WWI

To me, any type of War, Violence, Abuse or Intrusion is a traumatic experience for any individual it directly affects and to those who are closest to that individual.

I wanted to set the scene by placing the song in the context of what started the war. This also relates to subsequent events including the deal Britain made with German Zionists promising Palestine, once it was won from Germany’s allies the Ottoman Empire, as a future Jewish homeland. This was legally documented as the Balfour Declaration in 1917 by Arthur Balfour the British Foreign Secretary at the time with a letter addressed – Dear Lord Rothschild.

I was not sure if i could even use this term ‘Zionist’ as it is seen to be anti-Semitic (Racist) something which i am not.

I found this historical event of the Balfour Declaration to be highly important as it led to the state of Israel being created in 1948, bringing almost a century of conflict to say the least.

We need to understand trauma, the macro trauma that impacts society and that which affects the individual – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD had a long-lasting on the soldiers that fought in WW1. I wanted to increase awareness that trauma can change a person’s life course and contribute to serious mental illness & suffering for individuals & their families.

Before WW1 depression, psychosis and psychological suffering in mental illness were understood to only be possible if someone was born with a defective, inferior brain.

Traumatised soldiers returning European soldiers and those returning to other continents, including India and Africa, after WW1 suffering with flashbacks, sleep deprivation, anxiety disorders and shell shock, often leading to substance abuse, changed this forever.

There is recent research that shows how trauma is also passed down genetically, the ripple effect of this war frequency to is long lasting. There is a Black woman from America, Dr Nadine Burke Harris, who explains how trauma affects our immune system, mental health, growth and even how our DNA is read and transcribed.

However, the question remains as to why it took the suffering and shell shock of predominantly white men with military careers after the trauma of war to begin to open eyes to any recognition that traumatising humans through violence damages them. Recognition of PTSD after WWI was a positive thing, but it does beg the question as to who’s voice matters and why?

With an east African father, it was important for me to deal with the traumatic impact of

the scramble for Africa on that continent. Many east Africans fought for Germany during the conflict which resulted in the transfer of Germany’s African colonies to France and Britain. The struggle for independence from colonial rule continued for decades after.

They say that nothing is stronger than those who can rebuild their lives after trauma. My heart goes out to all affected by war, violence & terror. that seems to be the whole world today.