Photo by Vince Fedoroff
BIRDS OF PEACE – Revenue from the dove sales will eventually go to the White Dove Peace Association, says Laird Herbert, seen Wednesday with some of the birds.
White Peace Dove campaign is meant to complement poppies
As Remembrance Day draws near, Laird Herbert is hoping Yukoners and others throughout the country will be thinking of peace.
As Remembrance Day draws near, Laird Herbert is hoping Yukoners and others throughout the country will be thinking of peace.
To do that, he's making white peace dove badges available in the city as part of the national White Peace Dove campaign.
It's a venture that actually started several years ago with white poppies to symbolize peace.
However, with a lawsuit threatened by the Royal Canadian Legion over the copyright of the poppy in 2006, the white poppy was replaced with the white doves in Canada.
The UK, however, continues to have a white poppy campaign.
"White Peace Doves are designed to complement or act as an alternative to the Remembrance Day poppies,” Herbert said in a statement.
"The message of the White Peace Doves is that we must all actively work for peace and that we must remember all the victims of war.”
As Herbert noted, it's a slightly different message than that of Remembrance Day, Nov. 11, when soldiers are remembered.
The dove campaign was officially launched in Edmonton on Sept. 21 – World Peace Day, though the doves just recently became available in Whitehorse at Baked and the Bent Spoon, both on Main Street.
The doves are being sold, and future years will see funds go to the White Dove Peace Association for projects promoting peace.
As Herbert explained Wednesday, this year the cost of the molds to create the doves was quite high, so they aren't expecting to make anything off this year's sales. In future years though, the money will be used for projects.
"We hope to raise several thousand (dollars),” he said of the Canadian campaigns.
While previous years saw the Legion take issue with the white poppy campaign, Herbert noted there hasn't been as much conflict this year with the move to doves over the white poppies. Keeping the campaign low-key, Herbert said, there won't be a separate ceremony around the white peace doves.
"This is in no way designed as an affront to the Remembrance Day Poppy Campaign or the Royal Canadian Legion,” Herbert said.
"We simply wanted a symbol that Canadians could wear on Remembrance Day which directly and unconditionally emphasized peace. War and killing is a terrible, terrible thing and must be avoided.”
Local Legion branch president Red Grossinger argued though that while peace is always the goal, sometimes you have to have soldiers to bring about peace.
More than 120,000 soldiers have given their lives for peace and freedom since the First World War, he said Wednesday.
While he acknowledged he doesn't know a lot about the white dove campaign, Grossinger argued that perhaps those involved with it should go to Afghanistan and see how the Taliban react.
He doesn't expect the dove campaign will have any impact on the local Remembrance Day activities set for next Wednesday, and believes most people will mark it as they normally do.
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Comments (11)
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Werner Rhein on Nov 6, 2017 at 11:29 am
When will the "glorification" of war stop. The red poppies is nothing more than that glorification of war. How many more times will you remember victims of war victims who where active involved of killing others.
I never hear anything about the civilian victims, who many were brave in looking for peace, not war.
How many times do you remember victims of drunk drivers, or victims of the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima or Nagasaki?
How many times do you remember victims of natural disasters caused and increased by global warming, which a part of it comes from wars and the war machine?
The remembrance campaign is only there to suggest to people, that we need war, that we need a war machine, where a few people can make insane profits
from. Why is nobody looking into and talking about why we have all these so called terrorist organization? In most cases they are the result of wars, of oppression.
No war machine will stop them, it is the will in people to be free they used up all there possibilities to become free and have nothing else left but fight.
Most of the wars in the last 2000 years could have been avoided by better diplomacy, by the will to avoid war. We see the same pattern in the last few month between Trump and North Korea. Only if this will come to a war, there will be nobody left to remember.
Please remember that.
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angiejosephrear on Nov 12, 2009 at 9:14 am
Yesterday I attended as every year I do the remembrance day service. I heard the guest speaker who shared a story of why he remembers..so similar to why I present my respect for all our people who fought so bravely for what we enjoy today. I have a family member whose grave is marked in his honour, over in Holland. I remember.
The peace dove will not ever replace the reason for the poppy, however, continue to promote peace everyday and please pray for our people overseas.
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Swanny on Nov 10, 2009 at 9:07 am
Red, you speak the truth! I agree that the Peace Campaign should not be competeing with the Remembrance week.
Just once a year Poppies go on sale, and only once a year do we try to make people remember those that gave their lives for our freedom, Please keep the Peace Dove campaign for another time, support our vetrens on the one day of the year that they have!
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snow canoe on Nov 10, 2009 at 8:38 am
Historically, the men in my family have answered when Canada has called. Hence I wear the poppy with a great deal of pride. I would also find it fitting to wear the white dove of peace.
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Red Grossinger on Nov 9, 2009 at 4:56 pm
LET THERE BE PEACE ! And then the Taliban, El Quaeda, the Tamal Tigers, Hizbollah, all the extemists,and all the terrorists, upon hearing those words layed down their weapons and for ever resolved not to kill any more people.
They then provided freedom to all the women of the countries they already controlled. They let kids, both boys and girls return to schools, they let people go back to various religious churches, beside the mosques that is, and they all live in happyness ever since.
Freedom is not free, never has, never will be.
When one who does not acknowledge history and does not take the appropriate steps so that history does not repeat itself, the same one will soon see history as a repeat.
Lets not be naive, we in Canada are people of peace, but we must also be realist.
Reality is that in this world, in 2009, there are extremists and terrorists ready to kill YOU and I to achieve their aims.
