In terms of explaining the causes of a conflict, you will note that in the educational tool prepared on D-Day, we focus on a number of areas. However, the Memory Project is an additional resource that allows teachers to go even further. It provides students with access to a first-person historical account, similar to documentary research.
We are not trying to give them the whole story, but rather to explore events in greater detail. Mr. MacDonell could tell you more, because I'm not the one who gives the presentations. There are as many different stories as there are veterans who visit the schools. The presentations are all similar, but not identical.
As far as mediation is concerned, we use the story telling technique. We practice an indirect form of mediation. You mentioned the causes of war and the different types of conflicts. Listening to a veteran talk about the Second World War furthers our understanding of a conflict like the one in Afghanistan and puts it into perspective, historically speaking. Learning about Canada's role on the world stage helps us to move forward. Without this historical perspective, it would be hard for us to move forward.
To understand the human dimension of war, there is probably no better spokesperson than someone who experienced it firsthand. To hear about the human dimension of war from a veteran like Mr. MacDonell is a truly personal and moving experience, one not soon forgotten by a young student. It's quite different from reading a dry account of war in a textbook.
Perhaps Mr. MacDonell would like to add to that.