Makenzie

Children at War
Mackenzie Knapp
Mr. Babcock
May 8, 2015
2
Preface
For the most part the Western world is not affected by the atrocities of war, and as
a result children of the West dont have to worry about losing their formative years. The
internationally agreed definition for a child associated with an armed force or armed
group (child soldiers) is, any person below eighteen years of age who is, or who has
been, recruited or used by an armed force or armed group in any capacity, including but
not limited to children, boys and girls, used as fighters, cooks, porters, messengers, spies,
or for sexual purposes. It does not only refer to a child who is taking or has taken a direct
part in hostilities.1
Since 2000, child soldiers have been reported in most armed conflicts and in
almost every region of the world. There is no exact figure because the numbers
continually change, but tens of thousands of children under eighteen serve in government
forces or armed opposition groups. Some children involved are even as young as ten.2
Both genders are used in conflict and they play a wide variety of roles. Frontline
duties include fighting, but most are used as porters, couriers, spies, guards, suicide
bombers, or human shields. They also perform domestic duties such as cooking and
cleaning. Boys and girls may also be used for sexual purposes by armed forces or groups.
Children that participate are unlawfully recruited, either by force or at an age below that
is permitted in national law or international standards.3 International standards do not
prohibit the voluntary recruitment of sixteen and seventeen year olds by armed forces; it
is contrary to best practice.4 Today, close to two thirds of states recognize banning
children under the age of eighteen from military ranks is necessary in order to protect
3
them from risk of involvement in armed conflict.5 They ensure their well-being and other
rights as children are respected. The use of child soldiers causes significant damage to a
country in the long run: it destabilizes the region; The children lose their formative years
and they are raised in an environment where violence is the norm; the child soldiers, who
eventually become parents, will have not had the opportunity to be raised in a caring
environment throughout their formative years, and as such will struggle to pass on a
nurturing parental skill set.
Table of Contents
Preface
Pg 2
Research Methods
Pg 5
Background
Pg 6
Expert
Pg 9
Role of Control
Pg 11
Logic of Evil
Pg 12
Case Study: Uganda
Pg 17
Case Study: Myanmar
Pg 20
Case Study: Syria
Pg 22
International Organizations
Pg 14
Connection to Canada
Pg 24
Solutions
Pg 26
Summary of Research Methods

