Exercise Prodigal Child

This week, after months of e-mailing, I was invited to participate in an event, Exercise Prodigal Child, hosted at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.

I was so excited. I all I knew, really, was that the subject was prevention of the recruitment of child soldiers, and that Senator Romeo Dallaire would be leading the exercise. For those of you who do not know who this man is, he was the Force Commander for UNAMIR, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda. He was portrayed in the film, Hotel Rwanda by Nick Nolte. He is now a Canadian Senator. He wrote a book on his experience in Rwanda entitled Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda. And recently a documentary of his book was released. This year in September, a Canadian film will depict Dallaire's book.

When I first arrived at the centre, I was directed to the wrong building, which turned out to be a blessing, because the event organizer, Ken Eyre, and Senator Romeo Dallaire were seated there, and I was able to introduce myself and meet them both. I was then personally briefed on the exercise, and taken to join one of the "Tiger Teams" as an observer.

The exercise was fascinating. Around the table were researchers from academia, UN peacekeepers, military experts, political advisers, child rights advocates, representatives of major NGOs and international organizations... all of them working together on this simulation trying to extract children who had already been recruited and prevent further recruitment of children in a fictional country called Fontinalis, a country in an archipelago off the coast of Liberia.

Although it was very intimidating to sit at the table with all these people, I realized that I feel relatively confident that I could do the same things pretty easily. I felt decently prepared. Many were also very interested in my project, asking to see final reports and share data. So to some extent, I felt that I have something to offer, some expertise, as well.

It was simply amazing to see this side of the process, not just read about it in the international press and IRIN.

Of course, I have many questions and comments, but for the sake of brevity, I will limit it to comments on someone else's observation.

"How do we raise the cost of recruiting or using children in armed conflict, while at the same time removing the benefits?"

In order to be able to answer this question, we must first ascertain or assume what the benefits of using children in an armed conflict context are. Theorists still argue about this, but as I see it, there are two main plausible reasons:

1. To increase enrollment - when there are not enough adults who are willing and/or able to fight, as well as to supply "cannon fodder" so that the valued, trained soldiers are not "wasted"

2. Manipulation/Control - children are easily manipulated and controlled. They still count on others to make decisions for them, and trust adults as capable decision makers. They follow orders, and are easily intimidated both by authority and force.

So, assuming these two causal factors to be true, we can thus brainstorm for ways to remove these benefits. There must be short term or immediately implementable plans as well as long term plans to help stop the recurrence of child soldier recruitment. So, my comments are as follows:

• Is there military tactic and means (weapon, strategy, or otherwise) which would allow for peacekeeping forces to remove the benefit of stocking ranks with children? Granted, originally the forces were fighting other groups, which may have made child soldier recruitment necessary, but is it plausible to render child soldiers useless, thus removing the benefit? And, if so, would it then be tactically advisable to loan or teach or give this technology to the internationally favored group? Of course this could probably not be done by peacekeepers.


• How can we remove the benefit of manipulation/control? Campaigns are probably the best method in the short run - we could hand out cards to children with a helpline and information regarding international condemnation of the use of children in armed conflict and post traumatic stress... we could establish peer counseling/awareness/watch groups, empowering youth to solve the problem. We could use music, innovative local talent, to write anti-war songs, educating & providing awareness. Long term, we could promote the teaching of critical thinking and individuality, self-reliance, and self-esteem at a young age within the school systems. Oftentimes those who are less educated are those recruited. So perhaps a mandatory completion of a certain level of schooling should be put in place - of course assuming that public affordable or free schooling is available or an option. Reducing poverty is also an important tool - if people have viable alternatives to picking up the gun to provide for themselves and their families, it would deter recruitment efforts. Finally, the reduction of the availability of light weaponry is essential. Weapons which are not complicated to use, and can be easily handled by children make recruiting children easier. Many of the former child soldiers I have interviewed were given AK-47s as their first weapon. The Economist has an article on this problem entitled "Kalashnikov Kids".

Using these requirements as a guideline will help the international community to more effectively deal with the greater problem of child soldiering: increasing the costs, and decreasing the benefits. It is time for innovative thinking and new solutions - feel free to comment.

