PAGE 10 PAGE 17 - 18 PAGE 27 - 28 FROM THE TRENCHES WAR, PEACE AND GRAVE OF THE TO THE TV: THE FIREFLIES: 30 YEARS ANALYSIS FEMINIST OF RENDING OF WAR IN MOVEMENT MODERN THE HEARTS THE EDGE AND WESSEX SCENE PRESENT THE EDGE AND WESSEX WAR & REMEMBERANCE WAR MEDIA EDITORIAL WAR & REMEMBRANCE 1 THE EDGE AND WESSEX SCENE PRESENT WAR & REMEMBERANCE EDITORS’ NOTE THE EDGE TEAM 019 has been a year of milestones - 100 years since the Treaty of Versaille was EDITOR PR OFFICER signed, 80 years since the beginning of JACK NASH MORGAN MCMILAN World War II and 75 years since the 2D-Day landings in Normandy. It’s impor- tant in this day and age; an age of celebrity DEPUTY EDITOR PR OFFICER culture, social media and pumpkin spiced THEO SMITH MADDIE LOCK lattes that we take time to reflect back on those that gave up so much so that we can NEWS EDITOR ONLINE MANAGER live our lives on our terms. BECKY DAVIES MENNO KRAMER However, since the world wars, there has still been global conflict. The Northern RECORDS EDITOR CULTURE/FILM EXEC Irish conflict, The Vietnam war (p.21), VICKY GREER EBONY BOLTER the wars in the Middle East - Civil un- rest continues all over the world to this very day. Undoubtedly, war in one way FILM EDITOR RECORDS/LIVE EXEC or another has shaped the attitudes and JOE WILLIAMS JED WAREHAM perceptions of countless generations, in- fluencing our political views. Yet do we, CULTURE EDITOR HEAD OF DESIGN as a society, distance ourselves from the impact by viewing conflict through so- LOUISE CHASE CHARLOTTE MORRIS cial media platforms (p.19), or through mainstream media in general, at the LIVE EDITOR VP ACTIVITIES risk of censorship (p. 22) and does this GEORGIE HOLMES FIONA SUNDERLAND desensitise us in any way to the harsh reality of war? Remembrance, in fact, is an intrinsic part WESSEX SCENE TEAM of the history of the University of South- ampton. The Rothenstein Mural (painted in 1916) was unveiled in our very own EDITOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Senate room in 2014, and depicts and CHARLOTTE COLOMBO HENRY SHAH represents students, young academics and chancellors who were conscripted to fight DEPUTY EDITOR OPINION EDITOR in the First World War and, tragically, were never able to return home. They were MEGAN CROSSMAN LINNEA LAGERSTEDT exactly the same stage of their lives that we are at now, and they were plunged into HEAD OF PRINT LIFESTYLE EDITOR battle, with many of them losing their lives in the process. SOPHIE PEACH MARCO PRETARA The entertainment we watch, read and HEAD OF IMAGERY TRAVEL EDITOR listen to, also helps us to realise the truths NINA PANNONE of war - films like Dunkirk and Saving HAZEL JONES Private Ryan (p.11) give us insights and place us right on the front line. Fiction WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA SPORTS EDITOR can sometimes romanticise war (p.30), but KAYLEIGH LITTLEMORE TV documentaries and autobiographies LUKE EBBS often bypass the glamour of war to give the most accurate representation of the HEAD OF OUTREACH lives of men and women (p.5), young and wessexscene.co.uk SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR SIMRAN MANN old, from all backgrounds and ethnicities, LEA SOLER and their struggles with conflict through- HEAD OF EVENTS out the ages. And although we may much rather watch a series on Netflix or go to fb.com/wscene NATHANIEL PAUSE EDITOR the cinema than pick up a book, we must OLUWADAMILOLA TOM FORD never forget the sacrifices that were made OGUNNIYI for our freedom. We will remember them. @wessexscene SUB-EDTORS FEATURES EDITOR GABY PULESTON-VAUDREY Thank you for picking up our Edge and Wessex Scene collaboration magazine - BETH ABLETT JOANNA MAGILL and on behalf of us, the editors and the @officialwessexscene JORDAN TRUONG rest of the team, we hope you enjoy the CREATIVE WRITING EXEC content. TILLY ROBERTS NEWS & INVESTIGATIONS IMY BRIGHTY-POTTS Editors Jack Nash and Charlotte Colombo KENNY FIELD POLITICS EDITOR Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by writers are their own BEN DOLBEAR and do not represent those of The Edge and Wessex Scene PATRICK LOWE

1 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE EDITORIAL CONTENTS

3 Nostalgic News 5 Women In Wartime: Is There Enough Representation? 6 Tony Blair: Hero Or Villain? 7 Flashback Review: War Horse

8 When The Tigers Broke Free: Pink Floyd And The War 9 Flashback Review: Saving Private Ryan 10 From The Trenches To The TV: An 20 Make Do And Mend: Fabric, Analysis Of War In Modern Media Fashion And Feminism The Commercialisation Of 11 Poppies: Salute Or Slap? 21 Remembrance In Vietnam 12 Why War Medals Don’t Go Far 22 ‘Safe’ Songs And Censorship In Enough Times Of Conflict 13 #Disrespect 23 From Munitionettes To Lionesses: 14 Landmine Free 2025 The History Of Women’s Football In Britain 15 Tolkien And World War One: Touring The WWi Battlefields: Influences Behind The World Of 25 How Do We Preserve Them? Middle-Earth Israeli Eurovision: The Controversy 17 War, Peace & The Feminist 26 Of Performances Movement Grave Of The Fireflies: 30 Years Of 19 The Importance Of Social Media In 27 Rending Hearts Wartime Coverage 29 The Creeping Threat Of Modern Day Militarism ... wessexscene.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk 30 Romanticising War In Teenage Fiction fb.com/wscene fb.com/theedgesusu 31 Protest Songs Through The Years 33 Live Aid And Humanitarianism: Do @wessexscene @theedgesusu We Need Another “Global Jukebox”? @officialwessexscene @theedgesusu

EDITORIAL WAR & REMEMBRANCE 2 NOSTALGIC NEWS

5 YEARS AGO 25 YEARS AGO Our Girl Series 1 was released ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries was released Words by Ottilie Young Words by Vicky Geer

Five years ago saw the release of the first series of the Irish rock band The Cranberries released their iconic protest epic war-based BBC show Our Girl. song ‘Zombie’ 25 years ago on the 19th September 1994. It was written during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, Initially starring Lacey Turner as soldier Molly Dawes, specifically in protest against the 1993 IRA bombing in the drama follows her journey as a medic in the British Warrington. Army, working under Captain Charles James – portrayed by Ben Aldridge – the leader of 2 Section. Series 2 saw a Dolores O’Riordan’s politically-charged single was met major cast change as the drama instead followed Lance with resistance from the band’s record label, but the Corporal Georgie Lane, played by Michelle Keegan, as 2 singer persevered with her wish to sing about what was Section’s new medic. The subsequent series see her visit really happening in Ireland during this time of conflict. The places such as Kenya, Nepal and Bangladesh and deal music video for ‘Zombie’ was later banned by the BBC, with a variety of war-related issues such as trafficking, as it featured footage of the troubles and paramilitary terrorism and humanitarian missions. Our Girl is a drama- murals around Belfast. tized version of what war is like in the present day, setting it apart from the period dramas that usually dominate The song has remained an important piece of music, both the broadcasting schedule. in Ireland and around the world, for treating the serious issue of conflict with such strong emotion. Over the years The fourth series is set to air within the next 12 months. the song has become almost a piece of history as a re- minder of the violence in Ireland that took so many lives. unabashed - a no-strings-attached message that still resonates today.

30 YEARS AGO Blackadder Goes Forth was released Words by Louise Chase

Rowan Atkinson is perhaps best known for his role as Blackadder, in a franchise that goes through multiple periods of history, from Tudor England to a Christmas special surrounding Y2K. But the fourth of the show, entitled Blackadder Goes Forth, is set during the First World War.

Here, Blackadder is a Captain on the Western Front and viewers are shown a much darker setting than in previous series, and with its usual panache and black comedy, Blackadder Goes Forth covers the First World War with flair and humour, which makes the final episode that much more heartbreaking to watch as the main characters are sent “over the top” at the Somme.

From well-known aspects of the war, to the use of messenger pigeons and executions by the British army during the conflict, Blackadder Goes Forth provides a look at the First World War with satire and an anti-war message.

3 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE NEWS 50 YEARS AGO 50 YEARS AGO ‘Give Peace a Chance’ by John Lennon was ‘Gimme Shelter’ by The Rolling Stones was released released Words by Bailey Williams Words by Alice Fortt

John Lennon belongs to a select group of musicians An ‘end-of-world song’, as coined by Mick Jagger, ‘Gimme whose image and character have transcended their art. Shelter’ voices the hopelessness felt by the world as one Like Elvis before him and Kurt Cobain afterwards, the of the most devastating wars in history, the Vietnam idea behind Lennon’s music is often just as enduring as War, unfolded before their very eyes. Guest singer Merry the songs themselves. His biggest artistic contributions, Clayton’s desperate cries of ‘Rape! Murder! It’s just a shot in contrast to the stylistic flair of his writing partner Paul away! War! Children! It’s just a shot away!’ on the chorus McCartney, rest heavily on this principle. embody such horror, with the lyrics implying the fragility of peace; society is just one shot away from falling into chaos. ‘Give Peace a Chance’ is a prime example of this. Musically, the song is a raucous mess of hand-claps, foot thumps, The anti-violence sentiment of the song was pushed and liberal tamborine shaking. John’s prose-like lyrics further by the bands playing at the infamous Altamont glide above the cacophony and, at first glance, don’t say Free Concert only a day after its release, wherein Meredith much of anything beyond the title refrain. But herein lies Hunter was murdered during their set. the conceit. By the time you’ve arrived at these conclu- sions, some of them harsh, you have already absorbed 50 years on, the anti-war message of ‘Gimme Shelter’ is the central message of the track. ‘Give Peace a Chance’ still as deeply felt now as it was back then, and it stands is John Lennon at his most unabashed - a no-strings- as one of the best protest songs ever written. attached message that still resonates today.