The novel A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beach has
provided valuable information that is about child soldiers. Multiple organizations such as
War Child, Child Soldiers International, and Child Soldiers Children in Conflict are set
up to help end the recruitment of child soldiers and have provided information about this
issue. Multiple PDFs have also given reliable information about this topic. Wikipedia has
been used as a starting point for research.
Background
Most people around the world are shocked by the fact that child soldiers with
modern automatic weapons fight in some of the most bitter wars. Child soldiers have
been used throughout history and had been accepted in almost all societies until recently.6
Before the 1800s Romans used youths in war. They understood it was unwise and cruel
to use children in war and Plutarch implies that regulations required youths to be at least
sixteen-years-old.7 In Medieval Europe, boys around the age of twelve were used as
military aides. In theory, their role in actual combat was limited.8 During the 1800s
young boys often took part in battles during early modern warfare. When Napolean was
faced with an invasion of a massive Allied force in 1814, he conscripted many teens for
his armies.9 Orphans between the ages of fourteen and seventeen of the Imperial Guard
fought in the Netherlands with Marshal MacDonald in 1813-1814.10 Bugler John Cook
served in the U.S. Army at the age of fifteen and received the Medal of Honor for his acts
during the Civil War Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American History.11 In
Africa, boys have traditionally been used as soldiers. Shaka, the great Zulu Warrior King,
organized the practice. At age 6, boys joined Shakas army as apprentice soldiers.12 They
carried spare weapons and did other chores, but as skills developed they took their places
as regular soldiers.
During the world wars, the United States had formal age requirements for military
service. American armed forces were composed of men 17 and over. This was not the
case for many nations. The youngest known soldier of World War I was Momcilo Gavric.
7
He joined the 6th Artillery Division of the Serbian Army at the age of eight because
Austro-Hungarian troops in August 1914 killed his parents, grandmother, and seven of
his siblings.13 In Western Europe, boys as young as twelve enlisted for active service in
huge numbers.14 Many served in the bloodiest battles of the war. The German military
equipped an entire SS Panzer Tank Division and manned it with 16 and 17 year old boys
from the Hitler Youth brigades as a last resort.15 As World War II dragged on, the
German soldiers suffered more casualties and more teens were accepted, originally as
reserve troops, but eventually became regular troops. The German ethic of the boy soldier
not only encouraged service, but towards the end of the war, the Germans were drafting
boys as young as 12 years old.16 Children saw extensive action and were among the
fiercest and effective German defenders in the Battle of Berlin.
Also during World War II, the Russian army used many boy soldiers due to the
loss of their soldiers in a war of attrition during Operation Barberossa. The German
invasion killed 22 million Russians.17 Most boys were orphaned and wanted revenge.
They joined the military. The Polish Military also had boy soldiers and their motto was
kill or be killed. The Japanese made use of boy soldiers when their losses started
mounting. Young boys volunteered to be Kamikaze suicide bombers because they
thought their death would pay the debt they owed.18 Khmer Rouge of Cambodia made the
most terrible use of child soldiers in the late 1970s. Their genocide executed about one
million people and they used the children as the executers.19
Recently, conflicts have continued the use of child soldiers: the Tamil Tigers
terrorist revolutionaries in Sri Lanka used boys to act as suicide bombers; this was then
copied by the Palestinians and other Arab terrorists.20 These children were used in the
8
Intifadas against Israel; in the Iran Iraq war, both countries used boy soldiers. Iran used
boy soldiers to clear minefields for the more mature soldiers to advance. In many attacks,
young children and women were sent in advance to face the troops before the regular
forces went in. Iraqis used heavy machinery against the unarmed young soldiers.21
The International Law today makes it illegal, but it is hard to enforce and is considered
normal, effective and necessary by those who exploit the children.22 See appendix.
9
Expert
Dr. Samantha Nutt and Eric Hoskins are the founders of War Child and Samantha
Nutt is now the executive director of War Child. War Child Canada has two executives,
five board members, and hundreds of volunteers. Samantha is a medical doctor with
fifteen years of experience working in war zones. Dr. Samantha Nutt is committed to
peace, human rights, and social justice; she has worked in some of the worlds most
violent flashpoints with War Child.23 She has worked in Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Burundi, northern
Uganda, Ethiopia, and the Thai-Burmese border with the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations. She has spearheaded efforts to provide direct humanitarian
