DANCERS FOR PEACE


I love to dance. For me dancing expresses the joy of life. Dancing brings people together. Dancing makes people happy. Many dances encourage people to hold one another, make contact, physically and emotionally. Share.

It’s hard, if not impossible to think of war or violence when you dance. Dancing makes you think about joy and love.

I particularly like to dance to swing music, Lindy Hop, Balboa and Shag are the dances I love, but I enjoy Rock and Roll too and I’ve tried Salsa, and ballroom dances like Tango, Fox Trot and Cha Cha Cha.

At school we did Country dancing, Scottish dancing, Morris dancing and I’ve even tried a traditional London dance called ‘Doing The Lambeth Walk’.

They’re all fun. Frankly if everybody danced nobody would go to war. The only logical argument against pacifism and disarmament is that it requires all countries in the world to do likewise. If you live in fear of your neighbour, you feel the need for some protection.

I dream of a mature, grown up world where no country is prepared to go to war. A world where every country cares about its neighbour’s well being, its neighbour’s economy, standard of living, health and safety as much as its own. And caring for our planet goes hand in hand with that.

For such a world to exist all people need to love their neighbour, despite religious or cultural differences.

Yesterday I had the idea for the concept ‘Dancers For Peace’. Today I am compelled to do something about it, to take action instead of just dreaming, on hearing the news that three school girls, on the way to school in Indonesia were beheaded, by a group of young men, on account of religious differences. They hadn’t even finished growing up and forming their beliefs about God, religion or nature.

Peace goes hand in hand with truth and reconciliation, three cheers for South Africa. We need to accept that others have their own way to God. That many people don’t believe in God and that is their right, debate the meaning of life, ways to find God, discuss whatever you wish with your neighbour, out of love, don’t kill him because he doesn’t agree. Whether life is a gift from God or an accident of nature, either way it is a tremendous gift. Dancing brings this truth home to people. If enough people danced, in every country in the world, if the majority in every nation danced and knew the joy and human contact, sharing and interaction it brings, if they openly declared and displayed their belief that war is wrong, then what politician or leader, religious or secular, would dare espouse war. Better still lets get the politicians dancing!

The idea behind Dancers For Peace is to take these thoughts out to the world and encourage millions more people to dance and to declare openly their opposition to conflict, their love for their neighbour. It doesn’t matter what the dance is. I would like to promote dances that bring people together, make contact, but in some countries there may be cultural or religious reasons not to, that’s fine, people can still dance and maybe we’ll help to keep some traditional dances from dying out.

To start things off, my friends and I have designed a Dancers For Peace T shirt and enclosed with every T shirt is this little leaflet explaining what it’s all about. Wear your T shirt until it’s worn out, when it is buy a new one, better still buy two, so you can wear your Dancers For Peace T shirt even when it’s in the wash!

Don’t just wear it to go dancing, although that helps too. Wear it to work, to the cinema, to parties, walking the dog and whenever someone asks you what it’s about you can tell them, or give them a leaflet, or keep a stock of T shirts and sell them one too. Then invite them to go dancing with you and don’t take no for an answer. At the dance or lesson, help them, introduce them around, demonstrate the fun to be had.



All the money from T shirt sales will get ploughed back to print more T shirts and leaflets, until we have enough money to launch Dance For Peace Day.

On Dance For Peace Day it’s hoped that dancers of all kinds, millions and millions of them will hold events in cities, towns and villages all over the world, ideally, in every country in the world, yes every country. It’s a high target. These events should be in public wherever possible, free lessons, free shows. Get on your local television channel if you can. Take the Dancers For Peace message out to more and more new people every year. When more than fifty percent of the population in every country, province, town and state in the world dance frequently, there just might be a world without war. A world of joy, friendship and love.

We may inspire others with other interests to form their own peace movements too, who knows, Athletes For Peace, Footballers for Peace, Skiers for Peace, Sailors for Peace, Motorcyclists for Peace, Chess Players For Peace, over generations we may help to change attitudes for ever.

In the words of veteran peace campaigner and musician Arlo Guthrie, they may call it a movement and friends that’s what it is.




