What can schools do to promote peace and reconciliation? Well, in September 2024, Farway Church of England Primary School, near Colyton in East Devon, was awarded the International Cross of Nails Award (ICONS) by Coventry Cathedral for pupils’ work on peace and reconciliation.
‘We believe that initiatives such as the Cross of Nails project provide valuable opportunities for our students to engage in conversations about peace, reconciliation, and the importance of building bridges across differences on a national scale,’ said a spokesperson for the School.
In 1940, during World War II, salvaged nails which were found in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral’s bombing were formed into a cross. The nails found in the ruins represent the wounds and the destruction of the war, and the cross formation signifies both forgiveness and healing after conflict. As part of a special service, Farway School was given its own Cross of Nails, made in Germany and blessed in Coventry Cathedral, before being presented. The German city of Dresden suffered similarly from bombing during the war, and is now twinned with Coventry, in Warwickshire, England.
The Archdeacon of Exeter, the Venerable Andrew Beane, said:
'What was most impressive was how the children used what they learnt about
Coventry as a framework for working for peace and reconciliation in their own
lives and friendships.'
Roger Conant, celebrated as a peacemaker, would have been
delighted by the news. Colyton, just five miles away from Farway Church of
England Primary School, is the town which gained its independence thanks to the
efforts of one of its leading merchants, the grandfather of Salem’s founder.
John Clarke travelled to London in 1546 and successfully petitioned King Henry
VIII, allowing Colyton a measure of self-government by its councillors, or
feoffees as they are still known today.
You can read about the award to Farway Church of England Primary School by clicking on
More about the International Cross of Nails Award (ICONS) at
https://coventrycityofpeace.uk/icon-schools/
Image of
the Cross of Nails from Wikipedia
If you are interested in the history of early America,
and Roger Conant as a peacemaker in troubled times you can join the Devon
Peacemaker Festival Facebook group at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/700424602802079
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