Gregory

EnglishProject

3/8/2013

Childsoldiers

Theissue/eventthatIhavechosenisChildsoldiers. IchosechildsoldiersbecauseIthoughtitwasaveryinterestingtopic formetoknowhowchildrenmyageincountrieswherethereiswar sometimesbecomesoldiers.WhenIwasinSriLankatherewasacivilwar. TheSriLankanarmyandtheTamilTigerswereturningchildreninto soldierswhichwasintriguingbecauseIcouldnotunderstandwhythey weredoingthistochildren.Iwouldliketorespondtohowbaditisto makechildrengotowarbygivingthemdrugs,usingthemashuman shields,brainwashingthemetc.Ithoughtthismightbeagoodtopicto workonbecausemanypeopledontknowwhatisgoingonintheworld.I thoughtthisprojectmighthelpthemgainabetterknowledgeoftheissue. Inmanypartsoftheworldwherethereisconflictandwar,childrenare usedassoldiers. Q.Whyaretheydoingthistochildren? A:Childrenbecomechildsoldiersusuallywhenarmymencometoinvade villages.Thesepeopledestroythevillageandkillmanypeople.Sometimes theytakechildrenawayfromtheirhomesandtheyenrollthemintraining

onhowtobecomeasoldier.Sometimeschildren,whoareleftalone becausetheparentsandtherelativesarekilled,turnthemselvesintothe armybecausetheyhavenofoodorshelter.Manytimesthechildrenhaveno choiceandmustlearnhowtokillortheyarekilledthemselves. Q:Howdothegovernmentorrebelsmakethechildrencommitsuch atrocities? A:Ofcoursechildrendonotwanttokill,butthearmydrugsthemsothey donotfeelanyfearandthedrugsmakethemnumbandtheydonotfeelany regret. Itisestimatedthatcurrentlythereare250,000300,000childsoldiers aroundtheglobe.ThereareseveralagenciesforexampleUNICEFthatare tryingtohelpchildsoldiersrehabilitatefromthewarsthattheyhave experienced.Ithinkthatputtinglittlechildrenthroughsuchbadwarsis verycruelbecauseittakestheirchildhoodawayandtheyaretraumatized fortherestoftheirlives.

Iwantmypoemtoemphasizehowcruelandunethicalitistobring childrenintowarinsteadofpeaceandeducation.Ialsowantpeopleto knowthattherearepeopleintheworldthatwanttomakeourworlda betterplacebysendinginU.N.I.C.E.Fworkerstogivebackthechild soldierstheirchildhood.

Poem:ALittleBoy Alittleboyoneday comingbackfromthefarwest heseeshisvillageonfireandinbrightredflames butnomatterhowmuchheruns theyllalwayscomebackforhim. So,hegoesbackwiththemhopingforprotection buthedoesnotgetit,no,justwaterfilledwithinfections. Heistaughthowtotakedrugs,forhecannotsleepwithoutthem. Heistaughthowtokill,tofeelnothingbutthattokill asitwasjustaseasy,asdrinkingfromacoldglassofwater butthenheseesthebrightlight, takenawayfromhispast,andbrought,tobebrightandbebrought intoanewlifewhereheishelped,dayandnight. Butwhenheisolderandbackfromhelphelooksathiswrinklyhands, thesearenotapersonshands ButthoseofaChildsoldier