Since writing this somewhat emotional piece I had the idea for a World Peace Foundation. The germ of which idea appears in the last but one paragraph above. It’s probably unrealistic to get the whole world to dance for peace, but it’s not unrealistic to attach the peace message to other peaceful pursuits and hobbies so that everyone can join in. Dancers For Peace though, is still, to my mind, a wonderful idea and a great starting point. A Dance For Peace Day, with at least one dance in every country of the world from North Korea and Iran to Greenland and South Africa is a tough but achievable goal and a terribly powerful media opportunity.

Please read this in conjunction with World Peace Foundation.

Malcolm Snook



WORLD PEACE FOUNDATION

My idea for  a World Peace Foundation grew out of my previous idea for Dancer’s For Peace and from listening to a radio debate about the United Nations. On the radio some people supported the UN, some thought it a waste of time. Others said well it’s the best we’ve got, which is true, but it needn’t be.

The UN is a club of governments, which means political self interest, even if there are some very good people there. Furthermore, it’s a club without equality, as the select governments in the ‘Security Council’ will never relinquish their advantageous position. What about CND then? Surely real power rests with the people? In the end I believe it does. However, in recent years, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament seems to have ground to a halt. One still sees the famous logo sometimes, most frequently in graffiti, but that’s about all. However, nuclear arms proliferate in many countries around the globe. More than this, conventional weapons now have terrible power too.

What is needed is not just an end to nuclear weapons, but an end to war. When I was young it was still politically correct to hold beauty contests such as Miss UK and Miss World. It became part of the formula for the compére to interview the girls at the end and ask them what they wanted. World peace was a common answer and the grown ups chuckled to see such naiveté. Yet what more honourable goal is there? Given world peace, how much easier will it be to feed everyone, educate everyone and find ways to protect the planet.

When Tony Blair announced his intention to take the British nation to war in Iraq there was a huge demonstration against the proposed action, probably by over a million people, certainly the biggest demonstration London had ever seen. It was not enough. What would happen though if eighty or ninety percent of  a nation’s population openly expressed anti war feelings. What leader, be they democratically elected, religious or even a dictator could lead their country to war with those numbers ranged against. What if recruitment to the armed services simply dried up. Everywhere.

I can understand a young man’s thirst for adventure and the armed forces offer that, I applied myself as a teenager and fortunately failed to get in. Since then I’ve discovered lots of ways to have adventure and excitement, without being a marine, without shooting anyone. I’ve also discovered what a wonderful world we share and how good the majority of people are, the variety of interests and activities we indulge in. Peaceful activities. Most of the World’s businesses are also involved in peaceful pursuits. The arms manufacturers may be rich and powerful but compared with all the world’s other manufacturers and all the world’s peace loving people they’re a small minority, we could and should compel them to turn swords into ploughshares.

Tomorrows’ politicians haven’t been born yet. How they are raised is crucial to the world’s future. I know that world peace is not going to happen in my generation, or my daughter’s, but might it be possible in her children’s, children’s generation. Maybe we can start the snowball rolling down the hill, getting bigger and faster until it’s unstoppable. To create a world where children are taught in school about their ancestors, who started by throwing spears at one another, then stuck swords in each other and fired bows and arrows, they developed gunpowder, musket balls, cannon balls, artillery, rockets, fighter planes, nuclear bombs and inter continental delivery systems, they even took war into space and came so close to destroying the world that supports us all. How those children will laugh at their forebears’ stupidity.

To make this vision a reality I want to employ the marketing techniques that have made the Coca Cola and McDonalds logos and others like them, recognisable around the globe. I want to harness the power of marketing and ally it to people’s love of peaceful pursuits, to make the open proclamation of pacifism the norm rather than the exception in every country, to create the culture shift that will educate and inform future generations, prevent leaders from undertaking ego or greed driven acts of violence and make weapons a thing for the history books.

Let us accept the borders we were born with, but open the world up to freedom to travel, equal opportunities and free speech. Let people pursue their own religions or none as they see fit. There is no reason to kill.

