How To Reduce Child Soldiers

Every day, thousands of children around the world wake up in the morning, grab their shoes and backpacks and head to school. Thousands of other children pick up their AK-47s and head to battle. The issue of child soldiers is as complex as it is atrocious, and its heinous nature has prompted the international community to pour vast amounts of time and resources into finding a solution. Despite humanitarian and government organizations’ best efforts, the numbers have remained relatively static over the decades, with over 300,000 underage combatants worldwide (Vautravers 96). Many scholars have declared the U.N.’s current policy as a failure and offered up proposals of their own, ranging from placement of sanctions to international

The convention on the rights of the child 1989- The Convention's objective is to protect children from discrimination, neglect and abuse. It is the principal children's treaty, covering a full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. It grants rights for children in peacetime as well as during armed conflict, and provides for the implementation of those rights. It can promote anti-discriminatory practice by giving children protection and rights. It can also make sure that children will be given somewhere safe to be; not near any war zones and hazardous areas which could cause ill- health.

Child Soldiers is a major global issue which is affecting todays 21st century. Many Countries around the world are illegally operating child soldiers such as Burma and Sierra Leone currently there is a crisis as many more children are being subject to this cruel act. Many world media and Non-governmental organisations such as the guardian and Human rights watch have reported thousands of child soldiers in Myanmar Burma. The Convention on the rights of a child and the Universal declaration of human rights strictly prohibits children in armed conflict further the United Nations further prohibits children in armed conflicts. The International Criminal Court has previously dealt with Thomas Labunga a leader of the liberation forces of the Congo whom used children as young as 10 in his military . However these measures have not been effective as there are still children in conflict due to state sovereignty.

“For child soldiers, everyday is a living nightmare” (Chatterjee, 2012). Child soldiers are children under the age of 18 who are used in the military for any source of benefit. Child soldiers worldwide have become a huge issue, leading to many unnecessary deaths as well as lifelong mental trauma. According to “For Child Soldiers, Every Day is a Living Nightmare” 90% of the child soldiers in Liberia show post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as 65% showing depression post-war. Developing these mental illnesses makes the rest of a child’s life a living hell, not to mention their inability to get a job or provide for themselves or their family. Mental illness is probably the best thing you can come out of the war with. An article written in SOS Children’s Villages charity called “Children in Conflict: Child Soldiers” states that over the last 10 years: over 2 million children have been killed, over 1 million children have been orphaned, and over 6 million children have been injured or even disabled, and over 10 million children have struggled with psychological trauma due to war.

The issue of child soldiery is a social issue that plagues society on a global scale. For instance, The Global Report 2008 which was edited by UNICEF and Child Soldiers Global Institution reported that 19 countries and territories employed children in government forces as well as non-state armed groups. Some countries include Iraq, Sudan, Uganda, and Somalia (Deak, 2013, p. 1). It is impossible to state the exact number of child soldiers around the world; however, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations estimate that that there are about 250,000 to 300,000 child soldiers (Szijj, 2010, p.4) It is evident that that child soldiery is an epidemic thus, I will investigate what social and political factors are responsible

Human rights violations are taking place all around the world, but one of the most catastrophic cases is the use of children in war. Even though - work on transition some children join because they feel they have no where else to go and want to belong to something, it doesn't make it alright for them to be exposed to the horrors of death at such a young age. The use of children in war is a human rights violation, a crime against humanity, and has serious physical, emotional, and psychological tolls on children and family members therefore the world should push to put an end to these atrocities.

Child soldiers being used around the world related to interventionism which is a policy of non-defensive activity undertaken by a national, state, or political jurisdiction to manipulate an economy or society. This is the case because nations liek the United States are aware of what is going on and are trying to stop nations from recruiting child soldiers. People around globe are trying to stop this from happening since they understand that thesekids arebeing turned into ruthless, emotionless, and dangerous individiuals as opposed to growing and learning as they should.

“Compelled to become instruments of war, to kill and be killed, child soldiers are forced to give violent expression to the hatreds of adults” (“Child Soldiers” 1). This quotation by Olara Otunnu explains that children are forced into becoming weapons of war. Children under 18 years old are being recruited into the army because of poverty issues, multiple economic problems, and the qualities of children, however, many organizations are trying to implement ways to stop the human rights violation.

