Peace Light of Bethlehem

The Peace Light from Bethlehem is an action that was created in 1986 by the Upper Austrian Regional Studio, the ORF into life. It is a fundraiser with the light to be divided as a special character. Meanwhile, the ORF Peace Light from Bethlehem in more than 30 European countries has become a new Christmas tradition.

History

As part of the light into the darkness submitted by the artist Ada Brandstetter the idea of ​​a light as a symbol of peace to be distributed to the supporters of the action. The light is lit in the festive season of a child in the birth grotto of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem and brought by air in an explosion-proof lamp to Vienna. From there it is sent on his way to a press release service. Normally, the light is brought by a child from Upper Austria Bethlehem. Due to the circumstances of war in 2001, the Peace Light of children from Israel was brought to Austria.

1989 attacked the Vienna scout leader Herbert Grünwald on the idea and organized every year since the distribution of the Peace Light to foreign scouts delegations as part of an ecumenical celebration of lights in Vienna.

Since 1991, the Peace Light is brought to Eastern Europe, where it is called Bethlehem light. Slovak scouts pick up the light in Vienna and hand it over at the border crossing Lysa Polana in the Tatras to their Polish colleagues. After a service in Bukowina the light is redistributed in Poland and passed from there to the eastern neighboring countries, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.

Since becoming part of Austria to the European Union ( 1995), the Austrian MEP Paul Rübig has brought this tradition to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where he celebrates this event with many European citizens every year.

Increasingly, the Peace Light is also passed by the Upper Austrian children symbolically to politicians at home and abroad. So it was handed over to Jose Manuel Barroso, as well as to Heinz Fischer. Even the Pope Benedict XVI. it was presented. Situated but it was also in the Advent 2001 at Ground Zero New York.

In 2012 was due to the current Middle East conflict, the security situation so unfavorable that the pilgrimage that accompanies the collection of light, had to be canceled. Thus, the light through by a local Arab child, as already three times in previous years, brought to Tel Aviv from where it was brought by plane to Austria.

Implementation in individual countries

Austria

The Peace Light meets with one on the plane from Israel at Linz Airport. In a press release service on the day before the third Sunday of Advent, it is passed in Vienna in scout delegations from Europe. Within Austria, it is on December 24th in all ORF studios spread over many stations, Red Cross and Samaritan 's services, churches, fire departments by the Boy Scouts and the fire brigade youth.

Germany

In Germany, the action of the Scout associations League of Guides and Scouts, German Scout Association of Saint George, Girl Scouts shaft Saint George, Association of Christian Scouts and Guides Association and is organized and carried on German Altpfadfindergilden. The light is picked up by the railway from Vienna and then distributed in over 100 cities throughout Germany. In many cities held special prayers and worship on this occasion. Here, the distribution is often taken over by other, smaller Scout Unions which, although no official organizers, but contribute to the overall reputation of the action and the continuation of the idea. In addition to these central emission celebrations, which are often jointly organized by different groups, the Peace Light is often passed on to other established religions.

In addition, many groups bring the light of peace in social institutions. In addition to kindergartens and schools and hospitals and nursing homes are visited and placed on the peace with the light of peace and the people. With this desire for peace and the knowledge is connected, that those people are not forgotten in hospitals and nursing homes or can be. In some towns and cities to be visited before Christmas and thus representative of the desired city or municipal peace with the light of peace, the last committee meetings.

So the action was peace light in Germany in recent years, even under a certain theme that drew an audience or a special wish for peace in the center.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the registered, all year round active club Friedenslicht Switzerland with their patronage wearer Foundation Think of me - holidays and leisure for disabled persons, a Solidartiätsaktion of SRF, responsible for the distribution of light in the country since 1986. As a light of peace pioneers Vreni and Walter Stählin apply from Adlikon in Zurich. Each year, the Peace Light travels the last few miles with the extra ship ark to the ship dock Bürkliplatz in Zurich -City, in the lake basin at the gateway to Zurich's old town. A one and a half hour, contemplative celebration of music and words, organized by the Association Peace Light Switzerland, did the 200 present national peace light bases as well as the countless passers-by on the imminent arrival of the light from Bethlehem. At dusk the light of peace - fire sculpture is ignited by a disabled along with a prominent person first. After the Peace Light from hand-to- hand is further given and then travels in a star shape in all directions on. There, in the following days own peace light - events of various types are held. There is also a particularly active, own scout group called Peace Light Switzerland.

Italy

The Peace Light is passed each year by the Boy Scouts group Innsbruck X PTA to the South Tyrolean Scout at 23:12 in the Parish Church on the burner and disseminated from there.

France

Since 2003, the Peace Light is made every year by the Scouts et Guides de France and Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs Unionistes de France after Paris and distributed from there throughout France.

Poland

In Poland, the Peace Light was adopted in Vienna to the EU accession of the Polish Scouting Association ( ZHP ). Since the accession of each of the delegations of Slovakia and Poland take turns on the light. If the Slovaks pick up the light, they bring it to the Slovak-Polish border at Lysa Polana.

Slovakia

Slovakia also participates in the Light of Peace Action. Scouts take over in Vienna, the light and distribute it in the country. Also in the observatory on the top Lomnitzer the peace lamp is lit since 2003.

Canada

First was launched in 2009 by Austrian and Canadian Scouts together the light to Ottawa, where it was distributed across Canada.