Wake up, people. Child soldier recruitment still exists, so what are we doing about it?

Giving a voice to children is the most important step we can take.

One voice is Child Soldiers International. Formerly known as the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, Child Soldiers International was established in 1998 by a group of leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Save the Children.

The mission of Child Soldiers International is to end the recruitment and use of all children by state armed forces and non-state armed groups.

As one representative from Child Soldiers International declared:

"We want a world where no child is recruited for war!"

Child Soldiers International may best be known for being one of the central organizations in forming the United Nations child soldier treaty, also known as the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC). OPAC entered into force in 2002 and has now been endorsed by the majority of the world.

Clearly, Child Soldiers International's impact has been far-reaching.

Moreover, the organization's experience with working on issues concerning child rights make it an authoritative voice in the field. Its impact is most evident in communities where affected children return from conflict.

Currently, Child Soldiers International is working on at least three major projects, including reintegrating returning girl soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), building community capacity to prevent child recruitment in the Central African Republic, and helping former girl soldiers in South Sudan through the development of practical guidance on recovery and reintegration programs.

Since 2016, the organization's main project has been educating local communities in the DRC about the dangers of child recruitment and how to help returning girl soldiers, since most of them are stigmatized and discriminated against.

Girl soldiers account for 30–40% of all children recruited in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In addition to being forced to fight in combat, these girls are also expected to be porters, cooks, spies, and messengers in Congo's disparate armed groups. Worst of all, many of them suffer serious sexual and physical abuse. The girls who are able to escape from these armed groups are often unable to go back to school because of how poorly their communities treat them. In addition to holding community meetings to address these issues and providing practical guides on how to help returning girls, Child Soldiers International also provides specific education projects within these communities.

These efforts have led to over 177 girls to be enrolled in school again or placed in numeracy and literacy classes.

One 16-year-old girl said:

"I can't even believe that I'm back in school since I had given up hope."

Another project that Child Soldiers International is working on focuses on the long-term prevention of child recruitment. Reports identify that as many as 14,000 children have been used by armed groups in the latest conflict in Central African Republic (CAR).

Child protection actors in CAR focus primarily on emergency response and demobilization of child soldiers. Since spring 2018, in collaboration with its national partner, Child Soldiers International has begun providing child rights training workshops and additional awareness-raising efforts in local communities, especially where there is an urgent need for outreach activities for families, community leaders, teachers, etc.

The aim of this project is to encourage the government and its civil society to put an end to child recruitment and to enable children to leave armed groups. Child Soldiers International provides technical assistance to the CAR government by delivering training on the practical measures needed to end child soldiering.

The government has adopted the United Nations child soldier treaty, showing its intention to protect children. Child Soldiers International works closely with the government to support the practical components of its adoption of the treaty by publishing materials on how to protect children from recruitment in local languages and training local leaders in facilitating this cause.

Similar to the first project discussed, Child Soldiers International is developing contextualized guidance to assist child protection actors working in South Sudan to help girls reintegrate into their communities, recover emotionally and mentally, and ultimately rebuild their lives.

Child Soldiers International's research program in DRC has demonstrated that most girls have not had any access to assistance.

Because female child soldiers often experience acute difficulties, both while in the ranks and following their return to their communities, many programs developed to support their release and recovery have proved to be inadequate, with only a small percentage of girls even qualifying to receive assistance.

Unfortunately, even when many of these girls received assistance, their specific needs were rarely addressed.

This has led to a vicious cycle of recruitment and re-recruitment, with many girls feeling like they have no option but to return to the armed groups that they left. Thus, Child Soldiers International is working on the research and development of effective methods to address these issues and put an end to this vicious cycle of abuse.

Working with other organizations, Child Soldiers International: (a) supported the government's efforts to sustainably end child recruitment and get de-listed; and (b) advocated for long-term monitoring to ensure effective and durable prevention.

Child Soldiers International approached UNICEF and organized an awareness-raising campaign among government officials, members of the Chadian armed forces, Gendarmerie, and local police. Additionally, Child Soldiers International produced and disseminated educational materials on the prohibition of child recruitment and organized a training workshop in N'Djamena, followed by trainings in the 8 military regions of Chad.

The result? In July 2014, Chad was delisted, having implemented the principal policy and operational commitments it made under the Action Plan.

