Our Veterans have wonderful stories…this story and illustration comes from one of our program participants from Portugal, Paulo Jorge Machado Dias Gonçalves:
“Nowadays, whenever I see children amusingly coming from school and playing on the streets, I smile and think how fortunate they are to live in a peaceful and secure environment.
As a peacekeeper Veteran, it’s inevitable to recall my UN mission during the war in Bosnia. One day, while patrolling Sarajevo’s streets, I saw some children playing hide and seek among the ruins of their village. That was the only possible game they could play out in the open, because there were snipers in the vicinity. When they saw that I was observing them they stopped playing. The youngest, recognizing that I was a foreigner soldier, approached me.
This child, who was about 5 years old, looked at me and with the most innocent smile, asked something I could not understand. A young man passing by translated it – “He’s asking how is the war in your country?”
What a punch in the stomach, to think that this was the only reality he knew… I often wonder if today’s parents realize that peace and security are not granted things. We all must strive to maintain them. We owe it to the next generations.” #Veteran #Artist
This story is currently being adapted to a musical and, coming soon, it will be available over the internet in a short (musical) video. Stay tune!
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