I was uplifted by the three women and their strength as they fought for what they believed in; peace.
I was disheartened to see the children who were forced to fight and kill their families as well as when I heard how one out of three people were displaced from their homes in Liberia.
I was inspired when the women forced the men in charge to go to the peace conference and refused to let them leave until an agreement was reached.
I was enraged to see the young men taking pride in every life they took as they fought for power.
Leaving the small theatre today, I was full of confusing thoughts. Everything I felt in that short hour and a half bubbled up inside me and became nearly overwhelming. In the first scene, we see an image of children, anywhere from 8-13 years old, holding guns. A short set of white words slowly fade onto the screen. The intensity set in after a moment; they said that these children, forced to join a war they didn't understand, were also forced to kill their mothers and fathers. I couldn't even imagine what horrific things these children saw or did but that alone was enough to send chills up my spine.
Only moments later they stated the fact that one out of three people were displaced. After a long conversation today about displacement and the negative connotations tied to the word, I realized the severity of the situation. In the conversation, events such as WWII with concentration camps and the Native American reservations in the early days of North American civilization were discussed. These are two events I know something about and when I recognized the connection, I was once again horrified.
However, for everything that disturbed me, there was something to once again rise my hopes. Every moment like that was brought on by the group of women fighting for peace. They showed strength, courage, and love while fighting the rising war groups. They never needed to use any means of violence. They held their signs, chanted, and sang. It was a true expression of power in numbers. While the men deliberated in the peace meeting, the women positioned themselves to block every exit. They refused to move until an agreement was made. It was actions like these that were brought on in a moments notice with support from many different people with different beliefs that brought peace to Liberia.
(Check this out if you didn't get a chance to watch the documentary!)
Interesting review of one of the most horrifying things in the world today. I may have to watch that documentary some time.
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