"They Fight Like Soldiers, Die Like Children"
- Roméo Dallaire
What is a child soldier?
The official definition of a child soldier is any person under the age of 18, who is part of any kind of armed group, including but not limited to cooks, messengers, human shields, spies, and anyone accompanying such groups. This definition does not only refer to a child carrying arms, since girls can be recruited for sexual purposes or in forced marriages.
Where in the world is this happening today?
Child soldiers are known for being most prevalent in certain parts of Africa. However, there are also child soldiers in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America. The country with the most child soldiers is not in Africa, but in Asia. Myanmar (Burma) is in between India and China. It has an estimated 70,000 child soldiers and has one of the largest armies in Southeast Asia.
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How many people are affected by the use of child soldiers?
There isn't an exact number, but there are hundreds of thousands of children in combat right now. Experts estimate that there are about 250,000-300,000 child soldiers at the moment, but the numbers are always changing. The families of child soldiers are also greatly affected emotionally by the use of their children in wars. The group that recruits these children are scrutinized by other countries but also benefit from using child soldiers. |
What are child soldiers used for?
- Children are thrown into combat, where they may be forced to the front lines or sent into minefields ahead of older troops. Some children have been used for suicide missions or any dangerous missions in general
- Children may also serve as porters or cooks, shields/guards, messengers or spies
- In some conflicts, girls may be raped, or given to military commanders as “wives"
- Children are sometimes forced to commit crimes against their own family or neighbors. This helps ensure that the child is unable to return to his or her home community so he/she must stay with the group in order to survive
Why are child soldiers used?
- Children are vulnerable to military recruitment because of their emotional and physical immaturity. They are easily manipulated and can be drawn into violence that they are too young to resist or understand. They are easy to kidnap and force to do anything because they are tortured and intimidated. Some children voluntarily join because they feel pressured by social or economic factors.
- Technological advances in weaponry and the proliferation of small arms have contributed to the increased use of child soldiers. Lightweight automatic weapons are simple to operate, often easily accessible, and can be used by children as easily as adults
What is being done to solve this problem?
- The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989 to protect the rights of children, is the most widely accepted human rights treaty in history. It includes civil rights and freedoms, family environment, basic health and welfare, education, leisure and cultural activities and special protection measures for children.
- The UN Convention On The Rights Of The Child says: "All children have the right to special protection in time of conflict and should not take a direct part in hostilities."
- In 2000, countries debated the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. The protocol prohibits the forced recruitment of children under the age of 18 or their use in hostilities. Previously, the minimum age of recruitment was 15. To date, it has been ratified by more than 110 countries.
- The UN is campaigning to tighten up laws on selling guns to stop them from reaching areas where child soldiers are involved
- The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative is "Founded by retired lieutenant-general and celebrated humanitarian Roméo Dallaire." They ..."are a global partnership committed to ending the use and recruitment of child soldiers worldwide, through ground-breaking research, advocacy, and security-sector training."
- Child Soldiers International prevents the military recruitment of children and their involvement in armed conflict through work in a specific country, research and global monitoring of child soldiers.
- War Child International works to restore war-torn communities to provide the best possible future for children. They try to fix the situation for the long-term, so that violence can be stopped. They do this through providing the right education, sustaining justice, and creating opportunities.
- Amnesty International is a part of the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers and they work together to end the recruitment of children into armed forces and to reintegrate former child soldiers back into civilian life. They have also called on the Russian Federation to incorporate the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict without further delay.
- There are many other organizations and initiatives that are working to make an impact on current child soldier issues that I haven't mentioned here, but deserve recognition
How can you help?
There are many things we can do to help raise awareness and help child soldiers in war-stricken areas all around the world.
- The easiest thing we can do is to donate money towards an organization so they have enough funds to do the work required to help these children. It requires no effort on our part and can be done in a few minutes, but helps change the lives of children in the world.
- If you want to participate more in the effort, there is also the option of hosting a fundraiser. This takes more planning and a little investment on your part, but the outcome is much more rewarding than just a single donation. This way, you could raise more funds and at the same time, raise awareness in your community about this issue.
- Being informed and making others aware of the problem of child soldiers is the first step to solving the problem. You could read articles and books to make yourself informed and then discuss that new information with your friends, or blog about it to a wider audience. Doesn't matter how you do it, you just need to spread the word.
- If you find that you're still not doing as much as you could, you could travel and participate in international internships and fellowships. This will give you a first-hand experience you'll never forget. When you return, you can present your experiences to your school, a church, community centre, or a local organization.