Don't forget history, pass on peace

Commentator of this newspaper

Today is the eighth National Day of Commemoration for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre. In the name of the country, we deeply mourn the victims of the Nanjing Massacre and all the compatriots who were killed by the aggressors. "The prosperity of the country is also regarded as a wound to the people." Year after year, we hold state ceremonies for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre in order not to forget the history of suffering, condemn the brutality of the aggressors, and arouse the yearning and perseverance of every good person for peace.

War is a mirror that can better understand the preciousness of peace. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Today, peace and development have become the theme of the times, but the world is still very unstable, and the sword of Damocles of war is still hanging over human beings. We must learn from history and strengthen our determination to safeguard peace. On the eve of this year's National Day of Public Commemoration, Nanjing launched the "Children's Heart History and Ode to Peace on the Clouds" activity, issued a proposal to the world "Let the Sunshine of Peace Shine on the Earth", and called on children and young people from all countries to strive to become "little messengers of international peace". The activity has received a warm response from many teenagers at home and abroad. Peace is like air and sunshine, and if it is lost, it is difficult to survive, and it needs to be cherished and cared for. We remember the history of the Nanjing Massacre precisely to maintain peace, convey the eternal expectation of peace, and work together to take the road of the future.

At present, the century-old changes and the century epidemic are superimposed, the instability and uncertainty of the international security situation have increased, and people's desire for peace has become stronger. History has long proved that there is hope for peace only if we cherish and maintain peace. On the road to maintaining peace, it is necessary to unite the broadest forces. As the only international city of peace in China, Nanjing faces the international community and actively tells the story of Nanjing's peace and spreads the voice of China's peace. Since the first National Day of Commemoration in 2014, the historical facts of the Nanjing Massacre have aroused widespread recognition among people from all over the world. The Nanjing Massacre Archive was selected into UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, solidifying it into a common memory of mankind. Although the survivors and witnesses gradually withered away, the impact of the National Day of Public Worship became more and more far-reaching, and the flame of peace continued to grow.

The transmission of peace requires everyone's participation and contribution. Young people are the future of the motherland, the hope of the nation, and also the new force for maintaining peace and transmitting peace. In Nanjing, the "City of Peace", every year around the National Festival, it is necessary to organize various forms of theme education activities to guide young people to actively participate, implant the seeds of peace in their hearts, sprout and grow, and thrive into a forest. Peace is a seed, and you and I are sowers. In that year, the anti-war activist Shotaro Yamaguchi brought the February orchid under the Purple Mountain back to Japan and named it Purple Gold Grass. Nowadays, the team of "Purple Grass Volunteers" from different countries and regions is constantly growing. Although they have different skin colors and different languages, they share the same desire for peace. As long as everyone becomes the sower of peace, he will be able to play the strongest sound of peace with the widest participation.

Every time a national ceremony is held, it is a re-examination of the history of suffering, and it is also a prayer and transmission of peace. In Nanjing, the peace gene has long been integrated into the blood of the city and into the mighty tide of history. Let us draw strength from history, forge ahead into the future, pass on peace from generation to generation, and embrace the beautiful future of peace and development of mankind!

Source: Nanjing Daily