Last January 22, a photo exhibit on soldiers from World War I was opened at the Learning Commons, a few months after the centinerary of the 1918 Armistice that ended the conflict. Titled “World War One-Far from Home,” the exhibit features a global perspective on the aforementioned war, showing the lives of soldiers away from the front lines.
The exhibit is handled by the DLSU History Department and the Office of the Dean for the College of Liberal Arts. It was opened by and organized with the help of His Excellency Michel Goffin, Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium.
From all walks of life
The exhibit features soldiers from different parts of the world fulfilling different roles, such as those from the Senegalese Tirailleurs (Skirmishers), the Tunisian Spahis (Light Cavalry), and the Indochinese logistics troops. Goffin explained that the context of this diversity is in the empires of the European powers. “Together, Great Britain and France controlled two large—very large colonial empires. They would naturally draw on them extensively during the war, for both material and human resources,” he disclosed.
The exhibit’s diversity is something that is rarely seen in other media involving World War I, according to Goffin. As he elaborated, “Talking about only the Western front, only about Belgium and Flanders, would diminish the global aspect, the global impact of that war.” In doing this, the exhibit intends to show the lesser known aspects of the war.
Youth as hope for the future
In his speech, Goffin shared his belief that holding events such as the photo exhibit is important in showing that the war had happened in history. He believes that young university students are the future of the country, stressing the importance of exposing them to what had happened before so that hopefully they may learn from such events.
He also emphasized his desire for the youth to learn of how things were before, citing as an example the absence of now existent unions, such as the the United Nations and European Union, during the time of the armed conflict, and how these institutions have actively kept international peace and order today.
He also believed that education will be very important in the youth’s role in shaping the future. “It’s their (the youth’s) responsibility to build a decent future for the country and the world,” said Goffin. Because of this, he encouraged students to undertake extensive studying, especially with the rise of social media and readily available electronic resources.
He also argued that exploring other countries aside from one’s own can broaden one’s horizons, which can also be a solution for peace in the future. “Go abroad and learn how, meet other people from different countries,” suggested Goffin.
Previously, the exhibit has been held in other universities around Manila. However, Goffin wanted to take the exhibit further and beyond the city, stressing that “Manila is not the Philippines. There are many more young people outside. We will still continue to show the exhibit there.”
The photo exhibit is open for viewing until Saturday, January 26.