support and long-term programming to war-affected children and their families.
War Child promotes greater awareness in Canada concerning the rights of
children everywhere. Dr. Samantha Nutts work has been widely recognized; she was a
recipient of Canadas Top 40 under 40 Award by the Globe and Mail, she has been
designated by the Time Magazine as one of Canadas Five Leading Activists, CBC
profiles her as a Canadian Leader, CTV National News has declared her a Canadian
Success Story, and Global TV has declared her a National Trailblazer.24 Macleans
Magazine featured her in their annual Honour Roll as one of Twelve Canadians Making
a Difference. Canadas Chatelaine Magazine has named her one of Twelve Canadian
Women Who Should Run for Politics. She has been described by Hello Magazine as one
of Canadas Top Ten Outstanding Women, and she has been featured as a guest on
CBC Televisions The Hour.25 In July 2011, Samantha was appointed to the Order of
10
Canada, one of the highest civilian honours in Canada, the Globe and Mail has profiled
her as a nominee for Nation Builde of the Year, and she has been honoured as one of
Canadas Top 100 Most Powerful Women.26 Samantha has written for Macleans
Magazine covering war-related issues. She has her MD, MSc, FRCPC, and CCFP. She is
also bilingual. War Child has had a huge impact in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria,
Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. War Child has
been focusing on girls who have been used as soldiers or as wives in Northern Uganda
and Eastern Congo. They have been providing education, counseling and health services
for girls. They have been working with former child soldiers in Africa for years and they
have been helping former child soldiers reintegrate back into society and education. War
Child is protecting children, improving their lives, and giving children a future.
11
Role of Control
Children all around the world are forced into government militias and rebel armed
forces groups. They are forced to do horrific tasks at a young age and this brainwashes
them into thinking what they are doing is okay. Child soldiers are forced to torture and
kill innocent people. The armed groups and militias who use child soldiers have control.
The government, organizations, families, and children that are affected by what is
happening need to wrest it back. Child soldiers will eventually grow up and some may
take on a political role in their country, but because of how they were raised the decisions
they make could do more harm than good and even more conflicts could arise. The
governments in the affected countries have the power to stop using the child soldiers.
NGOs, governments, and the international community care about this situation. There are
multiple NGOs worldwide that have stepped in and attempted to stop the use of child
soldiers, but not enough people are involved to make a real difference. There are multiple
organizations that run on social media. They use social media to try and get the attention
of others around the world because news channels hardly ever show stories that relate to
child soldiers. The medias control over the situation is limited.
12
Logic of Evil
Governments and rebel armed groups recruit children to be soldiers because they
are more obedient, they do not question orders, they are easier to manipulate, and they do
not demand pay.27 In their minds, children are a quick fix, a simple solution to a large
problem. Some rebel armed groups and governments may believe that they are helping
the children by recruiting them.28 The child may have been orphaned and have no other
option than to join because if they do not, their chances of survival are slim. The rebel
armed groups and governments could also recruit children with the belief it is in the best
interest of the country and its people. Creating child soldiers prepares them for adulthood,
making them ruthless so they can govern later. They are using child soldiers to fight for
their purposes and they believe that what they are doing is right. Using children as
soldiers has been the norm for decades and only recently that has changed. Some
countries such as Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Afghanistan
have chosen to ignore the laws and have chosen to not sign the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict,
that protect children and that make it illegal for anyone under eighteen to be part of the
military. Where there is religious based governments, many militias have formed against
them. They believe that the governments views and policies are unjust so they express
themselves through violence and disgusting, inhumane ways. Especially in Africa,
militias are working for governments of other countries or their own. These militias will
do things that the governments refuse to do themselves because it could reflect negatively
on them and may cause problems with the UN and other countries. All groups that use
13
child soldiers have a reason for it. It may not be logical to others, but that is of little
consequence.
14
Religion and Spirituality
Lords Resistance Army is a Christian extremist religious movement that operated