Their aim is NOT PEACE my friends, it is control. Control of religion, of life style, of daily activities. Your wife of today may well not be your wife of tomorrow when your "friendly" terrosrists take over.
Just look at the world under the control of the Taliban, Hezbollah, and the others, WAKE UP !
Will a peace dove stop them ?
NO, a soldier will stop them.
If one is so sure that by teaching peace at all cost,peace will be achieve, then that one MUST go to the extremists, the terrorists, the Taliban, El Quaeda, Hezbollah, and TALK with them.
Convince them NOT TO START another war, convince them to provide the freedom they have denied the people under their control. Tell them that "IF YOU ATTACK US WE WILL NOT FIGHT BACK", you will be all by yourselves.
Because "we strongly believe that we CAN solve all the world problems and wars by sending a peace dove".
And the dream is; that will stop ALL wars.
Lets be real...shall we.
Such talks did not stop the leaders of Germany to start the First World War.
Such talks, peace efforts and treaties did not stop Hitler to invade most of the countries of Europe.
Such talks and teaties did not stop the Japanese from attacking us.
The Right Honourable L.B. Pearson, Prime Minister of Canada, had a great idea of staging lightly armed troops in between fighting factions as a way to "STOP THEIR FIGHTING".
Well that almost worked, except that "lightly armed troops" simply can not defend themselves, thus negating the intent.
When "fighting factions" really do want to fight, THEY WILL FIGHT. Regardless of what good intents one lightly armed "peace keeper" may well have.
Reality dictates that if one is serious in wanting peace, one will do whatever is neccessary to achieve peace, to force IT, if THAT is what it takes.
Lesson; KOSOVO. Read about it.
Lesson; World War Two. Read about it.
Lesson; Paris 1919. Read about it.
Lesson; The Roman Empire, Napoleon, etc... read it.
Lesson; The Berlin wall, which came down 20 years ago. Read about it.
Lesson; The "Cold War". Read about it.
Peace is a two way affair, so said, if one does not agree to the affair, there is simply no deal, thus no peace.
Facts of life.
I find a "dove peace campaign" totally insulting when, since November 1927, we Canadians have been paying respect to those who have died fighting for our rights, our freedom, our liberty.
We have ONLY set aside one period of the year, corresponding to the date when the agreement to stop the First World War was signed to REMEMBER those who have died for us all.
Peace is GREAT, a peace campaign is GREAT, at the right time, and at the right place. I would support it; BUT AT ANOTHER TIME OF THE YEAR.
Let "Remembrance Week" be for REMEMBRANCE, and nothig else.
Red Grossinger
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footprints on Nov 9, 2009 at 9:24 am
For me, "Armistice Day" is about those who have fallen...lest we forget.
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Arn Anderson on Nov 9, 2009 at 9:01 am
Cant have peace without war and you cant have war without peace. Better start a wardove crusade and make some money.
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David Laxton on Nov 9, 2009 at 3:24 am
Peace and the promotion of peace are great things. I have been told the definition of Peace by some is "the absence of War, therefore War must be the constant". During my 2 tours in Bosnia our mission was the "Support to Humanitarian Relief" our second mission was the "Promotion of Peace". As a veteran of "Peace Keeping", a term given by the media and accepted by Canadians, the mission has always been Peace. The Peace Dove is a powerful symbol and should not be used to overshadow another powerful symbol: the Poppy. The Poppy is and always will be the symbol of the veteran. When we think of veterans we also think of the horrors of war and the reason(s) our military was and will be sent overseas. If you don't agree with why the military has been deployed, write to the government, vote against them, and speak to your fellow citizens. But to be disrespectful of the commitment of a veteran, serving soldier, or RCMP is unacceptable because without them you wouldn't have the right to disagree.
Who is a veteran?
A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or reserve -
is someone who, at one point in his/her life, signed a blank check made payable to "The People of Canada", for an amount "up to and including my life."
David Laxton, 2006
For anyone, especially Laird Herbert, who would like to illustrate their thanks and respect of the gift of freedom they have been given free of charge I would be honoured to provide you with a poppy, free of charge.
The donations from the poppy campaign go to support and provide services to the surviving veterans and family members that the government is unable to care for. Recently the Whitehorse branch of the Royal Canadian Legion put forward $10,000 to support the veteran's transition program. This program assisted 6 Yukon veterans to deal with the stresses of conflict which they endured. If there were any who understood the importance of peace it is those who have fought for and defended freedom for this country. And I have no idea how much a poppy cost to make.
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SP on Nov 8, 2009 at 11:29 am
What a positive initiative!
We will always remember those whose lives have been taken by war. And we can reflect on what kind of society we could have, if we could find ways of resolving our differences without conflict. Then families and communities would not have to be placed in such tragic situations as to bear the deaths of their loved ones. For even when the loss is borne of bravery, courage, and selflessness, it is a loss just the same. That such fine qualities could be alive in our communities to flourish instead!
Striving for a peaceful world is something that is in everyone's best interest.
Good work!
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Ellis Henderson on Nov 6, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Laird,
yes, although this is an honorable project, it is true, maybe you should be worrying about nuclear warming?!
love,
those who wish for you to start thinking about saving yourself
ps. we are helping you help yourself.
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JC on Nov 5, 2009 at 9:41 am
The Bible says, "For when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a women with child, and they shall not escape" There will be no peace until Jesus Christ comes. The peaceniks should be worrying about nuclear warming instead of global warming and peace. The Bible tells us about a great nuclear holocaust in the last days. Time to think about saving yourselves.