Pupils' texts

Keeping silent is no use

by Nicole, Dromy, Jil, Danijela and Suzana

On 11 September we read a text about the situation in the war in Chechnya. It really affected all of us deeply. In our class there are pupils who have already experienced war. This made us aware that war causes immense damage. Many people are not at all aware just how much damage and destruction is caused by war. Since the television programmes only show a one-sided approach of the events, people get a wrong idea of the situation. It is incomprehensible that after so many wars which have already taken place there are still people who want to demonstrate their power by waging war and exploiting others. [...] We have thought about all this carefully and come to the conclusion that it is no use keeping silent. With this letter we want to state that peace is our heartfelt concern. We do not only speak from our point of view, but from the point of view of many people who are unfortunately silent. We hope that mankind will gradually come to its senses, as fast as possible, before it is too late.

Source: Texts by students at a vocational school, Zurich/Switzerland

Homesickness remains

by Martina, Renuka, Miriam and Ismaela

Why must people die? Why do there have to be so many innocent victims of war? Why is there so much violence? Why has mankind still learned nothing? Why must violence be solved with the help of violence? Why is there racism?

We ask ourselves all these questions, and it makes us sad because the victims are among us: colleagues, acquaintances, friends. We want to quote a victim, a good friend and colleague, who unfortunately is only a stranger for many people: ''I was hungry. We did not have anything to eat from morning till evening. Why? Because we had been under bombardment all day long. When they finally stopped and we emerged from our hideout, we saw a horrifying picture: The houses, which had stood there before in full splendour, had collapsed in ruins. Dead and injured people lay scattered with arms or legs missing, others were terribly mutilated. We lived in fear and horror until we could flee the country and go to Switzerland. Now I have lived in Switzerland with my family for four years. What remains, however, is our homesickness.'

Source: Texts by students at a vocational school, Zurich/Switzerland