The World Peace Foundation will have its own logo which will be seen on t-shirts, ties, lapel badges and all manner of clothing, casual and formal, it can be worn discreetly on the office suit, or tie, or proclaimed loudly on the most extrovert outfit. Yet The World Peace Foundation is an umbrella organisation. Its website will link to a thousand others, starting with Dancers For Peace and including, Motorcyclists For Peace, Skiers For Peace, Divers For Peace, Parachutists For Peace, Chess Players For Peace, Ten Pin Bowlers For Peace, Anglers For Peace, Athletes For Peace, Musicians For Peace, Book Clubs For Peace, Drama Clubs For Peace and so it goes on and on.

And if future demonstrations are called for, can you imagine the impact of a thousand banners, from a thousand ‘For Peace’ organisations representing a thousand peaceful pursuits, everyone’s against it will be the unmistakable message, everyone!

The World Peace Foundation will aim to launch many such organisations itself, starting with the highly visual Dancers For Peace and Dance For Peace Day, but will happily embrace those organisations started by other people who understand the concept and also want to embrace it. To make it a reality. Before long, dance outfits, ski suits, motorcycle leathers, waterproofs for a whole variety of sports, even the sails of yachts and dinghies and a million different T-shirts will proclaim the love of peace, in every corner of the globe, to change the face of the globe forever.

WHAT IS NEEDED

One can’t have the effect of a Coca Cola or a McDonalds, without the kind of budgets employed by those kinds of corporations. Indeed the World Peace Foundation must become a multi national corporation itself. Just to start the snowball rolling we need staff, offices, design, advertising, computers, warehousing,  clothing and other stock, distribution, legal, accounting and human resources. We need qualified, multi lingual representatives to go and recruit volunteers in every country of the world, we need information technology specialists and much more.

Currently I am travelling the world on a small boat and writing a book or two. I thought about producing a few Dancers For Peace T shirts and selling them as I go to try and start something happening, but that would be just to play at it and would change nothing. If I can obtain the big money backing needed to create the kind of organisation spoken of above, I will give up my travels and devote the rest of my active years to this cause. I will happily sit down and discuss, costs, staffing levels and all other aspects with any serious backer.

Malcolm Snook

FRANKIE MANNING – THE MAN WHO GAVE

Have you ever given a present to a child and seen their face light up, have you helped someone overcome a problem and seen joy in their eyes? Whatever you do, be it sailing, skydiving, ski-ing, anything you love, anything you're good at then it's wonderful to be able to give something back. There's a great joy in that.

Frankie was a dancer, maybe the greatest Lindy Hop dancer of all time, but that's a matter of opinion and it's not the most important thing. That Frankie was a contender for the title greatest swing dancer of all time is a statement few dancers would argue with, if any. I say 'if any' because it underlines how Frankie brought people together. Frankie put back more than most people can dream of giving. I hope and believe that he felt that joy of giving every time he looked around himself at all the people he helped, all the people he inspired. And he must have, because the thing I remember most about Frankie is his laugh, his so deep, so rich, so infectious, so joyous laugh.

I'm feeling very sad this morning, having just learned that Frankie has passed away a few weeks shy of his ninety fifth birthday. I honestly thought he'd be with us for years yet, he seemed so fit. So much we take for granted. I know we should celebrate his life and what a life. Frankie didn't just teach dance, oh no. Frankie has left us his words on video and on paper and his comments about how life was for him about racism and how he dealt with it are as inspirational as the joy he gave us on the dance floor and through his lessons. That he toured with the great Billie Holiday and lived to see Barack Obama inaugurated as President of the United States are just two of the many things that remind us of the incredible changes the world has been through in Frankie's ninety plus years.

I feel very privileged to have had about a dozen lessons with Frankie at various dance camps, to have listened to his talks, I won't say lectures because they were too entertaining for that particular epithet and of course to have met him. Thousands upon thousands of dancers have shared these experiences, because that's what Frankie did, he gave and he gave and he gave. When the grief and sadness passes, that joy will return because Frankie, more than anyone, helped to create the wonderful society of swing dance. We will continue to dance and laugh together, because that's Frankie's legacy to us. The Lindy Hop community is a greater memorial than any plaque or statue because it's what Frankie created, it's what he gave to us.

Frankie Manning 1914-2009 The Man Who Gave

Hi,

One of my friends suggested I ask all my other friends to try ordering my book from their local library. Apparently many/most libraries will buy a book if a member requests it. that way it's free for you, I make a sale AND ultimately many more people will read it/hear about my peace campaign ideas.

