School Assembly

<< back

Instructions:

Print out, enlarge and copy for pupils.

Use highlighter pens to mark each child's part.

You will need:

• Headbands or badges with country flags for readers 3-6
• Suit and tie for Mr Annan
• Microphone (a toy will do)
• Response card
• MDG issue signs ( Poverty and hunger; Education; Girls; Dying children; Dying mothers; Disease; Environment; Partnership)
• Signs with pictures of a tree, a house and a glass of water to accompany MDG7
• Large globe
• Candles
• CD of world music if available.

SCENE ONE

(Readers 1-8 are seated at a table facing out to the audience.)

Reader 1: In the year 2000, 189 nations met in New York in the United States of America.

Reader 2: We talked about the state of the world we live in. There were lots of problems.

Reader 3: (Wearing Bolivian flag badge/headband ): I'm from Bolivia. In my country thousands of children do not have a school to go to.

Reader 4: I'm from Ethiopia. In my country hundreds of villages have no clean drinking water.

Reader 5: I'm from Indonesia. In my country thousands of acres of forest are being destroyed every year.

Reader 6: I'm from Tanzania. In my country two million people are in need of help, because they do not have enough food for the coming months.

Reader 7: The world leaders decided that something must be done.

Reader 8: We chose eight goals. In football a goal is what the team wants to achieve. To score a goal everyone has to work together. We called our new goals for the world, "˜Millennium Development Goals" and we said that we would achieve them by the year 2015.

SCENE TWO

Reader 9: The eight goals that the world leaders chose were these:

(As each reader speaks, hold up the matching MDG sign)

All: Goal one

Reader 10: By the year 2015, to halve the number of people who are poor and suffer from terrible hunger.

All: Goal two

Reader 11: By 2015, to make sure that every primary school age child is able to go to school.

All: Goal three

Reader 12: By 2015, to make sure that all girls of any age have the same chances to go to school as boys.

All: Goal four

Reader 13: By 2015, to cut by two thirds the number of little children in danger of dying.

All: Goal five

Reader 14: By 2015, to cut by three quarters the number of mothers who die whilst having their babies.

All: Goal six

Reader 15: By 2015, to stop major diseases from spreading and begin to make them disappear.

All: Goal seven

Reader 16: By 2015, to improve the environment by:

Reader 17: saving God's creation,

Reader 18: helping people without proper houses,

Reader 19: and halving the number of people without clean water.

All: Goal eight

Reader 20: By 2015, to work as a global partnership, (all join hands) helping poor nations to improve the ways they buy and sell goods, so that they are better able to help themselves.

SCENE THREE

Reader 21: In the year 2015 I will be ....... years old. How old will you be in 2015?

(Teacher ask two or three children from different year groups)

Reader 22: In 2015, if the Millennium Development Goals have been achieved, the world will be a much better place. But how are the nations of the world going to meet these goals? Let's ask the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Reader 23: Mr Kofi Annan, how will you make sure the goals are achieved?

Mr Annan: We are doing lots of research so that we know what is happening in each country and how quickly things are improving. That way, when one country is struggling to meet one of the goals, the other nations can help.

Reader 24: What else is happening?

Mr Annan: People are involved in The Millennium Campaign in every country. They are reminding their governments of their promises to work towards the Millennium Development Goals. If people remind the politicians, the politicians will make the goals a priority.

Reader 25: Thank you, Mr Annan.

Reader 26: Can we do anything to help?

All: Yes!

Reader 27: We can find out more about the Millennium Development Goals and tell people about them.

Reader 28: We can write to our politicians, like our local Member of Parliament.

Reader 29: We can raise money for charities like CAFOD that help our sisters and brothers in poorer countries.

Reader 30: We can pray for world leaders and for all the people who are suffering around the world.

Let's light a candle and pray for them now.

(Finish the assembly with the children’s own prayers or use the meditation. Play CD quietly in background.)

Meditation: A fairer world

The response to our prayers is:

"Lord, help us to build a fairer world."

(Hold up the response card)

(As prayers are read, relevant MDG signs or children's paintings could be held up and children from each class invited to place lighted candles around the globe. If you have Primary Fairground 28, you could point to the relevant photos on the poster.)

Jesus said, "I have come to bring Good News to the poor." We are called to be like Jesus. We are called to bring good news to the poor. We can share what we have with those who have less. Jesus, help me to share with others today.

Response

A wise man wrote in the Old Testament, 'Listen to instruction and learn to be wise'. Thank you, God, that I can go to school and learn to be wise. Please bless all the children in the world who cannot go to school.

Response

In some countries today, girls are not given the same opportunities as boys.

St Paul described us together as the Body of Christ. He said that each part of the Body should be treated as well as any other part. Lord, help me to treat fairly everyone I meet today.

Response

Jesus laid his hands on little children and blessed them. Many children in poor countries are likely to have only a short life. God our Father, we thank you for your gift of life. We pray that children everywhere may be given all that they need to live long and happy lives.

Response

Our mothers give us life and look after us, just as Mary looked after Jesus. Some children in places like Nigeria never know their mothers. Lord, thank you for my family and all those who look after me. Help me today to think of a way to show them that I care.

Response

There are some terrible diseases in poor countries where people cannot afford to buy medicine. Jesus healed the sick and he asks us to build a world where people can find healing. Holy Spirit, inspire us to be your healing hands for other people today and always.

Response

God created the world “and indeed it was very good. God wanted us to live in a beautiful place. But some parts of the world are no longer beautiful. Some of our sisters and brothers live in slums; some have no clean water and some forests are being destroyed. Today, Lord, I will try to notice the beauty around me. Thank you for the earth.

Response

The prophet Micah said, "Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God". The nations of the world are trying to act justly by promising to help poor countries. They have promised to work together to achieve eight Millennium Development Goals. Lord God, please bless all the world's leaders. May they work hard to help the poorest peoples of the world.

Response

Hymn suggestion: Go Tell Everyone

All: Let's help to make the world a fairer place!