A Star Is Born

I was able to participate in something really amazing last night. Although there are many things that I would like to update, I think you guys should really hear about this.
A few weeks ago, I met a guy, known as Abilene (I don't really know if he spells it like that), who performed some songs for me. I was blown away by his music. He has a great voice, and he sings about pertinent issues in Liberia. One of my favorite songs is called "We Don't Need No More War". I can't really explain exactly what it is that he has that makes him different from every other artist out there other than to say that he has unbelievable passion in his voice, and in his songs.
I have been trying to find a way to record him and put his songs on the internet for people to hear him. I have yet to find a way. While speaking with some of my housemates one night about my struggle to find a way to record Abilene, I discovered that Annie, Elijah's girlfriend, is in the music business.
Annie was really touched with my explaination of who Abilene is, and what he's been through. She was especially interested when I told her that he was really good and that he writes his own songs. She has been trying to put together a tv talkshow here in Ghana to showcase new artists who do not have the money, influence, or connections to get a start on their own. Abilene, of course, fits the bill.
So yesterday, Annie came to the camp to meet Abilene. I was praying that she would like him just as much as I did.
When I told Abilene who I had coming to meet him, he was visibly touched. He kept on praying for God to bless me for helping him in this way. I don't really feel like I've done anything... it just happened. Like it was supposed to happen.
Annie was amazed by what she heard and is convinced that he will be a big star. She is going to produce his work and showcase him on her show. She will help him finish his education and go to college. She will pay for his production costs and marketing. This is the BEST possible thing that could have ever happened to him. It is, as far as I am concerned, a miracle. A true being in the right place at the right time thing.
I am so excited for Abilene, and will keep you updated on his progress.
The film crew is coming on Thursday to the camp to film him for the show. Everything is just working out fantastically.
I will try and write another update tomorrow on other issues...

Esprit de Soldat-Enfant

Particularly disadvantaged, many child soldiers are not given the chance to grow up. Some exhibit traits normally attributed to children and have never fully matured into an adult role.


Unable to be completely reconciled and accepted back into society, many are unemployed, struggling to make ends meet and feed themselves and their families. "We manage", said a former child soldier at Buduburam when asked if she had enough to eat while living at the camp.


Child soldiers are also reluctant to leave the camp and be repatriated to Liberia. Some of their contemporaries have been killed upon their return. They are often not welcome back to their community, and are not considered as candidates for refuge in other countries like the United States. This causes many to either stay where they are, or try and conceal their ex-combatant status, as Valentino Deng did (refugee from Sudan in the US who wrote a book with the assistance of Dave Eggers, What is the What, regarding his experience).

There are also many wounded. Unable as ex-combatants to qualify for subsistence or additional medical assistance programs, they receive only the treatment they can afford. I have seen grenade wounds, shrapnel wounds, bullet wounds, and amputated limbs. Several VECSAOL members still have particles and bullets inside them. A couple of days ago I met a former child soldier who had been shot in the chest, right next to his heart. For various reasons, the bullet has not been removed. He told me that it is sometimes very painful, and he has trouble breathing because of it.

There are several more just like him, who are unable to be gainfully employed because they sustained war injuries when they were children.

One showed me pictures of his children, beautiful girls, who are starving.

These guys had their futures stolen from them. Now they live on a refugee camp, mostly unemployed, uneducated, and unable to reintegrate and heal.

One, expressing his disgust with his current situation, told me that there is nothing for him at Buduburam. He said that he might as well "pick up the gun" and procure his own livelihood - as it is the only way that he knows how. This is the danger of not reintegrating former child soldiers - we have already seen a vicious cycle of violence play out in Liberia when child soldiers were not given the opportunity to successfully disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate. We have to be able to care for those who can not take care of themselves, and help provide training, education, and opportunity to the others. This provides a viable and sustainable alternative to "picking up the gun".

Child soldiers intimately know the kind of evil that is tucked away inside war. Choosing that path for themselves again indicates more precisely the desperation they feel in their current situation.

Of course, not all feel the need to pick up arms - in fact, most think that it wouldn't improve or change their situation at all.

But, they are hungry, they are poor, they are neglected, and have been abused by authority at a young age. Could it not be said that sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures?

Through donations from past volunteers, VECSAOL has an account with one of the hospitals on the camp, St. Sebastian's. This account helps to pay for some of the child soldiers' medical expenses. There are no food assistance programs for them.

Also through donation, VECSAOL has been trying to build a library for its members to use to help them gain skills and better themselves. If you have any old (or new) books that you would like to donate, you can send them to either of Artemy Izmestiev's addresses (New York and Ghana). They are in the previous post regarding the Art School.

Together we can improve the situation faced by countless child soldiers - and help make the world more secure for future generations.

The Art School At Buduburam

Last Saturday Mabel and I went to the camp. When we arrived at the VECSAOL office, no one was there. We were waiting for them when we saw the two guys that we met earlier in the week who work at the Juglaa Art School. One, Brocks, is a former child soldier. The other, Brumskine, calls himself "The Zebra Artist". They gave us a tour of the school. The school has three classes, beginner, primary, and junior. However, they are only able to rent two rooms of the three room schoolhouse, and so they have just a beginner class and a junior class.

