2025 EISTEDDFOD UNITING NATIONS CONCERT – PART ONE
“P5
Peace child for Future Generations”
FINAL BASE SCRIPT
by David Woollcombe
© Peace Child International - June 14th 2025
SONGS [click to go to each song page on the Peace Child Website]
1. IWhoAmI? – 3 mins – Choir & Soloists – ORCHESTRATED
2. WAR – 2.5 mins – Choir & Soloists – ORCHESTRATED
3. IWantToLive – 2 mins – Child Soloist – TO BE SCORED
4. IWanttoLiveTWO – 1 min – Choir – TO BE SCORED
5. World – 3.5 min – Narrators & Choir – ORCHESTRATED
6. Superman – 3 mins – Choir – ORCHESTRATED
7. ListentoMe – 3 mins – Male Soloist & Choir – ORCHESTRATED
8. IHaveAVision – 4 mins – Soloists & Choir – TO BE SCORED
9. MrPresident – 4 mins – Child Soloists & Choir – TO BE SCORED
10.ChildforaDay – 3 mins – Choir – ORCHESTRATED
SCENES
TOTAL: 29-mins;
Timings:
1. UN S-G Statement – 1 min. 15 secs
2. Alpha Omega Biblical Introduction – 55 secs
3. UN Introduction – Who are we? – 1 min. 50 secs
4. W A R – 1 min. 30 secs
5. Imperialists – 2 mins. 45 secs
6. I Want to Live!
7. Our World is Dying
8. Superpower Leadership?
9. D E S P A I R: The only Option – 1 min. 35 secs
10. The Dream – 1 min. 10 secs
11. N U K E S – 1 min. 5 secs
12. Resolution 1 – 2 mins. 56 secs
13. Resolution 2 – 20 secs
14. Resolution 3 – 1 min. 30 secs TOTAL: 18-mins. 40 secs.;
UN Introduction – Who are we?
The chorus and orchestra assemble on stage and tune up. Maybe show some fun videos as the audience enter: Tears for Fears – Everybody wants to rule the world; Harry Secombe: If I ruled the world!
UN S-G Video Statement
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres: “Thank you for coming together to celebrate United Nations. 80 Years is a blink of an eye in History and yet, until the United Nations, humanity never had a single place where every government and all peoples could unite to fix the world and build something better. The UN is a living miracle and women and men of United Nations bring this miracle to life every day and everywhere – forging peace, tackling poverty, hunger and disease, advancing human rights, delivering life-saving aid and striving to make our organisation stronger. 80 years later, our world faces age-old challenges, and newer threats like
the Climate Crisis and runaway technology. But we have the tools to guide us starting with the United Nations Charter. In our divided world, only one flag represents all of humanity and the dignity and worth of every person. Only one organisation of all – for all. We all have a stake in a strong United Nations, now more than ever. Thank you for supporting and celebrating the UN’s essential, oneof-a-kind mission. Thank you.” https://s3.us-east1.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG +/SG+3+April+25/3357799_MSG+SG+80TH+ANNIV+OF+UN+03+APR+25.mp4
The lights fade to black and a follow-spot picks out the figure of the 1st young Narrator come downstage centre to start the Prologue, thus:
Young US Narrator 80 years ago last month, 56 governments signed the UN Charter which promised to “… save succeeding generations from the scourge of war …..” In those 80 years, the UN’s done many good things - dismantled colonial empires - looked after refugees, lifted countless millions out of poverty, fought disease and saved the lives of thousands of children and mothers;
Young Chn Narrator (Coming on) But – it hasn’t saved succeeding generations from the scourge of war!
Young UK Narrator (Coming on) Nor has it solved the problem of catastrophic climate change
Young Rus Narrator (Coming on) Nor the massive inequities that exist in our world
Young Fr Narrator (Coming on) Nor the pollution and plundering of our natural resources that leaves nothing for future generations
Young Rus Narrator We’ve been terrible ancestors to our children. We’ve failed to make the laws or institutions that have the power to protect our planet’s resources for them.
Young Chn Narrator The UN is not that institution!
Young Fr Narrator Not yet! But it could be – !
Young UK Narrator So – here at the Llangollen Eisteddfod – we have come together, young people from the 5 x Permanent Members of the UN Security Council –
Young Rus Narrator Russia
Young Fr Narrator France
Young US Narrator USA
Young Chn Narrator China
Young UK Narrator – and the United Kingdom to imagine how our generation might re-invent the United Nations to become the institution that can govern and protect our planet’s resources for future generations.
Young Rus Narrator Crazy ambitious, eh?!
Young US Narrator We’re crazy ambitious people, right?! (they hi-five one another)
A thin wind sound sweeps across the stage, building in volume as the Host / Narrators finish:
Young UK Narrator Let’s start back at the beginning – the very beginning. Three million years ago. When human beings first climbed on to their two hind legs and started walking the earth in the plains and forests of East Africa.
Young Chn Narrator Who were those people?
Young Fr Narrator What did they think of the incredible world in which they found themselves?
Young Rus Narrator How did they become who we are today?
Music builds with the Choir and orchestra singing” Aaah!” building to a massive crescendo – then falling away to silence as the UK Narrator comes forward, singing:
YoungUKNarrator
Song
1. IwhoamI [KEY: CMajor]
IwhoamI?Whatisthisworld
WhyamIhere?
IwhatamI?Whatismycause? WhymustIbe?
Isthereareasonforliving Andhavingthisplaceofourown? Whatpowerconceivedme Abandonedmetotheunknown?
Chorus&Narrators
YoungUKNarrator
We,whoarewe,whatisthisplace? Whyarewehere?
We,whoarewetobesolost Andallalone?
Isthereareasonforliving Andhavingthisplaceofourown? Whatpowerconceivedme Abandonedmetotheunknown?
I,whoamI,whatisthisplace? Whyarewehere?
W A R
Goal of Scene: to answer the Question: “Who are We?” We are competitive war-mongerers
Young Chn Narrator Why are we here?
Young UK Narrator For us in the Boy Scouts, Robert Baden Powell told us our goal in life should be to leave the planet better than we found it!
Young Chn Narrator To be Good Ancestors!
Young Fr Narrator To Unite Nations!!
Young Fr Narrator The Nations Unies was set up to do all that: it helped get Human rights for all, dismantle Empires, end Apartheid, lift the Iron Curtain! For a moment, it looked like it was all working!
Young Rus Narrator But now - we’re at each others’ throats again…-
Young US Narrator - preparing for World War THREE!
Young Chn Narrator Why? - Why is there always war?
Young Fr Narrator Well – you see: Human beings are naturally competitive: that’s why we’re so successful! But – unconstrained – competition always leads to war. Listen: (music starts with drum rolls, building under – ) It started with a stick, then came a stone
Soon there was an axe and a spear
Then there came an arrow, a club and a gun –And bullets were flying everywhere!
Young Rus Narrator Conflict raged all over the world Hatred and envy everywhere!
Young US Narrator Tribe against tribe, friend against friend! No one seemed to Care!
Young Chn Narrator With each generation passing by, There emerged new skills of war.
Young Rus Narrator Empires rose and empires fell, And the death toll started to soar
Young US Narrator A pattern soon emerged of things to come, The problems Mankind would face:
Young UK Narrator Tribes of men – not quite the same –Competing for food And the best bit of land Starting off that game called –
Everyone (The choir stands and shouts loudly). WAR!!!
The orchestra plays the majestic opening of the song: WAR!
Song 2. WAR [KEY: DMajor]
Chorus&Narrators(start@F) We'llfightourwaytodistanthills,abloodybattlehave We'llraiseourswordandkillthemall; We'llraiseourcountriesflag!
We'llkillourbrothers,killourfriends, Killeachothertilltheend!
We'llkillourwomen,childrentoo, Killthemalluntilwe'rethrough Killthemalluntilwe'rethrough.
Godsaveourland,longliveourflag, Ontothewarwego-praisetoourdead
Butwhosayswe'reright,whosayswe'rewrong Honourandpride-tothiswebelong!
Ohcomeandsaveus! Ohcomeandsaveus! Ohcomeandsaveusfromwhatwedo! Ourworldisthrough!
Butwhocansaveus! Butwhocansaveus? Butwhocansaveusfromwhatwedo?
YoungChnNarrator God-whereareyou?
–
I M P E R I A L I S T S –
Goal of Scene: to build a bitter argument on how awful each of the P5 nations arean argument that gets more and more intense until the Child shouts: STOP!
Young Fr Narrator (Shielding her eyes, looking up) No sign of Him?!
Young Chn Narrator Who?
Young Fr Narrator God!
Young Rus Narrator You don’t seriously think that God is going to come down on a cloud and sort everything out?
Young Fr Narrator ‘Course not! I was kidding!
Young UK Narrator God gave us Free Will – which is why we have to sort it out ourselves.
Young Chn Narrator Where to start?
Young UK Narrator Well – how about we tell each other the truth?
Young Rus Narrator The Truth?!
Young UK Narrator Yes! C’mon: face it! We five! We’re all imperialists!
Young Fr Narrator Former Imperialists - France & Britain?
Young Rus Narrator Us too! Russia’s not the Soviet Empire!
Young US Narrator You’re still trying to be!
Young Rus Narrator No we’re not!
Young UK Narrator What about Ukraine?! Crimea, Georgia, Belarus!
Young Rus Narrator What about your Commonwealth - your Francophonie?!
Young Fr Narrator And China has its Belt & Road initiative!
Young US Narrator – buying up most of Africa!
Young UK Narrator Yes – but you’re the worst! You’re an Actual Imperialist with your President going after Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal!
Young US Narrator Ok! Okay already! At least we don’t lie to our people or kill our opposition leaders!
Young Rus Narrator You do! You killed Martin Luther King and the Kennedies;
Young UK Narrator – and your President told 30,573 lies according to the Washington Post!
Young Fr Narrator – and your President Bush lied about Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.
Young Chn Narrator Right back to Woody Guthrie!!
Young US Narrator Woody Guthrie?! – C’mon!!
Young Chn Narrator Yes!! “This land is your land – this land is my land!?” – No it’s NOT! You stole it from the Native Americans.
Young Rus Narrator Just like the British stole Australia from the Aborigines! And all the other colonies!
Young UK Narrator That was hundreds of years ago!!
Young US Narrator You tell your people lies every day like the BIG lie that you didn’t invade Ukraine!
Young Rus Narrator So – it’s OK for you to support Israel to commit an appalling genocide in Gaza –but not OK for us to resolve a massive threat to our southern border?!!
Young US Narrator Hamas launched a massive attack on Israel! Ukraine did NOT attack you! We’re helping Israel defend itself – and Ukraine defend itself.
Young Rus Narrator We have a right to protect ourselves too!
Young Fr Narrator So what are we going to do? Carry on fighting and growling at each other for the next 80 years?!
Young Rus Narrator No – just until we can agree global laws that protect our vital interests…. Young US Narrator Why should you have interests any more “vital” than any one else’s?
Young Rus Narrator Because Russia does. We don’t do defeat! Remember Napoleon; remember Hitler! Young US Narrator (witheringly) So…. What? – you want to nuke us all now?! Blow us all to smithereens in a nuclear war. That would solve the problem nicely, wouldn’t it?!!
Young Narrators (Arguing / speaking over each other with raised voices ) You crazy! That’s not what I meant / What are your vital interests anyway? / You have got to create a
–
Palestinian state – No Way!! How dare you try to buy Canada? What about your trade war with China – you’re jealous because we work so march harder than you!!
I W A N T T O L I V E –
Goal of Scene: to win audience support for the Central Message of Peace Child
Child (Mabli White, aged 12, coming forward from the Chorus): STOP!!!
(The Narrators are stunned into silence. They turn and watch her as she glares at them)
Stop fighting!!
Stop hating!
Start loving! –
I don’t want to Die in your stupid war! I want to LIVE!!
Song 3. IwanttoLive [KEY: FMajor]
Child (Sings) - I want to live
The right to live my life I want to search far and wide
Have the right to wonder why I want to learn all the secrets
The world has to give, I want the chance to live my life I want to live – I want to live!
Children’s Chorus & Choir (joining softly) I want to be, I want to see
A world that’s good and free I want a home, someone to love
To share their life with me
I want to have and to hold
A child of my own I want to live, I want to love
The right to grow old..
Young UK Narrator (approaching the Children, clapping) Thank you! You’ve given us something we can all agree on! (the Young Narrators nod )
Young Rus Narrator (turning to the Chorus) You agree, don’t you?!(get a loud “YES”)
Young Chn Narrator Sing it with me!
Song 4. IwanttoLiveII [KEY: FtoGMajor]
All (Up-tempo Version) I want to live, I want to live
The right to live my life I want to search far and wide
Have the right to wonder why I want to fly through the air
Like a bird in the sky, I want the chance to show the world
What I am before I die.
(modulation) I want to be, I want to see
A world that’s good and free I want a home, someone to love
To share their life with me
I want to have and to hold
A child of my own
I want to live, I want to love I want to live, I - want - to – live!!
The audience and Narrators applaud – except the Russian, who stands to one side, looking sad…
O U R W O R L D I S D Y I N G –
Goal of Scene: to raise concerns about existential threats to the Biosphere
Young US Narrator Why so sad?
Young Rus Narrator You may want to live but you have to know: our world is dying!
Young Chn Narrator No it’s not!
Young Rus Narrator It is – we’re killing it!
Young US Narrator She’s right! Carbon Emissions rise stubbornly upwards every year causing devastating floods and fires and hurricanes. (Keeling Curve rises across screen)
Young UK Narrator More and more species driven to extinction! (LPI Indicator plummets on screen)
Young Rus Narrator That’s why we need a UN that passes Global Laws to protect our world!
Young US Narrator But it can’t and it won’t. None of our governments are going to give the UN – or anyone else - the power to tell us what to do!
Young Chn Narrator We’re not going to survive unless we solve problems like Climate Change together….
Young Fr Narrator Your president thinks it’s a joke!
Young US Narrator “A Chinese Hoax”! (they laugh)
Young Chn Narrator It’s not funny!
Young UK / Rus Narrator It’s not (Music starts – )
Song 5. WORLD [KEY: EMajor]
Young Rus Narrator (sings)
World – look at the way we are Look at the things we do
Look at the words we say Life! – look at the way we live
Look at the love we had
Look at the things we made
5 x Narrators Gone, gone are all those lovely days Gone are all the peaceful ways All that’s left is old and grey And our world is fading Our world is dying – today!
Young US Narrator Can’t you see the tide is changing? Don’t you know that truth is fading? People coming out from under Slowly rising to the thunder
Young UK Narrator Listen to the shouting people
Broken churches, broken steeple There’s no one for them to follow Every one’s a God tomorrow
Young Fr & Chn Narrator Can’t you see the world is dying? Repentant people all are crying
Chorus & All
Law and order has been drowned Chaos rules and has been crowned!
(fortissimo) World – look at the way we are Look at the things we do Look at the games we play Life! – look at the way we live Look at the things we build Look at the love we’ve killed
Gone, gone are all those lovely days Gone are all the peaceful ways All that’s left is old and grey And our world is fading Our world is dying – today!
–
S U P E R P O W E R L E A D E R S H I P ? –
Goal of Scene: to engage the chorus in challenging the P5 Youth’s arrogant assumption that it is their problem to solve.
Young Fr Narrator We have to save it!
Young US Narrator That’s our generational challenge!
Young Rus Narrator The planet will be fine! It’s our children and grand-children who will die…
Young UK Narrator Yes! - if all we leave them is the hollowed-out husk of a dead planet!
Young Chn Narrator Nobody wants that!
Young Rus Narrator We can surely try to agree laws to prevent that!
Young US Narrator Think tanks come up with a ton of fine words but they never happen…
Young Chn Narrator Well - we’re the Superpowers! We can make it happen!
Young Fr Narrator What about all of them? (pointing at the choir)
Young Chn Narrator They’ll come along if we come up with a good enough plan!
Young US Narrator The superpowers haven’t come up with a decent plan for UN reform in 80 years!
Young UK Narrator What makes you think that we’ll come up with one now?
Young Rus Narrator I said we could try…!
Young Narrators (Severally – as they go into a huddle) OK – we have a Welsh Commission on Future Generations! Let’s review that and all the Think Tank suggestions – and the UN’s own Pact for the Future – and the Paris / Kunming-Montreal! Climate Change and Biodiversity! We can sort this out…
Voice from the Chorus What about us?!
Voice from the Chorus It’s Our World too!
Voice from the Chorus You can’t leave us out!
Voices from the Chorus (Music starts as they all stand in a cacophony of shouting voices and pointing fingers at the young narrators saying things like) Talk to us! It’s our problem too – you can’t handle it alone! You’re the problem – you’re the biggest carbon emitters – you’re the ones making wars… etc.
Their voices build with the orchestral introduction as they stand and sing at the Young Narrators – who turn and watch, dismayed. Single beat on the Timpani – and the Chorus sings:
Chorus (sings)
Song 6. Superman! [KEY: CMajor]
Where you gonna run to – Superman?!
Where you gonna hide?!
Where will be your land?!
What you gotta say now – Superman?!
Who’ll be the fool in your masterplan?!
What you gonna do now – Superman?!
What have you done to God’s Promised Land?!
What have you done with this beautiful world?!
Where is your guiding star?!
What have you done with this God-given grace?!
Who do you think you are?!
Yes who do you think you are?!
Where you gonna run to – Superman?!
Where you gonna hide?!
Where will be your land?!
We’ll wake up one morning and the world will be gone With all of our beautiful dreams
We had so many chances but we threw them away And now we’ve sold our souls to the Devil’s course
How did we lose control?!
And how we gonna pay the toll?!
Where you gonna run to – Superman?!
Where you gonna hide?!
Where will be your land?!
What you gotta say now – Superman?! Who’ll be the fool in your masterplan?!
What you gonna do now – Superman?!
What have you done to God’s Promised Land?!
Where you gonna run to - Superman?! SuperPowers! –
D E S P A I R: T H E O N L Y O P T I O N
–
Goal of Scene: to express the despair that many young people about the insolubility of the problems they face. Any solution has to begin with Peace
Young Chn Narrator They’re not happy!
Young US Narrator They’re never happy!
Young UK Narrator So what – we just ignore them?
Young Fr Narrator No! – We have to collaborate with them.
Young Rus Narrator That’s how you get global laws: there’s no salvation without collaboration.
Young US Narrator It’s pretty clear 193 Nation States can never do that:
Young UK Narrator – especially when every one of them believes it has a sovereign right to kill anyone who tries to tell them what they can, or cannot, do!
Young US Narrator How are we going to survive if every nation state reserves the right to murder people?!
Young Chn Narrator Especially if they’re murdering the planet at the same time!
Young UK Narrator They’ll never stop unless they are beaten on the battlefield!
Young Rus Narrator And so the wars go on and on, lining the pockets of the military and the weapons companies….
Young US Narrator And all our taxes goes into building ever better weapons to kill us all!
Young Fr Narrator So we carry on, fighting, fighting, fighting - when we should be spending every last cent we have on the survival of our own and future generations!
Young Rus Narrator We cannot survive without peace – without that passion to collaborate!
Young US Narrator But we can’t have any peace or collaboration while you still want to build your Empires and have your “Spheres of Influence” –
Young Chn Narrator Your tariffs and your trade wars….
Young UK Narrator - and your actual wars! Look at Eastern Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Yemen
Young Fr Narrator All devastated – !
Young US Narrator Reduced to rubble….
Young Fr Narrator (Furious) We’re mad! We don’t deserve to live on this beautiful planet…
Young Chn Narrator (Equally furious) We have to protect ourselves from our own madness
Young UK Narrator Well - as the Romans said: “If you want Peace – Prepare for War!”
Young Fr Narrator NO!! (Spluttering with passion) If you want Peace – Prepare for Peace!
Young Chn Narrator Live for Peace!
Young Fr Narrator Love for Peace – Please!! (music starts under) Please!! - Listen to me….
Song 7. ListentoMe [KEY: EMajor]
Young Fr Narrator (speaks) – Heed the Words that I say! (sings) We live in one world so our home is the same The same sun is our fire, the same clouds give us rain
Young Chn Narrator
So whatever you desire our future’s the same
Say not that you’re righteous - nor that you are true!
Say not that I’m red – nor that you are blue
Say only we are Friends! – and we want to live in peace
In this here our world, Let all wars cease!
Young Narrators & Chorus (softly) Say not that you’re Christian, nor that you are Jew!
Say not that you’re red, nor that I am blue!
Say only I am Man – and we want to live in Peace
In this here our world, let all wars cease!
Young Chn & Fr Narrator For where would we go if this world we destroy? There’s only one home, this world, to enjoy!
The same earth fills our hunger, and we all breathe the air
So change your desires, this world we must share.
Young Narrators & Chorus Say not that you’re rich, nor that you are poor!
Say not that you’re less, nor that I am more!
Say only I am Man – and we want to live in Peace
In this here our world, let all wars cease!
Young Fr Narrator In this here our world…
Young Chn Narrator (pleading) Let all wars cease!
–
T H E D R E A M –
Goal of Scene: to acknowledge everyone’s shared dream of Peace
Young Chn Narrator How do you prepare for Peace?
Young Fr Narrator You love each other…
Young US Narrator Care for each other…
Young Rus Narrator Want the best for each other…
Young UK Narrator Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself…
Young Chn Narrator Nice idea, but wishful thinking, don’t you think?
Young Fr Narrator Yes – Wishful thinking, but….
Young US Narrator – you have to start with the Dream!
Young Rus Narrator “I have a dream today!”
Young US Narrator Martin Luther King!?
Young Rus Narrator Of course! “I dream of a day when the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will sit down at the table of Brotherhood!”
Young US Narrator How do you know that line!?
Young Rus Narrator We studied Martin Luther King at School: we love him!
Young US Narrator Do you know about the World House?
Young UK Narrator The World House?
Young Rus Narrator The last chapter of his last book –
Young Rus & US Narrators (together) Where do we go from here? (they hi-five each other)
Young US Narrator You’ve read it?
Young Rus Narrator Of course!
Young Chn Narrator I’ve never heard of it…
Young Fr Narrator Neither have I - What’s it about?
Young US Narrator It’s completely brilliant! He imagines the world as a great big house with all the peoples of the world living together in it…
Young Rus Narrator Everyone cares for each other, eats together, looks after each other’s kids, empties the trash, does the maintenance, has parties together! A World community!
Young Chn Narrator A World Family!?
Young Fr Narrator There’s your answer right there: we have to build that World House together.
Young US Narrator I told you! Start with the Dream!
Song 8. IhaveaVision [KEY: AMajor]
Young US Narrator (sings) I have a vision, I have a dream
Young Rus Narrator I have the answer or so it seems.
Young Rus & US Narrators Don't you see the truth, to fight is not right, We shall have our rainbow, we will have our sunlight! If we unite!
Young US Narrator There's a way you see, where no one gets hurt There's a way with love if you try!
Young Rus Narrator There is hope and faith to keep you alive In your darkest day, just pray!
All with Chorus
Young US Narrator
Reach out with love, gather all your courage, Reach out with love, seek a brighter day! Love as our sword, peace as our weapon Reach out with love! Let us win this way!
Martin Luther King had a vision!
Young UK Narrator He had a dream
Young US / UK Narrators He had the answer, or so it seemed! He knew the truth - to fight is not right We can have our rainbow, we can have the sunlight! We must unite!
Young Narrators A new world, Chorus A new light!
Young Narrators A new world, Chorus A new light!
Young Narrators A new Hope, Chorus A new light!
All + Chorus
Reach out with love, gather all your courage, Reach out with love, seek a brighter day! Love as our sword, peace as our weapon
Reach out with love! Let us win this way!
Young Narrators We have a vision!
–
N U K E S –
Goal of Scene: to acknowledge the Elephant in the Room – our ridiculous inability to get rid of the weapons that could wipe all life off the face of the planet in minutes A monstrous Mushroom cloud erupts behind them as the song ends. The narrators turn in horror.
Young Chn Narrator We forgot the biggest elephant in the room
Young Fr Narrator La bombe nucléaire!
Young Rus Narrator Bombs that could destroy all life on earth for ever in a couple of hours!
Young US Narrator The Multi-billion dollar industry whose only purpose is to kill us all!
Young Fr Narrator How mad is that?!
Young UK Narrator You know - the very first meeting the UN had was 5 months after Hiroshima. And pretty much all they talked about was how to abolish nuclear weapons And yet, here we are, 80 years later, and we still have thousands of them!
Young Fr Narrator And we’re supposed to sort that out too?
Young Chn Narrator It’s very simple: we just get rid of them –
Young US Narrator And set up a UN inspection force to make sure no one is hiding any in a secret cave somewhere.
Young UK Narrator But – if very clever people haven’t been able to do that in 80 years, what makes you think we can?
Young Rus Narrator Because we can learn to love each other and build a World House!
Young Chn Narrator We agreed to do that, didn’t we!
Young US Narrator We sure did! (They hi-five each other!)
Young Fr Narrator Nuclear war would destroy everything we ever loved
Child 1 (Coming out of the chorus in a group) Which is why we can’t let it.
Child 2 We must destroy the bombs before they destroy us.
Young Rus Narrator Only governments can do that -
Young Fr Narrator But we can appeal to them! (to the children) Will you help? (the children nod)
Music starts and the children walk forward to sing:
Song 9. MrPresident [KEY: FMajor]
Child 1
Child 2
Child 3
ALL + Chorus
Child 3
Child 2
Child 1
ALL + Chorus
Young Narrators & Children
3 x Children
Mr President is it true what they say, You can kill all the world in less than a day?
Mr President, can it be what it seems, There will be no more love, there will be no more dreams.
Mr President, is it true what I hear Because of men's greed we must all live in fear?
Oh No! (Oh No) It's plain to see (It's plain to see) But so hard to understand, That this world we all love Is fading away, dying today!
Oh No! (oh no) It's not fair! (it's not fair) That mankind should have the right For the sake of their greed They can take this away Without asking why – Oh NO!
Mr President, is it true what I read, The world could be dead with a turn of your key?
Mr President, Can it be what it seems There will be no more children, no more love, no more dreams?
Mr President, won't you hear our small plea? For the millions of children, throw away your key?
Oh No! (Oh No) It's plain to see (It's plain to see) But so hard to understand, That this world we all love Is fading away, dying today!
Oh No! (oh no) It's not fair! (it's not fair) That mankind should have the right For the sake of their greed They can take this away Without asking why – Oh NO!
Mr President, it's a time to be brave! Announce to the world, this will be a Peace Day
The First Peace Day!
R E S O L U T I O N –
Goal of Scene: to imagine a world, 50 years hence, at peace – where poverty and climate change are distant memories – and to remind ourselves that we got there by remembering that we were all children once….
Young Rus Narrator (coming forward) They won’t do it!
Young Fr Narrator They might!
Young Rus Narrator Never!
Young UK Narrator You mean “Russia doesn’t do defeat?!”
Young Chn Narrator No! No Government gives up power unless they have to.
Young Rus Narrator “…unless they’re defeated on the battlefield.”
Young UK Narrator But we have to replace the Law of Force with the Force of Law!
Young US Narrator That bird has flown long ago.
Young Rus Narrator We’re back in sabre-rattling Mode ….
Young Fr Narrator The United Nations is headed for the Dustbin of History!
Young Chn Narrator Unless we save it!
Young Rus Narrator We can’t! Stop hallucinating!
Young Fr Narrator What about the Treaty to prohibit all Nuclear Weapons?
Young UK Narrator The TPNW? None of the nuclear powers signed it
Young Chn Narrator They boycotted the negotiations!
Young Rus Narrator They wouldn’t even talk about abolishing their nuclear weapons!
Young US Narrator Did you hear what my government did just last month? They walked out of a UN Meeting that agreed to put a tax on the bunker fuel that cargo ships use!
Young UK Narrator I heard about that: it was a brilliant way to encourage one of the world’s biggest polluting industries to transition to green fuels.
Young US Narrator And, not only did the US walk away from the meeting, when everyone else signed the treaty, they threatened to stop a ship from any nation that paid the tax to dock in US ports!
Young Fr Narrator You mean – not only did they stop their own ships from becoming greener –they want to stop the rest of the world from becoming any greener too?
Young US Narrator Exactly! That is US policy now!
Young Chn Narrator To kill the world?!
Young US Narrator They don’t care – as long as their billionaire buddies get their tax cuts!
Young UK Narrator That’s not OK
Young Rus Narrator It’s truly evil!
Young Fr Narrator It is! But what can we do?
Young UK Narrator I don’t know!
Young Fr Narrator (turning to the Chorus) What would you do?
Chorus Member 1 Kick ‘em out! (walks forward to join them)
Young Chn Narrator What?!
Chorus Member 2 Yes! – Kick ‘em out!
Chorus Members (all join, shouting) Out – Out – Out – Out!
Narrators Who?
Chorus Member 1 All of you!
Narrators Why?
Chorus Member 1 Basic Planetary Hygene! Your planet is a fragile, beautiful thing that has supported Life for millions of years. You can’t allow a bunch of ignorant, greedy governments destroy it! If that’s what they want to do, you must kick them out of your World House and only let ‘em back in when they agree to obey global laws that require them to behave like good, caring members of the planetary family.
Young Chn Narrator They won’t go!
Chorus Member 1 Make ‘em! (he walks back.)
Young Rus Narrator You’re Delusional!!!
Young US Narrator They’ll never do any of it!
Young UK Narrator Kick our governments out of the UN?!
Young Chn Narrator (to the chorus) You’re crazy!
Young Fr Narrator We can ask them!
Young Rus Narrator They’ll laugh at us!
Chorus Member 1 No they won’t!
Chorus Member 2 Kick ‘em out!
