Spring Equinox 2026: War and Peace
“If you want peace, work for justice.”
Pope Paul VI, 1 January 1972, World Day of Peace
War in spring seems antithetical, a jarring contradiction of realities. While birds are returning north to nest (I saw my first geese on March 6th) in many places the world’s armies are sending out “drones” on attack missions. Another kind of migration.
When the war in Ukraine broke out in February 2022 just over four years ago, I remember hearing one refugee with his family quoted as saying that after war, everyday problems are not problems, are “nothing.” War is a problem.
I wonder, do we as North Americans truly appreciate this?
For many years I worked in addictions and mental health, sometimes on the frontline, sometimes in support of the frontline. We used to talk a lot about risk factors and protective factors for youth and families. Lately it’s got me wondering about the risk and protective factors for and against war.
Risk factors for addiction include experiencing abuse (any kind) and/or neglect first hand, as well as witnessing violence, mental illness, and the misuse of substances in the home. Protective factors include literacy, healthy self-esteem, self control, good social skills, the positive involvement of parents and other adult mentors, and participation in community activities such as sports, the arts, or volunteering. I think these factors have a lot in common with the risk and protective factors for war. Those things that predispose us on the individual level to anti-social behaviour may also predispose us at the societal level.
Timothy Snyder a former Yale professor of European history, now of the University of Toronto, wrote in On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth century that dictatorships (and I would argue its close fellow, war) can happen in any society, even those that have longstanding democratic traditions.
And so, I’ve been pondering. How literate am I on current events? On credible news sources? How much do I rely on doom scrolling for the day’s news? How much do I participate in my community, donating time or money or simply being a good neighbour? How do I mentor the young people in my life? What am I doing to speak out about abuse and violence I encounter against people, but also the land (all my relatives) where I live, work and play? Am I there for others, especially the newcomer and the marginalized? How open am I to hearing experiences and opinions different than my own? How much do I let fear rather than facts guide my actions and decisions whether with the houseless or the powerful?
The other night I listened to a live presentation by Dr. Niigaan Sinclair, an educator and Anishinaabe from Peguis First Nation (and yes, the son of the late Murray Sinclair). He zoomed in from a Starbucks in Winnipeg. The title of his talk? “Ukrainian people are my people too” based on a column he wrote for the Winnipeg Free Press when Russia invaded Ukraine. To those in the virtual audience he spoke at length about the Kowalchuk family in north Winnipeg who were like a second family to him growing up and one of the brothers who is a lifelong friend. He said something like this about that relationship: We both have our traditions, our rituals, our feasting, and our community and we don’t vote the same way or always agree, but he’s my brother.
That’s a paradox worth working for. We are different and we are all related. I’ll be pondering that balance as I walk the kisiskâciwani-sîpiy, the North Saskatchewan river and other rivers this spring into summer watching and listening as one by one the birds return, grateful for the tremendous peace I enjoy in this land.
12 Comments
M. Jano Thibodeau
March 19, 2026Dearest Audrey thank you for sharing –
Nee October 1935 – I am now at 90 years of living time.
Because of ill health I had to move into a Senior Residence called home in Nanaimo V.I. Canada
My neighbor Anoosh 75 yrs old man, says he was born in Persia. Now IRAN.
~ When I see him in the morning I’ll have a special need and say.
How are you doing today brother Anoosh?
— WAR in IRAN — brothers and sisters and children are murdered …
blood running on OUR Land – how to “work for justice”
“If you want peace, work for justice.”
Pope Paul VI, 1 January 1972, World Day of Peace
Cosmic Energy ~j.
Audrey
March 20, 2026Today is especially important in the Persian calendar. They celebrate spring in an ancient way, still. They call it Nouwruz. Do say Hello to him!
Anita Jenkins
March 20, 2026“… we don’t vote the same way or always agree, but he’s my brother.” Certainly true for me and my 10 siblings. And I assume true for most of us.
Audrey
March 20, 2026Yes, for blood family. Not as common across divisions of race, culture, and a history of colonialism.
Terry Wilton
March 20, 2026Thank you for a thoughtful reflection. There’s wisdom in dealing with the human condition that can arise from the psychotherapy office. There’s something extraordinary each of us can do to make the world a better place each day we live out our lives.
Audrey
March 20, 2026Thank you, Terry, for reminders of that individual power.
Rayne
March 20, 2026Your question..How do I mentor the young people in my life?
That came up for me as I attended an all day event yesterday on
Residential School Survivors. One woman spoke so eloquently of
her horrendous life as a 60 scoop survivor, being adopted to an non-indigenous abusive family. Taken thousands of miles away from her family in Saskatchewan.
She crawled out of years of self abuse, years of healing and returned back to Regina and set up programs to help teens.
Left me wondering how can I mentor young people? There were also 2 staff members at the event yesterday who work for ‘Big Brothers and Big Sisters’ which is a great opportunity to help the youth.
Audrey
March 20, 2026Yes! Brilliant! Thanks, Rayne.
Carolyn Pogue
March 22, 2026Thank you, Audrey, for another good reflection. “May peace prevail.”
Kate Henderson
March 23, 2026Addiction and houselessness bring about the same outcome as war: everyday problems get dwarfed by overwhelming imperatives. Our battlefields vary while we share the human needs of safety, warmth and caring community. We are all different and we are all related. Thank you, Audrey, for encouraging me to think about the wars even closer to home.
Audrey
March 24, 2026It’s true. It all comes down to trauma. Thank you, Kate.
Linda Bumstead
March 29, 2026Hi Audrey,
Your blog speaks to a lot of things that are preying on mind. I really try to avoid social media for news. I find it very negative even when I agree with it. I also wonder how open I am to hearing different opinions and experiences that do not align with my pretty typical left wing Canadian beliefs.
I find the turn away from environmental issues very disheartening. I think people in poor countries are already suffering overwhelmingly from environmental degradation leading to migration and “problems” in wealthier countries. While quite a few Canadians do see the value of newcomers many don’t and they are validated by the current provincial government.
I find this all quite overwhelming but I too look forward to the renewal of spring.
Take care and enjoy the return of the birds.