90 YEARS AGO All Quiet on the Western Front was released Words by Elizabeth Sorrell

Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front seems to be the butterfly that we left on the shelf of secondary school history. Following the story of seven schoolmates who enlist in the German war effort with the encourage- ment of their teacher, we see the central character, Paul Bäumer, suffer the true consequences of war, shedding the enthusiastic boyhood that lured him into the grim reality of World War 1.

Remarque not only conveys the simultaneous brutality and futility of war, but also the devastating effects of losing loved ones, body parts, and innocence, commemorating a generation that ‘has been destroyed by war, even though it might have escaped its shells.’ Let us remember the side of war that we often do not see or endure, that Remarque describes to us with brutal yet beautiful frankness.

Images courtesy of BBC Productions, Universal, Apple, Rolling Stone Records and Universal Studios

NEWS WAR & REMEMBRANCE 4 WOMEN IN WARTIME: IS THERE ENOUGH REPRESENTATION?

Words By Maddie Lock Image By Alivia Osborn

ithin the genre of supply weaponry whilst only receiving Tom Buckley (Sam Claflin), Their Finest war cinema, it is very 60% of the standard male wage. The depicts the work within the British rare that you will find lack of female representation in the Ministry of Information during WWII. prominent roles for genre only serves to further a disregard Catrin and Tom create scripts for Wwomen. These films depict conflict for women’s labour in moments of propaganda films to boost morale in on the frontline, in the war room or historical conflict. the UK during the Blitz. Though treat- through political intrigue – spheres ed as the unimportant ‘spare hand’ of influence where women were rarely One great example of a female-led initially, writing only the uninteresting present, at least in the past. To recall a war film is Their Finest, released in the female “chitter”, Catrin eventually war film with a female focus, the only UK in 2017. Directed by Lone Scherfig, gains extra duties in investigation avenue seems to be explicitly searching the movie acts as a twofold statement and scriptwriting. Sharing the story of ‘women war films’ into Google - the for female empowerment, tackling two young women who claim to have BFI Top 10 list gives suggestions that both the lack of female presence in the piloted a boat during the evacuation few mainstream audiences would film industry and war films focusing at Dunkirk, Catrin faces workplace be familiar with. This illustrates the on women. Following screenwriters sexism as bombs fall on the streets point that, until relatively recently, Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton) and of London. very few popular war narratives have featured active female characters or told women’s stories.

Women’s roles in war films typi- cally tell of how they helped at home, demonstrating the ways in which they supported their absent husbands and sons on the domestic front. The television series Land Girls and Call the Midwife feature such narratives, the latter including a relationship between two women, making it quite a progressive portrayal of the time. As a 50s-set series, it is a post-WWII story where the ramifications of conflict still run deep. It is important to represent the efforts of women during turbulent times as to not forget the part they played in history. Particularly during the Second World War, women assisted the soldiers and their country massively, taking over at factories to produce and

5 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE FILM TONY BLAIR: HERO OR VILLAIN? Words By Ben Dolbear Image By Emily Kilmartin

n the 2nd of May 1997, single parent working part-time, 36%. Iraqi airspace in the hope that it would Britain woke up to its first According to the Institute of Fiscal be shot down, allowing war to be seen Labour Prime Minister in Studies, had welfare risen only in ac- as justified. The regional instability nearly twenty years. Tony cordance with inflation during this time, that ensued served as a fertile hunting OBlair, known to supporters as Captain child poverty would have risen by one ground for ISIS, and heralded more than Charisma for his Cheshire Cat smile million. In reality, the number fell by a decade of global terrorist atrocities. and youthful energy, had overseen one million. Other highlights of Blair’s the largest national vote swing since legacy include lifting almost a million In the same vein, during his tenure 1945. Britain had a new ‘rock and roll’ pensioners out of poverty by investing Blair oversaw record debt levels which Prime Minister who established the £11 billion per year extra in older peo- contributed towards the financial most diverse cabinet in history and ple’s welfare, his peace-brokering role crash of 2008, causing a self-inflicted promised sweeping social justice in the ratification of the Good Friday reversal of much of his progress on reforms. That September, Blair was Agreement, and his near-eradication employment for working families. hailed as the most popular party of rough sleeping on England’s streets. Arguably, Tony Blair’s unequivocal leader in the UK’s democratic history No wonder Blair left Downing Street support of EU free movement led to after gaining the approval of 93% of willingly after ten years to a cross-party the Brexit vote. Furthermore, Blair’s tax Labour members. Today, however, in standing ovation from the Commons. credit policies and their unintended a stark shift in fortune, he is regularly consequence of allowing employers dubbed ‘the Most Hated Man in Brit- But in the years since his resigna- to hire workers on the cheap as well ain’ and suffers a disapproval rating tion, the public’s relationship with Tony as his outsourcing of public sector of over 70%. But why has the public Blair has soured, not least because of contracts led to costs for the tax- turned so resoundingly on the most his involvement in the scandalous Iraq payer and rewards for the ultra-rich. electorally successful Labour politician War, an invasion which Kofi Annan, UN This resulted in public weariness and in history, and how has his legacy of Secretary-General during the conflict, facilitated the rise of Jeremy Corbyn. investment in public services and con- maintained was illegal. In the eyes stitutional reform been soiled so mer- of many critics, President George Blair’s complicated legacy cilessly by his foreign policy agenda? Bush and his ‘poodle’, our ‘warmon- of peace-brokering, war-monger- ger-in-chief’ Prime Minister, entered ing, social mobility-championing, For social mobility, Blair’s Third into an untested war zone, waging a and economy-crashing will remain Way politics improved the lives of mil- conflict which ended the lives of half a point of contention for genera- lions of working-class Britons. One of a million people. Their intentions were tions. Whether you see him as a his greatest achievements was to vastly revealed in 2003, when Bush and Blair hero or a villain, he has undoubtedly increase in real terms the amount of held a two-hour meeting during which changed the face of Britain forever. money spent on welfare targeted at they, after having agreed to go to war lower-income families with children. A no matter what, pondered over how single parent looking for work in 2010 best to provoke Saddam Hussein into could expect 20% more income than a confrontation. They even considered when Labour entered office, and a flying a falsely-UN attributed plane in

POLITICS WAR & REMEMBRANCE 6 FLASHBACK REVIEW: WAR HORSE Words By Louise Chase

eleased in 2011, Steven Spielberg's War Horse is an adaptation of the Michael Morpurgo novel Rof the same name, following the story of Albert and horse Joey as they are split apart by the First World War. War Horse will have you in tears by its conclusion: the emotional con- nection forged with Joey, as he is sent across the battlefields and be- yond, proves overwhelming. From the stirring soundtrack, provided by the always fantastic John Williams, to the stunning scenery (the vast majority filmed in the UK), War Horse moulds beauty with barbarity and creates something essentially captivating. CGI is used in moments of action which would place the animals in too much Image courtesy of Dreamworks Pictures danger, but you can't notice it. Joey's The celebrated cast is filled out Not everything in War Horse is sprint through No Man's Land, evading by big name stars, including Benedict doom-laden. There are some wonderful certain death, mixes real staging with Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston, moments of optimism. The interac- a computer-generated equine. All you but also a number of terrific character tions of the French girl Emilie and her see, though, is a horse trying to escape actors like Peter Mullan, Toby Kebbell grandfather with Joey are gentle and - that's what your emotions latch onto. and Liam Cunningham (Davos in Game wholesome. All the grandfather wants of Thrones) in a minor role. Hiddleston's is to make Emilie happy. When he can It's clear that care and attention performance as Captain Nicholls, lead- no longer do that, he does the next has been placed into every aspect of ing the cavalry on an ultimately fatal best thing - honouring her legacy, the the film. Even minor details, such as charge, is heartbreaking. In a single shot grandfather returns the horse to its the changes in military clothing as Nicholls goes from confident captain original owner. Humanity prevails in the war continues, are appreciated. to fear-stricken boy, de-aged and laid this film. The scene in No Man's Land In comparison to other films that use bare in an instant. The war isn't what sees Joey become a shining beacon World War I as their historical setting, these men were anticipating; his face of hope during a war that makes little War Horse tries to emphasise the love says everything it needs to say. In the sense; with Joey trapped in barbed that shines through all the fear and trenches, we are witness to the true wire, men from both sides of the desecration. German brothers try to mayhem of the Great War. The fear of trenches move forward to set him free. protect one another, whilst the men an unknown enemy is potent, death There's even a brief moment of levity who serve alongside Albert come to from above a constant threat, with as the men call for wire cutters, and care about Joey just as much as his close camera angles really pulling us at least seven pairs suddenly come owner. into the sense of tension amongst the flying over to them. despairing group of Tommies.

