Sixth Form discussion
Monday 21st September marked the International Day of Peace. In General RE the Sixth Form have been reflecting on the importance of peace in the world, in our school community, in our families and within us. The following ideas arose from discussions in lessons and have been summarised by the girls.
Peace in the world is important because if there was no war then people would feel safe and secure in their own homes. This would lead to more cohesion within humanity. Wars lead to poverty and illness, there would no longer be the plight of the Syrian children if there was peace in our world. For there to be real peace humanity must stop putting money first; this greed and unrest prevent peace.
Within our school community peace is vital as it creates a friendly and good learning environment where staff and students have a relationship based on mutual respect. It also ensures that bullying and violence will not be tolerated. Through the experience of peace at school we will have an attitude of peace towards others in the future.
Peace is vital in our families as it creates a better environment for everyone to live in. In order to maintain peace at home it is vital that everyone communicates, clearly and honestly with each other. If you lie to your parents then that creates tension. Respect and trust are also important to create a peaceful atmosphere at home.
Sometimes the most challenging area of our life to find peace is within us. We must learn to love ourselves; not in an egotistical big-headed way but to love ourselves as God loves us, as His children. If we are at peace with ourselves then we can focus on maintaining peace and spreading love to others: we are channels of peace.
The girls ended their lesson by reflecting on a hymn based on the words of St Francis of Assisi and it seems fitting to end this article with some of those words:
