On 12 June, children and teenagers from across Ukraine shared their experiences of living through war and expressed their common desire for peace in the book Poems for Peace. The book, which was presented by UNICEF and the young authors at the Sense bookstore in Kyiv, includes 30 poems selected from thousands submitted by children as part of the global Poems for Peace initiative.
The initiative was launched five years ago to give children and young people affected by wars and armed conflicts around the world the opportunity to express their experiences, dreams and hopes through poetry. Since then, Poems for Peace has collected more than 8,000 poems from Ukrainian children – all of which call for an end to the war that continues to destroy children’s lives.
“Children write not only about fear and sadness. They also speak about love and hope,” said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine, during the presentation of the collection. “Their poems contain not only a longing for what the war has taken away from them, but also the incredible strength, endurance and courage of the younger generation, who dream of a peaceful tomorrow. Children have the right to be heard, and their words are a powerful reminder of what really matters – peace for every child.”
The event was also attended by Ambassador of the European Union Katarína Mathernová and Advisor to the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Darya Herasymchuk. Young poets from different Regions of the country – including Zakhar from Zaporizhzhya, Solomiya from Kyiv, Arthur from Kharkiv and Sofiya from Odesa Region – read their poems to the visitors of the bookstore. The readings were accompanied by music by Daniela Zayushkina from the Vivienne Mort band.
The digital version of Poetry for Peace is available for download in Ukrainian and English on the UNICEF Ukraine website.