
May 1, 1995... Should music be seen not heard? Music exists in every society, but the different worlds of music seem divided from one another by aesthetic standards, by behaviour and by rules that are sometimes antagonistic if not irreconcilable. Because of...