Peace and War 010

10) Learning Skills for a Better Future vs Surviving for Today

Normal Life
The question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is the beginning of endless imagination in childhood. Parents watch their children change dreams as they grow — from astronaut, to doctor, to artist. We support every step by buying educational toys or taking them on learning trips. In a peaceful world, children’s dreams are the fuel that drives human creativity. We believe that if children work hard enough, they will have the freedom to choose their own path in life with pride.

Life During War
The sound of explosions replaces the music of imagination. Children’s dreams become smaller until they are reduced to only one wish: “I hope I stay alive tomorrow.” A child who once dreamed of traveling to space must now learn how to dig a bomb shelter. A child who wanted to become an artist must use the hands that should hold a paintbrush to clean the ruins of destroyed homes. War destroys confidence so deeply that children no longer dare to dream about tomorrow. The world they see is filled only with death and destruction they cannot predict. The freedom to choose a future career is replaced by cruel fate. Parents suffer when they see their children stop asking about a bright future and instead ask when the hunger will end. Dreams that are stolen away are one of the greatest losses, because they mean the light of a new world is being permanently extinguished.

Peace is the fuel of imagination, but war is the executioner that kills dreams before they even begin.