As we approach Remembrance Day or Armistice Day on November 11 to mark the end of World War II, many people wear red poppies to remember the soldiers who lost their lives.
But many people wear white poppies otherwise know as peace poppies to remember all lives lost including civilian lives and those who died on the battlefield.
These white peace poppies were a legacy of the First World War. The white poppy was first introduced by the Women’s Co-operative Guild in 1933, as a symbol for peace and an end to all war by women who had lost husbands, sons and brothers in the First World War.
More people are wearing white poppies as symbol of peace to end all wars. Vancouver Peace Poppies, together with Vancouver Unitarians will host Let Peace be Their Memorial, a free public ceremony featuring live music, poetry, unique handcrafted wreaths and a keynote talk on the environmental impacts of war on November 11th 2:00-3:30pm, in person at the Seaforth Peace Park on Burrard St and 1sth Ave.
Through the wreath ceremony and their annual white lapel poppy campaign, Vancouver Peace Poppies hopes to encourage Canadians to broaden their Remembrance Day focus to include civilians, now estimated to make up 90% of conflict victims. “We feel that it is important to go beyond simply remembering” says the group’s co-founder Teresa Gagné. “We also need to question the beliefs, values and institutions that make war seem inevitable; and to encourage our government to promote and fund effective, non-military means of dispute resolution.”