Child SoldiersChild Soldiers

Will You Listen? Young Voices From Conflicts Zones:

We are displaced children.We are children who have been used by armed

groups.We are orphans.

We are street children.We are girls who sell our bodies to survive.

We are children who have to work.We are children who can’t go to school.

We are children with disabilities.We are children living with HIV.

We are detained children.We are girls who have been raped.

We are children taking care of our brothers and sisters.

We are children without a childhood.

Some Facts…-300 000 child soldiers are

currently being used in 20 countries

-Their ages range from 3-18 (though they generally recruited around age 10)

-40% of child soldiers are female-These children are used by

military, Para military, and governmental groups

-Children are sought out as they are easily manipulated, need/want little, and are viewed as good fighters

Peter Singer, the author of Children at War, quotes afifteen year old child soldier: “One boy tried to escape, but he was caught. His hands were tied, and then they made us, the other new captives, kill him with a stick. I felt sick. I knew this boy from before. We were from the same village. I refused to kill him and they told me they would shoot me. They pointed a gun at me, so I had to do it. The boy was asking me, ‘Why are you doing this?’ I said I had no choice. After we killed him, they made us smear his blood on our arms. I felt dizzy. I felt so sick. They said we had to do this so we would not fear death and so we would not try to escape.”

Drug Use:-child soldiers are rewarded with drugs. Drug addiction is extremely high within these groups.-gun power, cocaine, opiates, alcohol and other hallucinogenic drugs are most commonly used.-“They gave me pills that made me crazy. When the craziness got in my head, I beat people on their heads and hurt them until they bled. When the craziness got out of my head I felt guilty.”

Why do Children Join?

1.They are forced to (by either the military or other groups)

-they work as combatants, spies, messangers, look outs, sexual slaves, human shields, etc.

2. It is the only way to guarantee daily food and survival

3. They volunteer (largely due to cultural, economic, social, and political pressures).

History of Policy Making on the Rights of a Child:

-Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Adopted 26 September, 1924, League of Nations. There were 5 basic rights

-U.N. Declaration of Human Rights

Dec. 10th, 1948. The U.N. created 30 basic universal human rights.

-Ex: Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

-Declaration of the Rights of a Child

Nov. 20, 1959. The U.N. created a document specifically to protect the rights of children.

-1979 The Year of the ChildUNESCO proclaimed 1979 as the Year of the Child

-Convention of the Rights of a Child (CRC)Nov. 20, 1989.

-by Sept. 30, 1990, the CRC was signed by world leader.

-There are 3 sections and 54 articles in the CRC which has allowed a more concrete and universal understanding of the rights of a child. -Ex: Part 2, Article 27:

-States Parties recognize the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.

-Only two countries have not signed onto the CRC—the United States and Somalia

Life After: The Fight Continues

-After children have left they military, Para military groups:-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-Lack of education-No social skills-Drug addiction -Former family/community members displaced or deceased.

DDRR ProgramsDisarmament, Demobilization,

Reintegrationand Rehabilitation (DDRR)

-DDRRs are programs that seek to rehabilitate former child soldiers.

-they look to reunite them with family members, deal with psychological issues associated with combat, educate them in trades, deal with addictions, and seclude them from former associates to prevent them from rejoining former militant groups.

What is Canada Doing?

-Omar Khadr

Conclusions-Even though many countries have signed agreements to enforced and protect the rights of children, clearly to date these rights have not notably improved. -Globally, children do not receive basic needs such as potable water, education, protection, etc.

-There has been no successful governing body that has enforced the successful implementation of children’s rights by the state.

-Even though many countries have signed Even though many countries have signed agreements to enforced and protect the rights of agreements to enforced and protect the rights of children, clearly to date these rights have not children, clearly to date these rights have not notably improved. notably improved. -Globally, children do not receive basic needs such -Globally, children do not receive basic needs such as potable water, education, protection, etc. as potable water, education, protection, etc.

-There has been no successful governing body that -There has been no successful governing body that has enforced the successful implementation of has enforced the successful implementation of children’s rights by the state. children’s rights by the state.

Conclusions