Glimpses Of An Ideal World...

 (image: google)

On 1 December 1948, after triumph in a civil war the president of Costa Rica, Jose Figueres Ferrer abolished the military. In a ceremony in the Cuartel Bellavista (previously army headquarters and now the National Museum) he broke a wall with a mallet to symbolise the end of the country's military spirit. 

Later in 1949 the abolition was included in Article 12 of the Constitution and the budget allocation previously dedicated to the military was added to the allocations for security, education and culture.  In 1986, President Oscar Arian Sanchez declared 1 December as the Día de la Abolición del Ejército (Military abolition day). 

Reading this gem reminded me that despite the horrors of injustice, war, poverty and hunger humanity is faced with there are still many reasons to be hopeful (although I must point out that somehow most of these reasons seem to lead back to South America and for this I think a field trip is in order , you know for closer inspection of the revolution and related activites *wink*). 

It also reminded of when Arundhati Roy said: “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."