SEPARATED FAMILIES
Over the course of the last decade, we’ve seen a fantastic selection of work on a huge variety of different conflicts and topics related to them. Below you will find a selection of pieces entered into our international competitions, by young people from around the world. This mini series is a good starting point when considering the many different ways conflict can affect people’s lives. We hope you will dive deeper into many of the topics and learn more.
Please be aware that the information below touches on topics related to war, conflict and its effects. It may therefore not be appropriate for all audiences.
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SEPARATED FAMILIES
Families are often forced apart owing to war and conflict leading to death and displacement, either forcing family members to live in different places, or leaving them isolated
until the day we find unity
- isabelle (14-16, Usa)
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Through this piece, I hoped to depict a generational hope to find unity and peace. The three women all sit together, mending the pain of a divided nation and aspiring for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. The blanket, which displays the map of Korea, is sewed together despite it initially being separated. Thus, through this imagery, I hoped to convey that through love and unity, we can eventually overcome geo-political barriers. While this is an extremely difficult and seemingly unlikely outcome, we can all start somewhere to help bring peace everywhere.
Why is war always like this?
- Samantha (9-11, United Arab emirates)
"[...] Families have to make these rather difficult decisions,
Kids that are separated need some precision,
They may be scared; they may be depressed,
They may have rags for outfits or may not be well dressed,
Parents or young adults have nothing to lose,
Especially at these times, these times where they had hard decisions to choose,
People are having to risk their lives every day,
This news is real, not for clout or display."
CONTEXT
Samantha's poem discusses how children are affected by family separation. They may face danger, isolation and little support, leading to poor mental health. However, parents often have little or no decision in separating their family - it may be safer for the child, or the decision may be out of their hands.
sad destinies
- katarina (16-18, Montenegro)
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
My art is inspired by war stories in ex-Yugoslavia at the end of the last century. Sad destinies of the people who had to run away from their homes, parents who were separate from their children, children who lost their parents.
'No llores, mi amor an exposÉ on familial separation at the us-mexico border' - ava (14-16, USA)
CONTEXT
Since 2018, there has been a crisis of family separation at the US-Mexico border. This is a result of the US government forcefully separating families to deter migrants, involving enforced disappearance. The zero-tolerance policy in 2018 laid the foundations for extreme border policy, with some children being deliberately separated from their parents as a deterrent to other families entering the US irregulary.
the fall of the wall
- Solène (11-14, France)
"At the end of World War II,
We thought the fighting was through,
But in divided Germany,
People were still not happy,
East and West couldn't agree,
They had different ideologies,
Communism against capitalism,
Created a great schism,
Many Berliners believed capitalism was best,
So they fled with their families to the West,
Over the course of the years, over 2 million people left The Eastern government beame outregeously distressed,
On the twelfth of August '61 began sudden construction, (Little did they know it would end in destruction),
For 28 long sorrowful years the wall stood tall, This dividing structure caused mass conflict for all,
It separated families, it separated friends,
It caused great misery that saw no ends,
Some desperate people wanted to flee and so they tried, A few of the lucky ones succeeded, others died,
People tried to leave by tunnel, by water, by air, Although successful escapes became rare,
The Eastern government changed their minds, On an Autumn day in 1989,
When the announcement came that the borders were down,
Citizens turned up from all over town,
To feel the freedom..."
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Solène's poem discusses the Berlin Wall, erected in 1961, which was built by East Germany to stop people leaving to go to the West. This was to solidify its communist control, and to prevent a refugee crisis leading to economic problems. As the wall was put up so quickly, families became separated, as they were stuck on different sides. Reuniting with family members only became harder, with additional walls and barriers being added. As a result, many died attempting to flee, due to the wall being armed by soldiers and dangerous terrain. The wall finally came down in 1989, reuniting families after decades apart. It also brought the Cold War to an end, marking a peaceful new era of reunification. However, the family separation during the time of the Berlin Wall leaves trauma and means there is time lost forever, a lifelong legacy for families across Germany.
SEPARATED FAMILIES
- dONGSEOK (16-18, sOUTH kOREA)
"During the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, many families were separated as a result of the conflict. The war ended in an armistice agreement, but the border between North Korea and South Korea remained heavily fortified, making it difficult for families to reunite.
The first reunion took place in 1985 but the system is a lottery based system and at the last reunion in August of 2018, only 93 people from the South and 88 from the North were able to meet their family members, despite thousands who applied.
[...] My great grandfather will turn 87 years old this September and he knows he doesn't have many years left. The only thing that keeps him living is the small chance of reuniting with his younger sister with whom he was separated when he was 17 years old and she was 12. Shortly before his mother's death in 1951 during the war, she made him swear that he would always take care of his younger sister.
Not keeping that promise gives him nightmares as he has told us of dreams where his sister is calling out to him. As he gets older and older, I see the hope in his eyes fading.
As I watch the news about the war in Ukraine, I wonder how many families have been separated by either death or fleeing their homes to become refugees. My heart aches for the children who are separated from their parents and the brothers and sisters who may never see each other again."
CONTEXT
Dongseok's speech is based off his personal experience of family members being separated in conflict, specifically as a result of the Korean war. The strict border between North Korea and South Korea has kept families apart for decades. Such family separation is now being repeated in the war in Ukraine, due to displacement, death, occupied territories and men being forced to fight. This shows how conflict still leads to family separation, with the Korean war influencing divides into the current day, as well as current conflicts.
'the railing of reconciliation'- Erica (14-16, South Korea)
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
During war, people get separated. There are many reasons for this, be either separated due to the moving to refugee camps, the splitting of a country, or just being one of the unfortunate deaths from the war. Korea today is one of the many cases where people were separated from each other due to the splitting of a country. 77 years after the division Korean citizens are trying their best to reunite with their lost family members and friends. Likewise, I think life after conflict like war is the time for reconciliation and reunion.
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