Although we are a generation of politicians, soldiers and citizens with little direct war experience, this war is much more available to us than ever before, through the media and through the World Wide Web. We can check the official Serbian web site for ourselves, look at their photos of death and destruction. And, when the Serbs capture three young soldiers, we see their school photos and their parents' tears on the six o'clock news. This firsthand view of war is combined in North America with a strong inclination on the part of governments to consult the polls before legislators. Whether we like it or not, whether we have any qualifications or not, we are being consulted on this war.
Public opinion has a lot to do with strategy.
We have a great obligation then to be informed, to know our history and that of the Balkan region. We need to try to work our way through the conflicting values and troubling options using both our hearts and heads. The United Church of Canada and other denominations have moved quickly. Churches have asked the federal government to seek UN leadership. The United Church is committed to human security over state security, moral responsibility to vulnerable people beyond our borders, preventive diplomacy, peace building and resisting use of military force.