I am a child.

"I am from Sierra Leone, and the problem that is affecting us children is the war that forces us to run away from our homes, lose our families, and aimlessly roam the forests. As a result, we get involved in the conflict as soldiers, carriers of loads, and in many other difficult tasks. All this is because of starvation, the loss of our families, and the need to feel safe and be a part of something when all else has broken down. I joined the army really because of the loss of my family and starvation. I wanted to avenge the deaths of my family. I also had to get some food to survive, and the only way to do that was to be part of the army. It was not easy being a soldier, but we just had to do it. I have been rehabilitated now, so don't be afraid of me. I am not a soldier anymore; I am a child. We are all brothers and sisters. What I have learned from my experiences is that revenge is not good. I joined the army to avenge the deaths of my family and to survive, but I've come to learn that if I am going to take revenge, in that process I will kill another person whose family will want revenge; then revenge and revenge and revenge will never come to an end."

Once war touched Ishmael Beah's life for the first time, he seemed to meet endless challenges. After being rescued by UNICEF from his life as a child soldier, Ishmael had to undergo a rehabilitation process that was also very challenging for him. When Ishmael’s mind and body had recovered from the cocaine and heroin withdrawal, and when he was mentally sound enough to be considered rehabilitated, he was chosen to represent Sierra Leone at the UN conference in New York City. The speech quoted above is the one Ishmael gave, on behalf of the children of his country, to the Economic and Social Council while attending the conference.

This point in the book is very relieving for the reader, because it shows that Ishmael recognizes what caused him to become a child soldier, and that he knows the unfortunate situations he was put in, were not his fault. I think the line, “I am not a soldier anymore; I am a child”, is a particularly moving one because Ishmael is admitting that he thinks that while in the army, he was not a child but a soldier. Ishmael does not see any connection between the two, but rather sees them as separate; you are a child or you are a soldier, but not both at the same time. It is almost as if Ishmael was a child before the war, was forced to grow up when he lost his family and became a soldier, and that upon rehabilitation he has remarkably gained back some sense of childhood. I consider Ishmael to be a very lucky and strong boy. He is lucky because UNICEF, perseverance, and hope, gave him a second chance at being a child. There are many other boy soldiers who never got that chance, and who will never be able to get their childhood back.

Ishmael learned many things from his experiences, including a major lesson about revenge. One way that we can learn without having to experience things ourselves is through trusting the experiences of others and the lessons they have learned. We should listen to the words of Ishmael's speech, because he truly understands the domino effect that it has on people and the devastation that revenge can cause. Though taking revenge can be tempting, it does nothing but lead to more revenge, and next to nothing good stems from it. I think that particular lesson is something valuable for everyone to learn and remember.