Centennial Parallels: A Note From Our Editors

The 1900s were in no way similar to the world we wake up to, in the morning. The bustling streets, argumentative politics, social causes and artistic architecture have adapted the way we live our lives, and the way the world around us functions. This year, we welcome the 2020s, after a century since the 1920s. As we sat down to discuss our January theme, we fell into our usual discussion of current affairs, and were astonished asto how much our world has changed. Obviously, today's society is vastly different to the one 100 years ago, but as we fell into the nooks and crannies, we realised the massive extent to which this difference exists. As we welcome the New Year with hopes and expectations, the Monthly team decided to reflect upon major changes that have occurred in the past century. Centennial Parallels as we call it, show just how much society has changed and grown along with the advancements in all areas such as technology, traditions and empowerment.The Monthly team embraces this change with open arms as we focus our issue on the parallels of our modern world.

The past 100 years saw a monumental change in politics. The world was able to notice two Communist movements in the largely populated countries of Russia and China. In 1917 the workers of Russia stormed on the Provisional government led by Vladimir Lenin as they installed a Communist government that led to its eventual demise with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991. In China, the Communist Party had a vigorous tête-à-tête with the Nationalist Party which commenced with a civil war and ended with the People’s Republic of China, a communist state. These serve as exemplars of the modern world seeking better opportunities, standards, and lives. Communism remains controversial in a world where centrism thrives, but the ideology behind it remains utopian and persistent in the hearts of many. The fight for equality for those with lesser means, and to pay labor the value of the product they produce are without doubt the core of these revolutions. Despite these revolutionary governments failing, they reflect upon the key change in the multipolar world of today: worker rights. As we end this century, we can notice monumental differences such as global boycotts occurring in 1965 with grape businesses, and a more recent boycott of Amazon Prime Day. Workplace egalitarianism does not only take place in conversations for better working conditions, but also in the growth of women in the workplace and an attempt to reduce the grave pay gap between men and women. This is a centennial parallel to the dark shadow of the past century riddled with slavery and fedualism. This is a centennial parallel that has revolutionised the thinking of the world today, thinking that we can only hope progresses into the new century.

The destruction and devastation which followed World War One ironically welcomed the League of Nations, a symbol of peace and prosperities - often seen as the blueprint for its descendant the United nations. The LON’s main principle as the first intergovernmental organisation was the maintenance of global peace. The aftermath of this such as the Treaty of Versaille and the LON’s interference in global affairs echoes the memorandum of peace the organisation stood upon. The centennial parallels drawn from this such as the part LON played in the Geneva protocol and the Mandates commission is the United Nations which still stands today. The UN came to being in 1945 following the devastation of the Second World War, with one central mission that the LON failed to uphold: the maintenance of international peace and security, like its former organization. The organization works to prevent conflict; helping parties in conflict make peace; peacekeeping; and creating the conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish. These activities often overlap and should reinforce one another, to be effective. The UN Security Council has the primary responsibility for international peace and security. The implementation of such an organisation in the 20’s has shaped the way our world works paving the way to us now in 2020.

The past century was peppered not only with political and societal shifts but also led to the metamorphism of art and culture from traditional conservatism to the pinnacle of innovation. Architectural feats such as the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center are examples of the prominent Art Deco style that was formulated in the 1920s. Art Deco embraced fashionable modernism and could be considered the embodiment of the time period where the rise of industry had consequently led to a mass increase in wealth. Moreover, the 20s is considered the period where the film industry truly blossomed and paved the trajectory for the Golden Age of Hollywood. By the mid-20s film had experienced exponential growth and had ballooned into a 2 billion dollar industry. The Roaring Twenties was also a magnificent turn in fashion for women as menswear was adopted by fashion designers such as Coco Chanel, and corsets were abandoned for shapeless dresses that revealed more than just the ankles. Liberation for women was the focus of the 20s and was reflected in the total disregard of traditional norms when fashionable women opted for boyish flapper hairstyles.The Centennial Parallels can be drawn as 2020 exposed the true power of the internet and the ability of the world to adapt rapidly when faced with change.

As we welcome the 2020s, we welcome change in all avenues of our globalised world. As the world revolutionises politically, inter-governmentally, socially and artistically, we are here to document it all. The Monthly is beyond excited to come back in the New Year with our monthly publication containing interesting articles and up to date information. We continue to bring you high quality, student composed journalism. The editorial team hopes you find this issue as invigorating as we have, and continue to follow us on our journey bringing you the voice of the community, and the words of the students.

Much Love, Editors-in-Chief Kaviesh Kinger, Leenah Asim, Anoushka Subin