THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE & FLANDERS PEACE FIELD PROJECT
a Don Mullan Concept
"... a moment of humanity in a time of carnage... what must be the most extraordinary celebration of Christmas since those notable goings-on in Bethlehem."
- Piers Brendon, British Historian
The Island of Ireland Peace Park stands on a gentle slope overlooking the site of one of the most extraordinary events of World War I, and indeed, world history. On Christmas Eve 1914 the guns fell silent and, as darkness descended, British soldiers heard the sounds of Christmas carols rising from the German lines. The British ranks responded, first by applause and cheering, and then by singing themselves.
Being curious, some soldiers raised their heads above the trenches. In the distance they could see the glow of candles on small Christmas trees. German
heads were also seen peering above the trenches. No shots were fired. Some soldiers raised their heads higher. Shoulders, trunks and entire bodies soon
stood above the trenches.
Soldiers on both sides began to inch closer and eventually met at the heart of No Man’s Land, poignantly surrounded by their fallen comrades, frozen rigid by, and clothed in, frost. They shook hands, exchanged gifts and drinks, swapped cap
badges and buttons, and showed one another photographs of their families and loved ones.
This extraordinary encounter continued throughout Christmas Day, during which the dead were buried. Contemporary correspondence and reports from the period suggest that a football was produced and a game of soccer between German and British soldiers was played with the Germans emerging 3-2 winners.
Today, the debris of war, the hundreds and thousands of corpses and wounded, the mud and wire have all been removed. Apart from a small wooden cross and an accompanying information panel, the memory is all but erased. When I first visited the site, near Ploegsteert Wood, close to Mesen/Comine, Belgium, on 28 August 2008, the cross was dwarfed by an eight-foot-tall maize harvest.
Unable to see the length and breadth of No Man’s Land upon which one of the most moving encounters of human history occurred, I asked permission to enter a nearby two-storey house. From an upstairs window I looked upon neat rows of maize stretching towards the church dome of Mesen and the Round Tower of the Island of Ireland Peace Park, some three kilometres distant.
As I surveyed the site of this small but momentous and hope-filled moment of history, I imagined, by the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Truce in 2014, a Flanders Peace Field for the children and youth of Europe and the world. A field upon which, over and over again, that moment of humanity would be immortalised through the energy of the young. I saw, not a stadium, but a college-type sports field, surrounded by bleachers, around which the field of maize would continue to be harvested as sustenance for humanity.
The Christmas Truce Project has two main goals:
1. To create a Flanders Peace Field where young people will gather to play sport and reflect on the lessons of the remarkable 1914 Christmas truce for the twenty-first century.
2. To create an International Christmas Truce Carol and Folk Festival in Flanders with satellite services across Europe and the world to celebrate that night of magic when carols, songs and music allowed enemies to become friends and created a moment in history that, today, encourages us to reach across our own No Man’s Land of prejudice, fear and misunderstandings.
The Flanders Peace Field
The Flanders Peace Field is inspired by contemporary correspondence and reports that give rise to the belief that a football match was played close to Messines and Ploegsteert Wood involving both British and German troops during the Christmas truce of 1914.
On 1 January 1915 The Times published a letter from a major in the Medical Corp, who described the Christmas truce, stating that his regiment:
…actually had a football match with the Saxons, who beat them 3-2!!!
The British account is supported by the official war history of the 133rd Saxon Regiment, which described the ‘droll scene’ of Tommy and Fritz first chasing down hares fleeing from under the cabbages, then kicking about a football furnished by a Scot:
… This developed into a regulation football match with caps casually laid down as goals. The frozen ground was no great matter. Then we organized each side into teams, lining up in motley rows, the football in the centre. The result: ‘Das Spiel endete 3:2 fur Fritz.’
On 19 December 2008 Dr Ian Paisley recounted to me the story of an old neighbour from his childhood who told him about the Christmas truce and who claimed to have participated in a football game:
…he told me that at the time of the truce … he played in the football match. And he said, ‘We had a great crowd watching, both German and all
the others.’
Referring to reports that football was played, Dr Paisley continued:
I think it was right. There were too many [who said it happened]. What would they make that up for? They were severely rebuked afterwards on
both sides.
We know for certain that the Irish took an active role in the 1914 Christmas truce. The regimental history of the 13th London Regiment, the Kensingtons, records:
We were a little embarrassed by this sudden comradeship, and, as a lasting joke against us, let it be said that the order was given to stand to arms. But we did not fire, for the battalion of the Irish Fusiliers, with their national sense of humour, answered the enemies’ salutations with songs
and jokes and made appointments in No Man’s Land for Christmas Day. We felt small and subdued and spent the remainder of Christmas Eve in watching the lights flicker and fade on the Christmas trees in their trenches and in hearing voices grow fainter and eventually cease.