Of course I should have thought of it earlier and if you've bought the book I really am grateful, you could still get it into your local library though! Pushy eh. Of course I don't know about current library policy or about countries other than the UK, but what have you got to lose beyond a bit of time.

Thanks in advance to anyone who gives it a go. After some initial problems Waterstones, WH Smith and Amazon are now finding it so I guess the ISBN system is working.

Here are the details.
Title                                      Of Land, Sea And Sky
Author                                   Malcolm Snook
Publisher                               Trafford Publishing
ISBN number                         9781425157593
Thanks a bundle
Malcolm

 

Quote

Book Published!
Hello Everyone,

Finally my book is published worldwide and with it my ideas for a new kind of Peace Campaign. If the book reaches enough people, perhaps I'll find the backing I need to do the job properly. If you buy the book straight away the royalties will go towards keeping me going right now, but if it became a best seller then the money could certainly help the campaign as well as the exposure that would be generated for the idea.

If anyone can help with promotion, links to blogs or websites, retail or internet sales, please, please do.

The site to link to and where you'll find out more about the book is

www.trafford.com/07-2592

The book can be ordered here singly at retail prices or in bulk at trade discount by going to www.trafford.com and then clicking on Bookstore and then on Book Trade Terms.

For anyone wishing to order through Amazon or a book store the details are:

Title Of Land, Sea And Sky
Author Malcolm Snook
Publisher Trafford Publishing
ISBN Number   978-1-4251-5759-3

Many thanks
Malcolm Snook

WORLD PEACE FOUNDATION

My idea for  a World Peace Foundation grew out of my previous idea for Dancer’s For Peace and from listening to a radio debate about the United Nations. On the radio some people supported the UN, some thought it a waste of time. Others said well it’s the best we’ve got, which is true, but it needn’t be.

The UN is a club of governments, which means political self interest, even if there are some very good people there. Furthermore, it’s a club without equality, as the select governments in the ‘Security Council’ will never relinquish their advantageous position. What about CND then? Surely real power rests with the people? In the end I believe it does. However, in recent years, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament seems to have ground to a halt. One still sees the famous logo sometimes, most frequently in graffiti, but that’s about all. However, nuclear arms proliferate in many countries around the globe. More than this, conventional weapons now have terrible power too.

What is needed is not just an end to nuclear weapons, but an end to war. When I was young it was still politically correct to hold beauty contests such as Miss UK and Miss World. It became part of the formula for the compére to interview the girls at the end and ask them what they wanted. World peace was a common answer and the grown ups chuckled to see such naiveté. Yet what more honourable goal is there? Given world peace, how much easier will it be to feed everyone, educate everyone and find ways to protect the planet.

When Tony Blair announced his intention to take the British nation to war in Iraq there was a huge demonstration against the proposed action, probably by over a million people, certainly the biggest demonstration London had ever seen. It was not enough. What would happen though if eighty or ninety percent of  a nation’s population openly expressed anti war feelings. What leader, be they democratically elected, religious or even a dictator could lead their country to war with those numbers ranged against. What if recruitment to the armed services simply dried up. Everywhere.

I can understand a young man’s thirst for adventure and the armed forces offer that, I applied myself as a teenager and fortunately failed to get in. Since then I’ve discovered lots of ways to have adventure and excitement, without being a marine, without shooting anyone. I’ve also discovered what a wonderful world we share and how good the majority of people are, the variety of interests and activities we indulge in. Peaceful activities. Most of the World’s businesses are also involved in peaceful pursuits. The arms manufacturers may be rich and powerful but compared with all the world’s other manufacturers and all the world’s peace loving people they’re a small minority, we could and should compel them to turn swords into ploughshares.

Tomorrows’ politicians haven’t been born yet. How they are raised is crucial to the world’s future. I know that world peace is not going to happen in my generation, or my daughter’s, but might it be possible in her children’s, children’s generation. Maybe we can start the snowball rolling down the hill, getting bigger and faster until it’s unstoppable. To create a world where children are taught in school about their ancestors, who started by throwing spears at one another, then stuck swords in each other and fired bows and arrows, they developed gunpowder, musket balls, cannon balls, artillery, rockets, fighter planes, nuclear bombs and inter continental delivery systems, they even took war into space and came so close to destroying the world that supports us all. How those children will laugh at their forebears’ stupidity.

