After children missed school to protest against the war in Iraq, young journalists people reflect on the role their own protests can play in times of controversy and crisis.
Nadia Driver, 9
“I have been on a demonstration and I feel proud that I tried to stop the war and did not just sit there hoping the war would stop. Young people are the future and we should be able to make decisions about the future of the world. Even though the protests haven’t made a difference, at least we tried.”
Mariya Bheekhun, 11
“When young people protested against the war in Iraq, it didn’t count. Adults just pretended to let us say what we wanted so that we were satisfied. I’m against the war because it’s killing lots of children and separating some of them from their families.”
Zarah Driver, 10
“I feel that there is no purpose for this war. We haven’t found weapons of mass destruction yet because Bush and Blair need time to manufacture them and plant them in Iraq. This war is illegal and immoral and I totally disapprove of it.”
Nazia Driver, 12
“It really hurts to see the young people of Iraq suffering. On TV the other night I saw some young people in Iraq saying that they loved George Bush and Tony Blair but they wouldn’t show us young Iraqis crying and saying they wish they had water to drink.”
Annabel McLeod, 16
“A lot of young people protested at Parliament Square in London to try and stop the war in Iraq yet we didn’t actually see anything happening as a result of the actions they took. It doesn’t give young people a lot of confidence in the government because it seems like our opinions aren’t being taken into account when it comes to major decisions.”
About the teamThe contributors are all members of Children's Express. This article was published in Young Minds magazine.
