Watch the movie with a partner and then take the quiz.
Text of biography
As a child soldier in Sudan, Emmanuel Jal was firing a gun when he was just nine. In an extraordinary turn of events Mr Jal swapped his AK47 for a microphone and is now an international hip-hop star.
Emmanuel Jal was a child soldier during the brutal Sudanese Civil War in the 1990s – where government forces in the predominantly Muslim North fought rebels in the South. Taken from his home, he was beaten, brainwashed, and trained by the rebels to fight. After four years of fighting he managed an epic escape to create a new life.
Mr Jal was sent to train to be a soldier at the age of eight by his father, who was the rebels Chief of Police. The training was brutal. He survived the training and was given a gun – ready for revenge. Mr Jal and the other boys had been groomed to feel a sense of camaraderie to fight for each other. At first the violence was exciting.
Memories from childhood can be hazy and some have disputed Mr Jals claims. But he says after four years of fighting he escaped the rebel commanders in the dead of night. He and 400 other child soldiers fled. If they were recaptured they would have almost certainly been killed. The boys trekked for three months across the country – facing starvation. One of the escapees managed to reach a village and raise the alarm. Mr Jal says only 16 of the 400 boys survived.
Mrs McCune was married to Mr Jals uncle – the rebel leader Riek Machar She died in a car crash shortly afterwards so Mr Jal had to make his own way as a teenager in the Kenyan slums but something saved him. As a way of dealing with the trauma he had experienced he started rapping and discovered hip-hop. In 2004 his debut album was a hit in Kenya. The single appeared on a UK charity album and he played at Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday concerts.
In the last decade Mr Jal has travelled the world performing and sharing his experiences through his music with the likes of Alicia Keys and Nelly Furtado. He uses his music to be a political activist and peace advocate. Mr Jal is one of the lucky ones. According to the UN, tens of thousands of children have been recruited as child soldiers across 20 countries this year alone.
Oh yeah Oh yeah I’m looking for some people who’s looking for peace Maybe together we could make the war cease Now we can send mankind to the moon And we can reach to the bottom of the sea That’s why it really kind of baffles me That we cannot end wars and bring peace And we cannot change the way people act And we cannot change the way people think So if we sit back, chill out and relax Civilization will soon be extinct That’s why I am
[Chorus] >I am calling on I’m calling on the whole wide world >On the whole wide world Come on people would you help me >Help me scream and shout Let’s scream and shout coz we want peace >That we want peace To say the least
I dedicate this song to the common people Caught in the middle of this common evil I wish the world was a little bit fairer Time we start looking at the man in the mirror Fear is the devil’s policeman Fear made good Germans side with Hitler so he can Build the war of genocide and havoc was wreaking Silence of the lamb ’cause nobody was speaking That’s why I am
[Chorus]
Somebody said, “After Rwanda >Never again,” And after Rwanda >It’s happening Not far from Rwanda >Just next door Who’s gonna shout for the poor people living in Darfur? The world’s gone deaf The world’s gone blind The world’s busy sitting down on their behind Nobody cares about the poor and needy Too busy sucking up to the rich and greedy For every hero there is villain I ain’t kidding We gonna shout out standing up or sitting One more time? We got no more time! We got to figure out the way we could all combine Hey! Like Jericho the walls came tumbling down The sound of voices had the city surround You know what is worth Time to put our voices to work We got to shake down heaven and earth That’s why I am
[Chorus]
Come on everybody, come on Stand up, stand up, stand up You want peace and I want peace Stand up, stand up You want peace and I want peace Stand up, stand up You want peace and I want peace Stand up.