Equally notable, but more recently, Child Soldiers International launched the Child Soldiers World Index in February 2018, which is the first global resource of its kind.

The World Index maps the military recruitment practices, policies and laws of all 197 UN member states, and charts the exploitation of children by non-state armed groups around the world.

One representative from Child Soldiers International remarked:

"We believe the World Index will be an invaluable resource for governments, international bodies and civil society organizations and will help strengthen our efforts in ending the recruitment of children for war."

Wake up, people. Child soldier recruitment still exists, so what are we doing about it?

Giving a voice to children is the most important step we can take.

One voice is Child Soldiers International. Formerly known as the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, Child Soldiers International was established in 1998 by a group of leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Save the Children.

The mission of Child Soldiers International is to end the recruitment and use of all children by state armed forces and non-state armed groups.

As one representative from Child Soldiers International declared:

"We want a world where no child is recruited for war!"

Child Soldiers International may best be known for being one of the central organizations in forming the United Nations child soldier treaty, also known as the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC). OPAC entered into force in 2002 and has now been endorsed by the majority of the world.

Clearly, Child Soldiers International's impact has been far-reaching.

Moreover, the organization's experience with working on issues concerning child rights make it an authoritative voice in the field. Its impact is most evident in communities where affected children return from conflict.

Currently, Child Soldiers International is working on at least three major projects, including reintegrating returning girl soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), building community capacity to prevent child recruitment in the Central African Republic, and helping former girl soldiers in South Sudan through the development of practical guidance on recovery and reintegration programs.

Since 2016, the organization's main project has been educating local communities in the DRC about the dangers of child recruitment and how to help returning girl soldiers, since most of them are stigmatized and discriminated against.

Girl soldiers account for 30–40% of all children recruited in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In addition to being forced to fight in combat, these girls are also expected to be porters, cooks, spies, and messengers in Congo's disparate armed groups. Worst of all, many of them suffer serious sexual and physical abuse. The girls who are able to escape from these armed groups are often unable to go back to school because of how poorly their communities treat them. In addition to holding community meetings to address these issues and providing practical guides on how to help returning girls, Child Soldiers International also provides specific education projects within these communities.

These efforts have led to over 177 girls to be enrolled in school again or placed in numeracy and literacy classes.

One 16-year-old girl said:

"I can't even believe that I'm back in school since I had given up hope."

Another project that Child Soldiers International is working on focuses on the long-term prevention of child recruitment. Reports identify that as many as 14,000 children have been used by armed groups in the latest conflict in Central African Republic (CAR).

Child protection actors in CAR focus primarily on emergency response and demobilization of child soldiers. Since spring 2018, in collaboration with its national partner, Child Soldiers International has begun providing child rights training workshops and additional awareness-raising efforts in local communities, especially where there is an urgent need for outreach activities for families, community leaders, teachers, etc.

The aim of this project is to encourage the government and its civil society to put an end to child recruitment and to enable children to leave armed groups. Child Soldiers International provides technical assistance to the CAR government by delivering training on the practical measures needed to end child soldiering.

The government has adopted the United Nations child soldier treaty, showing its intention to protect children. Child Soldiers International works closely with the government to support the practical components of its adoption of the treaty by publishing materials on how to protect children from recruitment in local languages and training local leaders in facilitating this cause.

Similar to the first project discussed, Child Soldiers International is developing contextualized guidance to assist child protection actors working in South Sudan to help girls reintegrate into their communities, recover emotionally and mentally, and ultimately rebuild their lives.

Child Soldiers International's research program in DRC has demonstrated that most girls have not had any access to assistance.

Because female child soldiers often experience acute difficulties, both while in the ranks and following their return to their communities, many programs developed to support their release and recovery have proved to be inadequate, with only a small percentage of girls even qualifying to receive assistance.

Unfortunately, even when many of these girls received assistance, their specific needs were rarely addressed.

This has led to a vicious cycle of recruitment and re-recruitment, with many girls feeling like they have no option but to return to the armed groups that they left. Thus, Child Soldiers International is working on the research and development of effective methods to address these issues and put an end to this vicious cycle of abuse.

Working with other organizations, Child Soldiers International: (a) supported the government's efforts to sustainably end child recruitment and get de-listed; and (b) advocated for long-term monitoring to ensure effective and durable prevention.

