Vlog Blog 005: Chaining, Acronyms, & Redundant Systems Engineering

Please watch Vlog 005 first at http://www.youtube.com/user/memosphericist and then review this Blog.  Thank you!

Hello dear fellow memosphericists,

In this lesson, we will practice applying the principles of "Memory Chaining," "Acronyms," and "Redundant Systems Engineering" as applicable in memory work.  Here is the background information that I'd like to provide you with for our Icon List based on the UN history from 1946 though 1950.  Reading over this information will help you remember these icons in addition to watching the Vlog on youtube:

(see http://www.un.org/aboutun/milestones.htm for references)

46) PLOUGHSHARE

The UN was actually created in the fall of 1945, but it didn’t adopt it’s first resolution until 1946.  Here’s the record:

24 January 1946: General Assembly adopts its first resolution. Its main focus: peaceful uses of atomic energy and the elimination of atomic and other weapons of mass destruction.

A lot of people might think a good icon for this first UN resolution would be the plowshare.  Indeed, the Russian even made a sculpture to that effect and presented it as a gift to the UN.  Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares, was a sculpture by Evgeniy Vuchetich, given by the Soviet Union to the United Nations in 1959; this picture was taken from UN grounds showing sculpture in front of the East River.

Note the following reference in Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swords_to_ploughshares

Swords to ploughshares (or swords to plowshares) is a concept in which military weapons or technologies are converted for peaceful civilian applications.

The phrase originates from the Book of Isaiah, who prophesies of a future Messianic Age where there will be peace amongst all humankind:

They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. — Isaiah 2:4 & Micah 4:3

The ploughshare is often used to symbolize creative tools that benefit mankind, as opposed to destructive tools of war, symbolized by the sword, a similar sharp metal tool with an arguably opposite use.

In addition to the original Biblical Messianic intent, the expression "beat swords into ploughshares" has been used by disparate social and political groups.

One of the greatest efforts in this vein has been various peace movement goals. An example might be the destruction of nuclear weapons and the use of that technology in the development of power sources.

47) OLIVE BRANCH

24 October 1947: "United Nations Day" officially designated by the General Assembly.

Given that the UN flag has olive branches in it representing an offering of peace, it seems appropriate to think of UN day as a day to offer peace, or olive branches, to each other.  On Halloween and Valentines day we give candy, on Christmas and Birthdays we give presents, and on UN day we should give Olive Branches.

48) COMPASS

10 December 1948: General Assembly adopts Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Another part of the UN flag is the Compass.  In 1948 the UN adopted a Declaration of Human Rights to serve as humanity’s MORAL COMPASS.

49) CORNERSTONE

24 October 1949: Cornerstone laid for present UN Headquarters in New York City.  Cornerstone’s also have religious significance as Jesus was called God’s cornerstone in the Bible.

 

 

50) SHIELD – we metaphorically began the UN with the ideal of beating swords into ploughshares but we don’t want to forfeit our defensive shields as we learned all too quickly by 1950. 

27 June 1950: Security Council, acting in the absence of the Soviet Union, calls on Member States to help southern part of Korea repel invasion from the north. The Korean Armistice Agreement is signed on 27 July 1953 by the UN Command and the Chinese-North Korean Command.