“Ideas about human rights have evolved over many centuries. But they achieved strong international support following the Holocaust and World War II. To protect future generations from a repeat of these horrors, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 and invited states to sign and ratify it”

Are you aware that right now, at this very moment, there is a group of young boys ages 8-13 who are clenching a gun being ordered to kill against their will? It’s understood that others opinions about the dangers of child soldiers being free are only because they don’t want to risk anything but, isn’t life all about taking risks? You risk your life leaving the house, and breathing. Also, countries should not prosecute child soldiers for the crimes they committed during wartime. There also should not be an international minimum age of criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Here are three reasons why they should not be prosecuted or held responsible. Also that there should not be an age limit. One. Children are afraid, young, and clueless. Two. Children are 99.99% of the time drugged, forced, and brainwashed. “Children are often brainwashed and drugged before they are forced to fight. Their vulnerability can allow warlords to make them into cold-blooded killers” (O'Neill 1 ). Three. Children are independent, lonesome, and they want/need a family. One that gives them love.

The stakes are high, and the risks are obvious. We must remember that we are dealing with lives of children, not hardened criminals. Child soldiers and previous ones have a lot on their shoulders and by granting them amnesty we will be able to provide a better future for them. Many countries have participated in committing the atrocious crime of using children to fight in wars as part of their armies, some of them being Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Uganda and many others. Many people believe that previous child soldiers should be put through court to be convicted of the war crimes that they committed, but this often leads to time in prison and hard feelings of violence towards the government. There is nothing for these children in jail. They simply cannot thrive in that ghastly environment and it should be a crime to stop them right in the middle of their development. We must grant these children amnesty because what they did was only to survive and we can easily adjust them to a new life by providing them with proper education.

The sounds of gunfire quickly drowned out all else as the rebel forces engaged the army. Sprinting, standing, crouching, or lying down, the soldiers focused solely on one thing: killing their enemies. With an assortment of weapons and under the influence of drugs, they carried out their jobs with ruthless efficiency. They spared no one because each side believed the other to be monsters. Kill after kill with blood on their hands, the soldiers fought on, driven by their desire for revenge and justice. To them, they were doing their country a favor, by liberating it or by protecting it. They cared not for who they had to strike down. For the hardened soldiers, remorse and guilt were long forgotten emotions. As the battle came to a conclusion, the rest of the army fled for their lives while the rebels celebrated, did drugs, and raided dead bodies. As the sun faded to darkness, the soldiers readied themselves for another day of marching and fighting. After all, this was just another typical day in their lives. However, for a large portion of the soldiers their lives had not yet reached sixteen years. They had lost their family and their innocence. They were only boys. They were children.

Today, Human right groups estimate that there are at least if not more than 300,000 child soldiers worldwide. In poorer countries, there are more child soldiers because they fight of land, minerals and drugs. Even though the kids are the perfect weapons for these civil wars in poorer countries, because they are easily manipulated, extremely loyal, fearless and most importantly endless supply; there should not be kids fighting for their country unless they are 18 because of the physical and psychological problems.

Did you know in war torn countries millions of kids are being kidnapped and ripped away from their families by terrorist leaders to fight? Hundreds of kids each day are being torn away from their homes and the people they love. The kids are forced to fight for terrorist groups and are brainwashed,with drugs and alcohol, to believe it's the right thing to do.Child soldiers should be given amnesty because they are forced and brainwashed into violent crimes.

The United Nations is widely regarded and respected as the most powerful institution that promotes international cooperation and human rights action. In theory, actions implemented by and within the United Nations are based on the mutual global goal of protecting international human rights and preventing human sufferings. These actions are constituted through three main mechanisms: the Treaty-based system, the Human Rights Council, and Security Council and Humanitarian Interventions, with the level of confrontation and seriousness in each mechanism increases respectively. While aimed to serve the mutual goal of protecting human rights over the world and have shown some successes, in a world of sovereignty, actions when implemented are in fact grounded by the national interests of each state, including embracing its national sovereignty, concreting its strategic relationships with other states, and enhancing its reputation in the international community. This paper will analyze the successes and failures of each of the three mechanisms of the United Nations regime, through which it aims to prove that when it comes to actions, states focus more on their national, and in some cases, regional interests than on the mutual goal of strengthening human rights throughout the world, thus diminishing the legitimacy of the whole United Nations system.