7 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE FILM Words By Becky Davies

ink Floyd have long been Free’, which commemorates the death hailed one of the most influ- of his father, with the ‘Tigers’ referring ential bands ever, with their to the German tanks which were used experimental psychedelic in the Anzio campaign. It depicts a Psound paving the way in the progres- sense of injustice, suggesting that sive rock genre. They are perhaps best when the commander tried to with- remembered for their classic albums draw his troops he was refused and The Wall (and its accompanying film), subsequently ‘the Anzio bridgehead Wish You Were Here and The Dark was held for the price of a few hundred Side of the Moon. However, as the ordinary lives’. band evolved over time, they became known for their increasingly political There is a palpable sense of the stance, which was largely inspired by loss that families felt - the King sent bassist and songwriter Roger Water’s his mother ‘a scroll/ with gold leaf and connections to World War Two. all […] and my eyes still grow damp to remember/ His Majesty signed with his Eric Fletcher Waters, Roger’s own rubber stamp’. The comments on father, was killed whilst serving as a the YouTube audio of this song contain second lieutenant in the 8th Battalion personal stories of other servicemen Royal Fusiliers in Italy during the Battle lost in this battle, and many listeners of Anzio in 1944, when Roger was just appear grateful for the representation five months old. This had a significant Waters offers for the other tragic victims impact not only on his life, but his of war - those left behind. The height- music. His anti-war stance is explicitly ened emotion of this song culminates illustrated throughout Pink Floyd’s in the bitterness of the final lines: ‘and 1983 album The Final Cut, a concept that’s how the High Command took album exploring what he perceived my daddy from me’. as the betrayal of fallen British ser- vicemen like his father. It was heavily On the seventieth anniversary, he influenced by the political climate unveiled a memorial on the spot his at the time, directly addressing then father died as an act of remembrance Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and of the battalion. the onset of the Falklands War of 1982. Whilst Pink Floyd always played One of the most poignant songs with quite political ideas, the more of this era in their discography is the controversial aspects of some of their 1982 single ‘When The Tigers Broke later work eventually led to divisions within the band, and The Final Cut became their final album with Roger Waters. Of the album’s legacy, in an interview, Waters once said : ‘I was in a greengrocer’s shop, and this woman of about forty in a fur coat came up to me. She said she thought it was the most moving record she had ever heard. Her father had also been killed in World War II, she explained. And I got back into my car with my three pounds of potatoes and drove home and thought, good enough.’

WHEN THE TIGERS BROKE FREE WHEN THE TIGERS PINK AND THE FLOYD WAR Image courtesy of Harvest Records

RECORDS WAR & REMEMBRANCE 8 FLASHBACK REVIEW: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN Words By Conor O’Hanlon ince its release in 1998, Saving (Barry Pepper), quietly whispering Private Ryan has retained Bible verses as he fires shots, comes its status as a truly great off as kitschy to this day. Though it war film - despite recent makes a crucial point, the cowardice Scompetition from Christopher No- of Upham (Jeremy Davies) becomes lan’s Dunkirk and Joe Wright’s take so obnoxious that it’s hard to find on Churchill in Darkest Hour. The film him sympathetic in the end. Overall, follows Tom Hanks as Captain John however, the characters make for a H. Miller in a struggle through the compelling group dynamic. Hanks, battlefields of France during World as the near-infallible leader, gives War II, as his squad attempt to find another of his many career-defining and save the titular Private Ryan (Matt performances. Damon) - the only remaining living son of four, the others all killed in action. Naturally, with Saving Private Perhaps the defining segment of the Ryan being a Spielberg production, film is the gruelling opening stretch, the veracity of setting and design is which features Captain Miller among impressive. The landing at Omaha the soldiers landing on Omaha Beach provides a close replica of the real on D-Day. beach, and the scene cost twelve Image courtesy of Dreamworks million dollars in itself. Of course, there Pictures Saving Private Ryan is a very vis- are going to be some inaccuracies but of war are mocked and murdered, ac- ceral depiction of war, unlike some nothing sticks out as recognisably tively going against international law. more modern films the real bodily off. The very beginning and end of This adds a sense of ambiguity to the injury that took place is shown directly. the film are set at the real Normandy representation of conflict - it is rarely, This uncompromising approach, paired American Cemetery and Memorial, if ever, a plain ‘Good vs. Evil’ affair. with a behemoth 169-minute runt- adding an extra layer of emotional Building on the canon of Spielberg’s ime, makes the film deserving of the weight to some of the most poignant interest in matters of war, Saving Private reputation it has gained as a wartime scenes in the film. Ryan proves a violent but affecting epic. Miller’s personal battle to find piece of cinema. The opening scene Ryan, the hardships that accompany One of the main themes raised by on the beach is perhaps the greatest this mission, and the conflicts that Saving Private Ryan is that of patriotism fictional realisation of war history to arise between Miller and his squad in war, though it is not entirely clear be produced. As a whole, it remains help create a fully-fledged ensemble where the film stands on some of the one of the most astonishingly crafted of believable characters with clear acts committed by US soldiers. The war epics ever made. motivations and personalities. There apparent promotion of patriotism feels are some lapses: the sniper Jackson out of place in scenes where prisoners

9 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE FILM FROM THE TRENCHES TO THE TV: AN ANALYSIS OF WAR IN MODERN MEDIA Words By Beth Ablett

hen examining pres- depict gritty realism, and securing include The Accountant of Auschwitz, entations of war in the viewer’s emotional investment which shows the trial of a former SS various medias, it with the heart-warming albeit wholly officer, and World War II in Colour, becomes clear that romanticised presentation of the army which details the progression of the Wthe same books, films and poems are in as a surrogate family of sorts. In gen- war with unseen and rare footage. perpetual circulation, mainly depicting eral, the show had a good response The Accountant of Auschwitz details the World Wars of the twentieth centu- and succeeded in offering a modern an individual case within the wider ry. Prominent examples include films expression of war. context of the holocaust, putting such as The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas, a more personal spin on the vast poets such as Wilfred Owen and books Streaming platforms such as atrocity. In contrast, World War II in like Goodnight Mister Tom. Although Netflix have brought various war Colour addresses the war in a more these are undeniably masterpieces documentaries to the forefront of general sense; the use of colour footage that have served their purpose well, public recognition, educating post- increases the impact of the content they only represent a microcosm of war generations about the plight of and makes it more watchable. These the bigger picture. Furthermore, the their ancestors. These programmes streaming platforms have contributed repetitive consumption of the to the sustainment of public same adaptations renders a interest, particularly among seemingly stagnant concept, younger generations, ensuring trapped in a fictionalised past. that the tragic events are not forgotten. War as a concept As a result of this, modern must be addressed, and the adaptations of war are becom- actions of others whether ing crucially important when heroic or the opposite must seeking to spread awareness be acknowledged. of the atrocities of war and alert the public to the sacrifices That said, there is a danger made both in the past and on that modern media is liable a daily basis. to glorify or romanticise war, presenting it as exciting to the The hit BBC show Our Girl point where it becomes appeal- embodies the characteristics ing. If conducted carefully, TV of a modern adaptation of shows can be used to combat war, as it provides a fresh and the desensitisation of war modern perspective, laced with and ensure that it is rightfully relatable characters and rela- regarded as undesirable and tionships that hammer home something to be avoided at the tragedy and barbaric nature all costs. The number of war of war. Personally, I haven’t seen stories worthy of dramatisation one episode that hasn’t made is limitless, and it is important me cry. It sustained a balance to ensure that such a pressing between ruthlessly killing off issue does not slip beneath the likable characters in order to Image courtesy of BBC Productions radar or become ‘irrelevant’.

CULTURE WAR & REMEMBRANCE 10 POPPIES: SALUTE OR SLAP? Words By Lisa Stimson Images By Sophie Percy ith Remembrance towards the Peace Pledge Union - an question: Is this a just reason not to Day quickly ap- organisation promoting peace. Groups wear the poppy or is it simply pettiness? proaching, poppies such as Northern Irish Republicans are starting to ap- see the poppy as a part of the British Albeit hard to believe, there is a Wpear pinned to coats, decorating establishment. Others wish to com- small percentage of the population that wreaths outside residencies and on memorate thousands of defenceless do not wear a poppy because they do crosses near memorials. But why is animals who were unknowingly forced not want to pay the minuscule cost. there so much controversy linked into war zones and tragically lost This is despite the fact that there is to this bright herbaceous flora? their lives, these people wear purple no set donation fee for the traditional poppies or purple paw print emblems. paper poppy, you just pay as much or After the First World War the poppy as little as you wish. However, I would bloomed across blood-soaked battle- A few objectors feel that it is no recommend donating at least £1 for fields, leading to its adoption in 1921 longer relevant today but others re- it, which is a more than reasonable as a memorial to soldiers and those spond that the monumental 2018 Tower cost which certainly the majority of who sacrificed their lives for their of London Poppy display, which drew individuals can afford, particularly as respective countries. It is a symbol thousands of admirers proves that the it goes toward such a worthy cause. widely recognised in various countries poppy is just as relevant today as it including the US, Canada and of course, was almost 100 years ago. The poppy Should you wear a poppy? That is the UK. The profits made from poppy not only shows respect for World War completely up to personal preference. merchandise is handled by the Royal I soldiers but also those who have However, if you support and admire British Legion and is donated to both fought in more recent and current those currently fighting for our country current and former military service peo- wars - such as the ongoing conflict and those who fought for our freedom ple and their families who are in need. in Afghanistan. The British Legion and paid the ultimate sacrifice, the website even states: ‘We acknowledge poppy is the perfect way to show your There remain people today that innocent civilians who have lost their gratitude and give back to our armed ostracise the poppy for personal rea- lives in conflict and acts of terrorism’ - if forces. There are many alternative sons. These include individuals who anything, terrorism is one of the most ways to signify your support, from claim that the poppy glorifies war. ongoing prominent issues of today. pins to hair bands, all the way to car Many pacifists, for example, abstain accessories. If you hold alternative from wearing the poppy as they are Other individuals refuse to sup- views about the poppy dignifying war against any, and all, violence. Some port the poppy because they feel or unjustly sacrificing animals why pacifists instead wear a white poppy - ‘bullied’ into it. These people believe not wear the white or purple poppy? representing that while they wish to pay a stigma exists and there is public Whatever your choice, I urge you to respect to those who sadly lost their disdain against those who do not find your own way to pay respect to lives during wars, they also advocate wear a poppy. Therefore, in protest, our brave service people/animals and the need for peace. It should be noted they do not wear one themselves, the victims of conflict on the 11th of that funds raised from white poppies do even if their beliefs coincide with the November, Armistice day. not go to the Armed Forces, but instead symbol’s significance. This raises the

