The Luxury of Peace

A demonstration by Sri Lankans in Los Angeles against the recruitment of children into the Tamil armed opposition group.

I spent the evening sitting on the roof of my house, looking up at the stars and allowing the wind to brush against my face. I felt at peace. The silence, the calm—I let it wash over me and enter my heart. I began thinking about all the things that had happened in my life that allowed me to be in that very spot, at that very moment. Life hadn’t always been so peaceful.

I was born in Sri Lanka, a beautiful tear drop shaped island in the Indian Ocean. Most people know of Sri Lanka by the terrible Tsunami that hit its coasts in 2004, but another disaster has been ravaging the tiny island for more than 20 years, and continues to do so today. The people of Sri Lanka have been caught in the crossfire of an ethnic battle that has threatened their safety, their way of life and their right to live in peace.

The Sinhalese army and the Tamil armed opposition groups have been at war since 1983. A series of bombs, kidnappings and raids throughout the years of civil strife has plagued the lives of the Sri Lankan people. Children are often recruited into the warring parties, ripped from school and their families. As each day passes, the chance for a ceasefire and a peaceful nation seems to slip further and further away.

As I sat on my peaceful Canadian rooftop, so far away from the sounds of gunfire and grenades, I realized the importance of my escape. I may no longer have to live in fear, but for many children and their families around the world, peace is a rarity—a treasure.

Reminders of war are all over the Sri Lankan landscape.

Sadly, war and the devastation left in its wake can still be seen all over the world. In Sierra Leone, the 11-year civil war that began over control of the country’s diamond mines devastated communities and killed more than 100,000 people. In Colombia, a 40-year-old civil war has forced more than 3 million people to flee their homes and uproot their lives. The conflict in Iraq has also pushed more than 350,000 people to evacuate their homes while they watch their hospitals, schools and lives crumble as they leave.

The statistics about war are definitely intimidating, but, at Free The Children, we’ve learned that small actions can work to change the world. From the beginning, Free The Children has been committed to peacebuilding. Through our focus on building strong, peaceful communities and our Adopt a Village: Brick by Brick campaign, which provides schools in underdeveloped or war affected countries like Sri Lanka and Sierra Leone, we at Free The Children is helping to provide children with an education and with the power to choose peaceful solutions when confronted by violence.

By spreading awareness about armed conflicts and child soldiers, and by implementing small peaceful actions in our daily lives—actions that may be as simple as smiling at a passer-by—we can start a ripple effect of peace that will change the world.  

Audrey C. Mogan
Free The Children International Youth Coordinator

Find out more about the Adopt a Village: Brick by Brick campaign
Read Mary Smart’s story of hope in Sierra Leone
For more information on the conflict in Sierra Leone and conflicts throughout Africa check out the following link

Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.