1 / 10

Ishmael Beah’s Story

Ishmael Beah’s Story. Sierra Leone. size: 27,699 sq miles languages: English, Krio (Creole language), and a range of African languages religions: Islam, indigenous beliefs, Christianity life expectancy: 39 yrs (M), 42 yrs (F) exports: diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish.

kball
Download Presentation

Ishmael Beah’s Story

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Ishmael Beah’s Story

  2. Sierra Leone • size: 27,699 sq miles • languages: English, Krio (Creole language), • and a range of African languages • religions: Islam, indigenous beliefs, Christianity • life expectancy: 39 yrs (M), 42 yrs (F) • exports: diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish

  3. Political Background Sierra Leone, West Africa • 1787 British Colony • Freetown, capital refuge for freed slaves • 1961 independence • 1968 Conflict • corruption & unrest • fraudulent elections • 1996 Election • President A.T. Kabbah • Revolutionary United Front (RUF) did not acknowledge • 1997 Military Coup • to restore Kabbah • 1998 United Nations Security Council • UN involvement • peace keeping role • 2001 17,500 UN Military Personnel

  4. Factors Leading to Civil Warin Sierra Leone • Democratic Republic of Congo(formerly Zaire) • civil war to oust dictator • bloodbath over resources • timber • copper • gold • diamonds • RUF (Revolutionary United Front) • liberation army • former corporal, Foday Sankoh • Sierra Leone diamond mines • to capital, Freetown • Civil War

  5. Child Soldier at War • Age 12 • rebels to Beah’s small town • separated from parents • fled with a group of boys • wandered village to village • barely surviving • reached Atlantic Ocean • recruited into Sierra Leone Army • Age 13 • received his first AK-47 • trained to kill • “We walked around the village and killed everyone who came out of the houses and huts.” • —Beah

  6. A New Life • Age 15 • rescued by UNICEF fieldworkers • rehabilitation center in Freetown • psychological counseling • health care • recovery from addiction & trauma • US immigrant • UN International School N.Y. • UN address: plight of child soldiers • 2004 • graduated from Oberlin College, OH

  7. Beah Today • advocate for former child soldiers • author: A Long Way Gone • New York City resident • 26 years old

  8. “After having survived that war, I know what it feels like to suffer, to lose family, to lose my humanity and regain it… [R]emembering, however difficult, is a small price to pay to expose the continuous and rampant use of children in war.” —Phillyist.com interview, 8 Mar 2007) Beah at Oberlin College, OH

  9. The End

  10. Refugee All-Stars Play Video ClipVisit WebsiteFilm Synopsis

More Related