Remembering Conflict

Every year at 1100 on November 11th, many people working in offices or outdoors step back from their work and pause for a moment of quiet reflection. This tradition, which has continued for more than a century, allows all who participate to remember the human cost of armed conflict and the devastation that war has brought to individuals and families, all over the world.

Each nation has its own way of remembering the sacrifice made by men and women who have fought or died, and the impact that war has had on communities and family groups. Whatever the political outcome of a conflict, there are never ‘winners’ in warfare when the wider human cost is assessed and the impact on the individuals and families of those involved most closely in the fighting is taken into account.

Our annual act of remembrance on November 11th provides an opportunity for people to join together united, regardless of religion or belief, and to show our respect towards all those who have fought, supported or had their lives changed through war.

I have witnessed first-hand the trauma that armed conflict inflicts, both on those actively involved and their families waiting at home. This trauma could be physical or emotional and it commonly continues for many years after the fighting has ended, often lasting for a lifetime. Our quiet moment of remembrance will not erase the traumatic effects of conflict but we hope that it will help to remind those who have served or supported them from home that they are not forgotten – they are remembered with gratitude.