in northern Uganda and South Sudan.29 They were originally called the United Holy
Salvation Army and Uganda Christian Army/Movement. LRA believe in African
mysticism and Christian fundamentalism.30 LRA combines both militaristic and spiritual
elements, and Jospeh Kony, the leader of the LRA, commands the group with cult-like
beliefs the most important being his absolute authority.31
ISIS claims religious, political, and military authority over all Muslims
worldwide. They follow an extreme literal interpretation of Islam, promote religious
violence, and regard those who do not agree with its interpretations as infidels or
apostates.32 It has recently been proven that ISIS uses children as soldiers.33 ISIS trains
them at special camps for Cubs of Islamic State. Children wield AK-47s, watch
beheadings and train in military drills before graduating from the camps within one
month. They are trained for a life of jihad.
There are also multiple NGOs that help support child soldiers so they can
reconnect with their family loyalties and their religious beliefs.
15
International Organizations
Child Soldiers International
Child Soldiers International (CSI) is an international organization that focuses on

the human rights of children. They want a world where all children can grow up under
conditions that allow them to realize their full potential and enjoy their fundamental
human rights. Their goals are to end the use of children in hostilities by government
armed forces, build momentum towards achieving a global ban on the voluntary
recruitment of children (under the age of 18) by state armed forces, and improve the
effectiveness of interventions to prevent the recruitment and use of children by non-state
armed groups. They also want to make individuals responsible for the unlawful
recruitment and use of children accountable, and promote the application of human rights
standards to process for the release, recovery and reintegration of child soldiers.34 Child
Soldiers International was established in 1998 by a coalition of leading human rights and
humanitarian organizations such as: Amnesty International; Defense for Children
International; Human Rights Watch; International Federation Terre des Hommes;
International Save the Children Alliance; Jesuit Refugee Service; the Quaker United
Nations Office Geneva; and World Vision International.35 Their original purpose was to
campaign for the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (OPAC)
treaty.36 Effective implementation of OPAC forms a core part of their work today. The
countries they have prioritized are Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India,
16
Myanmar, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. (The United Kingdom finds itself on this
list due to its age of voluntary recruitment of sixteen.)37 CSI is committed to ensuring the
release and reintegration into society of girls and boys associated with fighting forces.
CSI works in partnership with local NGOs in target countries, if possible, to design and
implement projects. They seek to engage governments in a dialogue about child soldiers
and conduct international advocacy to bring about change.
War Child
Samantha Nutt and Eric Hoskins founded war Child in North America in 1999.
War Child is an award-winning international charity.38 They aim to protect childhood.
Theyre helping families around the world give children a safe start in life and give their
communities the best chance for a peaceful future. They aim to restore every childs
right to learn in war zones by pioneering new delivery methods, adapting curriculums,
and training new educators. War Child provides skills training, investment and support
for families whose opportunities have been compromised by war; enabling mothers and
fathers to bring home an income, provide for their children and contribute to their
communitys growth towards economic stability. They help rebuild legal structures,
provide access to free legal counsel and they ensure judges, community leaders, and
police in a country enveloped in conflict, understand the meaning of civil rights.39 There
is a long list of countries where War Child works for change. War Child is currently
involved in Sudan, improving the lives of Sudanese families; in Afghanistan,
empowering mothers, giving children a future; in Dominican Republic of the Congo,
protecting and giving an education to girls through distance learning; in Jordan,
17
improving the lives of refugee children; in South Sudan, giving education and food
security for families; and Uganda, where they teach gender-based violence protection for
women and children, and give an education for refugee children.40
UNICEF
UNICEF is an inter-government organization that is recognized worldwide.
UNICEF wants to help develop countries economically, facilitate cooperation in
international law, aid international security, ensure countries progress socially, advocate
for human rights and largely keep world peace.
UNICEF has created multiple developments over the past decade with a goal of
strengthening the protection of children in armed conflict. UNICEF and other
organizations have joined NGOs and childs rights advocates in advocating a ban on all
children under the age of eighteen participating in hostilities.
Since the mid 1980s, UNICEF has played a key role in advocating and securing
the release of children from armed forced and other combatant groups in Afghanistan,
Angola, Burundi, Colombia, the DRC, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda,
Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Uganda.41 UNICEF has provided care,
technical guidance and, at times, financial support for successful implementation of
national programs for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.42
18
Case Study 1 Uganda
The Republic of Uganda is in East Africa; Kampala is the capital and the largest
city.The president is Yoweri Museveni and the Prime Minister is Ruhakana Rugundola.
The official languages are English and Swahili. Child soldiers have been a major problem
in Uganda because of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA). While Uganda was under
British Colonial rule, the British officers favoured the people of the south. When Uganda
gained independence in 1962, the northerners rebelled which caused a civil war between
the north and south.43 In 1986, rebel leader Yoweri Museuni was sworn in as President.
Northern groups still felt unfairly treated and under-represented in government so they
have been rebelling via armed resistance since 1986.44 Armed groups such as the Uganda
Peoples Democratic Army and the Holy Spirit Movement fought. A man named Joseph
Kony formed a rebel group that is now named the Lords Resistance Army. The LRA is
the only lasting rebel group from this period of resistance. Joseph Kony quickly rose to
power in the LRA, claiming spiritual powers and promising success to his followers.
Kony has been forcibly abducting people to join ranks since 1986, but Kony started
abducting children to fill the ranks of his army after his rebellion (that originally claimed
to be seeking liberation for northern Uganda) lost regional support.45
Ongwen, Konys top commander, surrendered and used to be a child soldier. His
grandmother said she last saw him 1990. He was abducted by the LRA when he was
coming back from primary school in Northern Uganda.
19
Ugandan soldiers and national forces were working together in cooperation to

track down and eliminate the elements of the LRA. The United Nations had been
attentive to the evolution of the situation because of the negative impact of the LRA.46
The LRA left Uganda for good once the Juba Peace Talks (negotiations seeking an end to
the conflict) began in 2006. Since 2008, they have carried out their attacks in the border
regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and the Central
African Republic (CAR).47 Because of increased awareness and global efforts to stop the
group, the entire fighting force of the LRA has been reduced from approximately 1,000 at
the end of the Juba Peace Talks in 2008 to an estimated 200 fighters in 2014, not
counting abducted women and children who are used as wives and porters. Even
though their numbers have diminished over the years, their capacity for destruction
continues to be disproportionately large, with hundreds of thousands in central Africa
currently displaced because of the group.48
Amnesty International interviewed a fifteen-year-old girl that was forcibly

