Maci Research exercise for ALWG

Gbowee is a role model for all men and women find the courage to fight in what you believe in

           Nobel Peace winner Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist, social worker and women’s rights advocate. She is Founder and President of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, and is best known for leading a nonviolent movement that brought together Christian and Muslim women to play an important role in ending Liberia’s fourteen-year civil war in 2003. This historic achievement paved the way for the election of Africa’s first female head of state. She educated herself as a social worker and has worked to help those who suffered psychological trauma during the civil war in Liberia, including child soldiers. Gbowee demonstrated the power of social cohesion in the face of political unrest. She was the second African women to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights.

A child soldier is anyone who is less than 18 years of age that is attached to armed forces or an armed group 

The revolutionary front, or the rebels, was an army that fought and lost an 11 year war in Sierra Leone that ended in 2002. The R.U.F was founded by Foday Sankoh and Charles Taylor, and their goal was to change the government of Sierra Leone. In March 1991, the R.U.F began carrying out attacks on towns along Sierra Leone’s eastern border with Liberia. Within a month the R.U.F had taken control of a sizeable region of the eastern part of Sierra Leone and was on track to overtake the government. The group later financed itself through control of the country’s diamond resources and for 11 years carried out violent attacks on civilians that claimed some 50,000 lives and displaced approximately two million people. By early 1995 the R.U.F had commandeered nearly all the country’s economic resources, and it had enlisted numerous child soldiers. The overall disarmament of R.U.F forces began in May 2001 by the capture of the rebel leaders and putting them on trial.. The end to the civil war was declared officially in January 2002.

Guns and Mercenaries
While researching common weapons, and the use of mercenary troops, in Sierra Leone, AfricaI found out there were many different different weapons obtained during the debarment. They had G3 rifles, Ak-47s, and RPGs. There were other weapons like un-exploded cluster bombs, British anti aircraft missiles, a Soviet Spigot anti tank guided weapon, two Soviet Sa-7 surface to air missiles, over one thousand light weapons, and twenty three anti aircraft guns from Eastern Europe. Some of the most common of all the weapons was the G3 rifle, the AK-47 rifle and RPGs. The G3 weights roughly 9.9 pounds, almost 40.5 inches in length, and it was mostly used with a 20 round magazine but many different size magazines are available. It was designed by Heckler & Koch a German manufacturer. Most of the children soldiers I have read about used the G3 rifle or another common but popular weapon the AK-47. It was invented by Mikhail Kalashnikov while he laid in a hospital bed healing from a shoulder wound. The AK-47 is about 35 inches long, it weighs about 10 pounds fully loaded, and a 30 round magazine was usually used. RPG stands for rocket propelled Grenade. It is a shoulder fired weapon that can be either in a single use configuration or reloadable. This weapon was mainly used by the rebels for attacking villages but they were designed to destroy armored vehicles. A series of coups, violent altercations, and eventually war led to the use of mercenaries during the war in Sierra Leone, Africa. The private company that handled these contracts was called Executive Outcomes. Executive Outcomes was a private South African mercenary firm, one of the first to submit a proposal to fight in the war for financial gain. E.O. received 1.8 million dollars per month for their contract. On top of that they also entered and agreement with Branch Energy (Diamond Works), a company E.O. was financially linked to. Their plan was for E.O. to reclaim diamond mines from the RUF and then use local labor to recover the diamonds. Diamond Works would then pay the government 37.5% of net profits in exchange for their efforts. Most locals were left with a sour taste in their mouth and no longer wished to have mercenaries in their country. Executive Outcomes pulled out of the war in 1997 and it was left to the Sierra Leone Army to take over law and order in the country.

This image captures the reality in Africa that children were implements of war. This young boy can barely hold the RPG.

Child soldier holding his G3 Rifle that is almost taller than him.

Child soldier displaying his AK-47.

