World Flag
Encyclopedia
The World Flag was created to raise awareness and funding for non-profit organizations working in the areas of Education, World Health, Human Rights and the Environment. It serves as a unifying symbol inspiring positive global change while embracing and celebrating cultural diversity.

Created in 1988 by Paul Carroll, the World Flag is a global image meant to resonate with the people of the world. The design of the World Flag has in the center an image of the world surrounded by 216 flags. They include every national flag, the flag of the United Nations
Flag of the United Nations
The flag of the United Nations was adopted on October 20, 1947, and consists of the official emblem of the United Nations in white on a blue background. The emblem's design is described as:...

 and some flags of territories
Flags of dependent territories
This overview contains the flags of dependent territories and other areas of special sovereignty.-Australia:-Chile:-China:-Denmark:-Finland:-France:...

 dependent in one way or other on larger countries. Because of their inherent symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...

ic, nationalistic, and subconscious power, individual flags offered inherent possibilities for Carroll’s vision. He wrote, “Moving individual flags into the global realm—transcending borders, race, and religions—creates unique impact from micro to macro and back.” He anticipated a quote from the New Scientist
New Scientist
New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...

, 5 December 2007: “The power of symbols to both inspire and unite people finds it’s most relevant and meaningful perfection in the national flags and banners of the world.”

Design & Symbolism

The distribution of the flags within the design is not random.
  • In the center is the Earth with a white background symbolizing peace and purity while the green represents nature.
  • The white of Japan
    Japan
    Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

     draws the eye downward creating the image of a flagpole. This then becomes a Flag within the World Flag and also symbolizes a “P” for peace.
  • The fulcrum of Saint Lucia
    Saint Lucia
    Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...

    , whose triangle reaches toward the sky, symbolizes the fragile environmental balance of the Earth and its nations.
  • Japan (left) is one of the wealthier nations and Bangladesh
    Bangladesh
    Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

     one of the poorest.
  • The United Nations
    United Nations
    The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

     in the center symbolizes unity.
  • Just above Earth’s center the three sun signs within the flags of Argentina
    Argentina
    Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

    , Antigua & Barbuda, and Uruguay
    Uruguay
    Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

     (left to right) symbolize the rays of light and hope shining into the flag of Tibet
    Tibet
    Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

     above. These four flags collectively represent the life-giving power of the sun both lighting the Earth and shining upward into the flag of Afghanistan
    Afghanistan
    Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

    , flanked on the left by Lesotho
    Lesotho
    Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...

     and on the right by Kenya
    Kenya
    Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

    . Within those flags are symbols of hope, peace, and freedom challenging the internal conflict(s) faced by Afghanistan
    Afghanistan
    Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

     today. The underlying meaning here exists within the tribal history of these nations.
  • Although not encompassing all the world’s religions, the next three flags above, Vatican City
    Vatican City
    Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...

    , Saudi Arabia
    Saudi Arabia
    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

    , and Israel
    Israel
    The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

     (left to right), are a symbolic challenge to transcend the politics of religion and find a common spiritual ground.
  • Above these the olive branches of Cyprus
    Cyprus
    Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

     symbolize peace and hope.
  • At the top, the tree of Norfolk Island
    Norfolk Island
    Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...

    ’s roots reach into the white of Cyprus representing peace as the soil from which new life may grow.
  • Above the United States
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

     flag is Ireland
    Ireland
    Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

     and below is Italy
    Italy
    Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

    , representing the designer’s multicultural heritage.
  • To the left of the U.S. is China
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

    , symbolizing the opposing tensions of economic and military power in the world.
  • Opposing each other across the Earth, the U.S. and Russia
    Russia
    Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

     symbolize the challenge of opposing powers whose collective actions can have major impact on the planet as a whole.
  • To the right of Russia is Swaziland
    Swaziland
    Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...

    , whose blue band represents peace and stability representing Russia’s movement toward freedom and democracy
    Democracy
    Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

    .
  • Below Russia is Barbados
    Barbados
    Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...

    , whose trident is used here to symbolize Russia’s emergence from the depths of communism
    Communism
    Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...

     toward a more democratic system of government.
  • Above Russia is Nicaragua
    Nicaragua
    Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...

    , whose blue and white pattern works visually to tie in with the blue and white of Russia.
  • The four corners of the earth are represented by Sweden
    Sweden
    Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

     on the top left, Nepal on the top right, Tuvalu
    Tuvalu
    Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...

     the bottom left, and Malaysia on the bottom right. Each country is in a relative opposite location of the planet from each other.

History

In 1988, Paul Carroll was biking on a road near New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...

, when he was struck by a cargo van and incapacitated. With only partial use of his limbs, Carroll passed hours of bed rest in contemplation. Carroll emerged from his rehabilitation with one goal: to create a symbol of world unity and cooperation that was universally recognizable and comprehensible. The World Flag Project was initiated to promote multi-cultural understanding with a focus on geography and common world issues through the global exposure of the World Flag.

Working on the floor with a set of 4” x 6” UN flags
Flag of the United Nations
The flag of the United Nations was adopted on October 20, 1947, and consists of the official emblem of the United Nations in white on a blue background. The emblem's design is described as:...

, Paul spent his days configuring and reconfiguring different designs for the original World Flag. His goal was a flag whose design and underlying symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...

ism could not only be interpreted globally, but also be produced and manufactured, the first World Flag that would fly around the globe. He set out to create a global symbol that would change and evolve as the world changed and evolved. He wanted the World Flag to grow organically, creating historical documents in time.