11 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE POLITICS W H Y WA R MEDALS DON’T GO FAR ENOUGH Words By Gabrielle Puleston-Vaudrey Image By Nina Pannone

ur armed forces work These issues arise as those with a Rather than solely issuing medals to tirelessly in service of the military background not only have reward military personnel for out- country, and those who to contend with coming to terms with standing acts of bravery, we need to go above and beyond the horrors and tragedies of war they reward the smaller, but often just as Oin their service are rewarded with have witnessed, but they must also challenging, acts of bravery they face medals signifying their bravery. deal with many stressful situations in day-to-day civilian life by helping These medals bring great pride upon their return. Many struggle to remove the stigma around sharing to those who wear them, and are with financial issues, and can often their experiences and support them inspiring to those around them. face huge amounts of debt long-term in coming forward and speaking out, due to difficulties with adapting to rather than leaving them to suffer in However, the issuing of medals civilian work roles whilst facing the silence. The bravery required to seek doesn’t go far enough, as they do not loss of the job many of them have help must be rewarded with a greater reward the everyday bravery shown had their whole working lives. They availability and range of services by those dealing with the real and may also need to move house or providing the support necessary for current problems faced by many face homelessness because of these equipping them to deal with the new veterans today. The Royal British financial issues, as well as changes in set of difficulties they are confront- Legion estimates that 6,000 veterans their relationships and the fact that ed with at home and to help them are homeless in the UK, and between military housing is too often required transition into civilian life. After all, 3%-8% (according to figures from the by current personnel to allow veterans having the bravery to be your own MoD and Napo respectively) of those to remain in their previous homes. hero is often most challenging of all. in prison, on probation or on parole have a services background. 25,000 A further key issue is pride - many If you or someone you know is veterans received mental health treat- veterans are too proud to ask for help, affected by these issues, whether ment in 2016-2017, with the number of or are concerned about how they directly or indirectly, help and sup- untreated cases estimated to take the would be perceived if their families port is available from Veterans UK, total number of veterans with mental and friends knew what they were SSAFA, the Royal British Legion and illnesses to 50,000. In particular, the experiencing. There is often a great Combat Stress. percentage of veterans suffering from pressure on soldiers to be strong and PTSD is on the rise, with a third of the in no way sensitive or susceptible to 71 military personnel and veterans what wrongly may be considered as who in 2018 sadly took their own inconsequential in comparison to lives struggling with the disorder. what they have witnessed in conflict.

OPINION WAR & REMEMBRANCE 12 our years ago, I visited So shocked by this behaviour, one Berlin as part of my History member of the public even decided and Politics studies. I was to take matters into his own hands taken aback by the beauty by photoshopping these social me- Fof the country and the incredible dia posts into real images from the architecture everywhere you looked. Holocaust and publishing them on A city so rich in history; every corner his website, ‘Yolocaust’. Suddenly the has a memorial, a site or a view of juggler is amongst dead bodies and war-torn German history. Yet, what the selfie taker is in the foreground struck me the most was the behav- of starving prisoners. Whilst this is iour of tourists at the Memorial to the a dramatic approach, it succeeds in Murdered Jews of Europe, otherwise shedding light on the possible insensi- known as the Holocaust Memorial. tivity of this latest social media craze. A craze which encourages forgetting Designed by Peter Eisenmann, the history in favour of likes and popularity. memorial stretches across 19,000 square feet and is simply, yet poign- Of course, this movement is not lim- antly, made up of 2711 concrete slabs ited to the Holocaust memorial in of varying heights. The concrete blocks Berlin. Similar behaviours have been are ordered into a grid-like pattern, seen at concentration camps, the supposedly intending for visitors to 9/11 memorial and museums ded- feel uneasy in an organised system; icated to awful periods of history. chaos amongst order, if you like. Whatever happened to looking with your eyes and not through the cam- The memorial, which was inaugurated era lens? Why must people behave in 2005, has often been the centre of in such a way that dishonours the various debates, including its lack of courageous people who we, in fact, acknowledgement of other victims of should be remembering, and praising? the Holocaust, and its lack of visible memorialisation. Nevertheless, perhaps My words won’t be enough to change the greatest debate here is the blatant this habit; a habit I find so ugly and lack of respect displayed by those unworthy. However, I hope this prompts who choose to visit the memorial. you, the reader, to think again before posing at places of huge historic worth People from across the globe flock and instead remember where you are, to the site daily to take pictures of and how lucky you to be alive. themselves at the memorial. Ranging from selfies, to jugglers, from yoga poses to prancing atop the blocks, visitors continuously miss the point of the memorial, and continue to plague the honour of those who lost their lives all those years ago.

A place of reflection for so many, it has been argued that sitting on, or between the blocks, allows people to truly feel as though they can remember those of whom are memorialised. However, it is difficult to justify the behaviour of so many who simply see the memorial as an aesthetically Image courtesy of Jace & Afsoon on #DISRESPECT Words Words By Young Ottilie pleasing, Instagram-able location. Unsplash

13 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE TRAVEL LANDMINE FREE 2025 Words By Nathaniel Ogunniyi andmines are lethal. Ac- mine in Afghanistan in 2002. This ban Landmines also put the envi- cording to a UN report, they excepted the Korean Peninsula, where a ronment at risk, as grazing animals kill 15,000 to 20,000 peo- minefield lies between the two Koreas. can trigger explosions. Many of these ple every year. The worst This is allegedly ‘the responsibility of animals are already threatened, due Laffected countries, Afghanistan and to ongoing conflict damaging their South Korea’. The US, like China, has Syria, lack effective national moni- committed to, and is, reducing its source of water and food. They are often toring systems, and many deaths go landmine stockpile. used as a source of food themselves, unrecorded. so face risks from all sides. Russia, the final major non-signa- Landmine free 2025 is a campaign tory to the agreement, have used AP When injured, poor standards of led by the HALO trust and MAG (Mines mines in Chechnya, but also at times healthcare often lead to infection for Advisory Group), to implement the 1997 in Dagestan, Tajikistan, and on the the newly disabled, and an inability Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty. The Mine Ban border with Georgia. Russian-made to work makes them dependent on treaty has three main requirements. AP mines have been recently found in government and charity support. Signatories must: 30 countries, including Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria, Ukraine and Vietnam. Fortunately, the UK government • Destroy their stockpile of antiper- supports the Mine Ban Treaty. The sonnel (AP) mines within four years. We know they’re widespread; why government will give Zimbabwe up • Identify and clear mined areas is this such a problem? Landmines to £2 million to remove landmines under their jurisdiction or control kill people. Indiscriminately. Men from the country after Prince Harry’s within 10 years. and Women, Boys and Girls, all lives raised awareness on his recent tour • Aid mine victims and support mine blighted by the threat of landmines. In of southern Africa. This is in addition risk education. over 60 countries, landmines remain, to the 2017 £100m plan to rid the and they stop children from going world of landmines by 2025. The UK In 1997, 122 countries united to safely to school, stop adults from is a world leader, and our neighbours sign the Mine Ban Treaty, with a fur- farming their land and stop citizens need to do the same. ther 42 countries joining since. Some from travelling. countries, notably China, the United How you can help: States, and Russia, have not signed Landmines force a dilemma on 1. Support the #LandmineFree2025 it. The Mine Ban treaty only applies many; farm dangerous land or face campaign online. to AP mines, targeting people, but starvation. In agri-business, which 2. Donate to the HALO trust, and MAG not to antivehicle mines, which target dominates these economies, land is a (Mines Advisory Group). vehicles such as cars and trucks. major asset, and the inability to farm 3. Share this article with other who leaves families vulnerable to starvation. may be interested. China has attended all the Mine Ban Treaty’s Review Conferences, and voted in favour of a UN Resolution calling for the universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. It stopped exporting them in 1996, and stopped producing them in 2008. However, China maintains a small number of minefields ‘for national defence’.

The 2014 US ban of the production, acquisition and use of AP mines was immaterial, as the US last used AP mines in 1991, bar a single antipersonnel Image courtesy of Raphen, via Wikimedia Commons

SCIENCE & TECH WAR & REMEMBRANCE 14 TOLKIEN AND WORLD WAR ONE: INFLUENCES BEHIND THE WORLD OF MIDDLE-EARTH

Words By Louise Chase

t's no secret that fantasy author and Oxford Professor J.R.R. Tolkien fought during the conflict we now know as Ithe First World War, which lasted from 1914 to 1918. The 2019 biopic starring Nicholas Holt as the titular author looked at Tolkien's earlier life and his interaction with the war, but Tolkien also wrote about his experiences and relations to the world of Lord of the Rings in his (now published) letters.

