Perpetual Peace (Excerpts)

Tipram Poivre

Description

The title of the tale irresistibly conjures up Immanuel Kant’s “Perpetual Peace”, a short essay published in 1785, yet strikingly modern, in which the Prussian philosopher explains his vision on what needs to be done in order to secure long-lasting peace.
Head of states sincerely committed to their fellow compatriots’ well-being ought to seek their inspiration in the principles advocated in this relatively unknown book.
The tale is written in a style that claims to be understandable while steering clear from “baby language”. However, some words may not belong to the vocabulary of the youngest ones and may require the use of a dictionary or the help of older siblings/friends.
It is definitely an entertaining book which gives much food for thought for children and grown-ups alike, an intelligent gift at a most affordable cost.
Book One describes the ideal life enjoyed by the inhabitants of the island of Citadel under the governance of a wise Queen who had banned violence from her kingdom. The tone is set right from the first paragraphs of the Prologue, which claims that kings suffer from the illnesses of their people more than from their own illnesses. Anyone familiar with Asia knows that this was the famous motto of equally famous King Jayavarman VII.
The book is available on Amazon.

Sujets

• Future Generations
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• Sustainability
• UNESCO
• United Nations
• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Tolérance
• Nonviolence
• Culture of peace
• Immanuel Kant

Informations

• Publié par: Tipram
• Publié le: 25 février 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 75
• Langue: English

Extrait

TIPRAM POIVRE

PERPETUAL PEACE A Utopian Tale for Sapient Children

SYLLABAIRE ÉDITIONS

TIPRAM POIVRE

PERPETUAL PEACE A Utopian Tale for Sapient Children in Three Books

*~*~*~*~* BOOK ONE Harmony and Solidarity *~*~*~*~*

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue–The Island of Citadel

Chapter 1–Tur

Chapter 2–General mobilisation

Chapter 3–Reaching out

Chapter 4–The rescue

Chapter 5–Chette

Chapter 6–The temple of Peace

Chapter 7–The oath

Chapter 8–The feast The author Copyrights

PROLOGUE

th Once upon a time, at the onset of the 4 millennium, there was a fabulous island where misery did not exist, where everyone, men, women, and children, lived in great harmony, united in the fostering of perpetual peace. Citadel, thus was the name of the island, was ruled by Queen Sombor, a lady of infinite generosity and fairness. The day after her coronation, she issued three decrees. The first one forbade all forms of violence. The second one created the Perpetual Peace School, and the third one inscribed respect for nature as a national priority. She chose as her motto the philosophy of an ancient Asian sovereign who believed that kings suffer from the illnesses of their people more than from their own illnesses, because the happiness of their people made the happiness of kings. To her eyes, the public good was of utmost importance, and she stood up for it with unwavering determination and unlimited dedication. Actually, she found deep

personal fulfilment in all the positive energies her fellow citizens extended to her. Life was pleasant in Citadel. Its air was divinely pure, and its water was as clear as crystal. Fire had been harnessed for the comfort of the inhabitants, and fertile soils yielded the most fragrant flowers and the most delectable fruits. For when man loves

and protects nature, nature keeps on lavishing extraordinary bounties on him.

This ideal lifestyle induced the strong to help the weak. The blind carried the paralytic, while the paralytic guided the blind. Likewise, parents took care of their children who later returned their affection to their old folks.

In Citadel, intelligence of both heart and reason blended perfectly well, and it did not take long before its excellent repute spread throughout the world. People from neighbouring countries, then those from faraway lands decided to plead allegiance to

the queen of Citadel. At the moment when our story starts, it was not exaggerated to say that the sun never set on Sombor’s kingdom. However, happiness and prosperity often arouse all sorts of greed. Peace is a fragile state which requires continual care, and the clear-sighted queen was well aware of the potential dangers. This was the reason why, with the support of all the

Citadelians, she devised an efficient strategy to disarm the enemies of peace.

Let’s visit this fabulous country.

*~*~*

CHAPTER 1–TUR

Tur was a healthy-looking adolescent approaching his thirteenth birthday. That morning, like every morning, he had laid his mat on the lawn and was doing gymnastics. He suddenly interrupted his exercise. Birds had stopped singing, tree

leaves were immobile, and greyish trails had appeared on the blue sky.

Tur’s head went buzzing, and he felt so dizzy that he held his temples with both

hands. Above his right ear, a tuft of hair turned violet and stiff, and started to revolve

like a radar, one way then the other. His entire hair became electrified and threw a series of crackling sparkles before falling back into place. With a swift movement of his shoulder, the young boy brought up a microphone

from his collar. —This is Tur speaking. Calling for an emergency. —Good morning, Tur. Chalilo speaking, on duty at the central tower. What

can I do for you? —Good morning, Chalilo. I have just sensed perturbations coming from the North. Could you please check on the Net? —Will do! After a short while, Chalilo was back.

—You are right, Tur. There is a huge black mushroom beyond the Big Abyss. Rallying at Headquarters... I have sounded the alarm and activated the Chime of Peace.

Indeed, Tur could hear tinkling sounds spreading throughout the island. Scattered

by a helping breeze, clusters of musical notes drummed up solidarity. Tur rushed back home, a strange roundish construction on stilts in the middle of a hilly meadow. The roof was covered with a special slate which rotated to follow the

sun’s movements and stored its energy. All Citadelians lived in this kind of house, which they called their hut.

The butler-robot who was waiting on the veranda did not frown when its master

rushed in like an arrow and ran up the stairs two steps at a time.

