Page 8
University Daily Kansan Wednesday, April 14, 1965
14674
Unity, Independence Honored In Pan American Celebration
Bv Lacy Banks
In Spanish they call it, "El Dia de las Americas."
In French they call it, "Le Jour des Ameriques."
In English we call it Pan American Day, April 14, when american countries from Cape Horn to Alaska, except Canada and Cuba, celebrate and promote their independence, friendship, and unity.
Bolivar's concept has not yet been fully activated. It has long been in the making. However, there have been, since his time, various significant contributions toward the fulfillment of his dream.
The Pan American Union and the Organization of American States (OAS) are two such contributions. The first was established in 1890 for the development of closer relations of friendship and commerce among the 21 American countries of the continent involved.
OAS is the offspring of the Pan American Union, and shares the same heritage. Its definitive charter was signed in 1948. Its aim is to achieve peace, justice and solidarity among member states, excluding Canada and Cuba, and to defend their sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
The ideal underlying this holiday is the concept of a continental community. The ideal dates back to Simon Bolivar, the South American "Liberator" who led Spanish Americans to their independence from Spain. In 1826, at the Congress of Panama, he vigorously proposed a union of American nations.
The American republics attending the 1930 meeting of OAS decided to designate April 14 as the day commemorating the sovereignty of the American nations and the voluntary union of all men in one continental community. This was the first Pan American Day.
Gabriela Mistral, Chilean poetess who received the 1945 Nobel Prize for literature, wrote a manifesto especially for the first Pan American Day. It expressed the sentiments of the founders.
Many people of the Americas saw the evolution of such movements as OAS as a symbol of an ever-increasing solidarity of all peoples of the republics of the Western Hemisphere.
In the manifesto she said, "We of North and South America have accepted with our heritage of geographical unity a certain common destiny that should find a threefold fulfillment in our continent: an adequate standard of living, a perfect democracy and ample liberty.
"We have enough land that no one need be envious of his neighbor, a republic sobriety to which vicious luxury is repugnant, a unanimous religion and lay sentiment that conscious fair dealing is the only lasting basis for world relations and a source of beauty
Official Bulletin
Foreign Students: Leaving for home this summer? Interested in a special program in Colorado? See the Dean of Studies office, 228 Strong Hall for information.
TODAY
Burglary and Larceny Seminar, All Day. Kansas Union.
Classical Film, 7.00 p.m. Fraser Theater.
No College Life Tonight: Special Meeting, 7.15 p.m., AKL House.
Read and Use Kansan Classifieds
Recital. 8:00 p.m. Lawson Jones.
pianist. Swarthout Recital Hall.
Custus. Swarthout Recital Hall
8:15 p.m.
St. Lawrence Student Center.
St. Lawrence Student Center.
Sacred Mening Prayer, 9:30 p.m.
Danfort Chapel.
Episcopal Holy Communion, 11:35 am.
Canterbury House, 1116 Ll.
Sermons, all.
Burglary and Larceny Seminar, All Day, Kettering Union.
Day. Kansas Union.
Business-Education Day, All Day. Kan-
ticipate.
S. U.A. Poetry Hour, 4:30 p.m. Dr. Robert Nunley, Music Room, Union.
Wesley Foundation Evensong. 5:00 p.m.
Methodist Center, 1314 Oread.
Catholic Mass, 5:00 p.m. Mass, procession, adoration at 7:30 p.m.; adoration until midnight. St. Lawrence Student Center.
Episcopal Evening Prayer, 9:30 p.m.
Danforth Chapel.
such that peace appears the natural state for the Americas."
Commenting on Pan American Day in Argentina, Father Jaime Amadeo said, "We try to promote interest in this holiday especially in schools. Students start at an early age learning the countries making up the Americas.
"They are taught how the people are different in their cultures and in their relations with the rest of the world," he continued. "Special programs are used to present these lessons. They usually come at the close of the school day."
How do they celebrate it in Chile? Gloria Machiavello, graduate student from Santiago, said Chilean students celebrate it mostly in elementary schools through special cultural programs where dances and songs of various American republics are presented by the students.
by the students. "It is seldom done in the high school and hardly presented in college," she continued.
David Vargas, Costa Rican sophomore, said he remembered celebrating it in elementary schools of San Jose, Costa Rica.
Philip Smith, instructor of Romance Languages, said he used to celebrate Pan American Day at a university where he instructed before coming to KU.
Sponsored By S.U.A.