26 April 2005
ANZAC DAY - A REFLECTION ON WAR AND PEACE
Recent years have seen a marked increase in an awareness of Anzac Day, with an increasingly extensive media coverage – intensified this year through it being the 90th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing. But what do we commemorate?
From listening to the many speeches and comments about the day, it seems to be primarily about remembrance of those who died in war and an acknowledgement of their courage, sacrifice and service. Of course it is a worthy thing to remember the dead and to celebrate generosity, comradeship and service, but I wonder if sufficient attention is paid to other aspects of the reality that is war.
It is now generally acknowledged that World War I was a futile waste of life. A tragedy in which millions of young men lost their lives and millions of others were scarred for life. In the words inscribed by a family on their son's headstone in an Australian War Cemetery in France I once visited : 'For What?' The effect of that war on family life for generations in Australia can never be fully known and it also laid the foundations for World War II with its even greater destruction and loss of life.
It is arguable whether human kind has really learnt the lessons of the 20th century. Can we really say we are serious in our efforts to eliminate the causes of war when we allow injustice and inequality to flourish, and when we insist on ‘demonising’ groups of people instead of building bridges of understanding, when we continue to promote the sale of weapons around the world and when we too readily resort to force rather than negotiation to resolve disputes?
As one commentator asked recently, why do we erect monuments to those who fought and killed in the name of our country but ignore those who refused to take up arms and were even imprisoned for doing so? Perhaps it is time to also acknowledge their courage, sacrifice and service in appealing to the conscience of the nation?
For information and reflections about a range of issues related to peace visit the Pax Christi website.
For an interesting example of an approach to peacemaking from the viewpoint of another religious tradition – especially in regard to the seemingly intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, visit the Tikkun website.
From listening to the many speeches and comments about the day, it seems to be primarily about remembrance of those who died in war and an acknowledgement of their courage, sacrifice and service. Of course it is a worthy thing to remember the dead and to celebrate generosity, comradeship and service, but I wonder if sufficient attention is paid to other aspects of the reality that is war.
It is now generally acknowledged that World War I was a futile waste of life. A tragedy in which millions of young men lost their lives and millions of others were scarred for life. In the words inscribed by a family on their son's headstone in an Australian War Cemetery in France I once visited : 'For What?' The effect of that war on family life for generations in Australia can never be fully known and it also laid the foundations for World War II with its even greater destruction and loss of life.
It is arguable whether human kind has really learnt the lessons of the 20th century. Can we really say we are serious in our efforts to eliminate the causes of war when we allow injustice and inequality to flourish, and when we insist on ‘demonising’ groups of people instead of building bridges of understanding, when we continue to promote the sale of weapons around the world and when we too readily resort to force rather than negotiation to resolve disputes?
As one commentator asked recently, why do we erect monuments to those who fought and killed in the name of our country but ignore those who refused to take up arms and were even imprisoned for doing so? Perhaps it is time to also acknowledge their courage, sacrifice and service in appealing to the conscience of the nation?
For information and reflections about a range of issues related to peace visit the Pax Christi website.
For an interesting example of an approach to peacemaking from the viewpoint of another religious tradition – especially in regard to the seemingly intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, visit the Tikkun website.
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