BOURNEMOUTH'S most senior clergyman has highlighted the need to celebrate the "rich diversity of life" to maintain peace.
The Rev Dr Ian Terry will speak at tomorrow's Remembrance Day service at the war memorial in the Central Gardens.
Recently, the town centre rector was invited to speak at a special event to mark the anniversary of a notable First World War soldier's death.
Mr Terry spoke at a service to mark 100 years since the death of Bournemouth VC winner Sergeant Frederick Charles Riggs in late September.
He said: “It’s an honour to be here today, particularly because Bournemouth is such a richly diverse town. The rich diversity of life in Bournemouth mirrors the amazing diversity of humanity that see around the world.
“When people live collaborate with each other and work for the common good, everything goes well.
“When that doesn’t work and things fall apart, we get warfare and that’s quite simply dreadful and to be avoided at all costs."
Mr Terry will be joined by civic leaders, as well as other faith leaders from across the town's diverse community for tomorrow's ceremony.
“I’m quite convinced the Abrahamic God we worship as Christians, as Jews, as Muslims, wants us to work together to avoid violence and conflict wherever possible," Mr Terry added.
“As on Remembrance Day, we’re required to do the difficult task of remembering what we would prefer to forget.
“Remembering the deeper and more painful truth which is a truth for all humanity that when human beings don’t celebrate their differences but rather they get into conflict, sometimes bloody conflict, with each other.
“As we honour the memory of Sgt Riggs, this is another opportunity to remind us to celebrate diversity and not to feel threatened by it and to work for peace and justice, however illusory these things prove to be, wherever we can.”
The focus tomorrow will be on all soldiers who gave their lives for their country in the First World War and other conflicts all over the world.
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