British Red Cross

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British Red Cross

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Small Soldiers

• 300,000 child soldiers all over the world, active
  in at least 30 countries
• Young as 7 years old
• Problem most critical in Africa and Asia

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Group discussion

• Children should be _ years old before they are
  allowed to become soldiers
• If a child is captured during war they should be
  
• If a person is found guilty of recruiting
  children as soldiers the authorities should

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International Humanitarian Law

• Children should be _ years old before they are
  allowed to become soldiers
• children who have not attained the age of 15
  years shall neither be recruited into armed
  forces, or groups, nor allowed to take part in
  hostilities
• (Geneva Conventions) 
• Discussions on raising the minimum age of
  soldiers to 18. This is not yet in force
• (Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 -
  a child is someone under 18)

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International Humanitarian Law
If child soldiers are captured during war they
should be

• Children with prisoner-of-war status cannot be
  prosecuted for taking part in hostilities
• Detained children get extra protection. ICRC
  staff visiting detained children ensure

• Housed separately from adults
• Frequent contact with his or her family
• Food, hygiene and medical care provided
• Spend a large part of the day outside
• Continue schooling

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International Humanitarian Law
If a person is found guilty of recruiting
children as soldiers the authorities should

• Under the Statute of the International Criminal
  Court, conscripting or enlisting children under
  the age of 15 years or using them to participate
  actively in hostilities is a war crime

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Understanding the Forces

• For recruiters, children can be useful in war
  because

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Understanding the Forces
For recruiters, children can be useful in war
because

• Travel more easily
• Can use modern lightweight weapons
• Dont need feeding as much
• Obedient, and if they arent they can be easily
  scared
• May not be enough adults willing or able to fight
• Forced recruitment of children may be used as a
  means of terror and blackmail against civilians

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Understanding the Forces

• From the childrens point of view, they may
  decide to fight in a war because

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Understanding the Forces
From the childrens point of view, they may
decide to fight in a war because

• A route out of poverty
• Lack of education and employment opportunities
• Members of family killed in the fighting
• Afraid of what will happen if they do not join up
• Not fully aware of the dangers and have unformed
  notions of right and wrong

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International Committee of the Red Cross- ICRC
As far as child soldiers are concerned, the ICRC
works at each of the following stages

• 1) Before and during the conflict
• prevent the recruitment of children into armed
  forces or groups
• protect child soldiers in detention (visit
  prisons)
• 2) After conflict, to support the rehabilitation
  of former child soldiers.
• For example, the Child Advocacy and
  Rehabilitation programme in Sierra Leone
• 3) At any time, to reunite children with their
  families (Tracing and Message Service)