With the active support of the towns of Messines (Mesen) and Comines and the Messines Peace Village, this project will be aimed at drawing the youth of Europe and the world to the region to play football and other sports on the Flanders Peace Field. They will do so in memory of the opposing soldiers who, on their own initiative, temporarily ended a war to explore their common humanity. Their visit to the Flanders Peace Field will also involve introductory talks, audio-visual presentations and exhibition materials that will explore the theme of ‘Sport and Development for Peace’. The young people will be encouraged to actively engage in projects that contribute to local and international peace and development when they return to their respective communities.
Those who play on the Peace Field will be given a commemorative medal and certificate.
Already the memory of the Christmas truce football game has inspired literature and art and an organisation called ‘Truce’, whose patron is Sven-Göran Eriksson, the former England, Mexico and Ivory Coast manager, which seeks to make football available to children in poor and conflict regions of the world.
With imagination, other sporting disciplines can also be incorporated. For example, the idea is emerging of an annual Flanders Peace Field Cher Ami pigeon race. It will be in memory of a homing pigeon named Cher Ami which, despite grave wounds, managed to fly back to its loft some twenty-five miles from the front, carrying the coordinates of a lost US battalion, thus saving the lives of almost two hundred men. Considered a national hero, Cher Ami is now preserved at the Smithsonian in Washington DC.
The Flanders Peace Field might also inspire visits from foreign dignitaries and international peacemakers.
For instance, the idea of a visit from Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2014 is under consideration. The Flanders Peace Field idea has also helped influence the design concept of a new world trophy – ‘The Fans World Cup’ – which we hope will be presented for the first time to the participating country whose fans are regarded as the most sporting at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Messines Peace Village International Peace School
The Messines Peace Village, an initiative that grew out of the Irish peace process, is a wonderful – though currently underused – facility built for the purpose of welcoming visitors, especially the young, to the region. It is a world class youth hostel that can accommodate up to 140 young people and their leaders. The idea of developing an International Christmas Truce Peace School at the Peace Village is currently under consideration.
I have respectfully suggested that the proposed International Peace School might consider offering something unique and in keeping with the Christmas Truce Project and the Flanders Peace Field. The plan is to link the proposed Peace School with the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace, exploring the role of sport in conflict resolution and international humanitarianism and development.
I am hopeful that, together with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Pelé will become patron of the Christmas Truce Project and Flanders Peace Field. Archbishop Tutu is remembered for his seminal work in helping to peacefully end Apartheid in South Africa and his skilful chairing of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. In 1967, during the Nigerian Civil War, both sides agreed, and honoured, a 48-hour truce so that they could go to Lagos to watch Pelé play in an exhibition game with his team Santos FC.
Christmas carols, folk songs and music
Inspired by the Christmas carols that enticed soldiers to leave their trenches and initiate the 1914 Christmas truce, I have initiated an annual International Christmas Truce Carol and Folk Festival in Flanders. The first Festival opened with the Desmond and Leah Tutu Peace Choir on 10 December 2010.
The date which the festival will be based around is December 6th, the Feast of St Nicholas, which retains a strong tradition in this region of Belgium and throughout mainland Europe. (By coincidence, Mesen church is named after St Nicholas.) It is envisaged that the International Peace School will participate in the Festival by incorporating traditional songs that explore the different cultures present in the trenches in 1914.
Soldiers often listened to ‘the enemy’ entertaining themselves with songs and music across No Man’s Land. Furthermore, we know from research that more than fifty ethnic groups, nationalities and cultures were present in the region, including Archbishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela’s people, the Xhosa nation of South Africa.
Art and literature
There exists a body of literature and art which explores the theme of the Christmas truce. This all needs to be collected and made more readily available
for research and reflection.
There also exists room for much more. For example, the acclaimed UK sculptor and artist Andrew Edwards has a vision for the Flanders Peace Field that would incorporate a series of donated sculpture pieces from around the world that explore the theme of peace, reconciliation and sport. These might be placed on a walk that symbolically takes visitors across No Man’s Land from, for example, the town square of Mesen to the centre of Comines. A whole tradition could be built around such a walk. Andrew is already in discussions with the English FA about a monument commemorating the Christmas Truce football game.