abducted at night from her home by the LRA. She was made to kill a boy who tried to
escape. She saw another boy being hacked to death for not raising the alarm when a
friend ran away. She was beaten when she dropped a water container and ran for cover
under gunfire. She received 35 days of military training and was sent to fight the
government army. She ended her interview with this plea I would like to give a
message. Please do your best to tell the world what is happening to us, the children. So
that other children dont have to pass through this violence.49
20
Children are not volunteering to join the LRA; they have been forced out of their
homes and kidnapped. As many as 38,000 young soldiers are estimated to have been
abducted and forced to fight by the LRA.50 Children of any age are abducted and forced
into tough training; training which focuses on hatred and death. Rebels masquerade as
military soldiers, or attack when villagers gather together for occasions such as church
services.51 They launch vicious attacks, killing the weak and the old with machetes,
swords, or stones. The LRA capture those who could be of use to them, including
children strong enough to carry weapons. The captives are tied together and marched to
camps where they are violently indoctrinated and turned into soldiers, porters, cooks, or
sex slaves.52 Captives are often forced to kill or rape their family members, making it
impossible for them to return home.53 Those who resist or try to escape are tortured and
killed. They are forced to commit atrocities, such as shooting up and burning villages.
One third of the child soldiers are girls. They are sexually exploited and forced to live
like animals.54 Boy soldiers are often forced to do hard drugs and get addicted. Many
young soldiers have been saved, but there are no exact numbers.
21
Case Study 2 Myanmar
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia.

Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, and Thailand border it. The President is Thein Sein and
the Vice Preseidents are Sai Mauk Kham and Myan Tun.
The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) used to be a part

of the Communist Party (Burma). It became the first faction of about a dozen to sign a
bilateral cease-fire agreement with the military government after the group broke apart in
1989.55 Pheung Kya-Shin was the leader of the Kokang Special Region and MNDAA.
They enjoyed ceasefire with the government from 1989 to 2009.56
In 2009, when the MNDAA came under pressure to transform into a Paramilitary
Border Guard Force under the control of the Burmese Army the calm faltered.57 The
MNDAA resisted the move, and the hostilities from the army increased, due to MNDAA
links with the drug trade. After the 2009 Kokang incident, Pheung was driven out by his
competitors from within the army and fled after a warrant was issued for his arrest.58
Reuters (an international news agency) reported in March 2015 that the MNDAA uses
child soldiers in the conflict.59
22
Children in Myanmar have been widely used in armed conflict by state armed
forces and non-state armed groups. There is a minimum age of eighteen for military
recruitment, but despite that, hundreds of boys have been recruited, usually by force into
the National Army.60 They are deployed to areas where state forces have been fighting
armed opposition groups.
The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), Kachin Independence Army