Stationed at the Somme with Image courtesy of BBC Productions the Lancaster Fusileers, he experi- Hobbit Samwise Gamgee (por- home. Tolkien knew all too well about enced the calamity of war, as well as trayed by Sean Astin in Peter Jackson's the consequences and casualties of technological advancements such award-winning trilogy) can find his war, with "all but one" of his closest as the tank. And when you look at personality and attitudes from the friends dead by 1918. his writings, it's clear that the Great trenches. The ordinary Tommies One of the most notable aspects War had an effect on the lessons and on the Western Front showed great of the First World War and its remem- lives of his characters. Meaning and amounts of courage during harsh brance is the poppies; first used as significance lies everywhere if you conditions, and ruthless determinism; a sign of remembrance in 1919 and know where to look - from the names officers like Tolkien were also given inspired by the John McCrae poem ‘In of heroes, to the flowers that cover "batmen" who were essentially a form Flanders Fields’ which describes the the graves of the fallen. Even though of servant. Like Frodo and Sam. These red petalled flowers blooming across Tolkien himself disagreed that there batmen were typically a lower class the battlefields of the Western Front. In was no direct allegory in his novels, than their officers, such as Samwise Rohan, the white flowers Simbelmynë there was a strong influence from his is a working-class gardener back in line the barrows of the dead kings and experiences at the Somme in 1916. the Shire. hold similar significance.

There, Tolkien was faced with Frodo, in particular, shows some- One of the central themes of Lord new advancements in technology thing that the war leaves on its veterans: of the Rings is friendship; that love and such as the tank, being used in con- PTSD. While the other three Hobbits fellowship can make all the difference flict with older techniques such as are able to return to their lives back in a world threatened by darkness. It the cavalry. The dark armour and the home, Frodo is too scarred by what comes across strongly in his works, in high-pitch screeches from incoming he's seen to move on, knowing "in [his] the lives and deaths of Middle-Earth's shells brought to mind the Nazgul as heart, that there is no going back" to heroes and villains, with the grounding the "Black Riders"; and the terrain how he was before. And many soldiers in the reality of the First World War and of muddy No Man's Land with shell found themselves in the same posi- the author's own experiences is one of holes full of water where men actually tion suffering from Shell Shock and the many reasons why Middle-Earth drowned is the inspiration to the Dead being unwilling to talk about their and its sagas are so popular. Marshes seen during The Two Towers. experiences to their family back at

15 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE CULTURE

WAR, PEACE THE FEMINIST &MOVEMENT Words By Charlotte Colombo

f you’re asked to think about devoted housewives and mothers) They contributed widely not only women in war, your mind were limited to the domestic field, to the Home Front, but also to the will probably be cast back to with roles including teaching and munitions industry - by 1917, 80% of the infamous poster of ‘Ro- textiles. These professions were all all weaponry used by the British Army Isie the Riveter’ - sleeves rolled up, considered menial and unimportant was produced in munitions factories, hair tied back and ready to get really ‘women’s work’, with lower rates of who primarily employed women. The stuck in to helping the war effort by pay reflecting this. Most women were National Union of Women’s Suffrage working the jobs men left behind. also expected to stop working once even stopped campaigning during married, a stark contrast to the 40% WWI and fully co-operated with the The poster has a rallying cry of of married women who were later government to ensure women were ‘We Can Do It!’ as Rosie flexes her employed as part of the war effort. able to contribute to the war effort. It is muscles. The reality is, however, that widely argued that the role of women this 1943 poster was scarcely seen This, however, all changed two in WWI contributed to our victory ; Ger- during the war period and, in fact, years into WWI. Men were conscript- many’s inability to completely mobilise only came to the public’s attention in ed to fight in the military, leaving a women in the same way that Britain did the 1980s when it was rediscovered. manpower crisis on the Home Front. during this period is one of the most Women in turn had to work to fill that widely-cited reasons for their defeat. It’s interesting, because the fate gap, with them working in typically of such an iconic image of feminist ‘male’ industries like engineering, However, they didn’t get a lot of culture arguably mimics the treat- transport, agriculture and even law thanks for it. They were paid significant- ment of ‘empowered’ women dur- enforcement and the civil service. ly less than men despite them doing the ing the war: unseen, forgotten and same job, and actively campaigned in lost at the very moment they were These women mobilised to an attempt to get the pay they deserved. deemed to not be useful anymore. work were often sent far away to A committee addressing this issue was do so. With no husbands, children made by the War Cabinet in 1917, but However, once given a taste of or any other responsibilities, wom- they ultimately ruled that women freedom and independence, women en were free to do as they wished couldn’t possibly do an equal amount were unwilling to give up and go back to with their wages and led fully in- of work to men because they had ‘lesser their designated stations. Despite there dependent life. A lot of the women strength and special health problems’. being positive steps forward in terms of came from middle class families their rights and freedoms, it was made and were married off at a young Indeed, men were concerned that clear that they still had a long way to go age, meaning that they had never due to the fact women cost less, they if they were to expect absolute equality. experienced manual work or the in- would be kept on in the roles previously Prior to WWI, the small amount of dependence this lifestyle had to offer. occupied by men after the war. They women who worked (the rest were

17 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE FEATURES also argued the case for ‘dilution’, which was very little press coverage of this women to be elected as members of is where unskilled women were taking issue and few attempts were made to Parliament - with a woman being sub- on skilled employment, which led to resolve it, meaning that munition work- sequently elected as a MP in the 1918 men feeling threatened and under- ers in WWII faced similar conditions. General Election. Total suffrage equality mined. As a result of these concerns, was then granted with the passing of the ‘dilution agreement’ was reached. The good thing about women in the extended Representation of the As part of this agreement, women were war, however, is that it ignited a passion People’s Act in 1928, which extended only trained to a semi-skilled level for a different way of life. In the decade women’s right to vote on the same and had to be supervised at all times. following the end of WWI, women’s suf- terms men had had in the last decade. frage groups were campaigning harder In addition to this, the majority than ever, with significant results. 8.4 Ultimately, although institutional of working women lost their jobs million women gained the right to sexism wasn’t solved in its entirety after WWI ended to make room for vote in 1918, with the Representation during WWI, it did give women a taste the men. A law was put in place - The of the People’s Act allowing suitably of life above their designated ‘stations’ Restoration of Pre-War Practices Act qualified women over thirty to vote. and, in turn, inspired them to fight for - which meant that returning soldiers Later that same year, the Parliament equality for the years to come. could walk right back into their old (Qualification of Women) Act enabled job whilst women were meant to ‘restore’ their ‘pre-war’ position as a loving wife and mother. Within a few years of the end of WWI, 25% of all women were back in domestic service.

Furthermore, a lot of women working in munition factories worked with hazardous chemicals without any adequate protection. In the years that followed, women who worked in these factories faced a vast range of health problems including spleen enlargement, anaemia, a weakened immune system and infertility. These women also experienced liver failure, which led to them being dubbed the ‘canary girls’ due to the associated jaundice. They were often deformed as a result of working with these chem- icals - with a common side effect being the enlargement of breasts and other regions. There were also reports of babies born to munition workers being severely deformed, but there

Image courtesy of National Museum of American History, via Wikimedia Commons

FEATURES WAR & REMEMBRANCE 18 THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN WARTIME COVERAGE Words By Megan Crossman

n the age of social media, everything seems to be ac- cessible on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. With Ithis ease print media is unfortunately slowly dying out and we have seen the rise of news accessibility online.

Reuters Institute found that for 69% of under-35s, their main way of accessing news is through their smartphones. Given this, social me- dia is one of the key ways that we access information about current war events. Not only this, but social media often has a less filtered, less biased output than news outlets tend to 0 making it an incredibly important component in wartime coverage. Image courtesy of Kon Karampelas on Unsplash found out by following one account give real-time information as well as Western news often doesn’t report of someone who is in Hong Kong, the using their social media platform to on a lot of what is going on elsewhere situation is even worse than I thought. shape perceptions, give a legitimacy in the world, and when they do it is to their actions and make people usually brief and rarely demonstrates Not only is social media used more sympathetic towards them. the true extent of the situation. In this by members of the public to access By using social media in this way, it case, social media becomes incredibly news, but for journalists it can also gives a new ease for war-time propa- useful in finding out what is going on in be a vital way for them to find out key ganda to be spread across the world. the world. It can be through following information. In a New York Times inter- specific news accounts on Twitter or view, Hwaida Saad said that she has With social media so widely used, using the news apps to look at specific previously joined ISIS Whatsapp groups it is understandable why and how it places. Through online media, you can that were vital in providing her with can be utilised in so many ways. Social access news stations and papers from details to report on. Although Whatsapp media has completely reshaped the anywhere in the world that give a view eventually blocked her account for way we consume news. Where we once we don’t see in the Western world. joining these groups, having been a relied solely on newspapers, and later part of them was key for her reporting. TV and radio broadcasts, we are now Even Instagram can serve as an able to see what the news outlets leave important way of seeing real-time Social media is even used by out and where their biases lie. Simply updates. By following the accounts of military groups to promote their aims. from scrolling through Twitter, you can people who are based in places with The Israel Defence Forces (IDF, or find out more about what is going on in current conflicts, like Hong-Kong, you Tzahal as they’re known in Israel) war-torn countries than we see news can see the events as they happen use Twitter as propaganda. They outlets reporting on. through Instagram stories. And as I

