11 novemberviering Ieper 11 november 2011

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1 TOESPRAAK DOOR KRIS PEETERS VLAAMS MINISTER-PRESIDENT EN VLAAMS MINISTER VAN ECONOMIE, BUITENLANDS BELEID, LANDBOUW, ZEEVISSERIJ EN PLATTELANDSBELEID 11 novemberviering Ieper 11 november 2011 Mijnheer de eerste minister, Mijnheer de gouverneur, Mijnheer de burgemeester, Mijnheer de voorzitter van het IOC, Dear Presidents of the Belgian, British and German Olympic Committees, Vice-President of the French Olympic Committee, Director-general of the OPCW, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, To this day, 93 years after the end of the Great War, the name Flanders Fields is synonymous around the world for grave human suffering, the loss of millions of lives and massive devastation. 1

2 But at the same time, it is a place that has seen great courage from thousands of young men. Men often even just boys, some even talented Olympic athletes that risked life and limb to help out their brothers in the trenches. It is also a place where the nations of the world came together as more than 50 countries united behind the Yser. The suffering of this war, of any war, can never be forgotten. This is why we have to remember. Uw stad, mijnheer de burgemeester, neemt inderdaad het voortouw in het herdenken van de Eerste Wereldoorlog. Elke dag wordt hier aan de Menenpoort herdacht. De Ieperse Last Post is een uniek eerbetoon, dat wereldwijd erkenning en waardering kent. 93 jaar na het einde van de Oorlog, staan hier elke dag nog mensen met kippenvel op de armen te kijken en te luisteren naar deze schitterende plechtigheid. 2

3 Ik ben dan ook blij dat Ieper, net als de Vlaamse regering en andere overheden in dit land, de aankomende herdenking van 100 jaar Groote Oorlog, niet geruisloos zullen laten voorbij gaan. Ladies and gentlemen, We are coming close to the Centenary of the start of the first World War. As the mayor already mentioned, this is an occasion the governments of our country - at all levels - will grasp to remember, and to transmit a message of peace around the world. And we extend our hand to the nations of the world to join in this remembrance. As former German Chancellor Willy Brandt once said: One man is enough to launch a crisis, but keeping the peace takes the effort of all of us. Yesterday, I presented the plans of the Government of Flanders for this remembrance period, together with vice-minister-president Bourgeois. 3

4 And although the pinnacle of the commemoration will lie between 2014 and 2018, plenty of activities are already planned for the coming two years. The first important step in the commemoration will take place precisely one year from now, when we intend to subscribe the Flanders Fields Declaration, together with like-minded partners. This declaration will emphasize that conflict and suffering have not yet been eradicated, and that respect for international law and human rights, cooperation between people, disarmament and integration, remain key elements in our pursuit of a better future for all mankind. I call on the nations who had troops in Flanders Fields and on all other engaged partners to sign and help propagate the Declaration. A second important milestone in the remembrance of 100 years World War I, will take place in November

5 My government will then organize an international conference, that has the global peace message of No more war as its central theme. It is my intention to invite a number of Nobel Peace Prize winners to this conference. Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former South- African President Frederik-Willem De Klerk have already confirmed their attendance. Finally, during the actual commemoration period between 2014 and 2018, the Government of Flanders would like to plant Flanders Fields Memorial Gardens in foreign places of symbolic importance. These gardens will honour and remember all those who fought and died during the Great War. In addition, they will be a lasting witness of hope, peace, reconciliation and international unity. Dames en heren, 93 jaar na datum, staan wij hier om hen te herdenken die gevallen zijn, die geleden hebben, die groot verlies hebben gekend. 5

6 Maar we zijn hier ook om vooruit te blikken en om duidelijk samen aan de wereld te zeggen dat Nooit meer oorlog onze gezamenlijke boodschap is. This town and these Flanders Fields have seen too much bloodshed in the past century. This is why Flanders will always choose for a path of peace. We choose for open dialogue instead of open war; for better mutual understanding instead of close mindedness; for No more war, today and every day. I thank you. 6