12/18/2015
Dublin City Council commissioning a bi-lingual play for a sensitively written, historical recount of the events of 1916. This upcoming spring, a historical fiction (but factually accurate) piece is to be viewed by an audience of children with varying levels of understanding the Irish and English languages and varying levels of familiarity & education about the significance of 1916 as part of the national commemoration of the Easter Rising. The theatre piece is to be part of the larger "Decade of Commemoration," a government-sponsored series of events commemorating and providing education about the turbulent, resonant, and still-relevant period of Irish history between the years 1912-1922.
We must remember history, and remember it carefully so that children may be provided with a true education, rather than indoctrination, which allows future generations to learn from the past. The greatest disservice we could do to the youth of Ireland is reset the sociopoliticaleconomic environment with emotionally charged political leanings and philosophical stances, recreating the tension which we already know fosters the outbreak of civil unrest, societal instability, discriminatory sectarianism, cultural segregation, hate crimes, and ultimately, tribal warfare.
Violent tribalism is domestic warfare which brings danger to one's doorstep, and turns teenagers and youth in their 20s- all of whom are still children; I insist this be understood- into armies which slaughter and are slaughtered. The horrors of war, from the scale of gangland clashes, compromised basic services & personal safety, destruction of homes & civilian casualties, to Scorched Earth, should not be experienced by anyone.
Though it sounds obvious, such horrors are absolutely unacceptable so long as children are present in one's nation- yet it is often children themselves pushed to witness, feel, be a part of, and even become, the horrors of war themselves.
Between the years 1912 and 1922, the human species literally lost an entire generation of youth on the cusp of adulthood. This occurred worldwide, and the decades since then up to the present, and even our near future, reflect that our species has not yet recovered from such a loss. We must demonstrate that we value human life, our future, and the well-being of our children in ways that spare young people from the ramifications of humanity's greatest mistakes to the extent which we can.
Peace.
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