A mix of soldiers in uniform and civilian clothes.

https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/OP28.pdf

                                                                 Guns and Mercenaries 

While researching common weapons, and the use of mercenary troops, in Sierra Leone, AfricaI found out there were many different different weapons obtained during the debarment.  They had G3 rifles , Ak-47s, and RPGs.  There were other weapons like un-exploded cluster bombs, British anti aircraft missiles, a Soviet Spigot anti tank guided weapon, two Soviet Sa-7 surface to air missiles, over one thousand light weapons, and twenty three anti aircraft guns from Eastern Europe.  Some of the most common of all the weapons was the G3 rifle, the AK-47 rifle and RPGs.  The  G3 weights roughly 9.9 pounds, almost 40.5 inches in length, and it was mostly used with a 20 round magazine but many different magazine sizes are available. It was designed by Heckler & Koch a German manufacturer.  Most of the children soldiers I have read about used the G3 rifle or Another common but popular weapon the AK-47.  It was invented by Mikhail Kalashnikov while he laid in a hospital bed healing from a shoulder wound.  The AK-47 is about 35 inches long, it weighs about 10 pounds fully loaded, and a 30 round magazine was usually used.  RPG stands for rocket propelled Grenade. It is a shoulder fired weapon that can be either in a single use configuration or reloadable. This weapon was mainly used by the rebels for attacking villages but the were designed to destroy armored vehicles.  

A series of coups, violent altercations, and eventually war led to the use of mercenaries during the war in Sierra Leone, Africa.  The private company that handled these contracts was called Executive Outcomes.  Executive Outcomes was a private South African mercenary firm, one of the first to submit a proposal to fight in the war for financial gain.  E.O. received 1.8 million dollars per month for their contract.  On top of that they also entered and agreement with Branch Energy (Diamond Works), a company E.O. was financially linked to.  Their plan was for E.O. to reclaim diamond mines from the RUF and then use local labor to recover the diamonds. Diamond Works would then pay the government 37.5% of net profits in exchange for their efforts.  Most locals were left with a sour taste in their mouth and no longer wished to have mercenaries in their country.  Executive Outcomes pulled out of the war in 1997 and it was left to the Sierra Leone Army to take over law and order in the country.

https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/OP28.pdf

Journal Three from Clayton

My active reading so far is going about as can be expected for someone who doesn't read or write at all. I have managed to trail along, not getting to far behind but being sick this past week has cost me some valuable time. I approve the use of highlighting and the marginal notes. It helps the story stick in your head and for me that is a good thing. I can actually say I'm enjoying it to an extent. There hasn't been to many words that I don't understand and that makes it tough to pull words out if there aren't any. If I read one book a year that is more than I used to so I am benefiting already in my mind.

I feel that the two books fall into categories THOMS is more for women and a long way gone is more for men. Both books are great if you enjoy books although I almost feel that Cisneros writing style is almost juvenile or a little uneducated. I don't really have an opinion on strengths and weaknesses. Who am I to judge something I don't have any real knowledge in. I feel I should probably read a book before I talk about something like that. I prefer a long way gone over THOMS. I'm not in to emotions or feelings and hate to talk about things of that nature.

A theme I noticed in a long way gone is loneliness.      

Journal Three from Maddy

      Overall I would say my active reading is going well. Active reading has helped me notice things that I wouldn't have noticed if I was just reading through the book like I normally would. It gives me the chance to really think about what I am reading. I would say that it has been a bit harder for me to pick out themes in chapters that we have been reading.

      Both of the books have many strengths and weaknesses that can be found when reading them. In The House On Mango Street and A Long Way Gone both authors have been able to give us a better realization as to what it was like growing up in the conditions that they grew up by simply being honest. Their honesty though it is sometimes a bit much has really helped them tell their stories in a way that can be better understood to those who will never completely understand. With strengths in each book there are also weaknesses. In A Long Way Gone I would say a weakness would be the fact that the events he has gone through in his life are very frightening to talk about and to even read about sometimes. After reading multiple chapters from each book I can say that I prefer to read Cisneros over Beah because The House On Mango Street is easier for me to connect to and a little easier to understand.