To make this vision a reality I want to employ the marketing techniques that have made the Coca Cola and McDonalds logos and others like them, recognisable around the globe. I want to harness the power of marketing and ally it to people’s love of peaceful pursuits, to make the open proclamation of pacifism the norm rather than the exception in every country, to create the culture shift that will educate and inform future generations, prevent leaders from undertaking ego or greed driven acts of violence and make weapons a thing for the history books.

Let us accept the borders we were born with, but open the world up to freedom to travel, equal opportunities and free speech. Let people pursue their own religions or none as they see fit. There is no reason to kill.

The World Peace Foundation will have its own logo which will be seen on t-shirts, ties, lapel badges and all manner of clothing, casual and formal, it can be worn discreetly on the office suit, or tie, or proclaimed loudly on the most extrovert outfit. Yet The World Peace Foundation is an umbrella organisation. Its website will link to a thousand others, starting with Dancers For Peace and including, Motorcyclists For Peace, Skiers For Peace, Divers For Peace, Parachutists For Peace, Chess Players For Peace, Ten Pin Bowlers For Peace, Anglers For Peace, Athletes For Peace, Musicians For Peace, Book Clubs For Peace, Drama Clubs For Peace and so it goes on and on.

And if future demonstrations are called for, can you imagine the impact of a thousand banners, from a thousand ‘For Peace’ organisations representing a thousand peaceful pursuits, everyone’s against it will be the unmistakable message, everyone!

The World Peace Foundation will aim to launch many such organisations itself, starting with the highly visual Dancers For Peace and Dance For Peace Day, but will happily embrace those organisations started by other people who understand the concept and also want to embrace it. To make it a reality. Before long, dance outfits, ski suits, motorcycle leathers, waterproofs for a whole variety of sports, even the sails of yachts and dinghies and a million different T-shirts will proclaim the love of peace, in every corner of the globe, to change the face of the globe forever.

WHAT IS NEEDED

One can’t have the effect of a Coca Cola or a McDonalds, without the kind of budgets employed by those kinds of corporations. Indeed the World Peace Foundation must become a multi national corporation itself. Just to start the snowball rolling we need staff, offices, design, advertising, computers, warehousing,  clothing and other stock, distribution, legal, accounting and human resources. We need qualified, multi lingual representatives to go and recruit volunteers in every country of the world, we need information technology specialists and much more.

Currently I am travelling the world on a small boat and writing a book or two. I thought about producing a few Dancers For Peace T shirts and selling them as I go to try and start something happening, but that would be just to play at it and would change nothing. If I can obtain the big money backing needed to create the kind of organisation spoken of above, I will give up my travels and devote the rest of my active years to this cause. I will happily sit down and discuss, costs, staffing levels and all other aspects with any serious backer.

Malcolm Snook

DANCERS FOR PEACE


I love to dance. For me dancing expresses the joy of life. Dancing brings people together. Dancing makes people happy. Many dances encourage people to hold one another, make contact, physically and emotionally. Share.

It’s hard, if not impossible to think of war or violence when you dance. Dancing makes you think about joy and love.

I particularly like to dance to swing music, Lindy Hop, Balboa and Shag are the dances I love, but I enjoy Rock and Roll too and I’ve tried Salsa, and ballroom dances like Tango, Fox Trot and Cha Cha Cha.

At school we did Country dancing, Scottish dancing, Morris dancing and I’ve even tried a traditional London dance called ‘Doing The Lambeth Walk’.

They’re all fun. Frankly if everybody danced nobody would go to war. The only logical argument against pacifism and disarmament is that it requires all countries in the world to do likewise. If you live in fear of your neighbour, you feel the need for some protection.

I dream of a mature, grown up world where no country is prepared to go to war. A world where every country cares about its neighbour’s well being, its neighbour’s economy, standard of living, health and safety as much as its own. And caring for our planet goes hand in hand with that.

For such a world to exist all people need to love their neighbour, despite religious or cultural differences.

