Loving child soldiers back into society

Last month I spent three weeks in the company of a handful former child soldiers in Liberia who call themselves "Future Guardians of Peace."

When the Liberian civil war ended in 2003, these kids were gaunt, hardened, physically and mentally wounded children. Now in their late teens and early twenties, they are radiant, generous, responsible young people. They have resumed their schooling, extricated themselves from the drug-and-alcohol culture of their war buddies, and are working hard to earn the respect of a suspicious community.

Those who have observed and helped in the transformation say that at least four factors have been important.

1. The opportunity to tell their war stories--what they did, what was done to them-- to trusted listeners. The stories emerge over time because they are too horrid to remember all at once. But telling them is the first step in healing.

2. The liberal application of love and advice from mentors. Father and mother figures, aunty and uncle figures abound in African society, even though these youths' families have been blasted apart by war.

3. Security in life's essentials. Everyone in Liberia is starting from less than scratch. Food, shelter, and school fees cost more than local elders can provide, so there's an important role for loving outsiders. These youths found their way to the compound of a small US-Liberian NGO called everyday gandhis everydaygandhis.com and began doing chores and construction work in exchange for food. After a few months, the organization gave them a permanent home and is now guaranteeing their education through university. This has relieved the hard-scrabble stress of life, and the youths are effusively grateful.

4. Finally, there is the all-important opportunity to be of service to the community. This is where the Future Guardians of Peace role comes in.

The young people are devoting considerable energy to community involvement, acting as big brothers and sisters to their younger classmates in school, reconnecting to scattered family members, sharing their tiny allowances with former war buddies and listening to their stories. They relish the title of "guardian" and rise to the role instinctively.

During a stroll through the market, one Future Guardian of Peace intervened in a dispute between a young boy and his little sister, calming them with a hand on each child's shoulder and a few quiet questions. Another day the same young man took time to listen to the tale of a weeping market vendor who had just been swindled out of a large sum of money.

Another Guardian paused to listen to two women screaming at each other and then passed on with a grin. "Man problems," he said. Not much he could do about that!

While I was in Liberia, the youths were being trained in photography. They immediately begin taking stunning photos and using the cameras to build relationships in the community. I interviewed these Future Guardians of Peace about their photos. For some stories and photos, go to guardiansofthefuture.org/Liberiaguardians.