When I entered the classroom, all the kids stood up and sang me a welcome song... "Hello Stranger, how are you..." It is an extra-curricular class, and it is free to the kids who attend. They have classes on Friday evenings and all day Saturdays. They are able to function solely off of donations.

Unlike children in the United States, these refugee children do not have the opportunity to cultivate the arts or express themselves artistically. Each child had a scrap of paper about the size of my hand to draw on. Some were sharing. Each row of kids was sharing a drawing pencil.

One student came up to me and asked if I would buy some water. At first I didn't understand. I thought that perhaps he or his family sold water, and he was asking me to buy a packet from him. I asked him how much. He told me that it would cost 7,000 cedis. This is equivalent to about 70 cents. Normally a packet of water costs about 4 cents, and Brumskine informed me that this would be water for the entire school. The kids had NO water. I gave him the money and a few minutes later he returned with two bags full of water packets, each over half his size. For 70 cents, each child in that school received water. There was even some left over. Over 100 kids were able to have water that day. Can you believe it?

Allison left me some supplies to give the art school, and the guys asked me if I would take a list of their most needed supplies. I said I would. I will post it at the end of this blog.

At the end of my time thre, one of the children gave me a drawing he had made of an African village. He and his teachers apologized profusely because it was not in color. I want so badly to help. I mean, even if everyone who read this blog just donated $2 worth of crayons, think what a difference it would make to those kids!

Chris (my wonderful artistic brother) and I used to draw all the time when we were little - therapeutically as well as to work our skill and imagination. This is something that these kids have completely missed out on.

I can appreciate that the adults at the camp at some point chose to become refugees over various other alternatives, however, most of these kids were born at the camp. They never had a choice. This is their life. I can't even tell you how many kids I see shoveling dirt so that they can play with it, as it is their only plaything. It is so sad.

I know that Caleb and I are trying to do as much as we can for them. He is putting together a care package, and I am purchasing some of the bulkier/non-shipable items here.

The school is trying desperately to provide some kind of release for these kids. The guys know that because of the war, Liberian artistic culture was severely disrupted. A whole generation of kids will have missed out on one of the most simple diversions of children around the world. Even a coloring book would help. They are in such need of supplies.

The List

Rulers

Drawing Pencils

Drawing Boards

Reams of Lineless White Paper

Erasers

Poster Sheets

Yardsticks

Coloring Pencils

Crayons

Masking Tape

Stencil Cutter & Blades (Utility Knifes)

Sketch Pads

Coloring Books

Watercolors

Artist Brush Sets

Canvas

Oil Paint (red, blue, yellow, black, and white)

Mathematical Sets (I don't know what this is, perhaps our artist friends can inform us)

Adhesive Glue

Paper Glue

Marker Sets

Where to Send it:

If you have a larger or heavier package, you can send it to us in Ghana at Artemy's UNDP address

Artemy Izmestiev
United Nations Development Programme
P.O. Box 1423 Accra, Ghana

If you have something smaller to send, like just a couple packs of crayons or some coloring books, you can send it to Artemy's New York address, and they will send it to him (save on postage)

Artemy Izmestiev
United Nations Development Programme
304 45th St. E room 633a
New York, NY 10017

If you would like to contact the school personally, you can send them an e-mail at either

brumskine2006@yahoo.com or juglaa2020@yahoo.com

The director's name is Brumskine S. Harris Jr.

Children are our Future.

This picture is of the new drawing I was given the second time I visited the school - this time in color after Allison's donation of coloring pencils and crayons.

Introduction to Ghana

For those who have been anxiously awaiting news from Ghana, I apologize for this inordinately long pause before beginning.

This whole trek began back in December, well really last June when I started working for the Ford Institute for Human Security.

I was assigned the country of Liberia to research in reference to child soldiers. I quickly became obsessed with my work, putting in several volunteer hours over the summer. I researched ethnicity, the timeline of the civil war (1999-2003), troop movements and battles, child soldier recruitment, the location of refugee and IDP camps, and attacks on those camps. I came to know a decent amount about the war and Liberia. I created maps and supplied information for our upcoming Child Soldiers Conference we hosted in September.

At the Child Soldiers Conference, I met Solomon Patray, a former Liberian child soldier. He founded the Veteran Child Soldiers Association of Liberia (VECSAOL) at the Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana. I think he was impressed with my knowledge of his country, and I was eager for his opinion on some of my projects. We stayed in touch after the conference and around Christmas, I asked him if there would be an opportunity to intern at the Buduburam refugee camp and work with his group, VECSAOL. He said yes, and I have been in constant communication since regarding this amazing opportunity.

