Royal Canadian Legion: service, advocacy, memory

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the activities of the Royal Canadian Legion as a leading non-profit organization in Canada that cares about the rights and social protection of veterans, mobilizes efforts to help servicemen and their families. Based on an analysis of the historical stages of the formation of the Royal Canadian Legion - from the unification of veteran groups of the First World War to the modern extensive network - the specifics of its organizational structure and information activities are revealed. The aim of the article is to clarify the main tools of the Royal Canadian Legion's activities in the areas of advocacy, medical and financial support, and socialization of veterans. The uniqueness of the membership model, which involves not only military personnel, but also civilians, is highlighted, which at the same time consolidates society around veteran needs and causes ambiguous attitudes and criticism. The commemorative practices of the Royal Canadian Legion, which honors and remembers Canadian veterans of all wars, are examined, including the use of the poppy as a protected symbol of national remembrance to honor fallen soldiers on Remembrance Day on November 11, and the selection of a Silver Cross Mother to lay a wreath at the Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on behalf of all mothers who have lost children serving their country. The authors analyze the Legion's various activities to engage youth in memorialization through a system of educational competitions. It is emphasized that the Canadian experience is valuable for Ukraine in the context of building a network of veteran spaces in territorial communities, creating transparent mechanisms for charity, engaging in volunteerism, and forming traditions of honoring heroes.