Remembrance
Day
Affirm Our Aspirations for Peace and a World Without Interference, Threats, War and Aggression!
- Christine Dandendault -
 
Montreal
demonstration against the U.S. war in Iraq, February 15, 2003.
The workers of Canada and Quebec do not want
Canada to contribute to
world conflicts or wars of aggression against friendly peoples. The
2003 march of more than 200,000 people in the streets of Montreal in
minus 20 degree Celsius weather against the invasion of Iraq, along
with
various actions organized against the presence of NATO
warships in the Port of Montreal and elsewhere against the promotion of
war amongst
the youth clearly attest to this.
 Reflecting on
and drawing appropriate conclusions on issues of war and peace is
essential for Canadians, Quebeckers and Indigenous peoples. It assists
them in strengthening their anti-war movement and in taking action to
ensure that Canada is a zone for peace, that it withdraws from NATO and
other U.S. imperialist military alliances
and that it plays a role in support of the peoples and their
sovereignty worldwide. Remembrance Day, November 11, is an occasion to
affirm these aspirations.
One of the forms this
takes is the White Poppy, which commemorates all the victims of war.
Appeals are being made around the world to wear it on Remembrance Day.
For at least 80 years the White Poppy has been worn to represent three
things: remembrance of all victims of war, a commitment to peace, and a
stand against all attempts to glorify or
celebrate war.
The White Poppy was first introduced
as a symbol of peace in England in 1933 by the Co-operative Women's
Guild, to commemorate all victims of war, both civilian and military.
The idea was first discussed in England as early as 1926 in the wake of
the First World War (1914-1918) which resulted in the deaths of 10
million soldiers and
1.5 million civilians.
The White Poppy Campaign
calls on people to mobilize for peace. According to Britain's Peace
Pledge Union, it "symbolizes the belief that there are better ways to
resolve conflicts than through the use of violence. It embodies the
refusal to kill human beings for whatever reason."
The
Peace Pledge Union condemns economic dependence on arms sales and the
pressure to update and produce weapons of all types, pointing out that
"the results of recent military adventures highlight their
ineffectiveness and dramatic consequences." It goes on to emphasize
that the best way to respect the victims of war is to work to prevent
war in the present and future by addressing the underlying causes of
war. It points out that peace is far more than the absence of violence;
it "requires major social changes to enable us to live more
cooperatively."
In Quebec, for a 10th
consecutive year, the Collectif Échec à la guerre
is asking everyone to wear the White Poppy on Remembrance Day. On this
occasion, a declaration dedicated to the memory of all the victims of
war was published in the Saturday, November 7 issue of the newspaper Le Devoir, as well
as in its spot ads and tablet
and internet editions. Over 200 individuals and 34 groups endorsed the
declaration and helped defray the cost ($8,000).
On
Remembrance Day, November 11 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, Échec
à la guerre along with the sponsors of the 2020 White Poppy
Campaign, is co-hosting a virtual roundtable discussion entitled "The
Forgotten of Remembrance Day -- Civilian Casualties and Canada's
Harmful Role." For information click here.
Today, let us say loud and clear:
Make Canada a Zone for
Peace!
Dismantle
All U.S.
Military Bases Around the World and Those of NATO
and Its
Members, Including Canada!
Put an End to All Wars of
Aggression and Occupation!
End Spending on Weapons of Mass
Destruction and Arms Sales!
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 8 - November 11, 2020
Volume [volume] Number [issue] - [date]
Article Link:
Remembrance
Day: Affirm Our Aspirations for Peace and a World Without Interference, Threats, War and Aggression! - Christine Dandendault
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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