Bamboo People

"This one is quite different from the first two – there is nothing about family finances. The main concepts are forced labour, specifically in the military in Myanmar, and also child labour, child education and the economics of conflict. It’s all wrapped up in a story about a country that most of us, even adults, don’t know very much about. The author did quite a bit of research and she did interviews. She’s got some insights so that anyone can learn a bit more about what is going on in Myanmar and why it is so difficult for people to maintain their wellbeing there. The two main characters are both boys, young teenagers, and one is drafted. He’s forced into the military – he’d rather be in school. The other boy is living in the jungle; he is a rebel fighter. It talks about how they meet and how their lives interact. They’re tough topics but it’s very informative if you don’t know much about Myanmar. It’s told from a child’s point of view, so even though it’s serious the novel is still for young people. It’s not too gruesome or too depressing and the ending is hopeful. Yes, in fact the World Bank is publishing its World Development Report this year on conflict, ie a whole book about the economics of conflict, as well as the social impact. So it’s very timely. Conflict is really development in reverse – progress poor countries make towards economic development slows down or is lost when there’s civil war and it causes a lot of economic hardship as well as social hardship for people."