The war in Ukraine has put the theme of peace right back at the heart of the international debate, making it clearer to us that numerous areas in the world, both near and far, are the victims of conflict and violence. 

The exhibition entitled LET'S MAKE PEACE - Children's voices on war sets out to shine the spotlight on the thoughts and drawings of those who usually do not have much of a say: children! That includes both Ukrainian children currently experiencing the war at first hand and those who have fled. As visitors tour the exhibition, they will find drawings by children from Kyiv, Irpin, Kharkiv and other cities in Ukraine as well as drawings by Afghan children who came to Italy with the airbridge from Kabul in August 2021 and by Congolese children caught up in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, along with thoughts jotted down the many children living in refugee camps in Greece, Lebanon and elsewhere.
 

The exhibition sets out to help visitors understand the difficulties and the suffering experienced in war by listening to those who are its first and most innocent victims: children. The narrative's protagonists are children who attend the "Peace Schools" run by the Comunità di Sant'Egidio, the Sant'Egidio Community, all over the world. The Peace Schools, which are completely free of charge and are managed by young volunteers working with the Community, are designed to help children in their school careers and to offer an education model open to others in a framework of solidarity capable of breaking down barriers, of overcoming discrimination and of rejecting recourse to violence.

A section of the exhibition focuses on the thoughts of Italian children who live in peace but who have been able to meet up with their counterparts who have fled conflicts and been taken in here in Italy. Their words and their drawings are a reflection on peace, on what the future should be like and on how to build that future.

Another part of the exhibition uses written work from the National Diary Archive to explore the lives of children and teens during World War II – a look at the past that helps us to understand how the precious peace that Western Europe has been enjoying for decades must not be wasted.
 

The exhibition is open to all but it is specifically designed to appeal to younger visitors, particularly children. The tour proposed – "war in the past", "war today", "war behind us" and "how to build peace" – is not simply a tour of the drawings and written work on display, it also seeks to involve visitors in the emotional and thought-provoking path explored by the children who produced the material on show.
 

For guided tours and workshops for schools, you will need to register on bit.ly/mostrapace.
For further information, just drop us a line on mostrapace@gmail.com.