Yesterday I had the idea for the concept ‘Dancers For Peace’. Today I am compelled to do something about it, to take action instead of just dreaming, on hearing the news that three school girls, on the way to school in Indonesia were beheaded, by a group of young men, on account of religious differences. They hadn’t even finished growing up and forming their beliefs about God, religion or nature.

Peace goes hand in hand with truth and reconciliation, three cheers for South Africa. We need to accept that others have their own way to God. That many people don’t believe in God and that is their right, debate the meaning of life, ways to find God, discuss whatever you wish with your neighbour, out of love, don’t kill him because he doesn’t agree. Whether life is a gift from God or an accident of nature, either way it is a tremendous gift. Dancing brings this truth home to people. If enough people danced, in every country in the world, if the majority in every nation danced and knew the joy and human contact, sharing and interaction it brings, if they openly declared and displayed their belief that war is wrong, then what politician or leader, religious or secular, would dare espouse war. Better still lets get the politicians dancing!

The idea behind Dancers For Peace is to take these thoughts out to the world and encourage millions more people to dance and to declare openly their opposition to conflict, their love for their neighbour. It doesn’t matter what the dance is. I would like to promote dances that bring people together, make contact, but in some countries there may be cultural or religious reasons not to, that’s fine, people can still dance and maybe we’ll help to keep some traditional dances from dying out.

To start things off, my friends and I have designed a Dancers For Peace T shirt and enclosed with every T shirt is this little leaflet explaining what it’s all about. Wear your T shirt until it’s worn out, when it is buy a new one, better still buy two, so you can wear your Dancers For Peace T shirt even when it’s in the wash!

Don’t just wear it to go dancing, although that helps too. Wear it to work, to the cinema, to parties, walking the dog and whenever someone asks you what it’s about you can tell them, or give them a leaflet, or keep a stock of T shirts and sell them one too. Then invite them to go dancing with you and don’t take no for an answer. At the dance or lesson, help them, introduce them around, demonstrate the fun to be had.



All the money from T shirt sales will get ploughed back to print more T shirts and leaflets, until we have enough money to launch Dance For Peace Day.

On Dance For Peace Day it’s hoped that dancers of all kinds, millions and millions of them will hold events in cities, towns and villages all over the world, ideally, in every country in the world, yes every country. It’s a high target. These events should be in public wherever possible, free lessons, free shows. Get on your local television channel if you can. Take the Dancers For Peace message out to more and more new people every year. When more than fifty percent of the population in every country, province, town and state in the world dance frequently, there just might be a world without war. A world of joy, friendship and love.

We may inspire others with other interests to form their own peace movements too, who knows, Athletes For Peace, Footballers for Peace, Skiers for Peace, Sailors for Peace, Motorcyclists for Peace, Chess Players For Peace, over generations we may help to change attitudes for ever.

In the words of veteran peace campaigner and musician Arlo Guthrie, they may call it a movement and friends that’s what it is.




Since writing this somewhat emotional piece I had the idea for a World Peace Foundation. The germ of which idea appears in the last but one paragraph above. It’s probably unrealistic to get the whole world to dance for peace, but it’s not unrealistic to attach the peace message to other peaceful pursuits and hobbies so that everyone can join in. Dancers For Peace though, is still, to my mind, a wonderful idea and a great starting point. A Dance For Peace Day, with at least one dance in every country of the world from North Korea and Iran to Greenland and South Africa is a tough but achievable goal and a terribly powerful media opportunity.

Please read this in conjunction with World Peace Foundation.

Malcolm Snook

Tragedy In The Foro Romano

As a non Roman, non Italian even, some may think I’ve got a cheek commenting. As a European citizen and a lover of Rome and Italy I don’t give a damn about that. And in fact my rant is for the benefit of Romans and Italians too and touches on wider issues, such as the bureaucrats who control all the world’s great cities.

Those who know me will know I’m no great fan of bureaucrats or politicians, and this kind of thing doesn’t help! My title could more appropriately be ‘The Tragedy Of The Forum Of Rome’ , for despite the ides of March being not long gone, nobody has been murdered in the forum. Nor indeed was the mighty Caesar, who met his end at a meeting of the Senate of Rome, held ironically in the Theatre of Pompey (his vanquished rival in the civil war) on the Campus Martius.

