When Elephants Fight

When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. This ancient proverb of the Kikuyu people, a tribal group in Kenya, Africa, is as true today as when the words were first spoken, perhaps thousands of years ago. Its essence is simplicity—when the large fight, it is the small who suffer most. And when it comes to war, the smallest, the most vulnerable, are the children.

When Elephants Fight presents the stories of five children—Annu, Jimmy, Nadja, Farooq and Toma—from five very different and distinct conflicts—Sri Lanka, Uganda, Sarajevo, Afghanistan and the Sudan. Along with these very personal accounts, the book also offers brief analyses of the history and geopolitical issues that are the canvas on which these conflicts are cast.

When Elephants Fight is about increasing awareness. For the future to be better than the past, better than the present, we must help equip our children with an awareness and understanding of the world around them and their ability to bring about change. Gandhi stated, "If you are going to change the world, start with the children."

Eric Walters, Member of the Order of Canada, began writing in 1993 as a way to get his fifth-grade students interested in reading and writing. He has since published more than a hundred novels and picture books. He is a tireless presenter, speaking to over 100,000 students per year in schools across the country. He lives in Guelph, Ontario. For more information, visit www.ericwalters.net.

Adrian Bradbury is the co-founder and director of GuluWalk, a foundation dedicated to supporting the abandoned children of northern Uganda. Bradbury's writing on northern Uganda has appeared in both the National Post and Uganda's Daily Monitor, and for the continuing efforts of GuluWalk he earned a 2005 Planet Africa award and was recognized as a 'Newsmaker of the Year' by Maclean's magazine. He lives in Toronto, Canada. For more information please visit www.guluwalk.com.