Irish author, James O’Halloran, author of When the Acacia Bird Sings has just completed a novel related to World War I and the Christmas truce.
International youth events
Youth, boys and girls, will be an integral part of the Flanders Peace Field enterprise. The intention would be to bring young people from across Europe and the world to stay at the Peace Village where they will participate in the International Peace School, learn about the Christmas truce, reflect on its relevance and message for today and experience the joy of sport on the Flanders Peace Field.
The Peace Village is also an ideal location to bring together protagonists from conflict zones around the world, a safe haven where they can encounter each
other’s common humanity and, reflecting on the wondrous gesture of the ordinary soldiers of the 1914 Christmas truce, seek ways to heal the wounds of war and conflict.
International sporting tournaments are also being devised which would see national Christmas truce school and youth club competitions culminate in
international finals on the Flanders Peace Field. These competitions will be about inspiration. They will be about encouraging boys and girls to believe in themselves and to discover that the real joy of sport is in the participating and sharing. Winning is a bonus, but to lose with honour and grace is an indication of a true sportsperson.
Conclusion
What is important is that we work to preserve the memory of when ordinary soldiers, on both sides of World War I, decided to stop fighting and explore
their common humanity. In doing so, they were responsible for an act of fraternisation that caused great disquiet among the high-ranking officers of
both armies. The generals were diligent in subsequent Christmas seasons to ensure that the truce of 1914 never again happened. Why? They understood
better than most the consequences of encountering the humanity of one’s enemy. The soldiers of the Christmas truce realised that they had more in common with each other than they had dividing them. They showed each other photographs of their mothers, fathers, wives, sons and daughters and discovered
that their hopes and dreams were the same, even though expressed in different sounding words. Once we recognise our core human values, it is very
hard to kill with the dispassion required by a military machine.
We owe it to the soldiers of the Christmas truce to explore more deeply the spirit of what seemed foolhardy actions and to reflect on the lessons their encounters bring to light.
Abraham Lincoln once wrote that force is all-conquering, but its victories are short-lived. More powerfully he noted:
I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.
Albert Einstein captured the spirit of the Christmas truce when he said:
Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.
This, more than any other motive, is what frightened higher command in the great armies of World War I who resolved to ensure that a Christmas truce
never happened again.
Mahatma Gandhi said that there is no way to peace. Peace is the way. He also argued that victory attained by violence is tantamount to defeat, for it is momentary. Perhaps one of his most powerful statements is the following:
I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.
The soldiers of the 1914 Christmas truce have, however, left us a great legacy. Their momentary ending of violence, against the wishes of their superiors, not only did great good at the time, it also did permanent good and, as we approach the hundredth anniversary of their action, it will inspire generations of peacemakers to come.
Visit Flanders Peace Field; bring your family and friends. Play football and games. Encounter other people from round the world and realise that strangers are friends waiting to be discovered. The world needs peacemakers. It needs us all to step out of our trenches and cross the No Man’s Land of ignorance, prejudice and violence. By doing so, we will discover, as the soldiers of the Christmas truce did, that we are all brothers and sisters on a small and vulnerable planet. Peacemaking today is about building friendship. And sport is a wonderful bridge to building a better world.
© Don Mullan, 2011
This concept document was first published as Appendix II, ‘Building Community’ by James O’Halloran, (CURRACH PRESS, 2011), Dublin, IRELAND.
ISBN 978-1-85607-999-0
Don Mullan is a bestselling author, filmmaker, freelance journalist, photographer, concept developer, and humanitarian worker.
INTERVIEW WITH ISHA JOHANSEN
http://www.fcjohansen.com/club/media.html
Isha Johansen is a proactive humanitarian respected at home and abroad. Her vision to provide children and young people education, health and well-being through football in Sierra Leone has gained recognition across the globe. NCFA’s Founder Director Ernie Brennan (EB) caught up with Isha (IJ) at the Swizz Under 16s International Cup last August where FC Johansen picked up the winner’s trophy leaving many new admirers to look inwardly at the power of football to influence children and young people
EB. Can you tell the National Children’s Football Alliance (NCFA) about why you and your husband Arne birger Johansen invested your time into a young football club?
IJ. The club was established in 2004 and initially it was never the intention to form a football club. It was more of a humanitarian venture which was to support some of the orphaned and mainly underprivileged boys. The country at that time was still recovering from a brutal ten year civil war. My husband and I thought that by using football as a carrot, we could encourage the boys to stay focused in school thereby striking a balance between education and football.
EB. What are the major problems that children and young people face playing football is Sierra Leone?
