Child soldiers are a frightening thought for just about everyone. The fact that someone can coerce children into wielding weapons is a sickening reality that still exists in many parts of the world. Child soldiers are easy targets for guerrilla fighters because they are easier to manipulate than adults. Child soldiers are nothing more than innocent victims manipulated by corrupt individuals for their own gain.
- Some define child soldiers as children who take part in military campaigns. Children are being exploited as well as endangered on an international level for purposes of military needs.
- Another way that child soldiers are defined is children who “serve in government forces and armed opposition groups. They may fight on the front lines, participate in suicide missions, and act as spies, messengers, or lookouts”. Once again, the connection between children and the military is made. Children are used for dangerous military operations as well as because they are so expendable by the group that they are a part of.
- Another way that child soldiers are defined is children who are “recruited into government armed forces, paramilitaries, civil militia and a variety of other armed groups. Often they are abducted at school, on the streets or at home. Others enlist “voluntarily”, usually because they see few alternatives”. One can see that the link between military association and children is very clear when the word child soldier is discussed. The use of children for military purposes is undoubtedly a terrifying reality that needs to be addressed.
Amnesty International. (2014). Children and Human rights. In Learn about Human Rights. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from http://www.amnesty.org/en/children
Child Soldiers International. (2014). Child Soldiers: A Handbook for Security Sector Actors. In What’s new?. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.childsoldiers.org/welcome/
Human Rights Watch. (2014). Child Soldiers. In News. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.hrw.org/topic/childrens-rights/child-soldiers
Many people have heard of child soldiers and the horrible things that they are exposed to. The media plays a big role in what the public knows about the coercion of children into the military and the role that these children play.
- A recent media article was released on children from Syria being recruited by Al-Qaeda. This article highlights the psychological trauma that children face, as well as how they suppress these feelings of fear. It is also noted that these children grow up in violence and because they are so young cannot essentially think for themselves because they are being manipulated by adults.
- Another article talks about how children are exposed to traumatizing experiences such as mass killings and even seeing other children used as suicide bombers. This articles talks about how these children are forced to kill others, or they themselves will be killed. The children involved are often at the mercy of their captors, forced to kill others in order to survive in their military group. Many times children are forced into these types of military groups, as well as joining them on a slightly voluntary basis because they are in need of protection and feel that a military group can offer them this. This often times psychologically destroys a child because they will growing up knowing only war, murder and hatred and would have become desensitized to many things all the while exhibiting symptoms of PTSD.
- Another article about child soldiers talks about being rehabilitated from their ways and trying to lead a normal life. This article looks at the obstacles that child soldiers face, the main one being PTSD. The article examines the types of therapy and rehabilitation that former child soldiers will undergo so as to live as normal a life as they possibly can. The article also discusses the barriers such as financial aid which inhibit the proper funding which is needed to help these former child soldiers.
- Another article talks about the blatant denial of the existence of child soldiers in Rwanda. In the article Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo denied any and all claims that child soldiers were being trained in her country for purposes of fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This article shows that even though child soldiers exist in many parts of the world (including Rwanda) that there are people that will still deny that this is happening in their own country. The issue of child soldiers is clearly a very serious international problem that needs to be addressed and dealt with on a global scale.
BBC News. (2014). Rwanda denies M23 child soldier claims as ‘ludicrous’. In Africa. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24424868
Integrated Regional Information Networks. (2014). DRC: Rebuilding the lives of children associated with armed groups. In Africa/Great Lakes. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.irinnews.org/indepthmain.aspx?indepthid=94&reportid=94655
Khabar South Asia. (2014). Al-Qaeda affiliates recruiting child soldiers in Syria. In Recent. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from, http://khabarsouthasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/features/2014/02/21/feature-01
The Telegraph. (2014). Child soldiers fighting in South Sudan conflict, says UN. In World/Africa. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/south-sudan/10579738/Child-soldiers-fighting-in-South-Sudan-conflict-says-UN.html
Many people are aware that certain organizations exist to help child soldiers leave these oppressive and dangerous groups. Many are not fully aware that a lot of these organizations are run on a volunteer basis and rely on donations, and as a result there is a lot of insufficient funding.
- One such useful resource is the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative. This resource founded by Roméo Dallaire aims to ending the use and recruitment of child soldiers worldwide. Roméo Dallaire, who himself had experienced the atrocities of war in Rwanda had founded this organization so that others can get the help that they deserve to recover from such traumatizing experiences. This resource is useful because it is an organization aimed at preventing children from being coerced into the military and exploited.
- Another useful resource is War Child. War Child is also designed to help children who are currently affected by war. This encompasses both children who are orphaned as a result of war or children who were child soldiers. Their mission consists of creating an environment where children can grow up free from armed conflict, free from oppression, and free to speak out on issues that affect them and their country in order to secure a war free future for future generations.
- Another useful resource is the British Redcross. This is a useful resource as it offers material that can be taught in classrooms as well as for general reading. The material that is offered is important because it aims to educate people about the harsh reality that child soldiers are forced to endure, as well as the danger that they face on a day to day basis. The teaching material also offers ways in which to help child soldiers seek help.
- One final resource is the UN website in regards to child soldiers. The UN is rather useful because they have data from just about everywhere in the world in regards to child soldiers and an abundance of resources aimed to help child soldiers escape from their conditions. The UN is also useful as a resource because they are one of the biggest organizations in the world and are internationally known; therefore they probably receive the most funding that can be allocated towards helping others. Overall, child soldiers is a very serious ongoing concern and people should try and do all that they can to prevent such horrible things from happening to otherwise innocent victims.