      While reading chapter 8 in A Long Way Gone I began to notice a reoccurring theme of constant fear throughout the book for various reasons. Each day as Ishmael was constantly walking and or running in hope of finding people and a safe place to stay he constantly feared for his life. When I read " I walked for two days straight without sleeping. I stopped only at streams to drink water. I felt as if somebody was after me." I began to pick up on the unsafe feeling he felt even when he was okay for the time being. Another passage that helped me see this was " Once again I was with a group of boys. This time there were seven of us. I knew this was going to be a problem, but I didn't want to be by myself anymore." To me that was Ishmael telling us how no matter what he was scared. He was scared to be with people and he was scared to be alone.

Journal Three from Maci

          So far I think my active reading is going very well. I practiced active reading my senior year of high school so I have a little background in doing the task. It helps me slow down and truly develop an idea of the characters as well as the scenery. I do catch myself not actively reading sometimes so I tend to look over important detail. I love talking through the books in class because I am able to realize things that I have missed before. I enjoy our open discussion and the encouragement of active reading.         

          Both books, The House on Mango Street and a long way gone, have numerous strengths and weaknesses. The rawness and honesty told through the life of Esperanza hit home in a universal theme of identity and empowerment. The feelings in the book are ones that anyone can relate to leaving it a very powerful novel. With many strengths in this book, one weakness is that we are only looking at things through Esperanza's eyes. Being said, If the story was told through multiple perspectives we could get a better understanding of round characters and the setting. For the other novel, a long way gone, it also has many strengths. A big strength that stands out are how Beah conveys his emotions. He is a young boy but spends a lot of his time not expressing how he feels. A weakness that stands out to me in the book is how gruesome and traumatic Beah's experiences are, I tend to feel that they are fiction. I know that it is true story's being shared, but I am incapable of wrapping my mind around the thought of such terrible events. Between both the novels we are currently reading, I prefer The House on Mango Street because I feel like I can relate to Esperanza more.          

         In chapters 7 and 8 of a long way gone, I noticed the themes of isolation and a search for hope. These themes are very crucial in the understanding of the book because Beah explains how haunted he is during his time alone and he has nothing to do but hope for better days. In his introduction with the "old man", he uses the following direct quote to describe him, 

His face was too wrinkled to still be alive, yet his dark skin was shiny and he spoke slowly, gobbling the words in his jaws before he let them out. As he spoke, the veins on his forehead became visible through his skin.(56)

The great description in the simple human he met shows Beah's search for hope. If this old man who is barely living is still managing to stay alive, so can he. 

Journal Two from Clayton

Clayton Tackett
English 1109 at 10:30, T-Th
1/12/2020

                                     My Introduction 

            Hello class my name is Clayton Tackett.  I’m thirty two years old and was born on August thirtieth in nineteen eighty seven.  I have three daughters starting with the oldest Maddison who is eleven, Anna who is five, and Jude at four years old. Unfortunately I only have custody of the two. I’m a freshman in my second semester here at OSU at Marion and am very proud to be able to say that. A fun fact about me is I’ve been with my spouse for over ten years and have two daughters with her.  I’m scared to death of writing and blogging doubly so,  but I am confident that this class will help me learn to overcome those fears.

     I feel the theme so far in A Long Way Gone in my opinion is that not only is war frightening but the aftermath is also sometimes too much to handle.  This is something that no child should ever have to experience.  I believe that it was important to start the book like this so the reader can understand how big of an impression or impact the writer’s first introduction to war had on them. I think that Ishmael wanted the reader to know that it was was worse that he could have ever imagined.  I have never experienced this with war but I have experienced this in the opposite direction with college.  I always thought it was an impossibility, that I would hate it and that it was too difficult for someone like me, but in fact I’ve found out that I love it and I can get pretty good grades too.