In this Collective Worship for KS2, we will be thinking about what brings us Hope- how do we comfort ourselves when we feel afraid?

The country of Ukraine is in Europe. The people that live there are peace-loving and happy in their own country. They are very much like you and I. On February 24th, Vladamir Putin, President of Russia, made the decision to invade Ukraine, against the wishes of the Ukrainian leaders and people. There has been fighting as Ukraine has resisted being taken over by Russia.

The Ukrainian people are scared, sad and in pain. The world watches and tries to help. It is a sad situation and it is okay if you are feeling worried or sad about it today. Many of the people in this room feel very similarly.

It is important to remember not all the people of Russia want a war with Ukraine. Just like the people of Ukraine, many Russians are peace-loving and want to live in generosity and kindness towards people from other countries. They do not want to invade Ukraine and cause heartache and tragedy for the people there, but they are unable to control the decisions of their country’s leader. Many Russian people have risked harsh punishment to make their feelings known and have been protesting the war in Russia’s cities. They are sad and hurting about the conflict their country is now in.

How can we be Peacemakers?

Reconciliation is the coming together after conflict. It requires listening to each other, telling the story of our hurt and making it right. We can have hope that the countries of Europe will be able to do this again as they have done in the past.

This happens with countries after conflict, but also with each other after arguments. When we have done something wrong at school, we sit down and talk about it, and how to put things right. We listen to others, we are honest about the harm we might have caused, and we make it right and repair the damage,