Last modified: 2022-02-05 by rob raeside
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image by Tomislav Todorovic, 20 January 2022
The version of the rainbow peace flag used in the Netherlands is "localized"
by use of Dutch word for peace - VREDE. Another feature, which makes it differ
from most of such flags used elsewhere, is that the inscription is strictly
centered upon the field and overlaps three stripes instead of the usual two. The
flag is mainly promoted by the association Kerk en Vrede (Church and Peace),
which acknowledges the Italian peace flags as the inspiration [1]. The color
pattern is: purple, dark blue, light blue, green, yellow, orange and red; the
word VREDE is inscribed in white over light blue, green and yellow; the ratio is
2:3 [1]. Numerous photos are found at the association website [2], but their
creation date seems to be difficult to trace, although the site is known to have
already existed in the late 2000s. The earliest photo which can currently be
dated was taken in Utrecht in 2009 and posted at Flickr [3], but the flag must
have been created earlier. The other photo which can be dated was taken at an
unknown location in the Netherlands in 2011 [4] and displays a bunch of small
handheld flags. The flag was announced to be used in Drenthe in 2018, on the
International Day of Peace (21st September), although the photo used to
illustrate this must have been taken earlier [5], as was the photo which
illustrated the announcement of the flag flying in Culemborg in 2021 during the
National Peace Week (18th to 26th September) [6].
Sources:
[1] Kerk en
Vrede association website - flag presentation:
https://kerkenvrede.nl/artikel/Nieuwsitem/64/346/
[2] Kerk en Vrede
association website - photo gallery:
https://kerkenvrede.nl/artikel/Nieuwsitem/64/346/
[3] Flickr - Photo of
peace flags from Utrecht, taken on 2009-09-21:
www.flickr.com/photos/92949075@N00/3940680181/
[4] Holland in Pixels
website - Photo of peace flags, taken on 2011-05-05:
https://hollandinpixels.photoshelter.com/image/I0000fD5Gg9VQmCA
[5]
Dagblad van het Noorden newspaper website:
https://dvhn.nl/drenthe/Heel-Rolde-in-regenboogkleuren-voor-Dag-van-de-Vrede-23481622.html
[6] Culemborgse Courant website:
https://www.culemborgsecourant.nl/nieuws/algemeen/288752/vredesvlag-wappert-in-culemborg-tijdens-nationale-vredesweek
Tomislav Todorovic, 20 January 2022