Books of hope.

In July 2003, twenty thousand school children marched through the city of Kitgum in northern Uganda. The signs they carried, directed at anyone who happened to be paying attention, contained the following words: "We don't want to become killers," "We do not want to die," "We children cry day and night for peace." As the children moved through the streets, their small voices joined together in the following chant: "Give us a chance to grow, learn and develop our potentials. Give us opportunities to live as ordinary children in other parts of the world."

What sort of mischief would cause Ugandan children to voice such requests? Few people know the answer. Some would guess a war, and they would be right--but only partially. It was a war indeed, but one like none the world had ever seen.

And it continues, with no near end in sight, mysteriously hidden on the back pages of newspapers. Experts have called it the "most under-reported" and "most serious" humanitarian tragedy in the world today because it is fought by children. As slaves of the army for which they serve, they do not want to fight. We don't want to become killers. They want instead to enjoy life, and to go to school. Give us a chance to grow, learn and develop our potentials. Give us opportunities to live as ordinary children in other parts of the world.

The first step in ending this war is simply to pay attention. When I first learned of it, I was struck by the fact that so many of the children wanted only to go to school. The national language of Uganda is English, and learning to read and write is an educational imperative. Hoping to teach American youth about this war, I invited students across the country to write and illustrate hand-made books that could be sent to shelters in northern Uganda where the children sleep. The books could provide a way for the children to temporarily take their minds off the violence, and also to help them continue to learn to read.

The project began in September, 2005, and spread quickly. Nine months later, it has grown to involve some 35,000 students around the country--from kindergartners to undergraduates, from honors classes to juvenile detention facilities. In the educational field, we may not be able to shape the minds of world leaders today, but we can influence leaders of the next generation. Hopefully the young individuals making these books will choose a world that is free of such injustice.

Given that the shelters in Uganda are receiving all the books they can handle, the focus of the project will change for the '06-'07 school year, but the theme of having students make books for children facing significant hardships will stay the same. Please check www.thememoryproject.org if your students are interested in joining the effort.

WEB LINK

www.thememoryproject.org

Ben Schumaker is the creator of The Memory Project.