Folksinger Lillebjørn Nilsen and a crowd of 40,000 sing Barn av regnbuen (Children of the Rainbow) at the trial of Anders Behring Breivik in Oslo (Source: NRK)
I thought I would write about the Charles Taylor verdict today. The verdict by the Special Court for Sierra Leone marks an historic moment in international justice – the first conviction of a serving head of state for war crimes and crimes against humanity. I thought today would be a day to write about the importance of holding Charles Taylor accountable for the war crimes that he aided and abetted in Sierra Leone, but also about the remaining impunity for the war crimes he was responsible for in Liberia. I’ve been spent time in both Sierra Leone and Liberia, so I’ve seen firsthand the horrific impact that Charles Taylor and his National Patriotic Liberation Front have had on the people in those countries. I’ve followed this trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone – and waited for this verdict – for years.
But I found myself this morning more powerfully impacted by events surrounding another trial, in another country where I have spent time. I speak Norwegian, so have been following the Norwegian media coverage of the trial of Anders Behring Breivik in Norway. Today, that coverage included an allsang with the well-loved Norwegian folksinger Lillebjørn Nilsen. In a chilly spring rain in Oslo, a crowd of more than 40,000 people joined Mr. Nilsen in singing Barn av regnbuen.
This is a song that Mr. Breivik, apparently, detests. He testified recently that this song, with its concept of living together in a multicultural Norway (“sammen vi skal lever“) was brainwashing children into supporting immigrants. Norwegians throughout the country sang it as a form of protest against his hatred.
This is a song that I learned many years ago. It is actually a Pete Seeger song called My Rainbow Race, translated into Norwegian by Lillebjørn Nilsen. My rough translation follows – with apologies for inaccuracies! I use the translated version as there are a lot of aspects that make this song feel particularly Norwegian. The references to nature, for example, and the disdain for “plastic and synthetic food”.
Written in the 1970s, Lillebjørn Nilsen’s song has an obvious anti-war theme. The lyrics of the song, however, seem especially fitting today. “Some steal from the young, who are sent out to fight…” could well apply to Charles Taylor, whose recruitment of child soldiers stole the lives of thousands in West Africa. “Some steal from the many, who will come after us.” Anders Behring Breivik’s acts of violence stole not only the future of dozens of young people, but the innocence of a peaceful nation.
I won’t write about Charles Taylor today. Neither will I write about Anders Behring Breivik. Instead, I will write about the voices raised today throughout our world – in celebration of justice and in a call for peace in the face of hatred. Because today I remembered that Lillebjørn Nilsen -and Pete Seeger – were right. We do need justice for the Charles Taylors and Anders Behring Breiviks of the world, but we also need to share our hope for the rest of us.
Si det til alle barna!
Og si det til hver far og mor.
Ennå har vi en sjanse
til å dele et håp på jord.
Say it to all the children!
And tell every father and mother.
We still have a chance
to share our hope for this world.
Barn av regnbuen
En himmel full av stjerner.
Blått hav så langt du ser.
En jord der blomster gror.
Kan du ønske mer ?
Sammen skal vi leve
hver søster og hver bror.
Små barn av regnbuen
og en frodig jord.
Noen tror det ikke nytter.
Andre kaster tiden bort med prat.
Noen tror at vi kan leve av
plast og syntetisk mat.
Og noen stjeler fra de unge
som blir sendt ut for å sloss
Noen stjeler fra de mange
som kommer etter oss.
Refreng:
Si det til alle barna!
Og si det til hver far og mor.
Ennå har vi en sjanse
til å del e et håp på jord.
Refreng:
Si det til alle barna!
Og si det til hver far og mor.
Ennå har vi en sjanse
til å dele et håp på jord.
Children of the Rainbow
A sky full of stars.
Blue sea as far as you can see.
A land where flowers grow.
Could you want more?
Together we will live
every sister and every brother.
Small children of the rainbow
and a flourishing world.
Some believe there is no point.
Others waste their time with talk.
Some believe that we can live on
plastic and synthetic foods.
And some steal from the young,
who are sent out to fight.
Some steal from the many
who will come after us.
Refrain:
Say it to all the children!
And tell every father and mother.
We still have a chance
to share our hope for this world.
Refrain:
Say it to all the children!
And tell every father and mother.
We still have a chance
to share our hope for this world.
With thanks also to Pete Seeger for his song My Rainbow Race. Words and music by Pete Seeger (1967) © 1970 by Sanga Music Inc.
CHORUS:
One blue sky above us,
One ocean lapping all our shores,
One Earth so green and round,
Who could ask for more?
And because I love you,
I’ll give it one more try.
To show my Rainbow Race
It’s too soon to die.
Some folks want to be like an ostrich,
Bury their heads in the sand.
Some hope that plastic dreams
Can unclench all those greedy hands.
Some hope to take the easy way,
Poisons, bombs, they think we need ‘em.
Don’t you know you can’t kill all the unbelievers?
There’s no shortcut to freedom.
CHORUS
Go tell, go tell all—– the little children.
Tell all their mothers and fathers, too —
Now’s our last chance to learn to share
What’s been given to me and you.
CHORUS
The Human Rights Warrior 