Originally published on the CGS blog on November 11, 2013.
Today we honor veterans. My grandfather Charlie ran away and joined the army as a 16-year-old bugle boy in World War I. My uncle Buddy’s bomber was shot down over Yugoslavia in World War II. Fortunately, he was smuggled across enemy lines by resistance fighters. Perhaps you also have family stories of heroism, hardship and patriotism.
However, Veterans Day is not just about honoring those who loved their country and served. It is also a day to honor those who had the courage to serve; return home from Europe, Asia, Iraq or Afghanistan; and dedicate their lives to ending war.
Brave men and women who came home after World War II built the foundation of our movement. They shared a vision of “world peace through world law.” They believed that preventing World War III was essential to humankind’s survival.
Today, we continue to honor the courage of these veterans. We have a new name, use new language, communicate with new technologies and face new challenges. Nevertheless, we still seek a future where nations work together to abolish war, protect our rights and freedoms, and solve problems facing humanity that no nation can solve alone.
Ninety-five years ago “the war to end all wars” ended. Today, we still have our work cut out for us:
- Violence is rampant in Syria, and Security Council action is still blocked by the veto
- Nuclear diplomacy continues with Iran
- A new genocide rages in the Central African Republic
- Climate change is still rampant even as the UN’s global climate meeting begins today in Warsaw, Poland
We have yet to replace the law of force with the force of law. This year, as we honor veterans around the world who served their nations, let us pool our resources to work for a world where we beat swords into plowshares. Then we will keep on beating and turn plowshares into musical instruments, so that whoever wants to make war will have to turn them back to plowshares first. This is how we can best honor veterans for their service in wartime and for their commitment to ending war for all time.
So here’s a chance to put your money where your vision is and join me in supporting the work of GlobalSolutions.org.
