Ukrainian Boy Addresses House of Lords with Plea for Peace

A 13-year-old Ukrainian boy, who arrived in the UK two years ago without knowing English, delivered a speech at the House of Lords. Andrii Rokotianskyi called for an end to conflicts, specifically mentioning “death, destruction and famine” as consequences of the ongoing conflict with Russia. During the meeting, he stated: “I was scared and upset because of leaving my house, leaving my friends, leaving everything behind.” The Year 9 student, a resident of Poole, Dorset, addressed an invited assembly of dignitaries, having secured second place in a nationwide speech-writing contest. In his three-minute presentation, Andrii declared: “Our world has been consumed by war.” He continued: “I had to leave Ukraine because of war, because it was dangerous to live in my home.” He further added: “So many lives have been lost. Putin has bullied Ukraine and many people are concerned about nuclear conflict maybe in the future.” Concluding his thoughts, he urged: “As humans, we must do better. As humans, we must try to build a world without war.” Among the attendees were Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and Lord Jack McConnell, former First Minister of Scotland. Nicky Cox MBE, editor of the children’s newspaper First News, which was responsible for organizing the competition, was also present in the audience. Following his address, Andrii, who has pursued public speaking studies at St Edward’s School, expressed that he felt “extremely proud”. He further stated: “I hope my speech can help people understand the importance of peace and the impact war has on children like me.”