A meeting between Syrian schoolchildren and top European politicians this week was going to be cancelled at the last moment, as bombs started pouring down in West Aleppo.
The weeks leading up to St Nicholas’ Day were busy for a group of 25 Christian and Muslim children, who under the guidance of Franciscan Friar Ibrahim Alsabagh, prepared songs, drawings and special messages of peace.
At the same time, the offices of European Parliament Vice-President Antonio Tajani and Aid to the Church in Need were testing the Skype capabilities between Aleppo and Brussels and sending reminders to MEPs.
And then the bombs came.
At noon on December 6, six hours before the Skype call between Aleppo, Fr Alsabagh informed Brussels that the conference could not go ahead.
The bombing was so severe that the schools were closed, the roads were empty and mothers were hesitant to allow their children out.
Back-up measures were being considered at the Parliament, but eventually, the faces of six children flickered on screen
Back-up measures were being considered at the Parliament, but eventually, the faces of six children flickered on screen.
The panel in Brussels was chaired among others by Antonio Tajani and ACN’s representative from Aleppo Fr Ziad Hilal, who last month told Times of Malta readers that Syrians will not fight the war with violence.
At the event, he reiterated his message of peace and reconciliation for people in Syria: “Without peace we will lose people, a culture and a civilisation in Syria which will need many years to rebuild. As priests we need peace to continue our mission in the Middle East as a bridge between East and West, Christians and Muslims, Eastern and Western culture. That is our vocation – and without this the Middle East will be emptied of its mediator of peace.”
Meanwhile, Mr Tajani decried the war, calling on the international partners to renew dialogue to end the conflict.
But the children’s messages were the most heart-wrenching: “If we go somewhere we're not sure if we will come back alive. All of my friends have died or have travelled to other countries because they are afraid to die.
“And we are also afraid of the bombs dropping on us. We hope you can bring peace to us,” 14-year-old Salim pleaded.
Syline, 10, added: “The bombs are falling on our houses – we have no water, our parents cannot work and there is no work in Aleppo and difficulties to eat and our parents cannot buy chocolate or meat and clothes. We hope that you can help us bring peace to our country.”
This conference is a follow-up to ACN’s peace initiative Drawings for Peace for Syria, which gathered over one million drawings and letters from children of all religions between the ages of three and 16 from over 2,000 schools in Syria.
These were presented to political decision makers at the EU and UN institutions in Brussels and Geneva.
The Aid to the Church in Need Malta is a branch of the international organisation that supports projects undertaken by local churches in over 140 countries.
If you would like to help, go to www.acnmalta.org or get in touch on 2148 7818 or info@acnmalta.org.
Songs of peace were exchanged between the six children in Aleppo, inset, and the Catholic Chaldean choir in Brussels. Photos: Aid to the Church.