A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

Conference

Part 1

	New Word‘s concept /Term/Reference/	Explanation or definition
1	RUF (page 33)	Revolutionary United Front, a rebel group in Sierra Leone.
2	Cassava (page 40)	A tropical plant with an edible root, which is a major source of carbohydrates.
3	Cricket (Page 62)	A game played with a ball and bat by two teams of eleven players; popular in countries like England and Australia.
4	Leone (Page 64)	The currency of Sierra Leone.
5	Mogbwemo (Page 126)	Ishmael Beah’s home village in Sierra Leone.
6	Rehabilitation (Page 164)	he action of restoring someone to health or normal life through training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness.
7	Propaganda (Page 178)	Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
8	Coup d’état (Page 244)	A sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.
9	Checkpoint (Page 252)	A barrier or manned entrance, typically at a border, where travelers are subject to security checks.
10	UNICEF (Page 156)	The United Nations Children’s Fund, an agency providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.

List 3-4 topics you have come across in your memoir. For each topic, record textual support from your memoir.

Level 1- 1 quotation per topic.

Level 2-2 quotations per topic

.Level 3-3 quotations per topic

.Level 4- 4 quotations per topic

Topic	Text Support
The Loss of Innocence	Level 1: “These days I live in three worlds: my dreams, and the experiences of my new life, which trigger memories from the past.” (page 33) Level 2: “It was my first time shooting a gun, and my heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my throat.” (Chapter 7, page 64) Level 3: “I raised my gun and pulled the trigger, and I killed a man.” (Chapter 12, page 145) Level 4: “Under the tarpaulin, I would dream the same dream that had tormented me every night.” (Chapter 15, page 180)
The Horrors of War	Level 1: “The first time that I was touched by war I was twelve.” (Chapter 3, page 16) Level 2: “We had been running for our lives; we had forgotten to be children.” (Chapter 9, page 82) Level 3: “I had seen more dead bodies than I could count, but I had never seen a man die in front of me.” (Chapter 14, page 150) Level 4: “I joined the army to avenge the deaths of my family and to survive, but I’ve come to learn that if I am going to take revenge, in that process I will kill another person whose family will want revenge.” (Chapter 21, page 239)
The Power of Rehabilitation	Level 1: “These days I try to live within our time, but I sometimes get lost in the past.” (Introduction, page 33) Level 2: “I had been rehabilitated, but I hadn’t forgotten how to kill.” (Chapter 16, page 148) Level 3: “It was during my rehabilitation that I was able to forgive myself.” (Chapter 18, page 207) Level 4: “I concluded to myself that if I were to live by the rules of war, then I wouldn’t be alive.” (Chapter 19, 215)
The Role of Memory and Storytelling	Level 1: “I tell this story not because it is unique, but because it is the story of many young people.” (page 10) Level 2: “My squad was my family, my gun was my provider and protector, and my rule was to kill or be killed.” (Chapter 10, page 154) Level 3: “Sometimes I feel that living in an uncertain period is worse than living in a time of war.” (Chapter 19, page 192) Level 4: “I concluded to myself that if I were to live by the rules of war, then I wouldn’t be alive.” (Chapter 19, 215)

In the memoir “A Long Way Gone,” the theme of resilience and the impact of war on human nature can be seen through Impact of War on Human Nature and Personal Resilience

Conference 2:

1. RUF (Page 121)

• • Explanation: Revolutionary United Front, a rebel group involved in the Sierra Leone Civil War, notorious for their violent tactics and use of child soldiers.

1. Kamajor (Page 137)

• • Explanation: A traditional hunter and member of a local militia group in Sierra Leone that fought against the RUF during the civil war.

1. Cassava (Page 154)

• • Explanation: A starchy root vegetable that is a major source of carbohydrates in many parts of Africa; mentioned frequently in the context of the local diet.

1. Palampo (Page 102)

• • Explanation: Single; without a spouse. In the context of the book, it refers to Ishmael's mother joking about his single status.

1. AK-47 (Page 115)

• • Explanation: A type of automatic rifle used extensively in various conflicts globally, including by child soldiers in Sierra Leone's civil war.

1. Crapes (Page 84)

• • Explanation: Slang for sneakers. Ishmael and his friends were fond of their stylish sneakers as part of their youthful fashion.

1. Mobimbi (Page 59)

• • Explanation: A quarter in Mattru Jong where foreigners lived and where Ishmael first encountered rap music.

1. Parables (Page 170)

• • Explanation: Simple stories used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels. Ishmael uses this term metaphorically to describe the storytelling nature of rap.

1. Rehabilitation (Page 200)

• • Explanation: The process of reintegrating someone into society. Ishmael undergoes rehabilitation from his life as a child soldier.

1. Resilience (Introduction, Page xiv)

• • Explanation: The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. The memoir frequently explores the resilience of Ishmael and other children in facing the horrors of war.

