A fitting moment to celebrate 75 years of peace
This year’s VE Day commemoration is a particularly poignant one, as we mark 75 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. Few could have predicted when this landmark anniversary was being planned that we would be observing it in very different circumstances from the ones envisaged. The coronavirus pandemic has curtailed much of that planning, so the date will have to be marked differently. But it is not altogether inappropriate that the end of a conflict which cost many millions of lives – many of them innocent civilians – should be commemorated in a quiet, solemn and dignified manner. Once the current crisis subsides there will be an opportunity for more public events to mark the occasion. With every passing year there are fewer and fewer veterans of the Second World War who are still with us, but they should all know how much we value their service – and how profoundly we appreciate the sacrifice of those who were lost. Seventy-five years on from the end of the war in Europe, we should pause and reflect on what that really means. We have had three-quarters of a century of peace, and whole generations have grown up without having to know or face the terrible reality of war. We should also commit ourselves to ensuring such horrors are never repeated. And, as the world currently finds itself fighting a different kind of battle, we should all strive to do what we can to embrace and celebrate our common humanity.