A Long Way Gone

1. Virtual Field Trip By Carmen Natrin Course: 87T02 Designing and Creating a Virtual Field Trip carmen78nicole@yahoo.com A Long Way Gone

2. A journey to Sierra Leone • We are in Western Africa in a country calledSierra Leone • After a decade of Civil War, in 2002, where tens and thousands of people died, the country is trying to heal. • Let’s find out more how it all started: Sierra Leone ("The forgotten war:," 2007)

3. Blood Diamonds • Have you ever wondered where diamonds come from? Have you ever heard the term “Blood Diamond?” Let’s go in some diamond mines in Sierra Leone. • Blood Diamonds are diamond mined in a war zone; • This phenomenon existed particularly in Africa. • Read some facts about Sierra Leone civil ("Blood diamonds -," 2008) war and the connection with blood diamonds

4. Let’s meet the child soldiers Here is a former child soldier talking about his experience: Ishmael Beah • Ex-child-soldier: 'Shooting became just like drinking a glass of water‘(Barnett, 2012) • In 2000, the news that rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of Sierra Leone was forcing children, including demobilized child soldiers, to join its ranks and engage in combat , was rapidly spread all around the world.

5. Revolutionary United Front (RUF) • Let’s introspect even more on Sierra Leone and how the child soldiers were recruited. An important role in this process was played by RUF. • RUF("Revolutionary united front," )were an organized force that tried to control the lucrative diamond-producing regions of the country • Between 1991 to 2000, they used: • guerrilla, criminal, and terror tactics, such as murder, torture, and mutilation, to fight the government, intimidate civilians

6. Sierra Leone today… • Sierra Leone's Diamonds Still A Source Of Contention("Sierra leone's diamonds," ) The civil war has been over for more than a decade. The diamonds are not a source of conflict anymore, yet still a sensitive subject. Poverty is still marking the place: no electricity, no roads. Workers in mines are paid approximately 25 cents per day.

7. Ishmael Beah… a former child soldier Let’s meet a special guest: • Ishmael Beah • ("A long way," ) • was born in Sierra Leone in 1980 and in 33 years of life he had more experiences than many of us • Ishmael Beah is a vivid witness of all the atrocities. A former child soldier in Sierra Leone, Ishmael Beah("Ishmael beah --," 2007) tells the story himself… • At the end of this experience, he says… war isn’t child play • Ishmael Beah on CNN • ("A long way," )

8. Ishmael Beah sharing to the world… • As a result of his experiences, IshamelBeah decides to share it to the world in interviews and in the book “A Long Way Gone • Here he is sharing how it all started • Click on the dark rectangles • ("A long way," )

9. Discovering Hip Hop • Ishmael recounts how he discovered hip hop. • ("A long way," ) • Music proves to have an important role in his life, a shelter, a way of survival. • Some of his favorite songs were: • Three Little Birds by Bob Marley • ("Bob marley three," 2009) • I need love by L.L. Cool J. ("Ll cool j-," ) • O.P.P by Naughty by Nature • ("Opp - naughty," )

10. An Ambassador for UNICEF • What is Ishmael Beah doing nowadays? • Let’s ask him. Watch him talk on the UNICEF television ("Unicef: Ambassador ishmael," 2007) • Ishmael supports the idea that children should be kept away from the war. Involving children in wars kidnaps their childhood and destroys them psychologically forever. ("Advocate for children," )

11. More questions for Ishmael Beah? • Take a piece of paper and write him a letter. He is only a couple of hours away, in NYC. Ask him any additional questions that were not answered during your lengthy journey in Sierra Leone.

12. References • Advocate for children affected by war. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/people/people_47890.html • A long way gone [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.alongwaygone.com/cnnvideo.html • A long way gone. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.alongwaygone.com/ishmael_beah.html • A long way gone [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.alongwaygone.com/media.html • Barnett, E. (2012). Ex-child-soldier: 'shooting became just like drinking a glass of water' [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/08/world/africa/ishmael-beah-child-soldier • Blood diamonds - sierra leone[Web]. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdtt1WWuMBM • Blood diamond. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_diamond • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaGUr6wzyT8 • Ishmael beah -- child soldier [Web]. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K4yhPSQEzo • Ll cool j- i need love with lyrics! [Web]. Retrieved from LL Cool J- I Need Love With Lyrics! • Opp - naughty by nature [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmuFlaFYdgE • Pen-pal c. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://marzipanmelloo.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/pen-pal-c/ • Revolutionary united front (ruf). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/ruf.htm • Sierra leone's diamonds still a source of contention. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2012/11/23/165271466/sierra-leone-holds-a-vote-not-a-war-on-diamonds • The forgotten war: The sierra leone civil war - youtube [Theater]. (2007). Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiqHKFMPhHw • Unicef: Ambassador ishmaelbeah on child soldiering [Web]. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmpOA9RKfVU