Child soldiers

1. Child soldiers By Allie Snyder HSP 406

2. When one has no one left on the earth, neither father nor mother, neither brother nor sister, and when one is small, a little boy in a damned and barbaric country where everyone slashes each others throats, what does one do?.......... Of course, one becomes and child soldier, a small soldier, to get one’s fair share of eating and butchering as well. Only that remains. - AhmadouKourouma

3. Intro I wanted to choose a topic that was out of my comfort zone that I didn’t know a lot of information about. I have heard about child soldiers in the news and throughout school but I had only scratched the surface. A child solider is not just a child with a gun in a third world country. A child soldier can be a slave working in mines, a kidnapped young girl forced into slavery, or a child who is forced to work in dangerous conditions for an illegal cause. Countries all over the world are forcing young children into war and it is becoming more and more frequent. In this presentation I will take you on a journey about some of the shocking information I learned about child soldiers. WARNING: Some pictures may be disturbing in terms of violence. -Thank you.

4. LAW OF INNOCENCE In ancient times there was an out line of rules for war. Under these rules lied the “law of innocence's” while many rules were broken during war times the law of innocence's was considered most sacred. Law of Innocence- “the old, the infirm, women, and most particularly children” were exempt from war. (Singer, 2005)

5. Child soldiers all over the world (Walker, 2012)

6. CHILD SOLDIERs ALL OVER THE WORLD Many people assume child soldiers only exist in Africa and Iraq when really they are located all over the globe in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia, and Sudan. Many are involved in protecting illegal activity such as drug trade, mining, and rebel groups. Some children go into war willingly because they think they will have a better life. They see the power that guns and ammunition have but they don’t understand the responsibility that comes with handling these weapons. Most children are forced into war and are kidnapped by rebel groups. Many children try escaping but few succeed in their attempts.

7. Child soldier-Volunteers In an article I read called “From Soldiers to Children” they discussed why children volunteer to be soldiers. “War can serve as a rite of passage to maturity and can accelerate the transition from childhood to adulthood” (Kyulanova, 2010). When we are young children we want to grow up so quickly and be accepted as an adult. We aspire to be everything our parents and adult figures are around us. When recruiters come to tribes flaunting guns and power of course these children want to be apart of it because they think they can make their parents proud or feel more independent. Some children are running away from a troubled past and see the army as a group full of acceptance and a way out.

8. Child soldier-captured • Rebels abduct innocent children from villages, drug them, put them through intense physical labor, and indoctrination to convert them into child soldiers (Carryer, 2007). • The goal is to make them feel numb when it comes to feeling any sort of emotions or they won’t be fearless killers. • Some female child soldiers are abducted as young as 7 to be used as sex slaves and to fight. • Local communities work together to reintegrate and promote healing among child soldiers who are rescued or escape. These healing methods include “freeing former soldiers from a contaminated past, purifying them, promoting physical and spiritual healing, and protecting them from the spirits of the dead” (Carryer, 2007).

9. Africa = highest number of child soldiers Throughout the regions of war torn countries in Africa including Sierra Leon, Liberia, Mozambique, Sudan, Congo, Angola, Rwanda, and Somalia 120,000 of their soldiers are children. They are going against international laws that protect children to secure a foundation of strong military leaders for their future. These communities are having to deal with the severe effects of child soldiers who disrespect their elders and act superior to everyone else. (Francis, 2007)

10. Child soldiers This is the trailer to a documentary called Conflict Minerals, Rebels, and Child Soldiers. I attached the link to the entire documentary if you would like to watch it. It takes you into the heart of the congo and shows you just how much conflict minerals are effecting their country in relation to child labor, child soldiers, harsh working conditions, and fighting rebel groups. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYqrflGpTRE The Fair Trade Minerals act was started to ensure that safe working conditions were occurring in this country and that children were not being put to work in the mines. If the rules were not being followed western businesses would not support the production of minerals. In the areas closer to the cities the miners followed the rules that were in place. But the deeper they went into the jungle the more child soldiers, rebels, and child workers they found. (Alvi, 2012)