(KIA), Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA), Karenni
National Progressive Party/Karenni Army (KNPP/KA), Shan State Army South (SSA-S),
United Wa State Army (UWSA) are armed opposition groups that have reportedly
recruited children.61
Child Soldiers International interviewed former child soldiers in 2011 and they
indicated that the conditions in the centres where they were initially held after
recruitment and in the training camps were extremely poor. The barracks were
overcrowded, the quality of food was poor and nutritionally inadequate, and senior
personnel routinely beat child soldiers.62
The army is no place for children, said Kyaw who was persuaded to forge his
documents and enlist in the army at 15. Kyaw is just one of the hundreds of boys who
served in the armed forces in Myanmar. Kyaw remembers the training camp, I had to
crawl and crawl again under the hot sun. I couldnt even eat afterwards. Once I had to
23
carry a 24kg rice bag. When I couldnt carry it, I was kicked in the face and my body in
front of everyone.63
Children deployed in the front lines have been used to carry weapons, detonate
landmines and work as porters to carry goods and rations. They have been exposed to
active fighting and often sustain serious or lethal injuries as a direct result of the fighting
or landmines.64
The stated minimum education requirement for entry into the Myanmar military is
a fourth grade pass.65 However, information gathered by Child Soldiers International
shows that this is often ignored and the criterion of education is often not taken into
consideration during the recruitment process. Nor is the age of the child. A child can be
literally pulled off the streets as a recruitment process. In addition to the required
documents, military procedures require the prospective recruit to undergo a medical
check. These constitute 13 visual checks of the body primarily focusing on their
extremities. The physical examination also includes X-rays. An eye test and a genital
examination are also completed.66 While these tests serve the purpose of establishing
whether the candidate is physically fit for military service, the medical examination is
considered unreliable for an accurate determination of age although age does not seem to
be a priority of concern.67
24
Case Study 3 Syria
The Syrian Arab Republic is located in Western Asia and is a home to diverse
ethnic and religious groups such as Arabs, Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds,
Circassians, Mandeans, and Turks. The President of Syria is Bashar al-Assad and the
Prime Minister is Wael Nader al-Halqi.68
The armed conflict in Syria began in 2011 when the Arab Spring protests began.
It gradually morphed from prominent protests to an armed rebellion after months of
military sieges.69 Since then, there have been multiple serious violations of international
law. The Syrian government armed forces have mainly been responsible for these
violations. All factions in the Syrian conflict have recruited child soldiers, it is unclear if
formal units composed solely of minors have been formed by any of the arm factions in
the war, with the possible exception of the Islamic State Group.70 Outside of the Islamic
State Group (ISIS), minors fighting in the conflict of do so within irregular formations
that lack normal rank structures.71
Riad, a sixteen-year-old, trained for fifteen days in Kafr Hamra, Aleppo, with a
group of 250 to 300 people. He said that many of the trainees in his group were under
eighteen, and some were as young as twelve.
It was a very difficult camp. They gave us a very severe training. We would
wake up, pray, after prayer maybe around 9 a.m. we did exercise, then rest in
the room, then Sharia courses, then military study, then more Sharia courses,
25
then some rest, prayer. Between afternoon prayers, they didnt let us sleep,
they would come in our tent and fire into the sky and send us to guard a
trench. Many times we fell asleep in this trench because we were so tired.72
Human Rights Watch found that boys as young as fourteen assisted in support
roles for the Free Syrian Army. Five defected Syrian officers founded the Free Syrian
Army during the Syrian Civil War in 2011.73 Their goal is to bring down the system.74
The number of armed groups in Syria has proliferated to include extremist groups such as
Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS). They have all sought to
recruit children. Opposition armed groups use boys as young as fifteen as fighters. Boys
fought on the frontlines, spied on hostile forces, acted as snipers, treated the wounded on
battlefields, and ferried ammunition and other supplies to battles while fighting raged.
The number of children who have taken part in Syrias armed conflict is unknown.75 76
Boys have joined armed opposition groups such as Syria Revolutionaries Front
and Al-Qassas Army to follow their relatives or friends; because they lived in battle
zones without open schools. They may have participated in public protests and then
suffered at the hands of the government.77 Groups such as ISIS have more aggressively
targeted children for recruitment, providing free lectures and US$135 and others
participated without pay.78 Many children did attend training camps where they learned
military tactics and had weapons training. Children are being used for logistics, handling
ammunition, manning checkpoints and as combatants.79
26
Canadian Connection
Canada has long been recognized as a leading advocate on children and armed
conflict. Canada hosted the first International Conference on War-Affected Children in
Winnipeg in 2000, galvanizing support from the international community to address
children and armed conflict issues.80 Canada played a strong role in the creation and
negotiation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the
Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and was an early supporter of the Office of
the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict81. In 1999-2000, Canada
introduced the first thematic debate on children in armed conflict.82 In 2006, Canada
established and continues to chair the Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict,
which is an informal New York-based network of over 38 member states.83 Canada
endorsed the February 2007 Paris Principles, which provide guidelines for all actors
working in the field to prevent the recruitment and use of children in conflict and to
reintegrate children, affected by war.84
There are also Canadian NGOs that are focused on child soldiers. For example,
War Child is a Canadian founded international organization that is working to protect
childhoods. Their main areas of work are in Sudan, Afghanistan, and Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Jordan, South Sudan, and Uganda. The Romeo Dallaire
foundation is another Canadian organization dedicated to helping children all over the
world. The Romeo Dallaire foundation has been working hard to end the international
issue of child soldiers by providing leadership training programs designed specifically for
27
young people in hopes to educate and build self confidence so these children have other
options besides recruitment into war.85 Their mission is to inspire young people from
underprivileged backgrounds to develop their leadership potential. Canada is committed
to ending the use of girls and boys in hostilities and to helping ensure that children
affected by armed conflict around the world are protected.86 Canada continues to work
with other governments and with international organizations to address these issues
through multiple channels.87 One organization that is world known is UNICEF Canada.
They are using their voice and clout to protect recruited children by armed groups,
especially as conflicts around the world become more intense.88 Another organization
involved in trying to protect child soldiers is International Institute for Child Rights &
Development. Their goal is to take a preventative approach to assist with the ending of
the use of child soldiers. Everyday our work helps remind us that collaboration is
essential if we are to ever truly stop the recruitment and use of children in war. Everyone
from the soldier to the shop owner has a responsibility to protect our young especially
in conflict settings, states Tanya Zayed of the Dallaire Initiative.89
28
Solutions
According to Aaron Young of Duke University there are three overlapping phases
of turning a child back into a child. The first phase is disarmament and demobilization,
which involves identifying child soldiers and taking them physically out of the military
environment.90 The second phase is physical and psychological rehabilitation.91 Former
child soldiers are frequently in poor physical condition and have sustained massive
psychological trauma as a result of their military service and age.92 The third phase is
reintegration with families and the community. The entire process of demobilization to
rehabilitation may take months, maybe years, to complete, and will depend on the
capacity of the children and the resources with which they are provided.93
In 2002, there was an international treaty the Optional Protocol to the