19 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE FEATURES MAKE DO AND MEND FA BRIC, FASHION AND FEMINISM Words By Marco Pretara

n many ways, war did disrupt practical and comfortable clothing. It the fashion scene in Britain. was subsequently less of a taboo for Resources and raw materials women to be wearing trousers instead needed for making civilian of a skirt, showing how society’s harsh Iclothing was limited, prices rose and restrictions and attitudes on the lives fashion staples such as silk were no of women were gradually changing. longer available. It therefore became Rosie the Riveter was and is still used harder for people to express themselves as a symbol of feminism and women’s in the way that they had been able to in, economic advantages, as she encap- say, the glamorous ‘Roaring Twenties’. sulates the fact that women could do The government urged people to ‘Make the work of men and do it just as well. Do and Mend’ in such times, with The Millions challenged the prejudices Ministry of Information publishing a and conventions of the time by going pamphlet encouraging people to do into industries such as munitions and whatever they could to extend the life transport, often leaving the age-old of their clothes, from darning socks domestic sphere. This is a great exam- to washing nylons more carefully. ple of how fashion and history are so Do-it-yourself home fashions were symbiotic, as the war called for the vital Ministry of Information Photo Division Photographer, via encouraged and clothing rations were help of women to replace ‘men’s jobs’, Wikimedia Commons introduced in the UK from 1st June and the typical female-fashion of the 1941 to also help with the situation. time developed to fit these demands. government introduced in a 1942 However, fashion did in fact manage scheme, synonymous with simple lines to survive and flourish in some ways. Luxury design was not as prev- and minimal trimmings. Utility clothing alent in this period, however there could easily be worn today without High streets adapted in response were some revolutionary changes in looking dated, and it has managed to wartime conditions, as it was not the fashion world towards the end to stand the test of time, with such necessarily style but more practicality of the 1940s and in to the 1950s. On items such as utility-style boiler suits/ that was on the public’s minds. We February 12, 1947, designer Christian overalls becoming incredibly popular can look at the case of the the iconic Dior presented his debut haute couture from high street stores like Urban character ‘Rosie the Riveter’, who is collection in Paris, which was imme- Outfitters to ASOS online. Today, a known from the famous World War Two diately dubbed as the “New Look”. boiler suit seems cool and evocative poster that states ‘We Can Do It’ as she Its most prominent features included of an urban, street-style look, so it’s flexes her bicep. In the poster, Rosie rounded shoulders, a cinched waist interesting to explore the history of seems to be in dark blue overalls and and a full, A-line skirt, creating a very such an item, and understand how her hair is tied up in a red, polka-dot feminine silhouette that became an something that may now be consid- bandana, out of the way of her face. instantly recognisable ensemble in ered a great ‘vintage’ find was once This is a great example of how fashion the late 40s and early 50s. As a result, solely designed for practicality and developed in the wartime period, as post-World War II, change was yet ease-of-wear in times of hardship. This women had to take up the factory again upon the horizon in the world exacerbates how dependent fashion and munitions jobs left behind by of fashion. is on context. conscripted men, and so needed more Utility clothing was a style the

LIFESTYLE WAR & REMEMBRANCE 20 THE COMMERCIALISATION OF REMEMBRANCE IN VIETNAM Words By Linnea Lagerstedt Image By Chloe Withers

ietnam has a long history camps and Ground Zero can serve of Hanoi, it made me sad seeing the with war and occupation. an educational purpose. However, heavy influence of Western culture The French colonial era what did shock me during my recent on the way the war was remembered. began in 1861, and the trip to Hanoi was the military mem- Obviously, these t-shirts and caps Vcountry did not become free until were marketed to tourists, but it does orabilia sold on every street corner. 1945. A mere 10 years later, in 1955, make you wonder what importance is the Vietnam War began, and lasted Alongside the bog-standard local placed on remembrance when there for a whole 20 years. Often seen as beer merchandise and the t-shirts are t-shirts sold all over the country, a proxy of the Cold War, the Viet- saying ‘made Pho each other’, there spouting the words of their former nam War remains one of the most were Vietnamese military hats and adversary. Rather than blaming the significant in history. The war, while other war memorabilia sold all over. Vietnamese for trying to make a buck officially between the pro-communist Throughout the Vietnam War, it is be- in a struggling economy, we need north, and the anti-communist south, lieved that anywhere from 1-3.8 million to re-think the way we think about also featured heavy involvement Vietnamese soldiers and civilians were the commercialisation of remem- from the US Army. Today, that same killed, which is not something that brance. Yes, you might have to pay war is fuelling Vietnamese tourism. should be celebrated as a souvenir for entry to a museum or historical or a funny slogan. Not only were there site, or even buy a poppy, but when Tourism is a huge part of Vietnam. Vietnamese military costumes - sold we make memorabilia out of real In 2018, the South-East Asian country besides the Halloween masks may I suffering, that is when we have a real received 15.5 million international add - but t-shirts with the slogan ‘Good problem on our hands. In capitalism, visitors, and the tourism industry con- Morning Vietnam!’ could also be found everything can be monetised, but tributes a whole 6.6% to the country’s throughout the city of Hanoi. The sometimes we need to stop ourselves GDP. People often come to Vietnam acclaimed movie of the same name is and ask who this is really benefiting. not only for their beautiful beaches hugely pro-American, and focuses on and amazing food, but also for military the suffering of the American troops, Remembrance for the US sol- tourism (alternatively known as dark with little attention to that of the diers who passed away during the tourism). One popular attraction is the Vietnamese. Every movie has its own Vietnam War is incredibly impor- Cu Chi Tunnels built by the VietCong angle, and the US fought alongside tant, but it is just as important for Guerrilla Forces during the War. While South Vietnam, but the American the Vietnamese. Ask any Vietnamese some may find it sinister, I believe troops were nonetheless responsible veteran, and I’m sure they’ll tell you military tourism can be an important for mass-bombings in the country. they don’t want you to remember part of maintaining a country’s histo- their country by looking at those who ry, much like visits to concentration As I strolled down the streets played a huge part in its darkest hour.

21 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE INTERNATIONAL ‘SAFE’ SONGS AND CENSORSHIP IN TIMES OF CONFLICT

Words By Morgan McMillan Image By Nina Pannone

hroughout many con- have dark content and violent lyrics, struggles going on in Northern Ireland flicts – social and warfare it only portrays the realities for black and the censorship of the video only – songs and music videos Americans. The banning of N.W.A’s takes away the message of the song. have been censored to music shows the controversial ways in This opens up the question of whether Tstop the exposure of content that which music is banned, as we are told we should be protected by such scenes may be too “dangerous” for certain we have the right of free speech, yet because of the hurt they may cause, or audiences. Sometimes these bans we are restricted in our portrayal of it. if we should be able to see the brutal can be ridiculous, which is realities of real life. particularly true of the 1990s ban on ABBA’s ‘Waterloo’. Due Music censorship acts to its connotations with armies in many ways and its usual and fighting, amidst the ongo- purpose is to protect listeners ing Gulf War, BBC deemed it from language and/or vis- inappropriate to play, despite uals that could potentially few actually connecting this be harmful. Though many song to literal war. negatives towards censorship have been mentioned there The 1980s saw the be- are some positives, as it can ginning of the war on drugs protect vulnerable people from campaign which seemed to accessing content that could attack minority groups, spe- influence their behaviours. cifically in America. The “race However, as shown through wars” as it is often referred The Cranberries ‘Zombie’, the to, is most stressed through hip-hop This same theme of censorship is uncensored version of music is still and rap, causing the banning of mul- displayed throughout rock music as accessible for users, making censorship tiple rap songs. A key example of this well, with music video for The Cran- seem more of a way for radio stations censorship can be seen in the music berries ‘Zombie’ (dir. Samuel Bayer) and TV to control what we listen to. created by N.W.A. Their hit tracks as a prime example. The BBC banned With a majority of political songs being ‘Fuck Da Police’ and ‘Straight Outta this video due to its troubling footage censored/banned it creates an idea Compton’ were both banned from radio which included images of children that maybe censorship is to stop our and MTV, labelling them “The World’s holding guns. ‘Zombie’ was a response political thinking. Do you think music Most Dangerous Group”. These were to an IRA bombing causing the death of should be censored even during times protest songs about the mistreatment two young children – The Cranberries of conflict, or is this simply a way of of black Americans by law enforcement were condemning the IRA. The music controlling what we see and hear and society, and though the songs video showed real life footage of the during such times?

RECORDS WAR & REMEMBRANCE 22 FROM MUNITIONETTES TO LIONESSES: THE HISTORY OF WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IN BRITAIN Words By Emma Critchley Image By Zhen Zhong 019 has seen a massive surge morale and increase productivity. in the popularity of women’s The lifting of the ban in 1971 initiated football in Britain off the back Charity-matches and ‘friendlies’ the revival of women’s football. However, of the Lionesses fourth place soon developed into competitive it is only now, nearly 100 years since the 2finish at this year’s FIFA Women’s World games that drew crowds of thousands, FA ban, that women’s football gaining the Cup. However, men’s football is still and provided a much needed escape support and recognition that it deserves. infinitely more popular and praised. from the horrors of war. By 1917, the Munitionettes Cup had been estab- In their upcoming game against Sexism in football stems back lished and was won by Blyth Spartans. Germany at Wembley on 9 November, to gender inequality in 20th century Perhaps it was the lack of men’s football the Lionesses are set to break the Britain. Though women were playing that drove its burgeoning popularity, attendance record for a women’s football before the war, their par- but even so, women’s football began match in England, with over 75,000 ticipation was largely disregarded to gain approval in its own right. tickets sold. History is being made. by the male football community. It was only during the First World The rise of women’s football The rise of women’s football seems War, in which there was a hiatus during the war should have been a a long time coming, and though there of male football caused by men pivotal moment for sexual equality is still much progress to be made in being drafted to fight, that wom- and the reshaping of women’s rights. overcoming football’s misogynistic en’s football was first popularised. However, the return of British soldiers tendencies, women’s football is now saw many women lose their jobs, widely recognised and supported. The uncertainty of wartime Britain and had a detrimental effect on the broke down gender barriers and crafted progression of women’s football. In The Lionesses and female British a new position for women in society. No an effort to ‘re-domesticate’ women, football stars of today are indebted to longer trapped in the domestic sphere, and in a ploy to retain money in the the munitionettes, whose own foot- women were recruited to fill working male sport, the Football Association balling careers were so unfairly cut roles in the traditionally ‘male’ industrial imposed a ban on women’s foot- short, that it set in motion the fight for sectors. An estimated 700,000 wom- ball in 1921 that prevented women acceptance and equality in the sport. en took up work as “munitionettes”, from playing on FA affiliated grounds. producing the bulk of the weaponry Perhaps women’s football would used by the British Army during the be as popular as men’s football to- war, yet were paid on average less day if it wasn’t for this sudden ban. than half of a man’s wage for the work. After the war, men deemed foot- This new working environment ball to be unsuitable and unhealthy for for women created camaraderie, and women. With no female representation the female factory workers began to on the FA, the ban is just one example play informal football games in their of 20th century men asserting their lunch-breaks, just as the male workers power over women, and male prejudice had done before them. Although at in the footballing world. The backwards first this was met with unease from decision effectively suspended the pro- the male factory owners, it was grad- gression of women’s football overnight ually accepted as a way to boost by reducing it to a recreational level.