Allison and I arrived in Ghana on the 4th of June. Artemy, our gracious host, and his friend Elijah picked us up from the airport and we were immediately heckled for money as Ghanaian men rushed up and helped Artemy "pack" his car with our excessive luggage. For this they demanded money, some for each of them. When Artemy refused, of course they turned to us. This was our first experience in Ghana.

Artemy's house is a 3 bedroom large apartment on the 4th floor of a 4 story small apartment building. The night we arrived, there was no electricity due to rationing. Apparently, there is an electricity crisis in Ghana. We used our flashlights our first night in the country!

The experience of living here at Artemy's is much more plush than I had originally expected - originally I had thought that we'd stay one night with Artemy and then move out to the camp, but as plans sometimes do, they fell apart. So here I am two weeks later, still commuting to the camp from Accra. On the plus side, I see a wide cross section of Accra and its inhabitants. I've become intimately aware of people staring at me and shouting "Obruni!" The other day, at least two people grabbed my arm and tried to get me to buy something from them. One woman scared me by her forcefulness - I think most people don't take kindly to being grabbed though. Oh! And they HISS here! Literally! It was so funny, the other day Allison and I were walking along Oxford Street with an acquaintance from the camp, Guy, who with his swanky Aussie accent explained to us that he does not respond to hissing. It apparently is a tactic used to grab the attention of passers by. Yeah, I have to admit, I don't really respond favorably to hissing either.

I have never seen so many vendors with wares to sell! They are literally everywhere! It is so crazy! Lining the sidewalks, filling every free space with stalls, carrying goods on their heads... in the middles of the street, they even hop on buses to give spiels about their wares. On Saturday a man was selling socks on our tro-tro. His selling point was that the socks were specially made for shoes.

Also, I have never seen so many openly Christian people in my life. There are churches everywhere, everything has a reference to God and spirituality. Even buses, taxis, and tro-tros have large letters on their back windows spelling things like "God First", "Jesus Name", "Prayer", and my personal favorite, "Enemies are Not God". Businesses usually manage to creep faith/God references into their title, like "Jesus Cares Hair Salon". I've been preached to 3 times at least on tro-tros in one week! Everyone asks me as one of their first questions if I am a Christian. We even sang a couple church songs on a tro-tro once.

The entire city of Accra is an interesting mix of development meeting abject poverty and ruins. You see tall neat looking modern buildings, but surrounding them are other buildings or houses that are falling apart or lots of rubble and trash... sometimes with goats. The poor parts are absolute squalor. Beaches function, as well as pretty much anywhere (I've observed), as public toilets. We visited the old city center, the colonial Accra, called Jamestown, and it was literally in various stages of decay. There was a large shanty town on the beach. I managed to get pictures, but was hassled for it. Apparently people do not appreciate photography here.

We went to the cultural district the other day and were instantly surrounded by several men who demanded that we come and see their wares (Ashanti masks, traditional sitting stools, drums, paintings, carved animals, etc.). Upon visiting their stall, we garnered the attention of even more vendors, who demanded that we see their stalls. It was ridiculous. Obviously we could not buy something from every stall - and when we told them we had no more money to spend, their answer became "It is alright, we will escort you to the bank".

Don't get me wrong - I love Ghana. Everyone I have met, including the vendors, have been extremely kind and welcoming. Each introduces themselves and asks how you are and how you enjoy Ghana. Everyone shakes hands and greets warmly. I feel very appreciated all the time. Kids especially always say hi and wave. Some want high-fives, but many just want to get a smile. The girls like to hold my hand for a couple of seconds. It is a sign of friendship here. I see people holding hands all the time, even guys with other guys and girls with girls.

It takes me about 1.5 hours to get to the camp from Accra. I ride the tro-tro from the stop on Ring Road by Artemy's place to Circle, and from Circle to Kanishie, from Kanishie to "Liberia Camp" or Buduburam. The tro-tros are like VW buses from the 60s outfitted to be a bus with bench seats. There are usually 5 rows of 4 seats, not counting the driver and front seat, which holds 2. So there are roughly 23 people in a tro-tro at any given time. The drivers and their "mate"s don't usually like to get going until all the seats are filled, so if you get on an empty tro-tro, you may be waiting for a while. The ride isn't bad when the tro-tro is moving and there is airflow from the windows, but in stop & go traffic or in a standstill... well, you can imagine.

So the camp... a really amazing place. I think they said that it has been operating since - well, for about 19 years. The UNHCR is pulling out now and handing control/management over to the Ghanaians. Because of this, there is high encouragement for Liberians to agree to be voluntarily repatriated.