British Red Cross. (2014). Teaching Resources. In What we do. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Teacher-briefings/Child-soldiers
Child Soldiers International. (2014). Who are child soldiers? In About the issues. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from http://www.child-soldiers.org/
Children and Armed Conflict. (2014). Our work. In Advocacy. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/
War Child International. (2014). Child Soldiers. In Links and Resources. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.warchild.org/links_resources/childsoldiers/childsoldiers.html
Case Law
Child soldiers in regards to the law are also becoming a more serious concern. A lot of the times children cannot be tried because they do not have the mental capacity to appreciate the nature of their acts, and because many have been coerced and manipulated into becoming killing machines for military purposes.
A very well known case of someone who can be considered a child soldier was the case of R. v. Khadr. In this case Omar was as young as 16 when he received one on one weapons training. One can be as bold as to say that Omar was raised in a very strict Islamic household devoid from many Western influences, even being educated in Pakistan where it is said that he was funding alleged terrorist organizations. One can say that in his early life Omar was influenced a lot by his parents who thought of suicide bombers as religious martyrs and thought very highly of them. This in turn can be said to have influenced how Omar would grow up, to believe that it was normal to think in such a manner. Essentially Omar pleaded guilty to murder in violation of the laws of war, attempted murder in violation of the laws of war, conspiracy, two counts of providing material support for terrorism and spying. Omar is currently serving time at the Edmonton Institution for his crimes.
Canada (Prime Minister) v. Khadr, 2010 SCC 3, [2010] 1 S.C.R. 44
CBS News. (2007). Murder charges for Canadian Gitmo inmate. In World. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/murder-charges-for-canadian-gitmo-inmate/
CNN. (2010). Youngest Guantanamo detainee pleads guilty. In U.S. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/25/khadr.plea/
Rolling Stone. (2006). The Unending Torture of Omar Khadr. In Politics. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/11128331/follow_omar_khadr_from_an_al_qaeda_childhood_to_a_gitmo_cell
Another case law involving child soldiers is the groundbreaking case of Thomas Lubanga. Thomas Lubanga was the first person arrested under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. Thomas Lubanga has been tried and convicted for war crimes, some of which include: mass human rights violations, murder, rape, torture, ethnic massacres, and conscripting child soldiers. Thomas Lubanga’s case ties into the Conventions of the rights on the child due to the violations that were committed. This convention was the first legally binding international tool to integrate the full range of human rights—civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. It was decided that children are vulnerable thus needing a special type of protection. This convention also came into existence because it was important to acknowledge that children have rights too, and that they cannot just be exploited without consequence and that they must be protected from such things (such as conscription). Also, it is important to note that the Convention outlines the rights that children have which includes the right to survival, to expand to their fullest potential, protection from harmful influences such as abuse and exploitation, and to participate fully in family, cultural and social organizations. This is important because many children that are affected as a result of war find that they have been stripped of these rights one way or another, which is important to ensure that they are protected.
Convention on the Rights of the Child, G.A. res. 44/25, annex, 44 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 167, U.N. Doc. A/44/49 (1989), entered into force Sept. 2, 1990.
Prosecutor v. Lubanga Dylio (Judgement) ICC-01/04-01/06 (14 March 2012)
Unicef. (2013). Conventions on the rights of the Child. In Introduction. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/
Overall, there are still hundreds of children that are coerced into some type of military service everyday around the globe. It is up to society to become educated on how to help child soldiers rehabilitate and live a more normal functional life than the one that they knew.
Amnesty International. (2014). Children and Human rights. In Learn about Human Rights. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from http://www.amnesty.org/en/children
BBC News. (2014). Rwanda denies M23 child soldier claims as ‘ludicrous’. In Africa. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24424868
British Red Cross. (2014). Teaching Resources. In What we do. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Teacher-briefings/Child-soldiers
Canada (Prime Minister) v. Khadr, 2010 SCC 3, [2010] 1 S.C.R. 44
CBS News. (2007). Murder charges for Canadian Gitmo inmate. In World. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/murder-charges-for-canadian-gitmo-inmate/
Child Soldiers International. (2014). Child Soldiers: A Handbook for Security Sector Actors. In What’s new?. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.childsoldiers.org/welcome/
Child Soldiers International. (2014). Who are child soldiers? In About the issues. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from http://www.child-soldiers.org/
Children and Armed Conflict. (2014). Our work. In Advocacy. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/
CNN. (2010). Youngest Guantanamo detainee pleads guilty. In U.S. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/25/khadr.plea/
Convention on the Rights of the Child, G.A. res. 44/25, annex, 44 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 167, U.N. Doc. A/44/49 (1989), entered into force Sept. 2, 1990.
Human Rights Watch. (2014). Child Soldiers. In News. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.hrw.org/topic/childrens-rights/child-soldiers
Integrated Regional Information Networks. (2014). DRC: Rebuilding the lives of children associated with armed groups. In Africa/Great Lakes. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.irinnews.org/indepthmain.aspx?indepthid=94&reportid=94655
Khabar South Asia. (2014). Al-Qaeda affiliates recruiting child soldiers in Syria. In Recent. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from, http://khabarsouthasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/features/2014/02/21/feature-01
Prosecutor v. Lubanga Dylio (Judgement) ICC-01/04-01/06 (14 March 2012)
Rolling Stone. (2006). The Unending Torture of Omar Khadr. In Politics. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/11128331/follow_omar_khadr_from_an_al_qaeda_childhood_to_a_gitmo_cell
The Telegraph. (2014). Child soldiers fighting in South Sudan conflict, says UN. In World/Africa. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/south-sudan/10579738/Child-soldiers-fighting-in-South-Sudan-conflict-says-UN.html
Unicef. (2013). Conventions on the rights of the Child. In Introduction. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/
War Child International. (2014). Child Soldiers. In Links and Resources. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.warchild.org/links_resources/childsoldiers/childsoldiers.html