Children
understand.
I was in Morrisons doing some shopping today when Megan called me. She
was out with her friends and said "Mum, one of the boys said Russia is
about to enter the UK and start fighting us, so we're really scared".
Well, I'm not sure what anyone around me shopping thought about my
explanation to a bunch of 11 year olds about Russia and Ukraine, but it went
something like.....
After the last BIG playground fight (WW2), lots of popular kids (WORLD
LEADERS) got together and made a big gang (NATO), and all the kids in the gang
made a pinky promise (TREATY) to be nice and respectful and not fight each
other anymore.
This means not going into each other's part of the playground (COUNTRY)
without permission, and not throwing sticks or stones (HEAVY ARTILLERY) at each
other, and the UK is part of the gang.
But then a new kid (UKRAINE) joined the playground, and a big bad bullly
(RUSSIA) started picking on the new kid, all because he is greedy and bossy and
wanted the new kids playground space for himself, even though he has one of the
biggest spaces in the playground.
But sadly, the new kid is not part of the gang because the big bad bully
didn't want the new kid to join the gang.
We would be breaking our pinky promise if any of the gang members help
the new kid fight the bully.
We have all told the bully off, and stuck up for the new kid by hiding
the bully's pocket money until the bully stops hurting the new kid (SANCTIONS)
and this will hopefully stop the bully from buying more sticks and stones.
We have also given the new kid lots of our own sticks and stones to
fight the bully, because this is not breaking the pinky promise!
Even though it is really, really sad, all we can do now is stand on the
edge of the playground and watch and give moral support to the new kid, because
we are not allowed to fight the bully for them, not without breaking the pinky
promise.
BUT... if the bully breaks the pinky promise and comes into our part of
the playground (UK) without permission and throws a stick or stone at us, then
the whole of the gang (NATO) will come and help us, and we will ALL jump on top
of the bully (RUSSIA) and beat him up.
Now don't worry anymore sweetheart, just go and play nicely together in
the sunshine and don't get up to any trouble. .
via Yvette Dawson Phillips
“LOVE” by
Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov At night, the children inside light up.
A Single lit
Candle
I can’t make the
world peaceful
I can’t stall tanks
from roaring down roads
I can’t prevent children
from having to hide in bunkers
I can’t convince the news to
stop turning war into a video game
I can’t silence the sound of bombs
tearing neighbourhoods apart
I can’t turn a guided missile
into a bouquet of flowers
I can’t make a warmonger
have an ounce of empathy
I can’t convince ambassadors
to quit playing truth or dare
I can’t deflect a sniper’s bullet
from turning a wife into a widow
I can’t stave off a country being
reduced to ash and rubble
I can’t do any of that
the only thing I can do
is love the next person I encounter
without any conditions or strings
to love my neighbour
so fearlessly that
it starts a ripple
that stretches from
one horizon to the next
I can’t force peace
on the world
but I can become a force
of peace in the world
because
sometimes all it takes
is a single lit candle
in the darkness
to start a movement
“Lord, make me a candle
of comfort in this world
let me burn with peace”
~ john roedel
“Peace cannot be
kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”
Albert Einstein
“Never doubt that a
small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it
is the only thing that ever has.”
~Margaret Mead
“I've seen enough of war to realize that we've got
to make a world where wars can't happen.”
RILLA OF INGLESIDE
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