Convention on the Rights of the Child. There are currently 159 states that have
employed the protocol and another 14 states have signed but they have not ratified it
yet.94 The 14 countries involved are: the United States, Central Africa Republic, Fiji,
Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Suriname, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Lebanon, Liberia, Pakistan,
Nauru, and Zambia.95 The United States has not ratified it yet because they want to
ensure that all federal and/or state laws meet the standards of the treaty and if necessary
may enact new legislation before giving it their consent. Many of the countries, such as
Colombia, CAR, DRC, Philippines, and Syria are using child soldiers even though they
signed the treaty.96 These countries dont follow the rules of the treaty because it is
virtually impossible to enforce international laws. It seems such a waste to put
29
international effort, time and financial resources into something as great as this protocol
but not have the ability to enforce or govern the law.
The International community has tried and failed to prevent the recruitment of
child soldiers worldwide. It might be because international laws are hard to enforce,
especially in civil wars. So far, there has not been a successful solution to stopping child
soldiers.
30
APPENDIX A
Map of countries affected by child soldiers.
31
1 About the Issues:. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://www.child-
soldiers.org/about_the_issues.php
6 Child Soldiers Are Unfortunately Nothing New. (2009, November 2). Retrieved March 5, 2015,
from https://scriptamus.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/child-soldiers-are-unfortunately-nothing-new/
7
(n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_use_of_children#1800s_and_earlier
8

9

10

11

13

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_use_of_children#World_War_I
14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_use_of_children#World_War_I
15 History. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_use_of_children
32
23 Our Team. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://www.warchild.ca/team
27 (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8820684&fileId=S0020
818312000409
28 Our Work:. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://www.child-soldiers.org/country_reader.php
29
The Lords Resistance Army . (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from

http://www.warchild.org.uk/issues/the-lords-resistance-army
30

31

33
32
(n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/worldreport/2015/02/13/the-rise-of-child-soldiers-in-syria
33
(n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/worldreport/2015/02/13/the-rise-of-child-soldiers-in-syria

34 About Us:. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://www.child-soldiers.org/about_us.php
37 Our Work:.(n.d.). Retrived April 7, 2015, from http://www.child-soldiers.org/country_reader.php
38 War Child History. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://www.warchild.ca/about_history
39 Where We Work. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://warchild.ca/country_pages
40 Where We Work. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://warchild.ca/country_pages
41
(n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2015, from http://www.unicef.org/emerg/files/childsoldiers.pdf
42
(n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2015, from http://www.unicef.org/emerg/files/childsoldiers.pdf
43
History of Northern Uganda and LRA. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2015, from
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~trowb20a/classweb/history.html
44
45
Child Soldiers in Uganda. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.child-soldier.org/children-inconflict-child-soldiers-in-uganda

46
Fight against the LRA: The Ugandan troops will continue to play their role. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6,
2015, from http://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/fight-against-lra-ugandan-troops-willcontinue-play-their-role
47

48 The Lords Resistance Army . (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from
49
50
Child Soldiers: Crime Against Humanity PDF Conflict Study Centre
Kony's child soldiers: 'When you kill for the first time, you change' (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2015, from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/uganda/10621792/Konys-childsoldiers-When-you-kill-for-the-first-time-you-change.html
34
The Rebel Group Invisible Children . (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/conflict/the-Ira/
51
52
53
54
55
Internal conflict in Burma. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_conflict_in_Burma
56

57

58

59

60
Our Work:. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from http://www.childsoldiers.org/country_reader.php?id=4

61
62
Child Soldiers International: Under the Radar PDF January 2015

63
Myanmar's invisible child soldiers | World Vision International. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from
http://www.wvi.org/myanmar/article/myanmars-invisible-child-soldiers

