CHILD SOLDIERS

C. SheppardGGS 12

2011

What is a child?

At what age do you stop calling a young person a “child”?

What are the basic needs of children?

What can happen if these needs are not met?

Should there be an age limit for someone to be recruited into an armed force?

What should this age limit be? Why?

Tamil Tigers – Sri Lanka

What should be the minimum age for combatants?

What does the law say?

The parties to the conflict shall take all feasible measures in order that children who have not attained the age of fifteen years do not take a direct part in the hostilities and, in particular,

they shall refrain from recruiting them into their armed forces.

Article 77 - Protocol I of 1977, additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949

Child Soldier Definition

Any child - boy or girl - under 18 years of age, who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity, including, but not limited to: cooks, porters, messengers, and anyone accompanying such groups other than family members. It includes girls and boys recruited for sexual purposes and/or forced marriage. The definition, therefore, does not only refer to a child who is carrying, or has carried weapons. (UNICEF)

Global Use of Child Soldiers• It is estimated that more than 300, 000 children under

18 are actively participating in armed conflicts worldwide. (Rayner)

• Child soldiers exist in more than thirty countries worldwide. (UN Works)

In what countries have you heard of child soldiers being used?In what countries have you heard of child soldiers being used?

Why do military commanders want children?

• they don’t ask questions; they follow orders

• they can be easily controlled• they can be made martyrs• need for fighters• they are not fully aware of

the risks Chad

Why might children join a military group?

• revenge, anger• no parental/family support• self-protection• peer pressure• their society values

warfare, heroism, martyrdom

Sudan

http://ehl.redcross.org/curriculum/module2/C-resources.php

Video: “I Don’t Want to Go Back”

Video: “I Don’t Want to Go Back”

Works CitedBeah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Child Soldier. Vancouver: Douglas and MacIntyre,

2007.

“Child Soldiers.” Amnesty International. 2009. Online. October 8, 2009. http://www.amnestyusa.org/children/child-soldiers/page.do?id=1051047

“Child Soldiers.” United National Cyber School Bus. 2009. Online. October 8, 2009. http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/childsoldiers/whatsgoingon/

“Children in Armed Conflict.” UNICEF. 2009. Online. October 8, 2009. http://www.unicef.org/emerg/index_childsoldiers.html

“Children in War.” International Committee of the Red Cross. 2009. Online. October 8, 2009. http://www.icrc.org/eng/children

“Exploring Humanitarian Law.” ICRC. 2009. Online. October 9, 2009. http://ehl.redcross.org/curriculum/

Rayner, Amanda, ed. A Life Like Mine: How Children Live Around the World. London: DK Publishing, 2002.

“What’s Going On - Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone.” UN Works. 2009. Online. October 8, 2009. http://www.un.org/works/goingon/soldiers/lessonplan_soldiers.html