The Tranquilo Traveler
The Tranquilo Traveler is a celebration of voluntourism, slow travel, and other interesting ways to see the world. Travel writer and award- winning Moon Handbooks author Joshua Berman created The Tranquilo Travel as a resource for world trippers and international volunteers, a window to the author’s travels in Nicaragua, Belize, and beyond, and an update of his books and articles.
More Swastika Peace Symbols
By Joshua | November 14th, 2005 | 
2 Comments » 
I’ve already explained the significance of the swastika in Buddhist and Hindu culture, and, during my four months in India, I’ve continued to see the symbol, dozens of times a day.
And still, it is a shocking and uncomfortable image for me, because of its violent history in the Western world. Makes one realize how deeply ingrained cultural associations with a simple symbol can be; makes one wonder what other images are sealed up with closed-off associations in one’s head.
And although I will never display a swastika in my U.S. home, I have come to accept the comfort it gives to the billions of people for whom it means nothing more than peace, shanti, and unity. I envy them that.
2 Responses to “More Swastika Peace Symbols”
Hi Joshua!
I noticed your comment about Planeta.com. Yes, a great site. Another one is the Ethical Traveler. If you haven’t visited, follow the link here:
http://www.ethicaltraveler.org/index.php?PHPSESSID=cbf4433d881650805b21ba308ab4e4c2
I met Jim Russell recently and made a connection with him because of working for the Forest Service, having been raised in central Mexico, and being invovled in presenting training and technical assistance for protected areas in Latin America. We met at a volunteer workshop last September and he told me that you’re in Nicaragua. I hope to travel there this winter if I can get three weeks in bestween workshops, and will look you up in case you’ve returned from overseas by then!
Michael Olwyler
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If you let terrorists like Hitler define how you look at the world, then you have lost. The symbol is sacred and madmen should not be allowed to change that history.