- Target:
- to make people aware of child soliders and put a stop to it
- Region:
- GLOBAL
The military use of children takes three distinct forms: children can take direct part in hostilities (child soldiers), or they can be used in support roles such as porters, spies, messengers, look outs, and sexual slaves; or they can be used for political advantage either as human shields or in propaganda.
Throughout history and in many cultures, children have been extensively involved in military campaigns even when such practices were supposedly against cultural morals. Since the 1970s, a number of international conventions have come into effect that try to limit the participation of children in armed conflicts, nevertheless the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers reports that the use of children in military forces, and the active participation of children in armed conflicts is widespread.
There are an estimated three hundred thousand child soldiers around the world. Every year the number grows as more children are recruited for use in active combat.
Here you can listen to these children explain how they became soldiers, what stops them from leaving and how some have managed to build new lives for themselves.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Stop the exploitation of child soliders petition to to make people aware of child soliders and put a stop to it was written by zara and is in the category Children's Rights at GoPetition.