No parades, gatherings- each from home and bubble
Venkat Raman
Auckland, April 25, 2020
Thousands of New Zealanders paid tribute to the brave soldiers who fought and perished at Gallipoli during the First World War as they marked ANZAC Day in various parts of the country earlier today.
But it was a remembrance with a marked difference.
There were no pre-dawn prayers, soldiers in their full gear or gatherings to pay verbal tributes.
Instead, people stood in front of their houses, on their driveways or balconies and prayed in silence for thousands who gave their lives in the service of the country.
Commitment to empathy
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led this remembrance from the driveway of the Premier’s House in Wellington, joined by her Partner Clarke Gayford and her father Ross Ardern.
In her address, Ms Ardern said that this year New Zealand had to find new ways to commemorate together but our purpose remains the same.”
“Today, we honour the Anzac commitment and will reflect on our enduring hope for peace in a world that does not ask for the sacrifice of war, but instead asks for a commitment to empathy, kindness and to our shared humanity. Through Anzac Day, we are all connected.
“It is a day to reflect on the many ways in which war has shaped our communities, and the myriad different perspectives and experiences among us. This year, a new threat faces all nations as the impact of the Coronavirus deepens worldwide. As we face these significant challenges, we remember the courage of those who have served in the name of peace and justice,” she said.
Opportunity to care
Ms Ardern said that the day was an opportunity “to look after each other in difficult times, to make Aotearoa a place that stands up at home and in the international community for the values of inclusiveness, kindness and compassion.
“Anzac Day is a time to reflect on the contribution made by each and every New Zealander who has served in war and conflict. Over the decades, it has become a time also to reflect on who we are as a nation, and the values that we stand for,” she said.
In a broadcast this morning, Defence Minister Ron Mark said that many of the usual Anzac Day activities could not take place this year under lockdown.
However, there is still plenty that Kiwis could do to mark the day, he said.
“Pause, reflect, pay our respects and give thanks to those who gave so much not just 105 years ago at Gallipoli, or the six long years of the Second World War but for every conflict and ever operation which we have been involved with since them. We owe them that it is a privilege to do so,” he said.
Day of Significance
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in New Zealand and Australia that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations to protect us and our country.
The word ‘Anzac’ is a part of the culture of New Zealanders and Australians.
When Britain declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914, it was committing not only its own men, but those of its Empire.
The five ‘Dominions,’ namely, Australia, Canada, Newfoundland (which joined with Canada in 1949), New Zealand and South Africa, were self-governing but had no power over foreign policy. Most entered the war willingly, proud to go to the aid of the empire, often pictured as a lion with its cubs.
But as the war dragged on and their young men died in droves, they pressed for more say in its conduct and, after it ended, more control over their destinies. The men who came home often found that fighting for Britain had, paradoxically, made them feel more distant from it. A century later, many historians see the first world war as the former dominions’ ‘War of Independence.’