23 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE SPORTS WAR & REMEMBRANCE 24 TOURING THE WWI BATTLEFIELDS: HOW DO WE PRESERVE THEM?

Words By Louise Chase

he centenary celebrations of the First World War brought attention to the history of the conflict that spanned Tfour years between 1914 and 1918, whilst national Remembrance Days have been observed ever since the end of then so-called ‘Great War’.

Tours of infamous battle sites aren’t a recent development; sites following the American Civil War and the French Revolution experienced an influx of people wanting to explore significant historical or socially important sites. In the 21st Century, there are battlefield Image courtesy of Larry, (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons tours to sites such as Verdun or Ypres, families, such as a monument to the 2018. As a previously untouched site, as well as possibilities to visit sites missing, or the grave of a fallen an- the excavation unearthed artefacts and such as Auschwitz. Tours to these cestor. Being able to pay respects trench remains that have since been sites have received criticism due to the right at their graveside can mean a preserved. But it also allowed historians behaviour of tourists being deemed lot to families of those deceased. to recover the remains of over a hundred disrespectful, such as people being British, French, and German soldiers, scolded for playing Pokemon Go at During the later months of 2017, many of which have been identified Auschwitz. historians and famous figures such and begun to be reburied by CWGC as Dan Snow and Al Murray joined an (Commonwealth War Graves Com- But while it seems that these tours international campaign to help preserve mission) with full military honours. are unnecessary, they have many bene- a battlefield site from building devel- fits. The main one is that they allow the opment. The “Dig Hill 80” campaign Impacts of the First World War conflict to remain in popular memory. invited people to help crowdfund the don’t just stay on the battlefield. By remembering the conflict and the required amount needed to allow Learning about the conflict where consequences of it, we remember the archaeologists to visit the site and exca- it happened can unlock avenues of people who fought and died across vate an untouched battleground from information that you might not have the world. Every Thursday since its almost a century ago. Primarily taking originally associated with it, such as opening in 1927, the Menin Gate in donations on Kickstarter, the campaign authors or painters. As the archaeo- Ypres holds a public ceremony where offered rewards such as invitations logical techniques develop, we can people from all across the world can to the findings evening in November learn more from these locations and come to pay their respects to the fallen. 2018, guided tours of the excavation more accurately identify the remains site, or even the opportunity to spend of those rediscovered from the land. In When I attended the memorial in up to a week as part of the excavation. remembrance, these sites can spark 2012, I stood shoulder to shoulder an interest in history. Learning about with people from Australia, Canada Within the thirty days that the the human side of the conflict allows and further afield, all of us paying Kickstarter lasted, the campaign was us to relate to the affected individuals our respects. Some of these tours successfully funded, and excavations far more than simply reading statistics also allow the public to visit sites of the site occurred from April to June on a page. that might mean something to their

25 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE TRAVEL ISRAELI EUROVISION: THE CONTROVERSY OF PERFORMANCES AND THE ISSUES OF BOYCOTTING

Words By Megan Crossman

srael hosting the 2019 Euro- a non-political event and this directly dancers at the end of the show, and vision Song Contest caused contradicts the contest rule”. It was was also not approved or performed controversy due to the Israel/ later announced that they would be in the rehearsal. The dancers were also Palestine conflict. Although the fined for this display, and they stuck wearing gas masks which certainly Iconflict dates back to the 19th Century by this fine even following an appeal. at first seemed like a step too far. and Israel has hosted Eurovision twice Hatari, Iceland’s performing group, Madonna said she is grateful ‘for the in Eurovision’s history (1979 and 1999) are known to be supporters of the opportunity to spread the message of boycotts have never been seen on Israel boycott movement (BDS) and peace and unity with the world’. But if such a level as this year. Many groups were warned in advance they would Madonna had wanted to make a real urged viewers to boycott, but how did be disqualified if they brought the statement she would have listened to the conflict affect the performances conflict into the show. Despite their pro-Palestinian activists and boycotted and audience this year? politically involved performance, the performance altogether. they still placed 10th. Eurovision argue that politics has It seems that boycotts had some, nothing to do with the show, but it is Madonna’s infamous perfor- but only minimal effect on viewing hard to deny that politics is interwoven mance at the end of the night also statistics. 182 million people tuned with it. Iceland, in particular, were nota- came under severe scrutiny. Not in to watch in 2019, compared to 186 ble for bringing politics into the show. only was her political statement not million in 2018 and 204 million in 2016. Palestinian flags were banned from the approved by the Eurovision organ- But when performers are not even show, yet while the Iceland vote was isers, it also appeared to many that boycotting the performance, which announced the trip held up banners the her statement missed the mark. The is a greater statement than showing colour of the Palestinian flag with the Israeli and Palestinian flags on the solidarity with Palestine at the show, word ‘Palestine’. Eurovision organisers back of her dancers’ backs, designed it can’t also be placed on audiences said that they would be discussing the to show unity between the two, were to boycott too. “consequences of this action” as it “is discrete and only on the backs of two

Image courtesy of EBU

LIVE WAR & REMEMBRANCE 26 Image courtesy of Relativity Media.

27 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES: 30 YEARS OF RENDING HEARTS

Words By Jordan Truong Image By Chloe Withers

t’s hard to find a single dry eye in the room when her house and take refuge in a bomb shelter, where the credits roll on one of the great masterpieces every passing day becomes a more desperate battle produced by Studio Ghibli, and one of the most for survival. Setsuko’s only respite seems to come from powerful war films in cinema history. Although playing with a group of fireflies, producing a calming Iits seemingly anti-war message has been denied re- source of light when released at night. Their situation peatedly by the film’s director, Isao Takahata (himself grows dire as she and her brother slowly succumb to a survivor of the Okayama bombing during the Second malnutrition. In a panic Seita manages to withdraw the World War), there can be little doubting the graphic, last of his mother’s bank savings, but his help comes extremely emotional depiction of the horrors of war too late for Setsuko who, in her brother’s words, “never that Grave of the Fireflies manages to convey in its 89 woke up” one rainy evening. After Seita’s own death, their meticulously crafted minutes. spirits are shown, happy and healthy, playing on a hill overlooking the present-day city of Kobe - surrounded The film actually begins with its ending. Protagonist by the fireflies Setsuko adored so much. Seita dies of starvation in a Kobe train station shortly after Japan’s surrender, having lost the will to live after the death of his sister Setsuko - the only family he had Grave of the Fireflies made 1.7 billion Japanese Yen left. From the get-go it is revealed that the war has at its homeland box office, which may sound like a lot of completely wiped out a whole family, just one of many money, but its performance was actually rather modest erased across the country. compared to other popular anime films. Perhaps this is a sign of the film’s strength: the raw and hopeless The rest of Grave of the Fireflies takes place in flash- depiction of the realities of war, one that turned away back, beginning with the first firebombing of Kobe. The audiences on release, continues - even three decades siblings lose their mother in the attack, and are then sent later - to serve as an essential reminder of what con- to live with a distant aunt. Their father never actually flict wreaks upon the innocent and most vulnerable appears in the film. It is mentioned that he is a captain members of society. in the Imperial Japanese Navy, later implied that he too has died in one of the many engagements with the US. The experiences of Seita and Setsuko are still a reality for millions of people across the globe today, Seita and Setsuko’s aunt proves to be cruel and those not lucky enough to live in places that have only abusive to the young orphans. They are forced to leave ever known peace.

