THE Bendigo Military Museum in Pall Mall has welcomed news that a video from an exhibition held within its Soldiers Memorial Institute home has been announced as a finalist in the digital storytelling category of the 2024 Victorian Community History Awards.<\/p>\n
The Faces of Peace Video Storytelling Project – Central Victoria’s Peacekeepers, Peacemakers and Peacebuilders, shined a light on the experiences of 10 veterans from Central Victoria who served in peacekeeping operations across the globe – in Bosnia, Cyprus, The Solomon Islands, East Timor, Mozambique, Namibia, the Middle East and Pakistan.<\/p>\n
Their stories offered a fascinating insight into what it meant to be a peacekeeper and the challenges of serving in complex, often volatile environments.<\/p>\n
The exhibition joins 38 other history publications and projects to have been shortlisted across 11 prize categories including the Victorian Premier’s History Award.<\/p>\n
Military Museum curator Lena Morrison-van Velsen said the exhibition came about from last year’s Anzac Day theme – Peacekeeping, Peacemaking and Peacebuilding.<\/p>\n
“It was really to shine a light on the fact that when you sign up to any of the forces, whether it’s Army, Navy or Air Force, you’re signing up to serve – you don’t get to choose where you serve and you often don’t get to choose what you do,” she said.<\/p>\n
“People who end up going on a peacekeeping operation have traditionally been treated as less than someone who served in an active war-like operation.<\/p>\n
“That came down to the benefits they were entitled to, the pay they received and the medals they were entitled.<\/p>\n
“There’s been a push to recognise peacekeeping as a very valid form of service and often it’s as dangerous if not more so than active warlike operations.”<\/p>\n
Ms Morrison-van Velsen said the shortlisting is deserved recognition of “the incredible things” the featured veterans have done.<\/p>\n
“That’s really rewarding, but also being nominated alongside such incredible projects is really special as we’re quite a small niche institution compared to some of these heavy hitters,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Coming from a regional perspective – our main mission is to recognise local stories and heroes and showcase what regional Victorians can do – it’s really special.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Bendigo Military Museum in Pall Mall has welcomed news that a video from an exhibition held within its Soldiers Memorial Institute home has been announced as a finalist in the digital storytelling category of the 2024 Victorian Community History Awards. The Faces of Peace Video Storytelling Project – Central Victoria’s Peacekeepers, Peacemakers and Peacebuilders, […]<\/p>\n