He stepped into the shower booth with his clothes on. Automatic arms coming out of nowhere turned the faucets on, adjusted the temperature of the water, vigorously soaped Tur and rinsed him with a lotion of lime dew. A big shawl made of the softest

goose down drew him under a shaft of warm air. When he was completely dry, he,

but also his shoes and his clothes, the panels of the shower booth slid open. Expert

hands gloved with pure cotton passed a white tunic and dark blue trousers on him,

while a sapphire ring jumped out of a jewel case to slip onto his right little finger.

Tur ran to the garage. He hit the soil three times with the tip of his toes to open the door. He took the driver’s seat of his turbomount, a fibreglass basket laid on a

pair of metallic slippers. ‘Contact!’ he ordered. As soon as a faint click indicated that

the doors were locked, he found himself fastened by a seatbelt. ‘Fly!’ he added. A

flag, representing a bunch of blue feathers on a white background, appeared at the front of the turbomount, which took off in a silent glide.

*~*~*

CHAPTER 2–GENERAL MOBILISATION

The turbomount landed a few moments later in a square courtyard where identical vehicles were parked. Tur ran to a door hidden in the rocks, passed his face under a red ray of light and, when urged by beep signals, showed the bezel of his ring. The

light turned into a purple beam, and cylindrical walls fell around him. When the walls disappeared, Tur found himself at the doorstep of a large room dug in the rock, and went in. On the ceiling, there were the same blue and white

flags. A map of the world, on which orange and green triangles were pinned, covered a whole wall. About twenty people seated at tables arranged in a semi-circle were listening to a silver-haired man. They were dressed similarly to Tur, they wore the

same sapphire ring, and their face showed the same expression of gravity. Tur sat near a teenager whose hair was as fair and straight as his own was dark and frizzy. —morning again, Chalilo, Tur whispered. Have I missed anything Good important? —No, Tur, answered Chalilo with a large grin stretching on his angular face from one ear to the other. Logossage has just started his briefing.

Logossage was a man of medium build, with sharp features and a stentorian voice

which contrasted with his frail chest. — My friends, as you know, I have just spoken with Queen Sombor. The Twin Enemies had a fight again. Although we don’t have the details, the clash

of their armies was horrid. Explosions keep on occurring in series, and the fire

worsens. He raised an arm. Darkness fell on the room, and images popped up on a big transparent web which came down from the ceiling. It showed a maelstrom of opaque smoke, rumbles, and boiling mudslides. Tongues of fire pierced thick clouds

of black dust, swelled into monstrous carbuncles and sank into the chaos, before cropping up further down. At Logossage’s signal,the apocalypse visions faded away, and the lights came back. Clotte, an elegant young boy with light brown crew-cut hair, requested the floor, his

face pale with emotion.

—We are sending our brigades to put out the fires, aren’t we?

— No. To do that, we need the Twins Enemies’s authorization, Logossage answered regretfully. Sombor has sent them a message. But we fear that neither the brother, nor the sister, will respond. Remember, when they

waged war against each other over their diamond mines… —Yes, it’s true, said Clotte, his cheeks burning with indignation. They refused everything. Medical practitioners, medicines, food, everything we offered. This is unacceptable! Let’s rid the universe of these monsters who sacrifice their people to their thirst for power and wealth!

—No! We shall not resort to violence.

After a few seconds of silence, Logossage went on: —we know your compassion for the people of Cambamok, and we Clotte, share your feelings. We all have a relative or a friend whom we love and who is suffering over there. Nevertheless, we must remain level-headed, we who enjoy the privilege of living in our magnificent Citadel. And we must respect

the law that forbids violence. Our laws are the just and reasonable source of

our strength and our prosperity. They are the guardians of the legacy that we will bequeath to our children and our grand-children. — What about the children of Cambamok. What inheritance have they got,

except wars and misery? Clotte roared.

Logossage ignored the invective and answered calmly:

—Forgetting our laws, may it be only once, means that we will fall into the same state of barbarism as the Twins Enemies and that we will give up everything we cherish most: freedom, peace, and civilisation. No, Clotte!

Today more than ever, wemust renounce the use of violence… precisely

because violence is raging at our doors!

—Excuse-me, Logossage, said Clotte with a hangdog expression on his face.

You are right, but it is so painful that we cannot take action.

—do take action, but we do so in accordance with our logic of peace. We Listen, this is what Queen Sombor has decided. Right now, we are not directly threatened by the fire, but the winds might bring miasmas of

pollution. We must deploy the protection carapace. Do you want to take care

of it, Clotte? —It is an honour that I am proud to accept, Clotte answered in a voice that was almost normal.

Logossage carried on: —may need more electricity than we usually do. Mimza, would you We please monitor the wind farms, the noria network, the solar chimney, and the

hydroelectric dams?

Mimza was taking notes, her head bent over sheets of paper, three bright feathers

of egret in her white hair borne in a bun. She raised her almond-shaped brown eyes

and accepted with a nod. —Very well, Logossage said. We must also be prepared to rescue those who have managed to flee. Docte-Dame, tell the Red Feather and the hospitals.

A plump lady with a welcoming face agreed. Then, Logossage addressed Blitzaile,

a bald man with an athletic built. — Blitzaile, put all the geniuscarts at the disposal of Tur. He will be responsible for search operations.

And he turned to Tur: —You have already been exposed to solidarity campaigns. The time has come for you to put into practice what you have learnt... if you agree.

Tur did not hesitate one second and replied:

—Of course! And I will do my utmost in order to deserve your confidence, Logossage. If you don’t have any other instructions for me, I shall rush to form my teams and check our equipments.

*~*~*