Those children are "us", the children who are supposed to enjoy life and the children who deserve a high-quality education - not the 13 million children who die each year from preventable diseases, or the other 13 million children living on the streets and the orphanage due to wars.
During the 20th century, people who are generally being killed and injured by wars were soldiers. Today, approximately 90% are civilians - almost half of them are children. Children have always been the great victims of wars. Children like Ali Hillal, who was slowly dying from cancer due to bombing and wars. To some, he was fortunate enough to live less than two months. What about little Youssef Abdul Raouf Mohamed who suffered internal bleeding from a bombing near Iraqi's military bases and died after two weeks of bleeding? And what about the 34 children who died instantly after an Iranian missile crashed into a primary school, right after the school bell rang on October 13, 1987? These children are what you would see in this room - but have hopes for brighter future, their families, and most importantly, their lives. They are among the victims of wars and the ones who died too early.
Presently, over 10 million children are suffering from psychological damage due to war and violence. Many have been sexually exploited and abused. Although these children will live for many years, in many cases, these damages can never be overcome. A thirteen year old survivor living outside the town of Beograd recalled, “War is nothing like I thought it would be. It is to be so afraid that you cannot sleep even when there are no bombs. It is to see everything destroyed. I cannot speak of those who are dead…my heart is still in bandages.”
There are approximately 30 wars in the world today. Children are frequently the main victims. Some children are often forced to participate in violence and exploitation. When they lose their families, they often join armed forces for food and safety. More than 300,000 children around the world are being used as soldiers in wars. One of those children is a Peruvian girl who was recruited at the age of 11. She described how “they beat all the people, young and old, and killed them all like dogs.” In many cases, these children are being violated and are suffering all the consequences. According to Herbert Hoover, older men declare war but it is the youth that must fight and die. To some degree, children like us who seek for security and peace from the adults are the ones who are being forced to fight and make the adults feel secured.
So, we ask ourselves - how can we prevent wars and avert violence? Wars happen over and over for the same reasons. People fight over identity, cultures and religions. It would be fair to say that wars revolve around respect. People want to be respected for who they are and feel some sense of belonging. Children tend to fight for the attention and guidance from their parents, teenagers join gangs to feel secured and often kill each other due to lack of respect. By understanding the needs of others and the purpose of our lives, we will be able to put aside our differences and feel some sort of peace.
I strongly believe that the key to peace is respect for others and for ourselves. If children and adults try to compromise instead of fighting and name-calling, we will be able to achieve that sense of peace and eliminate misunderstanding and violence. At home, we all feel safe because our families do not question our differences. Instead, they give recognition and understand our needs. If all of us try to make a safer world instead of eliminating all our differences, we will be able to have a mutual understanding and eventually prevent wars.
Some children are still suffering, in need of safety and security, in need of families and friends, in need of help and guidance. Like us, these children are the future of the world - A future that can be free from war.
