Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is diamond-rich but one of the poorest countries in the world. It was like that country never existed until a decade-long civil war brought it to world attention. Thousands of Sierra Leoneans were victims of the horrific war.
Adults and children suffered mutilations, amputations, and thousands of children were abducted by warring factions and forced to become child soldiers, porters, and child slaves. The country and its victims are still struggling to come to terms with their recent past.
The United Nations Secretary-General's special envoy for Children and Armed Conflict, Mr. Olara Otunnu, who visited Sierra Leone, said that "Without the prospect of jobs and education, Sierra Leonean children could be a source of instability in a country which is yet to recover from a decade of war."
During his week-long visit to Sierra Leone last year, Mr. Otunnu launched "The Voice of the Children," a radio station run by the youths in the capital, Freetown. Otunnu was delighted to see the effort of people trying to rebuild the schools, which are in deplorable conditions.
He said, "Children should be at school rather than mining diamonds. He was shocked to see many children forced as slaves in the diamond mines at Kono district, yet wallowing in poverty and not attending school. Because they don't have adequate facilities."
"He was delighted when the children told him that they preferred to be in school to working at the mines. To rehabilitate the country's war-ravaged health and educational sectors, the World Bank approved 40 million dollars in grants to Sierra Leone. Part of the money will be used to restore what the bank called "The most essential functions of the health delivery system."
On February 25, 2003, President Tedjan Kabbah formally inaugurated a National Commission for the War Affected, calling it "One of the most far-reaching decisions we have made for the future of this nation." A war crime tribunal has been set up to investigate those who committed serious offenses and violated international humanitarian laws.
In the heat of the war and after it subsided, many great musicians, such as Lucky Dube and Joseph Hill of Culture (Jamaica), were in the country to play "Peace Concerts" in their efforts to unite the people for lasting peace.
The American-born film actor and producer, Michael Douglas, was also in Sierra Leone on a five-day tour to view the remains of the weapons surrendered to the United Nations and talk to some of the victims. Mr. Michael Douglas was named United Nations "Messenger of Peace" in 1998.
Many African children are fatherless and motherless
Children are assets to national development in every part of the world. They are considered as future leaders; in this way, they need every care, help, and education in their growth and development.
However, it is very sad to see children, especially in Third World Countries, roaming on the streets, as if they were artificially dropped from nowhere to increase the population of their country of origin.
Children these days are traditionally the subject of ridicule, humiliation, and mental torture. Due to poverty, some parents are so cruel to their children to the extent that about sixty-five percent of children in poverty-stricken countries are forced into prostitution, crime, and child labor, thus violating the rights of children.
In some parts of Asia, children often work in migrant labor camps for miserable wages. Some are forced by their parents to work as slaves to pay their debts.
Young depressed children who escape the harsh treatment in the labor camps are often sent back by their parents with threats. The question is, why are some parents so cruel to their own children?
In an advanced country like the United States of America, each year, it is estimated that one million children are abused. The suicide rate for 15-24-year-olds has increased over the past twenty years.
In Brazil, children often playing or sleeping on the streets are "sprayed" to death by bullets from machine guns by what the gang child assassins call "Street Cleansing."
The question is if parents are not ready to take over the responsibility of the affair of their children, why did they bring them into the world to face such dangerous and unhealthy situations?
The lower the level of children's care, the more likely children are to be killed, abandoned, beaten, terrorized, and sexually abused.
It is rather unfortunate that thousands of children who should be in school are on the streets because of poverty. Let us not neglect the children. We need a change in our society, in our minds, feelings, and in our patterns of work, law, education, and politics.
We urgently need to see clearly, articulate precisely, and above all, act bodily on issues pertaining to children.
Some of the survivors after the tsunami
Within a relatively short period between January 1st and December 31, 2004, thousands of people worldwide experienced many ups and downs, ranging from social problems to natural disasters.
As a matter of fact, the year 2004 was not all that amusing or a happy year for many people.
The ongoing war in Iraq, ethnic conflicts, and rebel activities in Africa have claimed thousands of lives, including children, and the lucky ones who miraculously survived the carnage suddenly become orphans because their parents have been killed.
Just as the year is coming to an end, a natural disaster, "Tsunamis" which has never been recorded in history, hit Asia, claiming over 120,000 lives, injuring scores on its deadly path, and rendering thousands of people homeless.
Life is said to be a delicate balance between planned activities and unexpected circumstances. That doesn't mean that one has to give up in times of crisis.
Since the year 2004 is gone forever, all our troubles should be buried with it, since the constant thinking of past problems could sometimes act as a stumbling block to our progress.
As the new year arrives, what are our hopes and expectations? Through God, faith, and positive thinking, our hopes and dreams could be a reality.
As individuals, we must put behind religious conflicts and live in peace to work together to make the year 2005 a prosperous and happy year for all.