IJ. For a start, young children, especially the socially underprivileged see football as the only means of earning a living in the future therefore it is quite a task trying to make them understand the importance of getting themselves a decent education for the future. I think that basic logistics like transportation, kids walk miles to train at proper grounds like the national stadium practise fields. Or the football academy, which is an artifical turf supported by FIFA. Training jersey’s, boots, and all the other necessities a young footballer needs are lacking. They simply cannot afford them and neither can a great number of the clubs.
EB. Who are the children that participate in FC Johansen?
IJ. Any talented player is welcome for trials. The players in FC Johansen are boys mainly from socially deprived backgrounds.
EB. Can you tell us what inspires you to carry out your work?
IJ. Seeing how the club and the players have grown from obscurity to a household name and young sports ambassadors for their country.
EB. Who are the biggest supporters of FC Johansen?
IJ. I guess the youth since it is a young club with young players in comparism to other clubs in the premier league.
EB. How successful is the Empowering Girls and Women in football projects in Sierra Leone?
IJ. Not very as the FA in Sierra Leone are yet to put effective structures in place to get female football off the ground. That said, there has been some recent organisational changes within the FA to facilitate female football in schools and clubs.
EB. What has been FC Johansen highlights to date?
IJ. Taking the u-16 to participate in the Swiss U-16 cup and emerging champions. This resulted in some of the players being invited to Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City Academy.
The ultimate for FC Johansen has been the club’s emergence into the premier league. We were the first division champions, with an unbeaten record of not losing a single match in the first division league.
EB. What do you think the players get from playing in tournaments abroad and what positive aspects do these bring to the Club?
IJ. These boys have never travelled beyond their natural environs so for them to enter into a plane alone is a big thrill. They get to meet other boys from different backgrounds and the sharing of knowledge and experiences is such a wonderful and positive injection into the club.
EB. How important is it that the world of soccer acknowledges children who play the game in Africa?
IJ. The talent there is abundant. The love and passion for football comes as naturally as does music and rhythm. Football is in many ways a way of life for kids in Africa.
EB. Children in many cultures struggle to retain their birth right to play football, how does FC Johansen address this issue in the corridors of power?
IJ. I do not think this is an issue in my country or indeed in FC Johansen. Like I said earlier, football is a way of life here so it’s a natural progression for any young boy who wants to play football to go ahead and play.
EB. In your opinion is there scope for an International Children’s Football Alliance that could represent children on a global platform? An organisation that supports the world’s extended children’s football family and reinforces all the good work being done by organisations and clubs such as yourself.
IJ. Absolutely.
EB. Is there a FC Johansen project that you would like to tell our readers about and how they might like to support the good work being done?
IJ. My husband and I have a 30 acre land which is some 45minutes away from the city. The objective is to build and academy with a few pitches, and a club house. It is hoped that through THE JOHANSEN NATIONAL SCHOOL OF SPORTS EXCELLENCE ACADEMY, we can be able to fully engage in the educational aspect of the club. We can get the older players who have not been able to make it to the professional stage to give back to society by teaching or coaching at the academy. We will also encourage farming/agriculture as part of the academy syllabus.
In the meantime, we are in the process of securing a three storey building in the city that will serve as boarding, and educational training centre for the players. We would be very appreciative of any support especially for the classrooms. Electronic boards, and blackboards, desks, chairs, Dinning or canteen equipments, bunk beds, pillows, sheets, lamps, you name it anything for a dormitory, classrooms and or canteen. Many thanks, and here’s wishing your organisation and all in the football family a truly prosperous 2012.
INTERVIEW WITH ABHIJEET BARSE
http://www.slumsoccer.org/
Slum Soccer was registered as a Non Governmental Public Charitable Trust Organization governed by the Public Trust Act of the state of Maharashtra in 2001 under a board of directors. The organization is subject to periodic financial audit by law. SS function with the ultimate aim of reaching out to the Indian homeless using football as a tool for social improvement and empowerment. Abhijeet Barse is at the forefront of providing safe fun environments for children and young people to play soccer.
Can you tell the National Children’s Football Alliance (NCFA) members what inspired you to form the fantastic Slum Soccer?
Most slum dwellers never get an opportunity to properly play and excel in sports activities. Vijay (our founder) realized that instead, many became criminals or substance users. As a sports teacher, Vijay was all too aware of the positive life skills sports can teach, as well as the loss for the country and the sports world, as so much talent goes unsupported and undiscovered. Vijay could empathize with children from the slums who had no proper sports instruction, and began running sports and games for them. He was encouraged not only by his friends and family, but also the guardians of the children and teenagers he was coaching; drug use and addictions went down, and school grades came up. He had a unique vision for India’s Slums.
