Ottawa is turning to the wisdom enshrined in Jedi master Yoda, of Star Wars fame, in counselling its soldiers on how to overcome war-related stress.
The green, pint-sized character's advice is part of the video script the Canadian government is currently studying, through which soldiers returning from Afghanistan will be given tips on coping with combat zone stress, reports The Globe and Mail, Toronto.
Only months ago, the Canadian Forces ombudsman had criticised his nation's army for not meeting adequately the operational stress of the troops, when he discovered that more than half the measures his predecessor had recommended in 2002 were yet to be fulfilled.
Like Yoda did in the George Lucas production, Canadian soldiers will be told to reach deep within themselves and reclaim their mental health. 'Yoda was right, if you believe you will achieve,' the script counsels the soldiers.
The video is currently being shot at the Canadian Forces' base of Valcartier, and will feature different techniques for de-stressing, including 'disidentification'. Under the latter, the script has a soldier saying: 'There is anger in me but I am not that anger, I am more than that.'
