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Former Ugandan child soldier speaks out at JHU
Issue date: 4/23/09
Akallo described how she had been buried alive once and had attempted to take her own life multiple times before being stopped.
Akallo finally escaped after seven months.
"I still ask myself why I survived because some of my friends were killed."
Akallo stressed that she travels and speaks not simply to share her own story, but also to enlighten people about the changes in conflict and its negative effects upon children.
"When I begin to think about how many children are affected by armed conflict today, I think about what kind of future we will have and what kind of life we will have in the future," she said. "Now we are fighting 'terrorism,' but at the same time we are breeding terrorism. We are breeding people who don't know love but only survival."
Akallo also emphasized that responsibility and prosecution should be limited to leaders of the Lord's Resistance Army and those who voluntarily join the guerrilla armies.
Several members of the audience asked questions regarding the innocence of children who were abducted to serve as soldiers and who grow up to become abductors as well as perpetrate violence against others.
Akallo insisted on the need to separate those who were abducted and those who joined voluntarily.
"But when we talk about children who were captured and grew up in captivity, what kind of justice could we bring against them?" Akallo asked. "Injustice was done against them already. They will not think about what they did, they will see only the punishment."
"You should consider what these people have gone through; the beatings, the fighting, the threats: when you train a child, it's like training a dog, to hold a gun," she said. "It becomes a game to them."
In answering the audience's questions contesting whether combatants are victims or perpetrators, Akallo argued that instead of considering this question, people should focus on the fact that these children were not protected from this conflict in the first place.
Akallo finally escaped after seven months.
"I still ask myself why I survived because some of my friends were killed."
Akallo stressed that she travels and speaks not simply to share her own story, but also to enlighten people about the changes in conflict and its negative effects upon children.
"When I begin to think about how many children are affected by armed conflict today, I think about what kind of future we will have and what kind of life we will have in the future," she said. "Now we are fighting 'terrorism,' but at the same time we are breeding terrorism. We are breeding people who don't know love but only survival."
Akallo also emphasized that responsibility and prosecution should be limited to leaders of the Lord's Resistance Army and those who voluntarily join the guerrilla armies.
Several members of the audience asked questions regarding the innocence of children who were abducted to serve as soldiers and who grow up to become abductors as well as perpetrate violence against others.
Akallo insisted on the need to separate those who were abducted and those who joined voluntarily.
"But when we talk about children who were captured and grew up in captivity, what kind of justice could we bring against them?" Akallo asked. "Injustice was done against them already. They will not think about what they did, they will see only the punishment."
"You should consider what these people have gone through; the beatings, the fighting, the threats: when you train a child, it's like training a dog, to hold a gun," she said. "It becomes a game to them."
In answering the audience's questions contesting whether combatants are victims or perpetrators, Akallo argued that instead of considering this question, people should focus on the fact that these children were not protected from this conflict in the first place.
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Custom papers
posted 11/09/09 @ 10:56 AM EST
I must say, great news!
davidmush
Dissertation for sale
posted 11/14/09 @ 5:06 PM EST
Great news. Thanks!
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