Life of a Peacekeeper: An interview with Mr. Manuel Calzada

Mr Calzada, Sophie’s father, called us via Skype yesterday. He is currently working as a field agent for the United Nations in Sudan. What we already knew about Sudan (from Isra and Fatima) is that it is a poor Arabic speaking African country that was divided in two through a war. Mr Calzada is working with government officials in Sudan on a peacekeeping mission. He told us about the effects of the war in Sudan, and discussed the pros and cons of being a part of the UN.

After a short malfunctioning of the WIFI in the area that interrupted our initial call, Mr Calzada came back with a huge smile on his face, ready to talk. We asked him several questions and he was happy to answer. According to him, where he works isn’t very dangerous right now, and the tension of war has subsided. When a student asked him about the negative effects of war, Mr Calzada expressed devastation and sadness. He told us about the lives of the people involved with the war and the connection between war and poverty. He also told us where wars happen and how they begin.

He explained that civil wars are much more common than international wars, especially in poor countries where people aren’t meeting their basic survival needs. Apparently, the only education some children in war affected areas receive are educations in combat tactics. Since the war in Sudan lasted over 15 years, a generation of education has been lost, and the country is now torn apart.

When Mr Calzada was asked about how working in UN has affected him, he said, “It has made me aware of what it really means to talk about the differences between developed and developing countries.”

You can learn more about Mr. Calzada and his work by checking out his website.

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