That's a very good question. And you're quite right, we've been doing some focus group work with younger veterans to find out how they want to be recognized and how they want their service to be recognized.
It is different. They often see their service a little differently, at least initially. In many of the discussions, we asked whether they see themselves as veterans, and very often they say no. And a lot of it has to do with the deference and the respect that they have for the Second World War veteran. They recognize that there are differences in their experiences. But then when you ask them what the characteristics are that make a veteran, and they describe what those characteristics are, and then look at their own service, they realize that they've just described their service as well as that of Second World War veterans.
There was also a period when many Second World War veterans and Korean War veterans did not see the service of younger Canadian Forces members and Canadian Forces veterans as similar to their own. That has changed and we're seeing the veterans organizations, the Legion, ANAVETS and others, embracing the younger veterans and including them in their activities.
In terms of our approach, what we're doing, particularly with the younger veterans, those 40 years of age and under, is using different means and trying to reach them in ways that are not as relevant to older veterans. For example, as part of this year's campaign, we're using social networking media such as Facebook and YouTube, and Twitter and Flickr, to reach people who use those technologies for communication and for spreading the word among their peers. We're also, as part of the campaign, working with MuchMusic and Musique Plus--the French-language equivalent--music video stations, and you will see in the lead up to Remembrance Day information on those stations, and both stations have agreed that November 11 will actually be veterans' playlists for the day.
So we're looking at different ways to reach out to younger audiences of both veterans and the general public that are relevant to their experiences and where they spend their time. We're trying to take remembrance to where Canadians are, rather than trying to drag them to where remembrance has traditionally been.
We're also using social networking media materials to encourage young people to create their own messages on Facebook and YouTube and the other media, because they can do things that are more relevant than having a government-structured remembrance activity. We're also targeting particular parts of the Canadian public in ways that would be more relevant to younger veterans, as well, through working with the Canadian Football League and with others in the sports industry. There will be activities this Veterans' Week in partnership with the National Hockey League teams, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and other junior hockey leagues across the country.
So we're trying to reach them and include younger veterans in every one of the activities we're involved in, whether it's ones that we lead or, when we're working with a community group, we use our influence to ensure that younger veterans are included as well.