Face to face with former child soldiers—and hope: Messenger of Peace Michael Douglas visits Sierra Leone - First Person - related article: A day with Abu Bakr

UN Chronicle, June-August, 2003 by Yvonne Acosta

When actor Michael Douglas agreed to go to Sierra Leone to film a documentary for the United Nations, he could not have envisioned the impact the visit to the war-torn West African country would have on him. By the end of his five-day stay in February 2003, he had seen first-hand the widespread devastation in the diamond-rich Kono District and the extent to which the decade-long civil war had shattered lives, but he also witnessed the attempts of dozens of former child soldiers to reclaim lost childhoods, the laborious efforts of young men in their daily search for diamonds in the alluvial fields, and the efforts of UN peacekeepers helping to rebuild communities.

As a United Nations Messenger of Peace, appointed by the Secretary-General in 1998, Michael Douglas has repeatedly demonstrated his commitment to the Organization. That commitment has translated often into activities in the field of disarmament in which he has invested a great deal of time and thought. But field visits on behalf of the United Nations have been rare for the Academy award-winning actor.

On one previous occasion, Mr. Douglas had travelled to Albania to observe the destruction of weapons collected from the Albanian population and the development of projects in exchange for weapons as part of a UN programme. That visit, in October 1999, highlighted the serious problem of widespread availability of illegal arms in the country.

Sierra Leone was a very different mission; the focus was on children and the prospects for changing their lives in the aftermath of war. Mr. Douglas spent three days shooting the documentary to raise awareness of the impact of war on children. While filming in the Kono District and outside Port Loko, he joined the search for the mother of 12-year-old Abu Bakr, a former child soldier who, like so many thousands of others, was abducted and pressed into the rebel army (see box). His story is told in the documentary "What's Going On? Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone", produced in conjunction with the UN Works programme of the Department of Public Information Outreach Division.

Michael Douglas was filmed interacting with Abu at the care centre for former child soldiers and taking a journey by helicopter and on foot to help him find his family. Besides his encounter with Abu, he spent time with a group of ten former child combatants, ranging in age from 8 to 16, who shared with him their experiences and their hopes for the future. They revealed the dreams of children everywhere, wanting to study and have a profession--as pilots, doctors and, in one case, even as Secretary-General of the United Nations. He also met Swankey, an enterprising 16-year-old, who is a talented radio announcer on the popular radio show "Talking Drums". Swankey hopes that the radio show will sensitize the community to the trauma of life as a child soldier. He and Mr. Douglas exchanged life experiences as they sat in the shade of a tree under the mid-afternoon sun. The moment was an experience for the entire village.

The award-winning actor spent every moment of his brief visit representing the United Nations, absorbing the extraordinary experience that is sure to reflect his role as a spokesperson on behalf of the Organization. In Freetown, he met Sierra Leone's President, Alhali Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who shared with him some of the problems his country is facing as it sets out on the path of reconciliation, reconstruction and nation-building. The President expressed his deep gratitude to Mr. Douglas for taking the time to help raise awareness of the suffering of children in war and to highlight the importance of ending their abuse.

On the first and last days of his visit, Mr. Douglas was briefed by the Head of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Oluyemi Adeniji, as well as his deputy, Behrooz Sadry, and the Commander of the UN peacekeeping force, General Daniel Opande. The meetings gave Mr. Douglas insight into UNAMSIL achievements and challenges and its role in helping the people of Sierra Leone rebuild their country. He also toured a UN disarmament project site in Hastings, about 25 kilometres east of Freetown. At the complex, destroyed weapons are stored, to be converted soon into agricultural tools.

"I am impressed by the tremendous humanitarian and developmental efforts by UNAMSIL peacekeepers and the non-governmental organizations working in Sierra Leone", Mr. Douglas told Brigadier General Ijaz Awan, Commanding Officer for Sector East, after a tour of community projects supervised by the Mission. He witnessed the joint efforts of UN peacekeepers and the people of Koidu to rebuild their community, with the construction of a community centre, a new playground and the renovation of mosques, churches and schools. The optimism shown and the progress he saw being made inspired Mr. Douglas to spontaneously offer to contribute to the reconstruction efforts.

Throughout his visit, the UN Messenger of Peace saw not only the impact of war but also the resilience of a people. I had no idea what to expect in Sierra Leone. I saw tragedy and strife but I also saw hope--a lot of hope."