What activities are Slum Soccer providing for children and where do Slum Soccer facilitate football in India?
Our project was created through necessity, its aim: to offer much needed sporting opportunities and personal development programs to disadvantaged young people across India. Football coaching camps and tournaments are organized for boys, girls and young adults from Slum areas around Nagpur. Whilst giving the children a chance to play football in an organized environment, we conduct workshops to run alongside the coaching sessions. As well as Healthcare workshops, we often hold educational workshops, in which the children are made aware of the importance of attending and working hard at school. One of the aspects of our project that we are most proud of is the continuing evolution of the project, which sees many of our former players now acting as coaches within our project. We are proud that these players want to continue and develop alongside side us. We believe it shows that they can appreciate how the project has benefited them in the past, and continues to benefit local children. The coaches and educators know exactly what will benefit the children, and the coaches can also promote our project within their local community. Upon seeing our coaches parents and guardians can see firsthand the benefits of football and our project.
What kind of children participates in your football activities?
Most of the children come from slums; we have centres running at orphanages, rescue centres and in the red light district of Nagpur.
Who are the volunteers that support Slum Soccer on the frontline?
We have a very dedicated group of volunteers. They come from all backgrounds but the common thread that binds them all is their passion for football and the opportunity to use football to achieve development. To name a few we have football coaches, teachers, engineers, doctors, software professionals, chartered accountants volunteering their services to us.
As you know NCFA share many of the aims of Slum Soccer especially, ‘Development through Football’. How does your organisation use football to get young people back into education?
SS encourages all its participants to give education its due importance; our coaches keep a regular eye on how the children are doing in school. For other participants we are trying to provide out of school learning experience, based on their skill levels and interest.
Can you tell us about the Project Sunshine Kids and working in association with Sunshine Foundation? http://sunshinefoundation.org.in/projects_khushaali.html .
We intend to cover a lot of ground with project especially for female participants. Issues such as reproductive health and hygiene are being worked alongside with creating employment opportunity through this unique collaboration.
Slum Soccer’s philosophy mentions – ‘…the biggest factor that enables us to use football as a tool to connect with our people and bring about social development is quite stunningly simple. Football is fun! How difficult is it to convey this message in one of the world’s most celebrated cricket nations?
Initially it was quite difficult, but as soon as our participants started getting opportunities for showcasing their talents and being acknowledged by their community it became easier for us. Most of the coaches are players who have gone through the program and are now training and encouraging younger children to take up football. Also the fact that football is easier to play and learn and also cheap helps a lot in popularizing in neglected sections of the society.
Football for All is a basic Slum Soccer principle how is this worked into your methodology?
Football is used as tool to get the dialogue started between communities, it helps us to make an inroad in otherwise closed communities. Once the participants start to play and practice together we start with the educating them about issues such social inclusion, gender issues,
From a general participants perspective we don’t limit the participation, we invite everyone to participate irrespective of their age or gender.
How important is it that the world of soccer acknowledges children who play the game outside of the radar of the professional game?
One of the biggest achievements for our participants is the opportunity to play in the Homeless world Cup which gives equal importance football as well as development through football. When these participants come back after such as exposure, they start sharing their experience with their communities. We also train such participants to take up roles of leaders and mentors for other kids. From a football perspective such participants get to participate and be a part of good team outside our organization.
Children in many cultures struggle to retain their birth right to play football, how does Slum Soccer address this issue in the corridors of power?
Football still has a long way to go before it is considered important as compared to cricket. We are trying to promote football for the very reason that it is cheap and simple alternative to other sports. Also one of the biggest challenges is that sports is considered to be a competitor to education, it is this mindset that we are trying to break. We are trying to improve at the grassroots, but we hope that the effects will be reflected at the higher levels.
In your opinion is there scope for an International Children’s Football Alliance that could represent children on a global platform? An organisation that supports the world’s extended children’s football family and reinforces all the good work being done by organisations such as yourself.
Yes, absolutely. Having gone through your website i believe that you are trying to give football the much needed social/community side, instead of creating just footballers you are trying to create well rounded kids which by our standards is highly commendable.
Is there a Slum Soccer project that you would like to tell our readers about and how they might like to support the good work being done?
Very recently we started women’s football development project which is focussed on girls from our target areas. We need support in terms of female coaches, curriculum development and finances as well. Creating awareness about our work is also one area where we need support. |