Forced migration (also called displacements) is when people are made to leave their home or homeland. It is usually caused by violence, persecution, danger, or because an authority (such as a government) has told people to move. People are removed either by force or because of a threat or command. A person who has become forced to migrate is called a "forced migrant" or "displaced person". They may be called a refugee, but that term has a specific legal definition.
Migration of people is constantly happening, but in a stable society it usually happens because a person chooses to do it. Forced migration occurs when people's lives, well-being or freedom is endangered. They may have little or no choice but to move. In some cases, such as human trafficking and slavery, people are physically removed from their homes.
Occasionally a government forces people and communities out of their homes or homelands for the purposes of economic development or military. It has been most often been associated with the building of dams and military bases.
Migration can also be forced by natural disasters, when people are forced to evacuate an area. This is usually temporary, and people can return to their land once it is safe.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says Afghanistan produces the most number of refugees each year. It has held that position for 32 years. Almost half of refugees are children under the age of 18. Many of these are separated from their parents.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China
The General Secretary of the Communist Party of China is the leader of the Communist Party of China and the highest-ranking official within China. The General Secretary is a standing member of the Politburo and head of the Secretariat. The officeholder is usually considered the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China.
According to the Constitution, the General Secretary serves as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, the main governing group in China. Since the early 1990s, the holder of the post has been, except for transitional periods, the Chairman of the Central Military Commission. This means that the holder is also the commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army.
The current General Secretary is Xi Jinping. He took office on 15 November 2012.
President of China
The President of China (officially President of the People's Republic of China) is the head of state of the People's Republic of China (PRC). On paper, the presidency is a largely ceremonial office with limited powers. However, in recent years the General Secretary of the Communist Party has also served simultaneously as President. His election to the office makes him paramount leader of China. The office is classified as an institution of the state rather than an administrative post.
The current President is Xi Jinping. He took office on 14 March 2013.
Premier of the People's Republic of China
The Premier of China, officially "Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China", is the leader of the State Council of China, who is the head of government and holds the highest rank (Level 1) in the Civil Service.
The Premier is formally approved by the National People's Congress upon the nomination of the President. In practice, the candidate is chosen through an informal process within the Communist Party of China. Both the President and the Premier are selected once every five years. The Premier has always been a member of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee.
The current Premier is Li Keqiang, who took office on 15 March 2013.
Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is a walking trail through Boston, Massachusetts. It passes by 16 places that are important to American history. The Trail is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. It starts at the Boston Common and ends at the USS "Constitution" in the Charlestown Navy Yard.
The Black Heritage Trail crosses the Freedom Trail between the Massachusetts State House and Park Street Church.
William Schofield, a journalist in Boston, first thought of creating the Freedom Trail. In 1951, he suggested building a walking trail to connect many of the important historic places in Boston. Boston's mayor, John Hynes, agreed. The Trail was marked with red bricks and red paint, and signs were added along the way to explain the importance of the Trail's 16 stops. By 1953, 40,000 people were walking the Freedom Trail every year.
The City of Boston's Freedom Trail Commission is in charge of the Trail. The costs of keeping up the Trail are supported by grants from non-profit organizations and foundations; philanthropy; donations; and Boston National Historical Park.
The Boston Common is America's oldest public park. When the Puritans came to Boston, they bought the land from William Blackstone, who was the first European person to settle in Boston. The Puritans turned the land into a "Common Area" where people could bring their cows to eat grass.
The Common was also used to punish and hang people.
In 1775, when the British Army occupied Boston just before the American Revolution started, over 1,000 British soldiers camped and trained on the Common.
The Common has also been used for many other things, including:
The State House is where the Massachusetts state government does business. It was built in 1798 on land that used to be John Hancock's cow pasture. It is topped by a big dome which Paul Revere coated with golden copper.
On the way from the Common to the State House, the Trail passes a monument to Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. This was the first all-black volunteer regiment in the American Civil War.
Built in 1809, Park Street Church was once the tallest building in Boston. The Church became an important supporter of the abolitionist (anti-slavery) movement. On Independence Day in 1829, William Lloyd Garrison made his first major speech against slavery at the Church.
During the War of 1812, the Church's members stored brimstone (which is used to make gunpowder) in the Church's basement.
Granary Burying Ground is a very old cemetery, created in 1660. Many important people are buried here, including:
Many other Bostonians are also buried here.
King's Chapel was the first Anglican church in Boston. It was built in 1688, on land that was part of a burying ground (cemetery). At that time, most people in Boston were Puritans. King James II, who wanted the colonists to follow the Church of England, ordered that an Anglican parish should be built in Boston. However, nobody in Boston would sell good land to build a non-Puritan church. Because of this, the King ruled that a piece of burying ground would be taken and used for the church.
King's Chapel Burying Ground was Boston's first cemetery. (It was created before King's Chapel.) Many important Bostonians were buried here, including:
Boston Latin School was the first public school in America. It opened on April 23, 1635. Boys could go to school there for free, whether they were rich or poor. (Girls were taught at home.) Five signers of the Declaration of Independence went to school at Boston Latin:
The original Boston Latin School was torn down in 1745, but a statue of Benjamin Franklin marks the spot where the original school was. Boston Latin School still exists today in a different place (and now teaches both boys and girls).
The Old Corner Bookstore is the oldest business building in Boston. It was built in 1718 as an apothecary shop.