Gunning For Change
by Maya Iginla
photograph by courtesy of Gunnar Swanson
Yes, his name is Gunnar, and yes, he is a soldier. But he’s also a passionate advocate for children’s rights. Meet Gunnar Swanson, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom who’s set to leave bright and early on July 4 for “A Soldier’s March for Peace,” a 1,000-mile walk across the country sponsored by War Kids Relief. Beginning in Dallas, Texas, and concluding on September 13 in Northfield, Minn., Gunnar’s march will help raise money to support the vulnerable children who are currently being manipulated and used as tools of war by Iraqi insurgents.
On a humid, rainy Wednesday morning at a small, homey café in Northfield, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Gunnar about the incredible work he’s been doing. Dressed in a crisp, striped button-down and sporting freshly buzzed hair, Gunnar greeted me with a firm handshake and a friendly smile. He seemed genuinely excited to chat with me about his “March for Peace” and the inspirations that were behind it.
But first, I couldn’t resist asking him about his name. Turns out, his legal name is Erick – Gunnar was his great-grandfather’s name. His parents thought about naming him Gunnar but were worried he’d be made fun of.
But his parents shouldn’t have worried. Gunnar isn’t one to let little things phase him and he first assumed the family name at a boxing match.
“I was in the ring, and when the announcer asked me what my name was, I said, ‘My name’s Gunnar.’”
He’s gone by Gunnar ever since. And – studying his easy, confident manner – the name seems to fit perfectly. Gunnar’s a straight shooter.
“I knew when I was a little kid that I was going to be in the military. I’ve always wanted to be in uniform. I had a grandfather who was in the army; I thought that was what you did when you grew up.”
So, at age 17, when he was still a senior in high school, Gunnar enlisted in the North Dakota Army National Guard. In April of 2003, he was sent to Iraq.
“It was different than anybody would have expected,” he said. “It was so relaxed then. We drove around with T-shirts on and no helmets, talking to the kids we saw lining the streets on our way up to Baghdad. I really don’t know where these kids would even come from. We’d be in the middle of the desert… and these kids would just be on the streets, out of nowhere.”
Over the course of two months, Gunnar developed a real rapport with these kids. He gave them food, traded with them and was eager to learn more about their cultures. One little boy even sat in Gunnar’s Humvee for three hours and tried to teach him how to speak Arabic.
“They were morale boosters. It was fun to hang out with them, to get my mind off of everything that was going on.”
But then suddenly, everything changed. The army found out that Iraqi insurgents had begun to recruit these children “to do their dirty work.” They were being trained as child soldiers who would plant roadside bombs.
“We didn’t know who we could trust, because we didn’t know which kids had been used and manipulated,” Gunnar said. “We had to be firm with them. We couldn’t stop when there were kids on the side of the road anymore.”
Gunnar understood that the children were combating much bigger forces than they were equipped to handle. Most of them were street kids or orphans who were looking for money and a sense of security.
“They’re so innocent,” he said. “No matter what, you can’t put the blame on them. They’re not planting roadside bombs because they like blowing things up or killing people. It’s because they get $20 for it. The insurgents make kids feel like they belong to something, and that they’re safe.”
In 2004, Gunnar was discharged from Iraq, and his term of service in the military ended in 2005. He didn’t re-enlist because he “wanted to do [his] own thing.” And he did – he finished up his bachelor’s in psychology, started his own personal fitness training business and moved to Florida on “a crazy whim” to do an internship at a dolphin training facility.
Still, Gunnar never forgot about those kids on the side of the road.
“My grandfather taught me what a man is supposed to be like, what a hero is supposed to be like, how to be honorable,” he said. “In the back of my mind, I still wanted to be a hero. I still wanted to help people. And these kids – I can’t think of anybody in the world that I’d want to help more.”
So Gunnar went online to peruse the Web for organizations that help child victims of war. He came across War Kids Relief, a program of the Northfield-based organization Children’s Culture Connection that gives kids who have been traumatically affected by war the resources to recover. Gunnar sent a long email to board members of Children’s Culture Connection, and they embraced his cause. They set him up with a junior spokesperson, Sarosha Hansraj, from Dallas, Texas, a girl so driven that she already has her own nonprofit organization at the tender age of 11. Sarosha is a huge part of the force behind Gunnar’s campaign for change.
In fact, most of the fundraising for Gunnar’s cause is being done by kids.
“They come to us. They’ve been looking for something like this. It’s kids helping kids, but it’s also kids inspiring adults.”
I asked Gunnar, who is now the Program Manager for War Kids Relief, what it was specifically that had inspired him to do “A Soldier’s March for Peace.” Out of all of the different kinds of fundraising Gunnar could be doing, why was he choosing to walk 1,000 miles across the country in the sweltering summer heat?
“I’ve always been a physical person,” he said. “My heroes have been, you know, Martin Luther King or Gandhi. I like food too much to be Gandhi… But he was a real hero – he would give up anything to do what he believed was right. I kind of feel that same way, but I wanted to do something physical. And walking, marching, it just fell in place.”
Gunnar’s “March for Peace” begins on July 4 in Dallas and is scheduled to end September 13 in Northfield. His plan is to walk somewhere between 15 and 20 miles per day, stopping in cities and towns to get out the word about what he’s doing along the way.
To follow Gunnar on his route, check out www.warkidsrelief.org/march/gunnar, and click on the “Where’s Gunnar?” icon to receive email updates. You can also follow him on Twitter or check his progress on his Facebook page. If you’re interested in contributing to Gunnar’s cause, the War Kid’s Relief Web site also includes a list of cool fundraising ideas.
“We don’t want you to just dig in your own pocket to help us,” Gunnar said. “We’d rather you take this as a leadership opportunity, to make your own fundraiser and then contribute those funds to our cause.”
The money Gunnar raises on “A Soldier’s March for Peace” will go towards building youth centers in Iraq to help the children who have been victims of war.
“We’re focusing on getting these kids to realize that they have a different future than they might have thought, a real future and real chances. Their world doesn’t have to be violent.”
These youth centers will offer classes on conflict resolution and job skills, as well as providing kids with trained psychologists.
And Gunnar will be right there as Program Manager, overseeing the construction of the youth centers directly to make sure that he helps these children that way he promised he would. He’s also planning to take Arabic classes.
His advice to the young changemakers in the world?
“Dream big. No project is too small.”
I asked Gunnar if he ever got overwhelmed with the enormity of his task. I know that I would, if I were him. There are so many children out there who are suffering, children who need help. Wasn’t he terrified that he would never be able to reach all of them?
“I do have my moments. But I truly do want to help every single one of these kids – and we can help them. Is that overwhelming? I don’t know. I think it’s inspiring.”
Published 29 June 2009. All Rights Reserved.