RED HAND DAY

1

RED HAND DAY
2

• Red Hand Day, held on February 12,
  is
• an annual commemoration day created to
  
• draw attention to the fate of children
  who
• are forced to serve as soldiers in wars
  and
• armed conflicts. The aim of Red Hand
  Day
• is to call for action against this
  practice, and
• support for children who suffer from
  this
• severe form of child abuse. Examples
  for
• massive use of children as soldiers in
  recent
• years include armed conflicts in the
• Democratic Republic of the Congo,
  Rwanda,
• Uganda, Sudan, Cote dIvoire, Myanmar,
• Philippines, Colombia, and Palestine.

3

4

• Red Hand Day was initiated in 2002 when
  the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
  Rights of the Child on the Involvement of
  Children in Armed Conflict entered into force on
  February 12, 2002. This protocol was adopted by
  the General Assembly of the United Nations in May
  2000. It currently has signatures from 92
  different states.

5