Field of Honour Full Of Life is a new way of commemorationg which took place in juni 2015 for the first time on the Nationaal Ereveld in Loenen (Loenen Field of Honour, The Netherlands). It's a commemoration where the life potential that was lost is symbolically placed behind the graves for one day. It's a way that helps us understand the size of the impact of the loss of a man or woman - not just in the moment itself but also for the generations to come. For one day the Field of Honour is 'full of life'. Behind every grave stands a man, woman, child or soldier of corresponding age and sex of the person burried at the grave.
Field Of Honour Full Of Life remembers those who fell victim to the violence of war. Not as people that have been killed but as the living people they were - a life that ended abruptly by violence and war. During the commeoration Field of Honour Full of Life we symbolically face these lives one more time and fall silent. This way or commemorating was inspired by the idea of not rememebering the dead but remembering the living. These victims were no old people - no history - they were young like you and me. To be able to relate us to these people as the people that they are and thus to be able to realise the magnitude of the loss of life and to understand how incredibly precious the world of peace and freedom is. A world where these victims of war are no longer a part of but we are. And that demands Responsibility. Responsibility to them and to ourselves.
Linked below is a presentation that was made to introduce Field of Honour Full of Life to the international community.
The commemoration Field of Honour Full of Life took place from 2015 to 2018 at the Loenen Field of Honour in The Netherlands. Over 3.900 victims of war are buried at this Field of Honour. The people buried here have lost there lives in many different places and circumstances. They consist of soldiers, citizens, resistance fighters, 'Engelandvaarders', reprisal victims, forced laborers but also victims of the police actions in Indonesia and victims from recent peace missions.