Wapenstilstand 2024: Speech

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Today, we gather again at this Menin Gate, to remember those who gave their lives in the First World War here in Flanders Fields. For over a century, the Last Post Association has kept her sacred mission: to honor the fallen and to ensure that their sacrifices are never forgotten.

Albert Einstein once said: ‘The world is a dangerous place to live’.

And he was, of course, right. His words feel more urgent today than ever, as we witness ongoing conflicts around the globe, with some leaders even hinting at the use of weapons of mass destruction. Many believe that we are closer to a third world war than at any time during the past 75 years.

Faced with this terrifying prospect, what conclusions can we draw about our presence here?

The first lesson is that war – any war – brings terrible loss and suffering. Consequently, it teaches us that everything possible must be done to avoid it.

At the same time, however, we must remember that peace is more than just the absence of war.  Peace must also allow us to live our lives the way we wish, in freedom and security. There is no reason why peace, freedom and security should not be compatible – but there are times in history when they were not.

Einstein knew that the world is a dangerous place, not only because of those who do evil, but also because of those who look on and do nothing.

This was the dilemma facing the men whose names line these walls in 1914. Should they fight to maintain values and a way of life in which there was a place for everyone? Or should they accept a false ‘peace’ dominated by dictatorship, violence and oppression? They chose to fight. Today, we all still benefit from their terrible sacrifice, which is why we remember them with such gratitude.

And what of the future? What if our values and freedoms are threatened and  confront us with the same hard choices as our forefathers? How will we react? Only time will tell. But we can draw inspiration from the words of former American president Ronald Reagan, who said ‘Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with conflict by peaceful means.’ This should always be our goal.

And at the same time, however, we remember the words of Einstein: to simply ‘look on and do nothing’ would not be a wise option.