His 1988 design represented the 159 members of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

, plus the UN flag
Flag of the United Nations
The flag of the United Nations was adopted on October 20, 1947, and consists of the official emblem of the United Nations in white on a blue background. The emblem's design is described as:...

. In order to create a 13 x 13 “flag” rectangle, Carroll eliminated a 3 x 3 area in the center. Placing Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society....

’s sky-ocean (Dymaxion
Dymaxion
The word Dymaxion is a brand name that Buckminster Fuller used for several of his inventions. It is a portmanteau of the words dynamic, maximum, and ion....

) map made this space the core around which the design would grow. Major global concerns—the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

, Apartheid, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

, and other political and social issues—all had an impact on the design.

Flying the Flag

In 1988 Carroll’s parents introduced the World Flag to delegates from the Society of Prayer for World Peace based in Tokyo, Japan. Impressed by the flag’s impact, they invited Carroll to participate in an upcoming event, the United Nations Prayer for World Peace in December 1989. This became the first public unveiling of the World Flag. The event was attended by Dr. Noel Brown, Director of the UN’s Environmental Program and Friends of the UN. The exposure and recognition from this event led the governor of New Jersey to appoint Carroll as Hoboken’s United Nation’s Representative.

After attending the U.N. event with Carroll, Don “Poz” Pozarycki decided to join the effort to fly the World Flag. The founders soon discovered that the flag world and its manufacturing capabilities were not up to the task. Creating a “real” World Flag proved to be both impossible and cost prohibitive. Countless hours spent with local, national, and Canadian firms, including Annin Flag Company, convinced the partners that they needed to look outside the flag industry. Carroll created the original flag, using silk on canvas, and the second flag, using paper on canvas, a process that was incredibly labor intensive and created, in essence, pieces of original art. Since producing real flags was not an option, the founders looked to the fashion and billboard industries.

It was then that the organization found a billboard company based in California that was able to produce large banners for both indoor and outdoor use. Employing a roller dot process with low-resolution imagery, the banners were made specifically for outdoor events. The organization commissioned two banners, one measuring 30 by 50 feet and another measuring 13 by 18 feet.

Working with the 20th Anniversary Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...

 Committee in 1990, Paul was able to secure potential locations in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...

 and at the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...

 to hang the World Flag. After months of negotiating, some at Port Authority
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...

 felt that the image was too political. It took many weeks for Mr. Carroll, with the backing of the Earth Day Committee, to convince the Port Authority that the World Flag was meant to transcend politics. Finally, Tower One was chosen as the location to hang the banner. The organization faced a final hurdle in labor costs. It was then that Paul’s father, James Carroll, a long-time Union Steamfitter with Local 638 in New York City, convinced all unions involved to donate their services to fly the World Flag banner from the World Trade Center.

The day the World Flag was unveiled began sunny and very windy. The plaza between the towers, a natural wind tunnel, only added to the intensity. A small but impressive contingent of press was on site to record the moment. Despite the wind gusts the union men were able to hoist the World Flag well over 100 feet into the air. At last The Flag was displayed, creating an amazing visual image for all that passed by. Eighteen minutes later, a severe gust of wind howled through the courtyard, tearing the huge banner diagonally. Just minutes before the press conference was to begin, the World Flag came tumbling down.

Fortunately the smaller banner was scheduled for display at the Earth Day concert in Central Park, only days later. Here, hanging from the MTV press tower, it was seen by close to one million people.

At this point, Paul’s brother John Carroll and childhood friend Poz Pozarycki took to the road promoting the World Flag at various venues. John and Poz built a freestanding structure to hang the World Flag banner at each event. Over the next two years they attended international festivals, environmental awareness gatherings, concerts, street fairs, school assemblies, and many other events, sharing the vision with thousands of people around the United States.

Evolving the Flag

The next evolution of the World Flag’s design took place in 1992. With the Cold War ending, the fall of Yugoslavia, apartheid in South Africa, and the continuing trend toward a more connected global economy, it became evident that the new design should encompass the entire world, beyond the initial United Nations members. This brought the next incarnation of the image to some 216 flags. Carroll also changed the depiction of Earth to a more recognizable view from space. A major public unveiling of this flag was at the Alliance for Environmental Education conference in Washington, DC. Shortly after this event the World Flag Project took a hiatus until real flags could be manufactured.

In 2006 The World Flag Project founders reunited in Portland, Oregon and finalized an updated design. They researched the possibility of finally creating a real flag. Working closely with Annin & Company, using the latest advanced digital printing process they finally produced flags in February 2007. Technology had finally caught up with the vision of the World Flag.

Working with a local web design team, John Carroll has spearheaded the first concepts for a World Flag web site. Its initial thrust is to use the World Flag as an educational tool to learn about geography, languages, environmental treaties, and regional relations. The project will soon create a living text available to people around the world, enabling them to upload their unique daily rituals in real time.
The flag of South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...

is not on the World Flag yet.

The World Flag Today

The Project hopes to see the World Flag fly in every country around the world. In 2008 the flag has already visited elementary schools in Washington, DC; Kelly, Wyoming; Portland, Oregon; Pixvae, Panama; and Caye Caulker, Belize.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK