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The Fifth International Children’s Folklore Festival

The Fifth International Children’s Folklore Festival concluded on Friday with an appeal for peace addressed to “the powers that be in this world,” proclaimed amidst the ruins of the crematoria at the site of the German death camp, Birkenau.

Children attending the festival from Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Poland authored the peace appeal, which was read out in all their native languages and in English at the crematorium ruins. The children declared that they were joining with “those who decide the fate of the world” in wishing that “good will triumph over evil, tolerance over violence, truth over falsehood, and love over hatred.” The children further stated: “So that happiness can be our shared destiny, let us give the world peace!”

The Fifth International Let Us Give the World Peace Children’s Folklore Festival began on Sunday in Oświęcim. It included concerts, a parade, and an outdoor concert. It also featured a display of winning entries from the Third Polish Let Us Give the World Peace Art Competition. The festival message is the idea of the peaceful coexistence of cultures, races, and nations.