Olives
Olives are native to Mediterranean region, but are also grown in various other parts of the world. This slow growing plant, does not need much of water to grow. Its oil, as well as fruit have many reported health benefits from preventing diabetes, cancers, obesity and heart diseases. Two olive branches are also a part of many health-related logos, including that of World health organization.
Interestingly, World Health Organization website describes the meaning of staff and the snake on its logo, but leaves out a reference to the two olive branches. In fact these are derived from the United Nations, as a symbol of peace. In the post second-world war era, peace and health just became inseparable.
Olive branch is a Greek symbol of peace. Greeks believed that these represented plenty and drove away evil spirits. These were adapted by the Romans, and also by later Christian kingdoms in their peace symbols. The phrase “Offering of an olive branch” means reconciliation and peace. A white dove, carrying an olive branch was a later addition to peace symbolism.
White Doves
White dove has its origin in Hebrew Bible and old testament. When world is flooded, and there is water everywhere, a white dove appears. She carries an olive branch to imply that land is not far. This is a signal, that flood waters would now recede, and they do. While this is a popular explanation for the dove with an olive branch, dove alone has existed even longer. Ancient Babylonians, Greeks, Mayas, Aztec and Incas have all had doves in their artwork. Doves imply love and peace.
Together, a symbol of peace
White Dove was resurrected in the post second world war times, by Pablo Picasso. In 1949 he created an artwork “Dove of Peace”. This simple artwork was profound. A white dove was the future, and a black background was all the horrors of the second world war. It was displayed as a backdrop of the international peace conference the same year. It readily became a symbol of various peace organizations.
White Dove and Olympics
In 1920, white doves were released during Olympic opening ceremony at Antwerp in Netherlands. Due to the first world war, 1916 Olympics were cancelled. Symbolically the doves were released by soldiers, implying peace after years of war. This tradition continued till 1988. During inauguration of the Seoul Olympics, trained doves did not fly out as expected, and a few of the 2400 odd doves sat on the giant cauldron, where the flame was to be lit. A couple of them were believed to be singed by the flame, leading to discontinuation of dove release during Olympics.
International Year of Peace
Only two years ago, in 1986 doves and olive branches were all over the postage stamps. It was international year of peace, and the backdrop of this year long celebration was apt. United Nations had completed 40 years of its existence, and a post second world war generation now populated the world.
While idea of 1986 as the international year of peace was conceived in the year 1981, next five years were important for world peace. The year 1986 was also important for world peace in other ways.
End of the cold war
Cold war was coming to an end, and Soviet Union and United States started mutual discussions. Soviet President Gorbachev not only initiated talks, but also disarmament and economic reforms.
In coming five years, the nuclear threat had receded. Soviet Union dissolved itself in the year 1991 and by the year 1995, nuclear non-proliferation treaty was extended indefinitely. Cold war had officially ended.
Doves live on
Dove and the olive branch became visible symbols of peace. These have been pictured in postage stamps ever since.
International day of Peace
In 1981, General Assembly of the United Nations had decided to observe the annual opening day of UN General Assembly (usually a second / third Tuesday in September) as International Day of peace. In 2001 this date was 11th September, the date of the 9/11 twin tower terrorist attack. From the next year, the date was fixed as 21st September every year.
We need olive branches and doves, more than ever. Silent doves and slow growing olives may not themselves be vocal, but what they stand for must be loud and clear.