“Certainly in the present period in the US, Veterans Day would be a good time to HONOR THE REFUSENIKS WHO Would NOT SERVE IN AMERICA's IMPERIAL WARS." - Rabbi Michael Lerner, Tikkun Magazine (Rabbi Michael Lerner was imprisoned during the U.S. War in Vietnam, for his opposition and solid activism and peace movement leadership, both on university campuses where he chaired S.D.S. at both the University of California at Berkeley and University of Washington, in Seattle, during that most unpopular war. The notorious, vindictive head of the F.B.I in that era, J. Edgar Hoover, was vengeful and went after peace leaders, such as Rabbi Michael Lerner. In later life, Rabbi Lerner grew to refer to his Badge of Courage, having stood for what was right, in the face of the vengeful, irrational power Hoover waged on good citizens. such as Rabbi Michael Lerner).
OWHR Institute-Quebec Director, Isaac Romano shown in the photo below from a Stanstead Newspaper article (Stanstead, Quebec is in the Eastern Townships of Quebec), on his birthday, November 11th, while holding his symbolic birthday cake, with dove for peace (and see his birthday card, next to the cake), at the Lennoxville, Quebec Cenotaph location for this media news conference announcement of plans to hold a major international Conference, “Cultural Memory: the Role of Remembering and the Politics of Forgetting. Preparing our country and our world for healing and Remembrance.”
People world-wide are wanting, we might even say, yearning for a real Remembrance. To move past the near superficial concept of “Remembrance” we see applied by the elites and militarists on Remembrance Day* and instead apply a new, true healing paradigm for a world ready for far deeper, effective emotional recovery from the savage barbarism that is war, so we are in far better shape, individually and collectively (though we can't wait and must act now) to resolve our differences non-violently. (*The unfortunate term in the U.S. is “Veterans Day.” We call the citizenry in the U.S. to push their leaders to rename Veterans Day, and instead, as in Canada, rename it, Remembrance Day.) ...Moving past the near superficial concept of “Remembrance,” (brief, pacified, almost fleeting in form, though somewhat moving, a form of culturally appropriated romanticization) we see today, most everywhere in our world.It has always been a traumatic barbarism which war has rot on people of all ages. Leaving deep, heavy laden scars on all of civilization. On all civilians and all veterans and all soldiers!Our civilization is ready for this fuller notion of “Remembrance” and we call on governments and governmental policies at the city, state and federal levels to set the stage for true healing styled Remembrance Day observances, for citizens to avail themselves the most effective emotional healing and counselling modalities, at no cost. Allowing a fuller, unflinching frontal view (direct looking at the pain and terror inflicted and related night terrors, etc.) with the support of loving, trained listeners and allies, creating the emotional safety, safe places for expressions of righteous indignation and rage, to vent and drain our pain, allowing people of all walks of life and all ages, both civilians and Veterans and soldiers to drain the burden they have carried, through our tears. Allowing us to heal the damage caused to all peoples of the world, due to war. This will further allow in the near future, for our nations leaders to move awarely away from their nations using power and domination (which has never worked, over the past six thousand years), to instead apply Policies of Generosity. Allowing leaders and all people to reclaim our birthright. Let us see and treat each as sacred beings worthy of respect and dignity. Let us all respond to the universe with awe, wonder and radical amazement. Responding in this way, to the crisis in Gaza and other situations of conflict and oppression, we will be able to find a path to reconciliation, healing, peace and justice.
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Acknowledging the traditional peoples
and territories here in Quebec and Montreal
The traditional peoples of the Montreal area are les Haudenosaunee(Mohawk).
In Quebec, we also acknowledge the Inuit, les Abenakis, les Algonquins,
les Atikamekws, les Crees, les Malecites, les Mi’kmaqs, les Innus, les Naskapis,
les Wendats and Mohawks and the Metis (les Metisses).