Chorus Members (all join, shouting) Out – Out – Out – Out!
Young Fr Narrator We have to try!
Young UK Narrator I suppose! “The People united can never be defeated!”
Young Chn Narrator Yes they can and will be defeated! Tyrants always defeat their people…
Young UK Narrator Not the young people! We have our whole lives ahead of us! We have to try!
Young Fr Narrator Our leaders were children once! They must have dreamed, like us, of Uniting Nations – of leaving the world in a better place than they found it?!
Young Rus Narrator You really think….
Young Fr Narrator Yes! Think of them as Children! Sir Starmer in a romper suit…
Young US Narrator Putin in Pampers!
Young Rus Narrator Trump in a Babygrow! (they laugh and hi-five)
Young Chn Narrator (to the children) No child would ever want to make war and die would they?
The children shake their heads and watch as the Narrators come forward and sing with them
Song 10. ChildforaDay [KEY: GMajor]
Children & Narrators I was a child who ran full of laughter
I was a child who lived for a day
My eyes full of sunshine
My heart full of smiles
I was a child for a day.
The Narrators Exit. On a screen at the back, the years roll by: 2025 to 2100
Children + Chorus
We were the children who ran in the morning
We were the children who laughed at the sun
Who listened to those who spoke with their wisdom
We were the ones we would say.
The Narrators return, in grey wigs and hobbling ridiculously - acting geriatric: We're getting older as time goes by A little older every day We are the children of yesterday.
The Chorus remain standing as the children and Narrators come forward. 2100 fills the screen:
Young UK Narrator So – we did it!
Young US Narrator We made the world safe and sustainable for Future Generations!
Young Rus Narrator We were Good Ancestors!
Child HOW did you do it?
Young US Narrator We kicked them out of the UN!
Children WHO?
Young UK Narrator All five of our nuclear-armed, veto-wielding Governments
Children HOW?
Young Fr Narrator Well it was really hard! At first, they wouldn’t even let us talk about it.
Young Chn Narrator They wouldn’t allow us to ask the question!
Young Rus Narrator They were all men, of course….
Men of the Chorus We are the men who worry of nothing We are the men who speak without aim Who listen to no one yet speak of their wisdom We were the ones we would say.
Men of the Chorus We've gotten older - as time goes by A little older every day We were the children of yesterday.
Child So – how did you do it?
Young Fr Narrator We did a Greta Thunberg’s School Strike 4 Climate again!
Young Chn Narrator – and did it properly! Full on, round-the-clock, 24/7 Global School strike.
Young UK Narrator And it wasn’t about NOT going to school:
Young US Narrator It was all about learning about the State of the Planet –
Young Fr Narrator And the more we learned, the more we realised that our planet really was dying –
Young Chn Narrator So millions joined our strike.
Young Fr Narrator Parents and grand-parents
Young US Narrator Business Leaders
Young Chn Narrator Even politicians and diplomats!
Young Rus Narrator Because everyone wants to live
Young Fr Narrator And with floods and wild fires everywhere
Young Chn Narrator – causing billions of dollars worth of damage!
Young UK Narrator The pressure from those wanting to live –
Young US Narrator – not to mention the Insurance Industry!
Young Fr Narrator – was just too great!
Young Rus Narrator We had to Unite Nations and live at peace with one another
Young US Narrator So – we built the World House: a global institution with the power to protect all our futures!
Young US & Rus Narrators (Hi-fiving each other!) Yes!
Young UK Narrator The World House plan gave everyone access to the Internet so we could consult every member of the human family, every step of the way
Young Chn Narrator AI systems aggregated opinions from every one of them!
Young US Narrator So – finally! - the P5 Nuclear leaders agreed to sit down with us….
Young Rus Narrator And – together - we made the global laws that turned the “arc of the moral universe back from tyranny and death towards justice and survival!”
Young Fr Narrator And it was we – the young people – who drove it. We made it all happen!
Young Narrators & Children (putting their arms around each other’s shoulders!) YES!
Young US Narrator “A little child shall lead them….” !
Solo Child The Peace Child?
Young Rus Narrator Yes! The Peace Child!
Solo Child
I was a child who ran full of laughter I was a child who lived for a day
My eyes full of sunshine
My heart full of smiles I was a child for a day.
All join hands & sing (softly): We're getting older as time goes by A little older every day
We are the children of yesterday. Curtain Call – all bow.
T H E E N D
