REMEMBRANCE DAY REFLECTIONS ON PAST AND FUTURE

Remembrance Day in Canada commemorates the veterans who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars, Korea and Afghanistan. Find out the topics on which I found myself reflecting during this annual moment of silence.

It’s Remembrance Day. I spent this morning in our local town square, taking part in the services.

The ceremony doesn’t change much year over year. We wear poppies, and we hear The Last Post on the bugle, The Flowers of the Forest on the bagpipes and the names of the fallen.

We take two minutes of silence at precisely 11 am to reflect. I guess each of us reflects in their own way, and on different things, before the dignitaries lay their wreaths.

HONOURS THE SACRIFICE OF THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND DIED

I hear some people say their reflection honours the sacrifice of those who fought and died in various global conflicts. While I can certainly mourn their loss, I’m always very wary of glorifying the tragedy of war.

I’m more inclined to reflect on the human cost of war when this day rolls around on the calendar. The sombre weather at this time of year matches the funereal mood the day evokes in me.

There aren’t many of my parents’ generation left who can remember the two World Wars or the Korean Conflict directly. Even Afghanistan has been behind Canadians for almost a decade now.

OVER 100 ARMED CONFLICTS RAGING AROUND THE WORLD

And yet, war is far from a thing of the past. Benoit Mottrie, head of Belgium’s Last Post Association, pointed out in his remarks at Ypres today that we currently have over 100 armed conflicts raging around the world.

Readers will be aware of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the unspeakable Hamas terrorist attack combined with Israel’s brutal relatiation. Beyond those wars, there are ongoing armed conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Mali, Sudan, Somalia, Myanmar and dozens of other places all over the globe.

As so many have remarked over the decades, if those really were “wars to end all wars” they seem to have fallen far short of their goals. Even so, Remembrance Day can inspire us to promote peace.

REMEMBRANCE SLOGAN: “NEVER AGAIN!”

Quite a few remembrance slogans have emerged over the past century, but the one that always resonates with me is, “Never again!” I think of Remembrance Day as a solemn reminder to do everything I can to prevent another global catastrophe on the scale of those horrific world wars.

The way to accomplish that is to foster global solidarity. That’s one of the reasons why recognizing the interrelatedness of the global community is vital to humanity’s future.

Speaking of the future, I also reflect on the younger generation during Remembrance Day services. As time passes, those past world wars become increasingly remote, which raises the concern that humanity might be irrational enough to repeat the same horrific blunders.

FIERCE AND FANATICAL FORM OF NATIONALISM

A fierce and fanatical form of nationalism drove those calamities, echos of which resonate among some misguided youth today. When I talk to young people, I hear their concerns about alienation, economic insecurity and lack of opportunity, which were the fertile soil from which the scourge of past global conflicts arose.

People call for better youth education about our military history, but kids today strike me as the best and brightest generation we’ve ever produced. It’s not a question of teaching them anything more, but rather of providing them with the same genuine hope and aspirations my generation could enjoy at their age.

It’s easy to fall prey to resentment and hostility when you’re saddled with debt, can’t afford a place to live, and can’t find a job that pays a living wage. It’s up to those of us with the privilege and means to create practical opportunities for future generations.

VETERANS’ AVERAGE AGE IS NOW 96

I also reflected on my elders. Over 25,000 Canadian veterans of the Second World War and the Korean War are still living. Their average age is now 96, and we need to care for them and encourage them to tell their stories and share their wisdom first hand.

As I thought about veterans, I reminded myself that they include all those Canadians who’ve served with the Canadian Armed Forces as regular troops or reservists. There are over 460,000 of them.

Their average age is 60, with about a third of them still in their prime working years. Whatever our opinions may be about some of the conflicts in which they served, they deserve our support in terms of financial aid, housing and making the transition into civilian life.

AND ANOTHER THING…

We also need to tend to their wounds. As I ponder that, I realize that not all wounds are physical.

Remembrance Day reflections are part of the new story we all need about humanity’s history, our relationships with one another, and with our planet. It’s a day that can guide our evolution toward a future culture of peace and cooperation.

Benoit Mottrie concluded his remarks by saying, “If we cannot affect the war, people of goodwill everywhere can help to affect the peace. It will be a slow process and it will not happen tomorrow, but perhaps one day it will not only be the dead who know the end of war, but also the living.”

We always have more to learn if we dare to know.

LEARN MORE:

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Address by Benoit Mottrie, Chairman of the Last Post Association

Remembrance Day: A Day of Pride or Sorrow?

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Happy International Day of Non-Violence