11. Child soldiers in iraq • There was extensive military training of children under the Ba'ath party government in power until March 2003. • The Ashbal Saddam (Saddam Lion Cubs), formed after the 1991 Gulf War, recruited children aged 10 to 15 years old who attended three-week training courses in use of weapons, hand-to-hand fighting and infantry tactics. • There were an estimated 8,000 members in Baghdad alone. • There was no evidence that these children participated in hostilities. (All bulleted information from Child Soldiers International). In the book Children of War, Voices of Iraqi Refugees I had the opportunity to read first hand accounts of families and children who had fled Iraq to Jordan so they wouldn’t be surrounded by car bombings, raids, and gun shots on a daily basis. One young girl stated that she and her family fled the country so her brother would not become a child soldier. Her mother was so fearful about what could happen to her son it was heart breaking. (Ellis, 2010)

12. Child soldiers in Colombia • The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) a Colombian rebel group has been recruiting child soldiers as young as 10 years old for the last 5 decades. (Romo, 2012) • Much like in Africa and Iraq many children are kidnapped and forced into the guerilla army but a number of children are so impoverished that they volunteer in hopes of receiving clothing, shelter, and food. • Guerrilla groups recruit children to do their dirty work which includes extremely dangerous activities in which their lives are constantly at risk. They're installing land mines, they're transporting explosives, they're kidnapping, they're involved in all of the activities that the adults are doing. (Romo. 2012)

13. PUTTING A STOP TO CHILD SOLDIERS • You can’t prevent kidnapping but parents can influence their child’s decision to join the army on their own accord. Having a strong sense of commitment to the family is very important, you want the child to feel responsibility for the family and to feel appreciated. Let them know they are contributing to the family. (Carlton-Ford, 2010) • If a child feels like they are not contributing and that they are not appreciated they will go somewhere else to get that feeling such as rebel army groups. • You personally can help put a stop to child soldiers by purchasing conflict free and fair trade items in the grocery and clothing stores. Many times if an item such as clothing, chocolate, diamonds, and coffee are not conflict free or fair trade there is child labor involved. Be conscious of your purchases and don’t support the companies that support illegal child labor.

14. Food for thought Here is something for you to think about after viewing my presentation…. “Since modern warfare is changing is it acceptable to have child soldiers? “ Women used to not be allowed to fight in combat and as time went on and traditions changed they were allowed to. Can the same be said about the acceptance of child soldier’s? Thank you for taking the time to view my presentation.

15. References Alvi, A. (Performer) (2012). Conflict minerals [Web series episode]. In Vice. New York: Vice. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYqrflGpTRE Carryer, B. (2007). Child soldiers in africa. African Studies Review, 50(2), 249-251. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211679560?accountid=2257 Child Soldiers International, Child Soldiers Global Report 2004 - Iraq, 2004, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/498806521e.html [accessed 17 May 2013] Ellis, D. (2010). Children of war, voices of iraqi refugees. Groundwood Books Ltd. Francis, D. J. (2007). 'Paper protection' mechanisms: Child soldiers and the international protection of children in africa's conflict zones. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 45(2), 207-231. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196398765?accountid=2257

16. References Kyulanova, I. (2010). From soldiers to children: Undoing the rite of passage in ishmaelbeah's a long way gone and bernardashley's little soldier. Studies in the Novel, 42(1), 28-47,203. Macguire, E. (2012, October 9). Ex-child soldier . Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/08/world/africa/ishmael-beah-child-soldier Romo, R. (2012, October 15). Horrific use of child soldiers rising in colombia. Retrieved from http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/15/horrific-use-of-child-soldiers-rising-in-colombia-report-finds/ Singer, P. W. (2005). Children at war. New York, USA: Pantheon. Walker, J. (2012, March). Child soldiers global report . Retrieved from http://thisaffectedyouth.co.uk/2012/03/invisible-children-the-lords-resistance-army-the-truth-about-kony2012/