Analysis InthepoemALittleBoybyGregoryKehcontainstwopoetic elementsthatsupporttheimportantmessage. OnepoeticelementthatIhaveusedinthepoemaboveisimagery.I foundimagerytobeveryusefultoconveyamessagetothereaderandto helpthereaderknowwhatchildsoldiersareexperiencingeveryday.Heis taughthowtokill,tofeelnothingbutthattokillasitwasjustaseasy,as drinkingfromacoldglassofwater.Thiswasalineinthepoemthat conveyedimagerywellbecause,sinceeveryonedrinkswater,childsoldiers couldkilljustaseasily. Anotherpoeticelementusedinthispoemisrepetition.Heistaught howtotakedrugsandHeistaughthowtokill,arebothrepeatingthe firstfewwordstomakethereaderunderstandwhatthechildsoldiershad todotolive.Thechildsoldierstookdrugssothattheycouldgotosleep,if theydidnttheywouldhaveconstantnightmaresthatwouldhauntthemin theirsleep. Themessageherewasthatyoushouldbethankfulthatyouarenoton thefrontlineofawarattenyearsoldknowingthatsoonerorlateryouwill getshotanddie.ThepoetGregoryKehhasshownushowcrueland immoralitistobringchildrenintowar.

Song

ThesongthatihavechosenforChildSoldiersisWarChildby EmmanuelJaI.EmmanuelJaIwasachildsoldierinSudanduringthecivil war.Ithoughtthatsincehewasachildsoldier,hewouldbeabletosinghis feelingsabouthowhemanagedtosurviveinharshenvironments.Hesaid thathewasleftwiththechoicetostarvetodeathortoeatacorpsenextto him.Hejoinedthearmywhenhewas8yearsoldandthenrescuedbyan EnglishwomannamedEmmaMccune.Hewasoneofthe150child soldiersthatshemanagedtorescue.Hecreatedthissongtotellpeoplehow hisdailyroutinewasinSudanwhentherewasacivilwarbetweenSouth SudanandNorthSudan.Manypeopleareinspiredbyhisworkandihope morepeopledo,sothattheycanpreventthisfromcontinueing

SongLyrics
i believe ive survived for a reason to tell my story to touch lives i believe ive survived for a reason to tell my story to touch lives all the people struggling down there storms only come for awhile then after a while they'll be gone blessed, blessed my father was working for the government as a police man few years later I heard he joined he join a rebel movement that was formed to fight for freedom i didnt understand the politics behind all this cause i was only a child after awhile i saw the tension rising high between the christian and the muslim reigm we lost our possession my mother, my mother's mothers suffered depression

and because of this...i was forced to be a war child im a war child (I'm gonna get glory glory glory glory) im a war child i believe ive survived for a reason to tell my story to touch lives (touch lives, touch lives touch lives, touch lives)
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com

i lost my father (mother sister) in this battle my brothers to perished in this struggle all my life ive been hiding in the jungle the pain im cutting is too much to handle whose there please to light up my candle whose there anyone to hear my cry here I am, pale and dry no one to lead us, i wonder why? no I go to hulio and I die, I pull a move to manuana care I watch sharers everywhere, In now I pray thats when I gain, when I pray to you do you maintain? when I pray to you do you maintain? when I pray to you do you maintain? (warchild I'm a warchild I'm gonna get glory glory etc etc)

Biography

Gregoryisa13yearoldboywholivesinNewYorkwithhisfamily. Gregorywasbornin1999inVienna,Austria.Helivedtherefor2years andthenmovedtoNewYorkfor7years,untilhemovedtoSriLanka.He livedinSriLankafor4years,andtherehedevelopednewskillsforhisnew favouriteSport,Cricket.Duringtheweekendhewouldstayawakealong

withhisfriendsallnightlongjusttoseethefinalpitchofthegame, watchingintentlyonwhatmusclestheplayerwoulduseandhowhemade theballcurve. HelatermovedtoNewYork,sadtoleavehisfriends,buthappyhe wouldmakenewones.nooneplayscricketinNewYorksonowhis favouritethingtodointheworldistoplaysocceralldaylongwithhis friendsorbyhimself.Eachnightreturninghomeaftersoccerpractice, eitherfortheschoolsoccerteamoraclub,hewouldbegreetedbyhisdog and3catsat7:pm,buthedidntmindreturninghomelatebecausehehasa passionforthesport.InthefutureGregorywantstobecomeeithera mechanicalengineerorpursuehisdreamsinsoccer.