A million of my questions regarding camp security have been answered simply by seeing it with my own eyes. There is a camp police station, as well as neighborhood watch. Each division of the camp has a neighborhood watch contingent. The only questions which remain unanswered are how safe the inhabitants felt during the conflict and how long the current system has been in place. I can't understand how it would have been possible to ever recruit from Buduburam.

The Former Child Soldier Association meets in their own office and classroom. The director, Dr. William, is not a former child soldier, but is war-affected and studied in Germany. There are many others, executive officers of the group that I have met who have been extremely willing to help out with the project. I will not list their names until I have explicit permission for their safety.

I have already heard several stories from several different people that corroborate some of my theories - social rejection, retributive killings, the education/reintegration factor, amongst others. I have heard "the graveyard story" from several independently and think it adequately illustrates the plight of child soldiers and reintegration. I hope to add the graveyard story to the anthology - I need to do some research first to see if I can back it up from other sources.

We begin training enumerators for the survey on Tuesday. I hope that the workshop with adequately prepare them to conduct the survey. I will train them with the help of their advisers, Mr. Sumo Kupe, and Mr. Francis Snoh. Mr. Kupe is their counsellor, and Mr. Snoh has received training in Journalism, Research, and Interviewing. As soon as we have a couple of qualified enumerators, we can begin gathering data. Meanwhile, I will record stories and work on getting enough data from the UNHCR to ascertain what the patterns of settlement of the camp are in order to create a relatively unbiased survey population. They we can begin the household surveys and war-affected children surveys. I'm so filled to the brim with excited anticipation. Everyone is. People have come up to be and thanked me for doing this work, for caring about their situation and their stories.

These guys are my age and younger. They were deprived of their childhoods, forced to experience traumatizing events, and rejected by society. Because of their experience as child soldiers, they have been denied opportunity, and still suffer the consequences of a future they did not choose for themselves. They can not return to Liberia - those who have have been killed, their bodies mutilated and displayed. Yet, I don't think that other ex-fighters have had nearly the same problems reintegrating. They had jobs, professions, education before their joining or recruitment. These kids had those opportunities snatched from them, and did not make a conscious, educated choice to join combat. Yet, they are treated as if they did. The consequences of their actions lie squarely on their shoulders - but can we really hold them accountable?

Ishmael Beah writes in his book, "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier", that child soldiers can be rehabilitated and "become human again". He is living proof. However, as long as this group remains alienated, without opportunity and rejected from society, society will never be whole. This problem must be solved before the vicious cycle of violence starts again.

Akwaaba

Sorry to all of you who have been anxiously awaiting some kind of news. I arrived in Ghana on Monday, June 4th, and since then have had a whirlwind of different experiences. I am so excited to be here, and to have this opportunity to be able to do this important work. I have been greeted enthusiastically by the members of the Veteran Child Soldiers Association of Liberia (VECSAOL). They are very willing to help carry out this project and are excited about having the opportunity for their voices to be heard.
As you know, the problem of child soldiering is worldwide, and even though governments have all agreed that the use of children in armed conflict is a bad thing, many still do it. Many think that this is in some way tied to education - that if people were informed about the problem, and were familiar with the detriment to society as a whole by using children as soldiers, the powers that be would avoid using children in war. Of course this is a theory, but in a way it is true. Many don't really realize the consequences of child soldiering, not only for the children themselves, but the damage that is caused to the building blocks of society when a large portion of society is stigmatized and alienated. By having a large quantity of youth who are unable to reintegrate into society, a country is crippled economically, socially, and politically, often winding up in a vicious cycle of conflict.
I have been meeting with VECSAOL and will begin the survey enumerator training workshop on Tuesday. This will help give them the basic skills and understanding necessary to help conduct the survey. We are hoping to have 30 enumerators, which would help us reach our goal of 150 surveys of former child soldiers very quickly.
I must stress that this organization has no income, no real assets. They are trying to build a library for personal empowerment and learning purposes. Please, if you can, start collecting books. I realize that sending a box of books can be expensive, but this is a direct way that you can help. If you are interested in helping VECSAOL in collecting books, please e-mail me, and I will send you the address where they can be sent.

In other news, Ghana is fantastic! People are so friendly and welcoming. Everywhere I go I see people who are anxious to welcome me to their country. I am very excited to be here, and look forward to successfully conducting this research project with the help of VECSAOL.

For more information on VECSAOL, please see their website at www.buduburam.org
This website also has some pictures of the camp. I apologize for the lack of pictures so far, I am constantly on the look out for a computer with a USB port.

I'm off to the camp now... more later!