Dal and David's First Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure: Remembrance Day

In the last 2 weeks, we’ve visited

Vietnam War Remnants Museum, a tribute to the 1.1 million soldiers and the 3.0 million civilians that perished
Cu Chi Tunnels, a very strategic location that the Vietcong defended against the US and Vietnam armies by using an intricate ground tunnel system to hide, move and attack
My Son Temple Ruins, in Hoi An, Vietnam where we saw bomb craters and the remains of temples
The Killing Fields in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where over 17,000 people that were tortured by the Khmer Rouge were dumped into mass graves – over 2.5 million people died during this regime
The Cambodian Land Mine museum that was started by Aki Ra, one of CNN 2010 Hero finalists

These experiences, along with the Genocide museums and churches we saw in Rwanda, have been nothing short of heartbreaking for us. It’s simply astonishing such brutalities against fellow human beings have occurred in the last 35 years under the watch of the world. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the people of these countries that appear to have forgiven their oppressors and have moved on to carry wide smiles on their faces, although they remain mired in abject poverty.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” – The opening of the US Declaration of Independence written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson. This quote is also displayed, sardonically perhaps, at the Vietnam War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City.

In North America, war is justified as a last-resort method to defend basic freedoms. Having travelled through countries where citizens have suffered and been displaced by wars and still don’t enjoy these freedoms has made me appreciate what we have in Canada. We enjoy the right to achieve a standard of living to essentially experience anything we desire. We have personal and national security. We have rights. We are given free education. We are a land of opportunity for immigrants. We have social programs for those in need. We’re not a perfect country but all things considered, we have so little to complain about.

“I would like the opportunity to come to Canada” – said optimistically by countless people we’ve talked to during our trip. Sadly, I know that the majority of the people that express this desire will never have this opportunity. Poverty is an immovable anchor for the current generation and their best hope is to provide their children such an opportunity through education. Of course many of these children are also expected to help provide money for the family which hampers their education and the cycle of poverty continues. Throw in corrupt governments and enterprises that strive to widen the gap of rich and poor and it’s easy to be disillusioned.

Is there hope ? We've had the fortune meet people who have dedicated themselves to creating glimmers of hope for those in need. In Rwanda, we stayed with Cathy and Teste who run http://www.prefercanada.org/. At the Cambodian Land Mine Museum, we learned about Aki Ra who was a former Khmer Rouge soldier who has now dedicated his life to removing active landmines from his country. http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/archive10/aki.ra.html . And tomorrow, we get to meet Ponheary Ly, another CNN 2010 Hero nominee, who supports the education of over 2,000 children in Cambodia http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/06/18/cnnheroes.ly.cambodia/index.html.

This Remembrance Day, as a Canadian, I am grateful for the freedoms I enjoy and the people that have protected them. As a citizen of the world however, I am saddened that all men aren’t given equal opportunities to pursue life, liberty and happiness. As a human being, I’m inspired by those who smile regardless of their circumstances and dedicate themselves to improving the lives of others.

-DP