[ WP ] The year is 2100 . The world 's nations have united under the UN to form a unified world government ... except for one . One small and mountainous nation in Central Europe stubbornly holds onto their neutrality .

`` Now now children, settle down. It's time to transition to our Civics lesson. Today we will be learning about the Great Unification of 2094. Under your desks is a flag of a former country. Please pull it out and tell me a little bit about that country.'' 
 
 Slowly, Mrs. Sandberg's 8th grade class, shuffling rather loudly as 8th grade students usually do, reached beneath their desks, grabbed their sealed envelope, and opened it to reveal their country's flag. Only one student made as little noise as possible: Simon. 
 
 Simon was small for a thirteen year old, maybe a year or two away from his big growth spurt. He had curly blond hair and glasses and was wearing his favorite red sweater that day. He was smart, quiet, kind, polite, and always a little jumpy. Simon was also Swiss. 
 
 A short scan around the room gave Simon a chance to see flags of many different former nations, rich with color and design. Ever since the Great Unification, every student of at least 11 years of age was to learn the flags of former nations, in part to extend courtesy, respect, and dignity to the former sovereign countries and their people. Sadly, as Simon knew all too well, one nation, the only to abstain from the Great Unification, faced an extreme rise in hate and violence toward in the years following. 
 
 His family, of Swiss descent, had fled their nation in 2097 to try to avoid global discrimination, settling firmly in the small town of Findlay, OH. Simon, being about 9 when his family moved, had started to grasp the concept of hate and discrimination at the time of the move. He saw signs saying `` No Swiss here'' or `` Swiss need not apply''. He heard shouting and the sound of broken glass and tears. He asked his parents why everyone hated Switzerland and his parents, wanting only to protect Simon from the harsh realities of being Swiss in 2097 and beyond, told him `` Its ok; we're safe now and that's what counts''. As Simon grew older, he learned more and more about discrimination and saw it in his own classroom, library, mall, and school. 
 
 What Simon did n't know, however, was that his parents, like many Swiss, fled their homes, were smuggled across many a border, given new identities, and prayed nightly for their safety. Simon's dad, a famed watchmaker in Switzerland, found some work in making and repairing watches at an old store downtown, where the owner did n't have the funds to do a proper background check. Simon's mother, a former schoolteacher, could n't find work as easily, as her Swiss accent would surely give her true identity away to any child or fellow educator; she settled for being a nanny to 3 kids down the street. Simon did n't know that his uncle, a famed Swiss general, was gunned down in cold blood in 2098 on holiday in France by the extreme right-wing group `` Unify or Die''. 
 
 Simon reached under his own chair and found what he dreaded most: the Swiss flag; the flag of his forefathers and mothers. His heartbeat doubled and sweat started to trickle down his neck and face. 
 
 `` Simon, what's the matter?'' asked Mrs. Sandberg, wondering why her best student suddenly looked apt to faint. 
 
 `` Oh..oh, it's nothing,'' Simon quickly replied, dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief. `` I am just a bit nervous that the other students wo n't like me because of the flag I have.'' 
 
 `` Oh, do n't be silly Simon!'' Mrs. Sandberg replied. `` It's just a Civics lesson; you'll be fine and I'll make sure no one bothers you.'' 
 
 Simon let out a long sigh of relief. He was worried that he got the flag on purpose and was going to be ousted from his school, his group of friends, his town. He worried that he and his family would have to move again. 
 
 The rest of the class time was spent educating the students on the Great Unification and why one country had decided to stay out of it. Simon, like the glowing student he was, raised his hand for every question and, when called upon, got all of them right. While some snickered and yelled out `` He knows cause he's one of em! ``, Mrs. Sandberg hushed them and praised Simon for his work. 
 
 Simon left school that day feeling many things. He felt scared that he was still going to be prosecuted for being Swiss. He felt nervous about telling his parents what he had learned today about his country and the Great Unification. He felt proud that he was smart, studied hard, and was always told he had the brightest future ahead of him. Mostly, though, Simon felt hopeful. He felt hopeful that, one day, he could do something for his fellow Swiss men and women. That he could someday rise up and become a great leader. That he could help stop discrimination and hate before it really hurt him. And that he could leave a legacy for other Swiss kids, so that they could learn, live, and grow in a safe and loving world.
