Declaration of The Elders

Who are we defending with our armed forces? Should it not be the young families?

by Guy Hawkins

It is time for a paradigm shift in how Canadians view the role of the military in Canada. Canada's military stands in defence of Canadians and the values Canadians hold. Canadians believe that it is necessary to defend ourselves and our values with weapons. These weapons are given to young men and women who place themselves in harm’s way to protect us and the values Canadians hold.

We propose that we have it backwards. We need to take a lesson from the caribou herds that roam the vast tundra of Canada as they have for millennia. These herds of several hundred animals run in an “age formation” with the youngest members of the herd running in the centre with older members of the herd running further and further from the centre. This is concentric, in that it is not a race with the slowest at the back and the fastest at the front; all around the outside of the herd are running the grandparents and great grandparents of the youngest members of the herd.

This protects the integrity of the herd because the productive members and the soon-to-be-productive members of the herd are protected by the members of the herd who’s productive contribution has already been made—they are no longer breeding successfully. These members of the herd are the ones that are taken down by predators, which saves the productive members—that is, the ones that will enable the herd to continue into the future. Coincidently this also is the best strategy for the survival of the predators. If predators were to kill the youngest members of the herd then the herd would soon disappear leaving the predators without their means of survival.

We The Elders have created a model for Canada's military to place this natural evolutionary strategy into our present human context.

We are 50-plus years old and receive pensions and income from investments—we are retired or semi-retired from the workforce. Our productive time as far as Canadian society is concerned is complete. There are thousands of people just like us in Canada who are now enjoying retirement by amusing themselves with countless recreational activities and other diversions.

We are no longer contributing much to society; we are mostly taking what we believe we earned through 40 years of contributing. It is a common belief that we cared for the elders while we worked, and now it is time for younger people to take care of us. The bumper sticker, “I'm spending my children's inheritance” is the opposite of what should happen. It is up to the senior members of society to forgo using up resources themselves so that younger members have those resources to benefit themselves and grow a just Canadian society with the values we hold to be universal.

We would like to reverse this notion that the young take care of the old. I suggest that we call back the young men and women in Canada's military to be with their families here in Canada where they are needed the most. They are at the time in their lives when they need to be with their families—Canada's future. Canadians, like myself, should trade places with our military personal to fulfill Canada's obligation to the world community. We elders have made our contribution to Canadian society. It is now up to us to put ourselves in harm’s way in defence of Canadian society and the values we hold.

There will be no need for us to be armed as we have lived long enough to know that what is needed in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Haiti is not more guns but to help the ordinary people to rebuild their country. As elders we bring our lifetime of experience to the situation. We are doctors, nurses, engineers, architects, carpenters, plumbers, cooks, farmers, teachers, managers. We have practical experience with our professions as well as living in a tolerant multicultural society. There will be no need for a Canadian “base” in these countries as we will organize ourselves according to the various needs in the countries to which we are sent. We will arrive self-contained—individually or in small groups—with a tent, sleeping bag and cooking utensils. We will move about the country asking where can we contribute—build a road, bridge, school, clinic or perhaps help with organizational skills or fund-raising within Canada for specific projects. This will be completely decentralized and not reliant on the government except perhaps for transportation to the country where we are to contribute. The sole purpose for our being in another country is for the benefit of the citizens of that country. We will not be there to facilitate exploitation of the country's resources for the benefit of Canadian business.

As we are retired and already self-sufficient there will be no need for the government to pay us. We will pay our own way, using Canadian currency, in the countries where we are sent. This money will find its way back to Canada to purchase products and services manufactured and supplied by Canadians working in Canada—providing meaningful employment within Canada for the young productive members of our society. Huge savings of tax payer resources will be gained because we elders will fend for ourselves in the countries where we are sent—allowing those resources which are presently being deployed keeping Canada's military active in three foreign countries to be used in Canada. This program depends on the elders using skills and resources acquired during a lifetime of working and living in Canada. This will be a direct action program—resources are not devoted to bureaucratic organizations that prioritize and oversee programs. Elders in the field will organize and raise funds for specific needs themselves. Elders that are not physically able to leave Canada to work in the field will help with organizing and fund-raising within Canada.

We will be willing to die in foreign lands in protection of our children and grandchildren—our Canadian society and the values we, as Canadians, hold, if that is what is asked of us.

We will go where we are sent in Canada's name and work with what is available to the best of our ability. If we are sent to dangerous places where armed combatants are skirmishing we will do our best. We will not refuse any assignment that is asked of us. We will gladly stand in harm’s way in defence of Canada, Canadian society and the values we hold.

When Canada's military return home we will give them a huge champagne party to thank them for their courage, placing themselves in harm’s way in protection of Canada. After recovering from their hangover we will offer them the opportunity to work on national, regional or local projects. As we are already paying their salaries with the present tax structure, we can afford to continue to pay their salaries without hardship. Each person in the military will be responsible for finding meaningful employment that contributes to improving Canadian society. As long as they are able to be so employed we will continue to pay their salaries—along with the regular pay increases that come with advancement through the ranks.

We will stand down our military completely; we will sell off our bases, equipment, ships, planes, guns etc. There is only one country in the world that would invade Canada and that is the United States. If The US were to invade Canada militarily we would be no match for their superior forces so it does us no good to fund a military for national protection. The US could not come into Canada shooting unarmed citizens. The rest of the world would not allow this nor would the US even contemplate it. The US already completely dominates Canada politically and economically and is presently overtaking our Canadian culture, so the only invasion left would be military and that is never going to happen if we have no military.

We will build the Elder Corps from the ground up. If you believe in the ideals stated in our declaration and would like to be part of this movement, please register with us—we will not share this information with any group or individual. We would like to send out newsletters regarding the size of the movement as well as any progress implementing our goals. We are building the Elder Corps into a national movement that is capable of initiating the change in Canada's military that we believe is necessary. Register at eldercorps.ca

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