The Forum of Rome or Foro Romano was however the beating heart of classical Rome. For two and a half thousand years, this has been a public space, from the Kings, through the Republican and Imperial phases of Rome’s history, the forum was the commercial, legal, administrative, political and religious hub, of this the most powerful city in the classical world. Every great city had its forum, but if the forum was the heart of the city, then the forum in Rome was the heart of the known world.

Rome unified most of Europe, and a great deal more, from the Scottish borders in the North (although the Roman legions pushed a lot further north than Hadrian’s Wall), to North Africa and Egypt. This, a feat not nearly equalled since. At the height of empire, Rome’s great legal orators, such as Cicero, made their speeches here in the law courts, politicians spoke from the Rostra, decorated with the peaks of ships captured in the wars with Carthage, and all Roman life was here, from slaves to the rich, powerful and mighty. Shops were here and street vendors, savoury pasty sellers (yes Cornwall, read it and weep, pasties were sold in the Roman forum two thousand years ago). Everyone visited the forum.

Marius, Sulla, Sertorius, Pompey, Crassus, Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius, Nero, Caligula, Caracalla and any famous Roman you can think of walked through the Foro Romano. And until a few days ago, anyone could walk from the Arch of Constantine, he who legalised Christianity, up the Via Sacra to the Arch of Vespasian, the first Emperor from outside the original Imperial family, and on down into the forum itself. A mass of ruins now yet still evocative of the grandeur that was Rome. The casual stroller could continue through the ruined temples, courts, shops et al, to the Arch of Septimus Severus, the Tarpeian rock, from which the condemned were hurled to their deaths, and finally to the Capitoline Museum, the oldest museum in the world.

But, what is this, a metal gate at the entrance to the Via Sacra, a crude ‘Exit Only’ sign. This week is ‘Culture Week’ in Rome and major attractions such as the Palatine Hill, home of the Imperial Palace, and the Colloseum, known to all I imagine, are free, as are the baths of Caracalla and other attractions. However, from April 1st, affectionately known as April Fools Day in the United Kingdom, it’s back to business as usual. With one enormous change, you can’t get into the Forum, by any route, without paying. Nor can you buy a ticket for the forum alone, oh no, you have to buy a combined ticket for Forum, Colloseum and Palatine.

So, lets consider the implications of that. Of course I realise that sites of archaeological importance require upkeep. Thousands of people tramping through create wear and tear, and sadly litter, and they need policing, again sadly, to prevent graffiti, vandalism and souvenir taking. And of course that costs money.

It also costs money to maintain a park for example, be it Hyde Park in London, Central Park in New York, or any other park. Grass needs to be cut, hedges trimmed, litter collected, sculptures, fountains and memorials protected. And that’s the parallel I want to draw with the Foro Romano. For two and a half thousand years, think about that for a moment if you will, what other city has had a public space like this for two and a half thousand years? Anyway, for two and a half thousand years this has been a place to wander freely and soak up the atmosphere, listen to the ghosts commune with the past.

Visit the Palatine and the Colloseum, the baths and the museums, once or several times, but a stroll in the forum is like a stroll in the park, on any or every Sunday, or any sunny day, for anyone, as it always was and always should be.

So lets go back to those other considerations. Why not charge the same for a ticket to the Colloseum and Palatine as to all three? You’ll get the same number of takers, will this new move drastically increase income for the City. I think not, what visitor to Rome does not visit the Colloseum, the Palatine or at least one of the great museums? Rome makes a fortune, honest and deserved, from it’s visitors from the world over, will closing off the forum encourage more?

So what of the wear and tear? Everyone buying a ticket for three attractions is likely to use it for all three. Time will tell what the outcome will be, slightly smaller numbers in the forum possibly, but maybe more punishment for the Palatine, it could happen. Staffing levels will probably have to be increased and the atmosphere will inevitably change, one way in, one way out and no rubbing shoulders with the locals, tourists only from Tuesday. The character of arguably the world’s oldest and most intriguing public place changed forever, unless Rome comes to its senses.