Part 2 - Topics

1. Topic: Loss of Innocence
   • Text Support (quotation and page): "I didn't understand why I was fighting, and I certainly didn't understand the brutality I had to endure and inflict on others each day." (Chapter 8, Page 102)
2. Topic: Resilience of Children
   • Text Support (quotation and page): "I would always tell people that I believe children have the resilience to outlive their sufferings, if given a chance." (Introduction, Page xv)
3. Topic: Impact of War
   • Text Support (quotation and page): "It was my first time in the capital, the first time I had been so far from my village. And the first time I saw so many people, each of them in a hurry, not caring about the rest of the world." (Chapter 6, Page 86)
4. Topic: The Power of Rehabilitation
   • Text Support (quotation and page): "That night we stayed up late, talking about what we were going to do after the war. We made plans to go back to school, to travel if we got the chance, and to marry beautiful women." (Chapter 15, Page 199)

Part 3 - Final Product Proposal

• Target Audience: High school and college students studying contemporary African history or the effects of conflict on children, educators teaching these subjects, and NGOs focused on child welfare and post-conflict rehabilitation.

• Media Type: Video Documentary

• Thesis Statement: In the memoir "A Long Way Gone," Ishmael Beah narrates the devastating impact of civil war in Sierra Leone, highlighting themes of loss, survival, and hope.

Three Arguments:

1. The irreversible impact of war on children: The memoir details how children are not only physically harmed but also psychologically scarred, losing their innocence and childhood.
2. Resilience and the human capacity to recover: Despite the harrowing experiences, the memoir emphasizes the potential for individuals to recover and rebuild their lives with appropriate support.
3. The role of storytelling in healing and advocacy: Beah uses his narrative to cope with his past and to advocate for awareness and change, showing the power of storytelling in healing and social change.

Why did you choose this type of media? What do you hope to achieve?

• Reason for Choosing Media: A video documentary can visually and emotionally engage the audience, making the story more impactful. It allows for the inclusion of interviews, on-location footage, and possibly commentary from experts and other child soldiers, providing a deeper understanding of the context and effects of the conflict.
• Goals: To educate viewers about the consequences of civil conflicts on children, inspire action among policymakers and humanitarian organizations, and promote a deeper public empathy for the plight of child soldiers and war-affected populations.

Proposal Script

1. What is the name of your memoir? Describe the memoir briefly.
   • “A Long Way Gone” is a memoir by Ishmael Beah that recounts his harrowing childhood as a child soldier in Sierra Leone during its civil war. It describes his journey from an innocent, music-loving boy to a hardened soldier and his eventual rehabilitation.

1. What are the major topics and themes that have come up while reading the memoir (brief)?
   • Major themes include the loss of innocence, the severe impacts of war on society, and the resilience of the human spirit. The memoir also discusses the importance of rehabilitation and the power of storytelling as a means of coping and advocacy.

1. What is your thesis statement?
   • In the memoir “A Long Way Gone,” Ishmael Beah narrates the devastating impact of civil war in Sierra Leone, focusing on themes of loss, survival, and hope.

1. Describe your final product and how it relates to the book.
   • The final product is a video documentary that will use direct quotations and scenes from Beah’s memoir, interviews with child protection experts, and possibly Beah himself if feasible. It will relate to the book by visualizing Beah’s experiences and the broader issue of child soldiers, aiming to bring his written words to life and foster a deeper understanding and response from the audience.

Part 3: Final Product Planner

Considerations from the conference (what changes will you make, if any)

• Changes:
  • Incorporate first-person interviews with experts on child soldiers if possible.
  • Use more direct quotations from Beah to enhance emotional impact.
  • Include recent statistics on child soldiers globally to provide updated context.

Resources you will need (including websites)

• Resources:
  • Video editing software (e.g., Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro)
  • Access to scholarly articles via JSTOR or Google Scholar for background research.
  • Websites:
    • Child Soldiers International
    • UNICEF for data on child soldiers and rehabilitation programs
    • Human Rights Watch for reports on Sierra Leone and similar conflicts

Keywords/images to summarize your media

• Keywords:
  • Resilience, Rehabilitation, Child Soldiers, Sierra Leone, War Impact, Recovery
• Images:
  • Map of Sierra Leone highlighting conflict zones.
  • Photos of child soldiers (ethically sourced).
  • Before and after photos of rehabilitation centers.

Key quotations from your text

• Quotations:
  • "These days I live in three worlds: my dreams, and the experiences of my new life, which trigger memories from the past." (Introduction, p. xiv)
  • "Sometimes I feel that living in New York City, having a good family and education, and being able to travel and still being alive is just a dream, that I am still sleeping in the bush in Sierra Leone with the gun beside me." (Chapter 21, p. 200)
  • "I joined the army to avenge the deaths of my family and to survive, but I've come to learn that if I am going to take revenge, in that process I will kill another person whose family will want revenge." (Chapter 16, p. 180)

Works Cited (including your novel)

• Citations:
  • Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. Sarah Crichton Books, 2007.
  • United Nations. “Children and Armed Conflict.” https://www.un.org/children/conflict/english/index.html
  • Child Soldiers International. “Global Report on Child Soldiers.” https://www.child-soldiers.org/