Notes in Time of War

We all went out last nite to see the preformance that Abigail has been working on all year. Children in 5th year from 5 schools have been reading diaries of children in war-torn countries. With the help of their main teachers and their music teachers, they have been writing songs and learning dances from those countries in response.

We followed the "Halberdier", a 2000 year old "horn of war", flags and a brass band of adults and children across the street and into the hall. As we entered the hall we saw, flashing above our heads  projected images of children and brief statements of their thoughts on war, "I am afraid to go out of the house. Why is my dad fighting? Bang, my sister is dead. etc." We stood during the performance and our attention was led from stage to stage by a lone violin player. Abigail's class did Bosnia. The other wars represented were in Northern Ireland, Rwanda, and Iraq. Abigail's class even had a Bosnian popstar to help them. They would play on stage until the sounds of bombs would cause them to stop, their popstar sang a song of remorse and then they danced together. The Northern Ireland kids were playing together, learned to hate and take their sides then danced together at the end. In the Iraq one it was the americans doing the killing. Ouch. The one on Rwanda had mentally and physically handicapped children fully integrated in with the other kids.

At the end  the children encircled us, holding hands and singing a song they wrote.
"Tomorrow there will be no fighting.
Tomorrow there will be no riots.
No more ruined, empty houses.
No more lies and empty promises.
Tomorrow there will be more talking.
Tomorrow there will be more listening.
Respect for us.
Respect for others.
Fathers, sisters, mothers, brothers.
Who will listen to our voices.
Who in charge will make our choices.
Children will be here tomorrow.
Will tomorrow come?"

Why is it so hard to see children involved in war? Is it because they have no choice? I would like to propose an additional possibility. They have hope. They are an embodiment of hope. We lose them we lose hope for the future. Lord, as adults of the world, protect our children, give us wisdom, give us understanding, give us compassion.

Since putting my kids in the U.K. schools (in east London and up here in Orkney)  I have noticed a tremendous emphasis on peace, understanding different cultures, understanding the cost of war, responsibility in looking after the earth. Is this just a U.K. thing, a fluke or is this a worldwide trend? I sure hope it is the latter. The power of learning these things as children and carrying them into adulthood is powerful.

Btw Abigail is the far right child in the top photo, the short center in the second photo.

Comments

[maryellen]

Hi Debbie,
Can't speak for other US schools but at my sons very small
school they have quite a bit of emphisis on peace and the graduation had a very touching song that the kids learned in sign language as well, (as one of the teen girls is hearing impared) the song was about peace. We all had tears and I was happy to be in such a school.