Yesterday was just another day for many Fijians, and many people around the world. It was part of the cycle of life.
There was day, and then night followed!
People woke up for set tasks during the day, breezed through it, and then prepared for rest late at night.
Life moves on!
This is why we must be aware of the importance of November 11 annually.
Last year we raised the powerful reminder about the horrors of war on the Australian Army website.
It’s dedicated to Remembrance Day.
At 11am on November 11, 1918, the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare.
The Germans had called for an armistice to secure a peace settlement.
The allied terms of unconditional surrender were accepted.
The conflict had mobilised more than 70 million people, left between nine and 13 million dead, and as many as one third of them with no grave!
So every year, when dawn breaks on this day, an event takes place in many parts of the world.
There is an emotional attachment to this day and date, deep meaning, and history.
Traditionally a service is held, signifying an important reminder for mankind.
Every year we are reminded about the value of life, sacrifices and peace. We are reminded about hope, dedication and commitment! We are reminded about bravery, courage, fear, pain and death!
We are reminded about stories of horror, and of the ultimate sacrifice.
On the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month, millions of people around the world remember thousands of men and women who fought for what they believed in at the beginning of the last century.
We are indebted to them in some way.
History tells us about the horrors in the trenches of the Great War – World War I.
We remember hundreds of thousands of brave soldiers who perished in a war that has been tagged man’s greatest cruelty to humankind.
Sadly, many of our young people today know little or nothing at all about World War I.
Many of our children don’t know where the Great War was fought, or what Remembrance Day means?
As the years go by, the number of brave men and women who survived the war has diminished.
Modern wars now happen ‘far away’.
We read about them on the internet, in newspapers, or watch them on television, in the safety of our homes.
Conflict zones are visible and brave journalists who risk their lives daily, bring the troubles of the world to our living room.
We see death and destruction daily.
In history, Flanders in Belgium saw some of the greatest loss of life in the First World War.
Men died because of different ideals and thousands of them made the ultimate sacrifice.
Yesterday marked the official end of World War I in 1918.
We have said this before, we reflect on this day because there is an important lesson for us all, to be kind to our fellow human beings.
We should appreciate the sacrifices that were made and appreciate peaceful co-existence.
The Daily Telegraph ran a powerful opinion piece yesterday, titled: We must never forget Remembrance Day!
There are two lines written by David Elliot, the author that are apt for us all today: “Some people just don’t get it. Remembrance Day is the antithesis of glorifying war. Rather, it’s a celebration of the peace.”
“We … have an obligation as a civilised society to ensure that we respect the sacrifice of military service and, most importantly, learn the lessons that come from not being prepared to defend justice.”
Let’s face it, we live in a great country.
Think about it. Despite our differences in ethnicity and religion for instance, we appreciate one another, and have learnt to live together in peace, far removed from the death and destruction of volatile parts of our planet!
So today, we reflect on life, and the values that make life enjoyable, and precious.
And we remember the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice!
Lest we forget!
