Child Soldiers: Expanding the Dialogue

WINNIPEG: The opening of the conference yesterday was absolutely amazing. I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Senator Dallaire, as well the Rev. Dr. James Christie of the University of Winnipeg. Before the conference closing, General Dallaire and I will have the opportunity to sit down and discuss the collaboration that is possible with NA. The energy in the room last night was amazing. My one regret is that the dialogue with actual child soldiers will not be as expansive this week as we had hoped, due to VISA problems. I am fully confident, however, that the workshops and plenaries that arise from the sessions will produce instruments to prevent the use of children as soldiers. As Romeo Dallaire eloquently said, we must work to eradicate the concept that adults could actually use children as weapon systems in war.

Child Soldier's Conference

WINNIPEG: 1 and a half hours until Senator Dallaire kicks off the conference with his address. I have had the honour of speaking with him on two seperate occasions and organizing a forum for him with the peacekeeping students at McGill University, but I am still overwhelmed with emotion whenever we meet.
I will endeavour to pass on regards from all the Never Again team!

What the F*@K is taking so long?

MIAMI: ''Something ugly is brewing in Darfur'' Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown warned last week, refering to the already deteriorating three year genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. Tomorrow, the Security Council will have an emergancy meeting to discuss on what to do for Darfur despite a letter of protest from Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir stating that there is a plan to restore order and protect civilians, which 2 million Darfurians were displaced since 2003. The one thing that gets under my skin is that if al-Bashir wants to restore order, why the f**k did you have to wait for three years? Oh that's right YOU'RE the one whom is overseeing the mass extermination taking place! It's truly amazing what the ablilty of hate can do to ones mind set. Like Hitler when he preached about getting rid of the Jews, and Rwanda's extermist radio calling the Tutsis ''cockroaches'' hate is always involed in a genocide. With international pressure building up, and the mandate for the AU running out of time, the UN have better roll up it's sleeve, think hard, and DO something before this goes into the UN's already tainted legacy of not being able to stop a genocide that could have been stopped.

Undun

To see such evil
Such horror
Such indifference
Such blood
Having innocence taken away to no avail
To have action glued to the grass
Dark ruby rivers overflowing with no signs of stopping
To have the soul in tattered rags
In such misery
Never endding despair
Drowning in an ocean of eyes
Anger
Innocence
No laughter
Losing control
In a cocoon tainted by the sorrow
Scalding waters burn the soul
Eroading to destruction
If you can only see that despair
I'll do my fair share of mendding your heart
Let me feel your meloncholy so you can rest.

my life in a haiku

summer jigsawing
never again fun for all
building peace on skype

xx

Defining Moment

In a small dark room
Stumbling crashing
Sorrow full in heart's content
Gasping Reaching
Not knowing what to do
Hopeless dying

Opening Pandora's box
All the secrets and scandel escaping
Like salt water waves splashing on my face
A story emerging of betrayel, inhumanity, indifference,
and evil.
A lone soul to struggle with Lucifer's doing's.
Endding with a shatter
I soked in the words
Dark, heart reanching, seductive,
a tainted history but with remarkable courage
So sick and twisted of nothing but horror.
For me truth and beauty come from within the evil.
It's arms strong and comforting wraping around my aching soul.
Faith giving me a fighting chance
Hanging on to my treasure
Simple dazzling beautiful
Worth more than all the diamonds and gold in the world.
A sort candle glow will light the way.

Note: This is based on how the book ''Shake Hands with the devil'' made a huge impact on my life.