By Francesca Merlo
“On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we will remember them”.
At 11.00 am on the 11 Nov 1918, the Armistice, an agreement to end the fighting of the First World War, opening up peace negotiations, was signed.
Since then, Nov 11 marks Remembrance Day for all who have lost their lives in conflicts around the world.
The poppy
During World War I, much of the conflict unfolded across Western Europe. There, the once beautiful countryside was torn apart. What were fertile fields and green landscapes, became fields of mud where little could grow. However, amid the devastation, a striking field of red appeared: Flanders poppies. These flowers thrived and blossomed in their thousands across the war-torn land, and have become a symbol of resilience and remembrance for those who have died in conflict.
In the spring of 1915, shortly after the loss of a friend in Ypres, Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was inspired to write what has now become a very well-known poem, based on the poppies he saw on the battlefields.
In Flanders Fields by John McCrae
In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders’ fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high,
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ Fields.
A poppy for the children of war
A poppy this year could be dedicated to the soldiers across the world who are too young to be fighting. Globally, thousands of children are drawn into armed conflicts and forced to serve in roles that expose them to severe exploitation and abuse. According to the United Nations, between 2005 and 2022, over 105,000 cases of child recruitment were documented.
Often labelled as “child soldiers,” these young boys and girls are used as soldiers but also as scouts, cooks, porters, guards, and messengers.
A poppy for all who have lost their lives
But, as is mentioned on the Royal British Legion’s website, the poppy does not limit itself to remembering those who have fought in wars, but is for all who have lost their lives to conflict: “We acknowledge innocent civilians who have lost their lives in conflict and acts of terrorism”.
This year, the poppy could be dedicated to the people of Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It could be a symbol for Myanmar, and especially the Rohingya people. The poppy could also go to the people of Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Armenia. The poppy could be worn for the Yazidis, for the Tutsis, Cambodians and Kurds. The list goes on, but the poppy this year is also for those who perish in the Mediterranean Sea as they seek safety across its waters.
The poppy, standing high in impossible times, is a symbol of hope for all the populations across the globe who continue to suffer barbaric acts of warfare. – Vatican News