66 Child Soldiers International: Under the Radar PDF January 2015
67 Child Soldiers International: Under the Radar PDF January 2015
64
65
68
Syria. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria
69
Syrian Civil War. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Civil_War
70
Syria: Child Soldiers as Young as 15 'Thrown onto Front Lines' By Isis. (2014, June 23). Retrieved May
6, 2015, from http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/syria-child-soldiers-young-15-thrown-onto-front-lines-by-isis1453768
35
71
72
73
Syrian Arab Republic | United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
Children and Armed Conflict. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2015, from
https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/countries/syria/
74
Syrian Arab Republic | United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
75
Syria: Armed Groups Send Children into Battle. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from
http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/06/22/syria-armed-groups-send-children-battle
76
Free Syrian Army . (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Syrian_Army
77
(n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from

http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports.syria0614_crd_ForUpload.pdf
78
79
Syria: Armed Groups Send Children into Battle. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from
http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/06/22/syria-armed-groups-send-children-battle
80
Children and Armed Conflict. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.international.gc.ca/rightsdroits/child_soldiers-enfants_soldats.aspx?lang=eng
81
82
83
36
84
85
Fondation Romo DallaireThe Romo Dallaire Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from
http://www.fondationromeodallaire.com/en/
86
87
88
UNICEF Canada : No Child too Far. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from
http://www.unicef.ca/en/category/tags/child-soldiers
89
Canadian Organization takes preventative approach to ending the use of child soldiers. (n.d.). Retrieved
May 19, 2015, from http://www.iicrd.org/canadian-organization-takes-preventative-approach-ending-usechild-soldiers
90
(n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://irps.ucsd.edu/assets/012/6360.pdf
91
92
93
94
UNTC. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2015, from

https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-11-b&chapter=4 =en
95

96

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Children at War

Case Study: Uganda

Case Study: Myanmar

Case Study: Syria

Summary of Research Methods

Lords Resistance Army is a Christian extremist religious movement that operated

Child Soldiers International

Child Soldiers International (CSI) is an international organization that focuses on

Case Study 1 Uganda

Ugandan soldiers and national forces were working together in cooperation to

Amnesty International interviewed a fifteen-year-old girl that was forcibly

Case Study 2 Myanmar

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) used to be a part

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), Kachin Independence Army

In 2002, there was an international treaty the Optional Protocol to the

Map of countries affected by child soldiers.

1 About the Issues:. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://www.child-

2 About the Issues:. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://www.child-

5 About the Issues:. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://www.child-

(n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from

(n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from

(n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from

(n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from

(n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from

(n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from

(n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from

The Lords Resistance Army . (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from

The Lords Resistance Army . (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from

The Lords Resistance Army . (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from

(n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/worldreport/2015/02/13/the-rise-of-child-soldiers-in-syria

(n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/worldreport/2015/02/13/the-rise-of-child-soldiers-in-syria

(n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2015, from http://www.unicef.org/emerg/files/childsoldiers.pdf

(n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2015, from http://www.unicef.org/emerg/files/childsoldiers.pdf

Child Soldiers in Uganda. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.child-soldier.org/children-inconflict-child-soldiers-in-uganda

The Lords Resistance Army . (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from

Child Soldiers: Crime Against Humanity PDF Conflict Study Centre

Child Soldiers: Crime Against Humanity PDF Conflict Study Centre

Internal conflict in Burma. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from

Internal conflict in Burma. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from

Internal conflict in Burma. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from

Internal conflict in Burma. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from

Internal conflict in Burma. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from

Our Work:. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from http://www.childsoldiers.org/country_reader.php?id=4

Child Soldiers International: Under the Radar PDF January 2015

Child Soldiers International: Under the Radar PDF January 2015

Syria. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria

Syrian Civil War. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Civil_War

Child Soldiers: Crime Against Humanity PDF Conflict Study Centre

Free Syrian Army . (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from

(n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from

(n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://irps.ucsd.edu/assets/012/6360.pdf

(n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://irps.ucsd.edu/assets/012/6360.pdf

(n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://irps.ucsd.edu/assets/012/6360.pdf

(n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://irps.ucsd.edu/assets/012/6360.pdf

UNTC. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2015, from

UNTC. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2015, from

UNTC. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2015, from

About the Issues:. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from http://www.childsoldiers.org/about_the_issues.php

The Lord's Resistance Army. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from

Child Soldiers Around the World - Council on Foreign Relations. (n.d.).

Child Soldiers in Uganda. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.childsoldier.org/children-in-conflict-child-soldiers-in-uganda