A convention can be an event where ideas on a specific topic are disseminated and exchanged.
Convention is a term originating from the Latin word conventĭo . It may be a meeting of an organization that is held to establish the guidelines to follow, appoint delegates or representatives, etc.
For example: "Uruguayan socialism announced that it will elect its presidential candidate at the next national convention" , "Next week I will be in Valparaíso to attend a convention of science fiction authors" , "The convention of cardiologists ended in scandal when two participants "They beat each other on stage."
Different types of conventions
A business convention is usually an event organized privately and promoted by a company . Typically, only employees or managers of said company attend and ideas are exchanged for business generation.
Within this sector there is also talk of what is known as a collective labor agreement . That is the name used to refer to the so-called collective agreement, the meeting held by employers and employees to regulate working conditions.
The assembly that calls together the representatives of a nation is known as a national convention . This assembly can be awarded all the powers of a territory, as happened with the National Convention of France between 1792 and 1795 .
Historical examples
Throughout history, a significant number of conventions have developed that have marked a before and after in various aspects. Specifically, among the most significant we can highlight the following:
• Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties . On May 23, 1969, it was carried out, which basically consisted of codifying what customary international law was with regard to treaties.
• Geneva Conventions . A total of four meetings of this type were held in the European city that gives them their name and the objective was established to protect at all times the victims of the different armed conflicts. The first convention took place in 1869 and the fourth and last was in 1949.
• Convention on the Rights of the Child . Under this name is, for its part, that meeting that took place in 1989 and which had as antecedents previous declarations and agreements from the beginning of the 20th century. With that, also called the United Nations International Treaty, it is made clear that children not only have the same rights as adults but also that they need, in various aspects, special protection.
At a comic convention, it is common for attendees to come dressed in costume.
Convention as a norm
A convention, finally, can be an action or rule that is tacitly accepted since it is linked to shared customs or rituals.
Congratulating someone on their birthday, wishing "health" to someone who sneezed, or expressing condolences to someone who has lost a loved one are some behaviors that are developed by convention. It does not matter so much that one does not feel affection for the birthday person or the relative of the deceased, nor that the sneeze in question is not due to a health problem: by convention, one acts that way, respecting social customs. We must not forget that anyone who breaks or violates a convention can be condemned at a social level.