This Remembrance Sunday, as people across the UK gathered to remember lives lost to war, Every Casualty Counts placed civilian victims at the centre of national reflection. In London, ECC marked the day by launching Memorial 2025 – a new project that tells the stories of people killed in conflicts over the past year – and by co-organising the powerful “Virtual Cenotaph” projection with Quakers in Britain.
Earlier in the day, ECC’s Executive Director, Rachel Taylor, addressed the National Alternative Remembrance Ceremony in Tavistock Square. Speaking to a record turnout, Rachel reflected on the human impact of today’s wars, particularly the way modern conflicts obscure the identities of those killed.
Rachel Taylor, ECC Director
War dehumanises us all. This dehumanisation can be explicit, through the propaganda of genocide – or it can be technological, with the equipment we have today enabling people to kill others thousands of miles away without ever seeing their faces. All of them deserve to be known.
The ceremony also drew notable public figures who helped amplify its message. Actor and long-time peace campaigner Sir Mark Rylance spoke movingly about the impact of today’s conflicts on children and the loneliness felt by those who oppose violence. His reflections set the tone for the day’s events and underscored the urgency of ECC’s work to document every life lost. Their presence helped bring wider attention to the themes of humanity, accountability and peace that sit at the core of Memorial 2025.
Memorial 2025: A new space for remembrance
The evening’s “Virtual Cenotaph” brought this commitment to life. Projected onto the entrance of Friends House near Euston, a vast outdoor display showed photographs of ordinary people killed in conflicts this year – from Ukraine and Sudan to Mexico, Palestine, Haiti and beyond. The projection marked the public launch of Memorial 2025 which is now available to explore online.
Developed by ECC, Memorial 2025 is a digital space dedicated to remembering people killed in armed conflict, wherever they lived and whichever side they were on. At a time when civilian deaths are rising to record levels globally, the project seeks to restore visibility to individuals whose lives are too often reduced to numbers.
A day to remember every casualty
While Remembrance Sunday traditions continue across the country, ECC’s participation this year highlighted the importance of acknowledging all victims of war – both military and civilian, of all nationalities. Our work is rooted in the belief that every life lost to armed conflict must be properly recorded, recognised and remembered. Without this, accountability is impossible, and lasting peace remains out of reach.
As Rachel noted, casualty recording is not just a technical process – it is an act of humanisation.
We invite supporters, researchers and all those concerned about civilian protection to explore Memorial 2025 and join us in ensuring that every casualty counts.
Image: Memorial 2025 Launch at Friends House, Euston (c) Michael Preston for Quakers in Britain, 2025.