FILM WAR & REMEMBRANCE 28 THE CREEPING THREAT OF MODERN DAY MILITARISM

Words By Kendall Field

his month we celebrate admiration of war both past and present? people to Hitler… And of course, you Remembrance, as we do As children, we are taught that war is must also overlook the fact that the every year... ‘Lest We Forget’. tragic, conflict is devastating and that West’s value of human rights has all This summer, the UK held violence is never the answer. At least, but evaporated in the face of pretty Tanother Defence and Security Equip- that’s the case when we’re not being much every genocide since the sec- ment International (DSEI) Arms Fair. sold Call of Duty and Battlefield video ond world war. We are not taught The British public harbour the former, games or being taken to the Imperial about the Cambodian or Rwandan yet for the most part abhor the latter. War Museum. In school, I remember genocides (which were scarily more I see this as a massive contradiction. being taught about World War II when recent than we’d like to think). We I think that the way we enshrine the I was as young as 8 years old, and I do not bat an eyelid when countries World Wars and conflict in a general likely was informally taught about today casually kill or abuse our fellow sense today is tied to our country’s it at an even younger age. Alas, it is humans, all the while we simulta- ongoing inability to resist exasperating one of the most influential events in neously tell ourselves that we must conflict and suffering across the globe. contemporary history and we cannot never forget and ostracise anyone who allow ourselves to forget it’s signif- doesn’t wear a red poppy every year. The UK exports arms and military icance. This continues throughout equipment to Saudi Arabia, a country life, from primary school to secondary How do we turn ourselves around that is close to starting a war with school, and even to universities and the from this point of isolated indifference Iran and drawing the UK into it; Israel, workplace. What an amazing society and detachment that we have con- a country known for it’s grotesque we must have created! With so much cealed ourselves in? I say we begin record of human rights abuses and education of the horrors of the Axis’, by combating the different forms attacks on Palestinian people, and there’s no way we could ever tolerate of militarism that have silently en- both India and Pakistan: two countries any such injustice today… Except for trenched themselves in our socie- that threatened a potentially-dev- the rise of the far right sweeping across ty like a grim mould invading our astating conflict over the disputed Europe, Brazil and other countries… homes. We must start at university. territories of Kashmir, to list a few. And except for the fact that political discourse has become a shouting match Yet, our government officials which consists mostly of comparing cry a blatant untruth that apparent- ly ‘the UK operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. Licensing decisions are based on the most up-to-date information and analysis available at the time, including advice from those with diplo- matic and military expertise and reports from our overseas network and NGOs.’

Not only this, but we are told that arms will be bought from someone, so if anyone will benefit from war prof- iteering, it might as well be us. Again, another morally bankrupt untruth. But what does the arms trade have to do with normalcy commemoration and cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Andy Beecroft - geograph.org.uk/p/1579198

29 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE OPINION ROMANTICISING WAR IN TEENAGE FICTION

Words By Vicky Geer

f there’s one thing that so many when she was shot for these beliefs. the end of the book. A happy ending children’s Fantasy and Young This shocking aspect of fantasy nov- is of course important, but often it Adult (YA) fiction series have in els can be a reality. Considering war ignores the physical and emotional common, it’s the build up to an itself, army recruitment often begins aftermath of war – trauma, loss and Iepic final battle, the good fight led by in secondary school, and here in the injury are much more common in the young protagonist. Almost every UK 30% of those who enlisted last reality. This creates a flawed image essential piece of YA fiction in recent year were under 18. The issue with of war, doesn’t allow young people to years follows this theme of young these narratives and the attraction of make an informed decision at an age people taking the lead in a fictional enlisting is that young people rarely when enlisting is an option for them. war – but is this an inspiration for see the true impact that combat can young readers to do great things, or have on those who fight in them. YA fiction is an powerful tool. Em- a dangerous romanticised image of powering young people and teaching violence, sending the wrong message Having fictional role models gives them that they can make a difference to an uninformed audience? young people a glimpse of the things in even the most overwhelming situ- they could achieve. It encourages ations. But war is not confined to the Harry Potter has magic. Divergent children to think about what needs to pages of a book, and with so many and The Hunger Games warn us of a change in our society. But this biased young people drawn towards the dystopian future. The Mortal Instru- image of fictional combat feeds into army, YA literature has a responsibility ments series introduces us to a world of a romanticised view of the real-life to these young people to give them a demons, warlocks and vampires. The military. In many of these novels, the more balanced depiction of conflict. details change, but there’s one thing triumphant end to the battle marks that always stays the same: the battle between good and evil, culminating in a final battle and telling us that young people can be a part of the fight. This narrative has been an integral part of so many childhoods, but what are the real life effects?

Of course, teenage heroes are not confined to the pages of our fa- vourite books. More and more young people are taking control in society and fighting for what they believe in. Sixteen-year-old Greta Thunberg has been taking the world by storm with her fight against climate change, encouraging us to change our ways and stand up for the world we live in. Malala Yousafzai was just eleven years old when she started campaigning for women’s education rights; fifteen Image courtesy of Lionsgate Films

CULTURE WAR & REMEMBRANCE 30 PROTEST SONGS THROUGH THE YEARS Words By Maddie Lock Image By Shannon Whitelock

hroughout the ages, music on board, and hopefully agree and crows to pluck”. Holiday’s song was has always been a heavy promote as well. Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ coined by Atlantic Records producer means of expressing dis- takes a similar stance as it challenges Ahmet Ertegun as “a declaration of content and protesting capitalism, war and religion to put war… the beginning of the Civil Rights Tissues, especially in times of conflict. into perspective that “all the people” movement” highlighting its success as As Morrissey and The Smiths put it in should strive for “living life in peace”. a protest song. ‘Shakespeare’s Sister’, “I thought that Though he claims he may be seen as if you had an acoustic guitar, it meant a “dreamer”, highlighting that war will Even in 2019, Lana Del Ray’s recent that you were a protest singer”. From lead to there being “nothing to kill or single ‘Looking For America’ is a protest the Vietnam War, to race relations, right die for” - opening eyes and stressing song critiquing the current political up to modern day politics, music has that war won’t end positively. climate of America, particularly the been the method of sharing thoughts war on banning guns. Explicit through and aiming to influence the world to Alternatively, Billie Holidays the lyrics that she is searching for her create change. ‘Strange Fruit’ tackles a different “own version of America, one without kind of conflict; race relations in 1939 the gun”, and again when she wishes Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’, America. Explicitly disapproving and there to be “no bombs in the sky”. This along with John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, protesting against lynching, the strange expresses the power of protest songs, were produced during 1971 in the midst fruit Holiday refers to is the “black bod- and how they are used to speak to and of the Vietnam War – a conflict which ies swingin’ in the Southern breeze”. for the people in times of conflict, even inspired many youths and artists to Though this isn’t your typical type of those not as large as war. They often protest America’s participation. Gaye’s conflict, such as war, she is protesting do help create the change they are ‘What’s Going On’ begins by addressing the longstanding racism and race asking for, or at least open people’s mothers and brothers, stating that wars prominent in America during eyes to the ways in which the world too many of them were “crying” and this period. Considering the time in needs to change, and as Morrissey “dying”, going on to tell the fathers which this song was released, it is stated above, anyone with a guitar is that “war is not the answer”. This quite explicit and visually gruesome capable of creating their own form of allows the message to strike a chord, in its lyrics, through phrases such as musical protest. making his plea not to “punish me with “bulgin’ eyes”, “twisted mouth” and brutality” meant for all to hear, take the bodies, or ‘fruit’, being left “for the

31 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE RECORDS WAR & REMEMBRANCE 32 LIVE AID AND HUMANITARIANISM: DO WE NEED ANOTHER “GLOBAL JUKEBOX”?

Words By Charlotte Colombo

ob Geldof and Midge Ure that Live Aid not only played an active and pushed on with his original plans, are known for not only role in helping the Ethiopian crisis, claiming that he’ll “shake hands with their musical talent but but that through its concept he had the Devil on my left and on my right to also for the way in which “created something permanent and get to the people we are meant to help.” Bthey utilised music - which Geldof self-sustaining” when it comes to called “the lingua franca of the plan- campaigning for humanitarian aid. Did Geldof’s deal with the devil et” - in order to force the world to pay pay off? Ultimately, by refusing to attention to some of the humanitarian However, despite Live Aid’s un- acknowledge the idea that starvation crises and atrocities going on in the disputed outreach, the money raised could be used as a weapon of war, world. Live Aid came not long after the for the Ethiopian famine reportedly Live Aid perpetuated the toxic cycle 1984 collaborative hit ‘Do They Know didn’t get very far. The majority of of combat, inadvertently giving the It’s Christmas’ which, as with Live Aid, money raised in aid of those affected Ethiopian dictatorship means to further was organised by Geldof and Ure with by famine ended up in the hands their campaign of destruction. the aim of raising awareness of the of the leader of Ethiopia’s military Ethiopian famine, which occurred a government who, as we have seen, Approximately 40% of the popu- decade into the Ethiopian Civil War. played a role in creating the famine lation tuned in to Live Aid, and it was a in the first place. The money was humbling example of people all over Although the cause of the famine siphoned off to purchase weaponry the world coming together for the is often attributed to droughts and from the Soviet Union. greater good. Grave mistakes were climatic phenomena, humanitarian made in its development, but I believe organisation Oxfam UK have argued According to a 1986 expose by that provided we learn from them in that one of the chief causes of the Spin, humanitarian organisation Doc- the future, and focus on growing the famines - specifically the one between tors Without Borders warned Geldof in positive aspects and outcomes of 1983-1985 - was actually created advance of the Ethiopian government’s the project, another Live Aid might via government policies they called role in the war and the likelihood of be exactly what we need right now - ‘counter-insurgence strategies’ against where the money would go, but he especially in a world that is both more rebel factions like the Tigray People’s deliberately ignored these warnings connected and more divided than ever. Liberation Front. Starvation was not only the consequence of climate issues and droughts - it was used as a weapon of war.

With an estimated 1.9 billion people watching the live broadcast, it’s evident that one of the major successes of Live Aid was bringing the devastating consequences of the Ethiopian civil war into the public eye with such ferocity, no world leader could ignore it; one aid relief worker argued that as a result of Live Aid, “humanitarian concern [was] now at the centre of foreign policy” for these Western leaders. Geldof also asserted Image courtesy of Squelle, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons

33 WESSEX SCENE & THE EDGE LIVE WAR & REMEMBRANCE 34