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Peace Education for Us

On November 11, we remember those who fought, and the many who died, in World War I and subsequent wars. It reminds us why investing in peace is so important. 
 
This week I attended a Remembrance Day ceremony that moved me to tears. I am so thankful to those who sacrificed their safety to secure the freedom and safety of others, and especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. We owe them an eternal debt of gratitude. We also owe them our most diligent efforts to ensure that “never again” need never be said again.

Remembrance Day Reflections

I love remembrance day. I appreciate the time it gives the world to pause, reflect on past wars, the lives they cost, and pray that “never again” will one day come true. This year, I encapsulated that hope in my shortest poem ever:

Let “never again” become so obvious we never have to say it again.
(http://crypeace.org/news/never-again)

Amen.

I also wrote a poem from the perspectives of an Israeli and a Palestinian, remembering war but hoping for peace (I Want (I Don't Want)).

I Want (I Don't Want)

I don’t want our kids to meet at encounter groups, to learn to empathise with the “other”

I don’t want them to hear of the Holocaust, to learn how our homelands became our graves

I don’t want them to talk about the Nakba, the right of return, and how long it takes

I don’t want to fear that in my nascent country, we risk annihilation again

I don’t want to fear that in my exile, we risk losing the chance for a homeland

 

A Senegalese Hero Remembered

"I’ve covered many wars and seen many acts of courage. But for sheer grit and determination I’ve never known anyone to compare with Captain Mbaye Diagne, a United Nations peacekeeper in Rwanda," said Mark Doyle, an international development correspondent. Armed only with cigarettes and whisky, and an indefatigable sense of humour, Diagne talked his way through numerous checkpoints, transporting people to the safety of Hotel Mille Collines, or bringing messages between the UN and government forces.

 

Let’s be soldiers in the army of love

My grandfather’s village is just down the road
It’s blessed with the richest of olive groves
On Fridays when grandfather takes me on his knee
I feel the shade of a tree that I’ve never seen
 
I’m fighting for freedom, peace and security
I’ll never forget what they’ve stolen from me
Wrongs like these must be avenged  
I will not rest until they taste just revenge
 
We’re fighting for freedom in a just war
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