So who made this decision? I know not, a bureaucrat or a politician obviously. As a cynic I envisage a person anxious to make his or her mark, someone on an upward career path, someone sure of his or her importance, but not someone  caring about the welfare of the masses. So, if you agree, let the Commune Di Roma, the City officials, the tourist board, the politicians, anyone in authority know. If they think it’s good for their career they might reverse the decision, or IF they’re a caring politician, they might even see what’s been lost, well one can live in hope. Life is not so easy in Italy, the economy is not booming, the government is hamstrung and elections are going on, maybe Italians and Romans have too much on their minds to notice what’s been taken from them, and from all of us and that’s the real tragedy of the Foro Romano.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bigcrumbs.com/crumbs/landing.do?r=sailorsnook&s=15136"><img border="0" src="http://images.bigcrumbs.com/images/logo_save_earn128x79.gif"/></a>

 

Quote

Just trying this out

<a href="http://r.yuwie.com/sailorsnook"><img src="http://www.yuwie.com/images/banners/banner.gif" border="0"></a>

Please use my ID as referral 543198 Malcolm

Please use my ID as referral 543198 Malcolm

This e-mail sent to all my friends to day. If you would like to register an interest in the book please read and follow the instructions. Please take the time to read my World Peace Campaign ideas and Dancers For Peace

Thank You

Hi Everyone,

Please forgive the impersonal nature of one message to everyone. However, there's news and I want to get it out to you all as quickly as possible. When I was home in England I received a proof copy of my book from the publishers for checking. It was fantastic to see a printed copy! I marked up all the corrections and sent it back, but I don't know how long it will take before you can buy it.

Yesterday I looked at the publisher's website and out of curiosity did a search for my book to see if there was any news. It's listed on the website as COMING SOON. And there's a place you can click to express interest so that they will e-mail you as soon as it's available.

We all know about computers and it may just be an automated thing that no one checks, but it did occur to me that if they're getting lots of enquiries from potential buyers then that may not do any harm at all, and might even spur things along!

So, here's the thing. If you are interested in buying my book, please go to the website, details below and express an interest. Please only do this if you're likley to buy a copy since I don't want to create a false impression. For any of my friends who don't know, the book is called Of Land, Sea And Sky and it's about my life up until the time I started travelling as a boat gypsy. There may be a follow up!

The book's not just about me, it's about people that have inspired me as well and covers all sorts of topics, sailing, growing up (still trying), relationships (still trying), skydiving, car racing, motorcycle racing, running a business, dancing, vintage clothes and more. Hopefully you'll find something to interest you!

My idea for a new kind of world peace campaign is also there and it's an idea I'd like to get out to as many people as possible. I'd also like to find the financial backing to try and make it a reality, so if you believe in that goal any help is appreciated.

If you think any of the above topics would interest people, in your address book or on your friends list please, please copy it to them and likewise if this has been forwarded to you and you think you can forward it again please do. If you want to check out my peace campaign idea before you say anything to anyone, then go to:
www.sailorsnook.spaces. live.com or search for World Peace Organisation on Yahoo 360

If anyone buys my book I'm deeply grateful to you. If I sell enough books my peace campaign may become a reality.

If anyone amongst my friends wants to help sell a few copies then please e-mail me or talk to me.
e-mail sailorsnook@yahoo.co.uk   Skype malcolm.snook   cell phone +447956 323202 SMS texts are preferable due to the cost of receiving international calls.

Those of you with businesses, blogs or relevant club memberships and contacts may be able to sell a few and of course make something for yourselves in the process. I'll find out about trade terms for you or just order copies for myself and send them to you - whatever it takes.
I say club memberships because the book could be sold through sailing clubs, chandleries, skydiving clubs, the British Parachute Association and other national parachuting associations, car racing clubs, motorcycle racing clubs, dance clubs and organisations, as well as through retail outlets, motorcycle dealerships and similar businesses, blogs and internet businesses etc etc.

Some of you may live in far flung countries where you are the only friend I have in that corner of the world, if you want to try and do something in your market please let me know directly.

So finally, here is how you make your book purchase enquiry.

(1) go to      www.trafford.com

(2) click on search in the top right hand corner

(3) Go to bookstore search (left column of two) and either type M Snook in the author space, or Of Land, Sea And Sky in the title space
and you will then have the option to click on 'Email me when this book is available' and away you go!!

Many thanks in grateful anticipation, since I know quite a few of you have expressed genuine interest and not just those who want to take me to court!

Malcolm Snook