The most heart wrenching premise of the story, however, is the idea that there are still children being brainwashed into becoming soldiers in armies so consumed by their own purpose they would recruit children as young as 8 years old to do their killing. Using drugs, alcohol, and the simple allures of food and "family", these rebels take away the last ember of hope and innocence afforded to children who have typically already lost their parents, siblings, and homes. With the very fabric of their lives already shredded beyond recognition, these children are forced to bear further witness to the atrocities we as "adults" are capable of committing against one another. The truly unfortunate aspect of the whole thing is that even if the UNICEF or other organizations are able to rescue the children, they are left with unavoidable images and life long guilt. None the less, Beah and others like him struggle to find peace and reconciliation in understanding that they never should have been put in that situation and that their experiences may be used to help other children. In Beah's words, "It is easy to become a child soldier but it is much more difficult ot recover one's humanity...but it is possible."
According to UN estimates, there are still 250,000 child soldiers throughout the 13 countries in the world. At this point, UNICEF seems to be the primary organization which contributes to rehabilitating child soldiers, however, this past Friday Beah and others launched the Network of Young People Affected by War:
NEW YORK, 20 November 2008 – “We, a group of former child soldiers and survivors of armed conflict in different capacities, are pleased to announce today the launch of the Network of Young People Affected by War (NYPAW) to help children whose lives have been derailed by conflict.
“As young people who have endured conflict in our respective countries and who are all too familiar with the toll it exacts on children’s emotional, social, physical, psychosocial and academic development, we are determined to help children whose fate has been similar to ours regain their confidence and their lives.
“Way too many children are witnessing the horrors of war: It is estimated that 1.5 billion children – two thirds of the world’s child population – live in the 42 countries affected by violent, high-intensity conflict between 2002 and 2006.
“Building on our own experiences, NYPAW seeks to speak up for the rights of all these children and to find concrete measures to prevent the use of children in war.
“We also hope to remind the world of how resilient children are, when given the right support. We are best-selling authors, renowned musicians, and youth advocates who hope to serve as role models to all those whose lives have been affected by violence.
“With guidance from United Nations, including UNICEF and the Office of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and with the assistance of War Child Holland and the Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN, NYPAW will use education and art – including writing, public speaking, poetry, music, painting, storytelling and theatre – to raise awareness to the plight of children living in conflict zones and provide them with the necessary support. “NYPAW will also serve as a conduit linking children caught in conflict with governments, international organizations, civil society and the media.
“As individuals, our strength has been our belief that we could overcome the traumas we have faced in times of war. But united as NYPAW, our strength is being able to communicate our experiences and to help affect change for the other children currently struggling in conflict countries and support the reconciliation process in countries emerging from war That is our hope. That is our mission.”
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4 comments:
I'm crying.
And I love that you are using this forum for writing, and that I have the ability to read. The world needs to hear your voice. THANK YOU!
It's interesting that you write about this because when I was trying to decide which cause I would vote for on your poll I was thinking about the crises in Africa- That's a woman, children and general humanitarian issue I guess. I am very sad about the things that go on in Africa - and similar things that may go on elsewhere.
Ultimatley I choose the hunger issue because like you mention below how easy we really have it I think everyone needs to eat. You have to eat to be able to do anything, have good health, run away from bad guys, care for others etc.
I am interested to hear about Wendy's three week African adventure, as I am always intrigued by people's observations...we'll have to get her to start a blog so that we can read all about it :)
Amy, you wouldn't be you if these things didn't make you cry. I think that is part of why we love you.
Lynn, you make a good point about eating...and it amazes me how little it can actually cost to feed a family, especially when I spend around $200 a week on just three of us. Additionally, if people are well fed, then the bad guys can't tempt them to join their ranks by offering them food. I have read and heard that that will be one of the issues that will need to be tackled in Afghanistan...
Tarah thanks for your post. I loved this book and the heart wrenching story it tells. My wife even read it and she usually is not one to sit down and read. I too feel that there are many causes in this world that need desperate attention. After having read this story and being informed of the realization of what is happening in Sierra Leone, and other countries like it, I felt so grateful for what I have. Its rare now-a-days that we have a time to reflect how blessed we are to have food, shelter and freedom. This book is particularly moving for those of us who are parents. It is hard to imagine being the fathers and mothers of these disfortunate children and to have suffered what they suffered. I think more people need to realize how good they have it here. And if they come to this realization, I think more people would serve those less fortnuate than us. Great post! Dave Booth
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