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A telecollaborative Project Between iEARN-Canada & iEARN-Sierra Leone

Feedback about Childsoldiers.org

Below is some of the feedback that we've recieved about the ChildSoldiers project. If you'd like to send your own feedback click here

Dear Bill and Andrew,

I'm a 16 year-old boy from the UK and Ifound out about your site from the BBC here. I think that what you have done is inspirational, and I think that this website goes a long way to highlight what awful people there are in this world. I hope that all the children affected by war in this way are given the care and respect they deserve.

Good luck

Tom Perry, United Kingdom

Dear Bill and Andrew,

Andrew how is life in Africa were do you live? And whom do you live with? Are you around many child Soldiers and why did you chose to do a child soldiers web site. I think it is a very good idea. How did you meet Bill and then did you both know about the child soldiers?

How long have you been living in Africa Andrew?

Please write back.

Claire, in Australia

» RESPONSE FROM BILL

Dear Claire,

Andrew and I became friends through our work in the wodnerful global learning family that is iEARN. Andrew and his students had participated in another project of mine that helps people around the world with bullying and teasing at bullying.org. Andrew and I later met at an iEARN conference in Beijing, China. I realized that Andrew and his students had very important stories and messages which the world had to hear. I proposed to Andrew that we work together to create a new project that has now become childsoldiers.org. I am so proud of Andrew and his students for their contributions to this project.

It takes great courage to face the effects of war every day, and even greater courage to let the world know about the reality of life for youth in their war-ravaged country. It is even more impressive when you realize that Andrew and his students have no computers in their school and that they must travel by bus in Freetown to a public Internet cafe in order access the Internet. The transportation, Internet access etc. must be paid for out of their own pockets. We hope that others will help us at iEARN-Canada in supporting them. If you would like to learn more about the history of this project, you can click here

Thank you so much for your feedback and for caring.

Sincerely,

Bill Belsey, Volunteer Coordinator, iEARN-Canada and Co-Creator and Co-Facilitator, childsolder.org

Dear Bill,

My name is Ivan Melvin Rogers. I am a former resident of Sierra Leone and I have just completed my story entitled "MY LIFE AS A CHILD SOLDIER IN SIERRA LEONE" which I want to publish.

Presently I'm in Banjul, Gambia looking for help to under go a surgical operation to remove a bullet from my chest that sustained during the January 6 incursion in Freetown.

I need the help of your organisation to recieve a medical treatment and to publish my book.

My regards.

Ivan Melvil Rogers

Dear Bill and Andrew,

It was a thrill to see the "Child of Light" video on your wonderful website. Words cannot express how much it meant at this time. You both reaffirm my faith-and last Friday a wonderful engineer at Wallabee Inc. remixed the statement and it was aired for a World-Wide candlelight vigil on radio station wdas here in Philadelphia-also WHAT Radio. I am sharing the concept called "We hold The Light"! - A Global youth-initiative for peace and freedom. Also wanted to be sure to share with friends in Nigeria who will be departing on a Peace Caravan-and someday I want to forward the "Feast of Peace" video done here in Philadelphia with Liberian youth- (Legends of Peace published a little write up of Feast of Peace. It would be a wonderful school project for a Global Feast of Peace.

The idea for The Feast of Peace came from old Zulu legend-when the people grew so tired of war and decided to have a "Feast of Peace"- not really knowing how or what to do-they decided that they would get ready-and so they prepared for The Feast of Peace by making peace bowls, doing and planning a peace dance, erecting a peace stone and getting busy. By the time of the day arrived-they were no longer enemies. In preparing for the Feast of Peace-it was in reality declared. The wisdom of this Zulu legend is profound -- it means that we declare peace in our readiness and preparation for it. War is never declared by that first shot-or killing. It is the continuous preparation and movement of weaponry-etc. that makes war. Peace is declared in our readiness and preparation for it. Becuase of your web site- we are ready and we are doing it. In the light of this new day- it makes a powerful and bright light of hope-especially at this time

I believe that we declare peace in our readiness and preparation for it-That Peace does not arrive suddenly but is an ongoing collaborative and process-somehow God connects the dots-and we need only to believe in each other-in God and in peace. In West Africa- these days- I am finding my greatest hope and inspiration. Here in a place that has seen horrific suffering and isolation-here the people are coming together in new ways-laying down arms-lifting up hope and showing to the world that peace is very much possible.

All around me I hear and see the words of war-but somewhere in a faraway place- a few good people are playing my daughter's song and carrying the hopes and dreams of the children in Philadelphia-From our City to yours-my house to yours-we are one heartbeat of humanity. For Andrew and Bill, -know that your work is meaningful and that it has put me back on the path of peace with a full and grateful heart. May God Bless your wonderful students and may all of us learn from their spirit of optimism and hope.

Barbara Bodine, Philadelphia, U.S.A.

» RESPONSE FROM ANDREW

Hi Barbara and Daughter Blair,

I am really encouraged by your daughter's commitment to bringing the sordid plight of child soldiers and war affected children, to the full glare of the world through music and artistry. But let me first of all introduce myself.

My name is Andrew Benson Greene Jr, and coordinate the Child Soldier Project in Sierra Leone along with my partner Bill Belsey of iEARN-Canada. I also coordinate iEARN in Sierra Leone. Since the spate of war and hostilities in Sierra Leone, I have worked voluntarily with war-affected children. Being bespattered in the mud of war myself, I saw the genuine need to dedicate myself to this course in restoring hope to the hopeless children enabling them to express their thoughts and feelings to their distant.

Rashid Peters, the war affected child and I have just landed from the Lungi international Airport from our long trip in Cape town, where the African Connects iEARN Conference was held this year.

I must say that these war-affected children and ex-child combatants will be willing to expose their talents in music too. Rashid Peters and his colleagues in Freetown have great talents too to partner with your daughter's musical flare and together create a powerful piece of music that will rock the world and bring their attention to the plight of child soldiers.

For a start, my partner Bill Belsey and I greatly appreciate your daughter's music and video, to be an added gift to the children of the world, who need peace and justice right now!

In appreciation for your support!

Andrew Benson Greene Jr. Coordinator, iEARN-Sierra Leone

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