“Let’s get together and feel all right”
–Bob Marley, “One Love”
There are many songs by Bob Marley that are considered “Songs of Peace.” Today we take a moment to consider “One Love.”
Other “Songs of Peace” in this series:
On Remembrance Day we honour the memory of those Canadians who have fallen in war. We do not celebrate or glorify war, but we pay respect to those that have paid the terrible costs of war.
It is important to remember that Remembrance Day is not one of the those holidays that is just a chance for rest and recreation. Please take some time to reflect on what Remembrance Day is all about. On November 11th at 11:00 AM, plan to take some time to honour those that have died and those that have served. Whether you attend a ceremony in person, or check out the television coverage of the ceremony in Ottawa or other parts of Canada, take some time for Remembrance.
International Games Week is on at YOUR School Library. Here are a few of our favourite games. How many of these have you tried?
The original was introduced to the world as “The Settlers of Catan.” This game proved to be so popular it spawned many new versions and expansions, including Seafarers of Catan, Cities and Knights, and much much more. The rise of Catan was part of a resurgence in interest in board games after a decline in the video game era.
Monopoly is often the first game mentioned when people talk about board games. Monopoly was arguably the most dominant board game of the 20th Century and remains a cultural phenomenon that transcends the board game industry. While many modern game enthusiasts are rightly critical of many of the mechanics of Monopoly, the most common criticism, that the game takes far too long to play, is almost always because people don’t follow the official rules. In particular, “house rules” such as the collection of all taxes and penalties to a pot, which has been already seeded with $500, for those that land on Free Parking, serves to keep enough money in the game that it becomes incredibly difficult to bankrupt anyone, making the game go on for hours at a time. If you follow the rules and keep play moving, a good game of Monopoly should be about an hour.
Unlike most other board games, chess has no elements of chance or “luck,” unless you consider it luck if your mistakes are left unpunished by worse mistakes from your opponent! With no dice rolls, card flips or other random elements, chess is considered to be the most pure game of skill amongst all board games. Chess requires concentration, strategic thinking, time management, pattern recognition, patience, spatial awareness and many other thinking skills and qualities.
Here are some more games of note. How many have you tried?
What are some of your favourite games?
International Games Week @ Your Library is back at the LT School Library. “International Games Week is an initiative run by volunteers from around the world to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games.” (games.ala.org) Join us as we celebrate the power of games with thousands of people in thousands of libraries all over the world.
“All we are saying is give peace a chance.”
–John Lennon
The antiwar movement of the 1960s and early 1970’s focused on the American war in Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia. Many songs became forever associated with this era, perhaps none more so than “Give Peace a Chance.”
Although he was still a member of the Beatles, this was John Lennon’s first single released without the “Fab Four.” Originally the writing credits went to both Lennon and Paul McCartney, however later Lennon claimed that Yoko Ono deserved a credit, not Paul. The song was the musical highlight of the “Bed-In” of Lennon and Ono in Montreal in 1969. “Give Peace a Chance” would become what many consider to be the ultimate antiwar anthem.
Of course, many others will argue the ultimate antiwar anthem is John Lennon’s masterpiece, “Imagine.” Look for that in a future “Songs of Peace” post.
Find out more:
Give Peace a Chance (Wikipedia)
Other “Songs of Peace” in this series:
Come down to the School Library to check out our display of antiwar fiction. Our November focus is on Peace and such related concepts as peacekeepers, non-violence, antiwar movements, conscientious objectors, pacifists, and alternatives to war and violence. Antiwar fiction can take many forms, often trying to separate the myths from the realities of war, exposing the horrors of war and celebrating those that offer alternatives to violence.
International Games Week @ Your Library is back.
Yes there will be adjustments for health and safety concerns. However, as best we can, with such measures as smaller groups, players more spread out, and all students and staff masked up, we are bringing back this awesome event this week in the school library.
Board games, table games, social games, party games– games live and in person!
Veterans’ Week is November 5 to 11.
“Veterans want Canadians to understand the price of freedom. They are passing the torch to the people of Canada, so the memory of their sacrifices will continue, and the values they fought for will live on in all of us.”
Veterans Affairs Canada: Remembrance
Find out more:
IGW@YL is back! Sadly, our event will be smaller than in the past, as the Covid situation requires us to diligently put safety measures into place. Even so, after a long hiatus, we are just happy to be back and are looking forward to hosting Interational Games Week @ Your Library for 2021!
Stay posted for more information coming soon.
Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Night, arose from the events of November 5, 1605, when a plot to kill the King and blow up Parliament failed. An official state holiday of celebration was established, and Guy Fawkes, the personification of the evil plot, was burned in effigy in bonfires all over England. The Gunpowder Plot was also very much caught up in the political and religious conflicts of the day, and in it heyday Guy Fawkes Night was also known as Pope Night as anti-Catholic forces used the holiday to burn the Pope in effigy along with Fawkes, preaching the evils of the Roman Church.
Over time the political and religious overtones have faded, and the prominence of Guy Fawkes Night has also faded. Some feel that Halloween has begun to overtake it in importance. However, Guy Fawkes remains an enigmatic figure world wide.
Guy Fawkes has even become a sympathetic figure. Since the publication of “V for Vendetta” comics, and especially since the release of the feature film of the same name, Guy Fawkes has become synonymous with anti-establishment revolution, and the Guy Fawkes mask, once an object of derision, has become a symbol of the struggle of the masses against the elites. The mask has become popularly known as the “Anonymous Mask” as it has become the symbol of the online hacktivist group Anonymous.
More:
The Economist: How Guy Fawkes became the face of post-modern protest
‘Tuhanu Diwali diyan boht both vadhaiyan’
Diwali is celebrated by millions of people in India, Canada and around the world. Hundreds of millions of Hindus celebrate “the Festival of Lights.” People of other faiths, including Sikhism, also celebrate.
For Sikhs the festival has added significance as it generally coincides with a Sikh celebration known as Bandi Chhor Divas.
Many people will celebrate a five day festival from November 2 to 7 in 2021, with the main celebration of Diwali on November 4. However, it may be celebrated at different times, and in different ways, by various groups in India and in the Indian diaspora.
Diwali may also be rendered as Deepavali or Divali.
For more information on Diwali, check out:
“This song is not a rebel song. This song is Sunday Bloody Sunday.” (U2)
Sunday Bloody Sunday, by U2, is one of the Irish band’s signature tunes, one of the greatest rock songs of all time, and amongst the greatest calls for an end to violence and war that can be found in popular music.
The title refers specifically to the events of Bloody Sunday during the height of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland. More generally the song is a denunciantion of the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland and a profoundly anti-war anthem.
Find out more about “Sunday Bloody Sunday”:
Other “Songs of Peace” in this series:
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 