Speaking out for child soldiers

A former child soldier spoke today at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators convention in Washington, D.C. At the age of thirteen, Ishmael Beah found himself fighting in a devastating civil war in the African nation of Sierra Leone. UNICEF saved Beah after he saw two years of combat and helped to ease his transition back into society. Beah authored A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a child soldier. After his presentation, audience members were asked to reflect on Beah’s experiences and given the opportunity to suggest how to prevent children from being forced into combat.

Audience members were appreciative of Beah’s suggestion of increasing student interactions on an international level. Beah supports not only increasing the number of international students studying in the Untied States, but also increasing the number of American students studying in countries like Sierra Leone. Audience members agreed that these interactions would allow or greater understanding of cultural and political differences.

Audience members expressed their desire to increase awareness of child soldiers in Sierra Leone and throughout the world. In the year 2000, Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan estimated that approximately 300,000 children were involved in armed conflicts worldwide.