Child Soldiers International approached UNICEF and organized an awareness-raising campaign among government officials, members of the Chadian armed forces, Gendarmerie, and local police. Additionally, Child Soldiers International produced and disseminated educational materials on the prohibition of child recruitment and organized a training workshop in N'Djamena, followed by trainings in the 8 military regions of Chad.

The result? In July 2014, Chad was delisted, having implemented the principal policy and operational commitments it made under the Action Plan.

Equally notable, but more recently, Child Soldiers International launched the Child Soldiers World Index in February 2018, which is the first global resource of its kind.

The World Index maps the military recruitment practices, policies and laws of all 197 UN member states, and charts the exploitation of children by non-state armed groups around the world.

One representative from Child Soldiers International remarked:

"We believe the World Index will be an invaluable resource for governments, international bodies and civil society organizations and will help strengthen our efforts in ending the recruitment of children for war."

Giving a voice to children is the most important step we can take.

One voice is Child Soldiers International. Formerly known as the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, Child Soldiers International was established in 1998 by a group of leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Save the Children.

The mission of Child Soldiers International is to end the recruitment and use of all children by state armed forces and non-state armed groups.

As one representative from Child Soldiers International declared:

"We want a world where no child is recruited for war!"

Alongside this, their work also centers on supporting children who return from conflict by helping them transition back into their communities. Child Soldiers International is able to do this by working at both the international and local level to bring about sustained political change in affected areas.

Child Soldiers International may best be known for being one of the central organizations in forming the United Nations child soldier treaty, also known as the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC). OPAC entered into force in 2002 and has now been endorsed by the majority of the world.

 
Clearly, Child Soldiers International's impact has been far-reaching.

Moreover, the organization's experience with working on issues concerning child rights make it an authoritative voice in the field. Its impact is most evident in communities where affected children return from conflict.

Currently, Child Soldiers International is working on at least three major projects, including reintegrating returning girl soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), building community capacity to prevent child recruitment in the Central African Republic, and helping former girl soldiers in South Sudan through the development of practical guidance on recovery and reintegration programs.

Since 2016, the organization's main project has been educating local communities in the DRC about the dangers of child recruitment and how to help returning girl soldiers, since most of them are stigmatized and discriminated against.

Girl soldiers account for 30–40% of all children recruited in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In addition to being forced to fight in combat, these girls are also expected to be porters, cooks, spies, and messengers in Congo's disparate armed groups. Worst of all, many of them suffer serious sexual and physical abuse. The girls who are able to escape from these armed groups are often unable to go back to school because of how poorly their communities treat them. In addition to holding community meetings to address these issues and providing practical guides on how to help returning girls, Child Soldiers International also provides specific education projects within these communities.

These efforts have led to over 177 girls to be enrolled in school again or placed in numeracy and literacy classes.

 
One 16-year-old girl said:

Child Soldiers International's research program in DRC has demonstrated that most girls have not had any access to assistance.

Because female child soldiers often experience acute difficulties, both while in the ranks and following their return to their communities, many programs developed to support their release and recovery have proved to be inadequate, with only a small percentage of girls even qualifying to receive assistance.

Unfortunately, even when many of these girls received assistance, their specific needs were rarely addressed.

This has led to a vicious cycle of recruitment and re-recruitment, with many girls feeling like they have no option but to return to the armed groups that they left. Thus, Child Soldiers International is working on the research and development of effective methods to address these issues and put an end to this vicious cycle of abuse.

One of the organization's most notable accomplishments was based in Chad. In March 2014, the UN expert on child soldiers launched the "Children, Not Soldiers" campaign, which focused on getting the 8 government forces listed by the UN Secretary-General for recruiting and using children to end this practice. Chad's armed forces were one of those listed.

Working with other organizations, Child Soldiers International: (a) supported the government's efforts to sustainably end child recruitment and get de-listed; and (b) advocated for long-term monitoring to ensure effective and durable prevention.

Child Soldiers International approached UNICEF and organized an awareness-raising campaign among government officials, members of the Chadian armed forces, Gendarmerie, and local police. Additionally, Child Soldiers International produced and disseminated educational materials on the prohibition of child recruitment and organized a training workshop in N'Djamena, followed by trainings in the 8 military regions of Chad.

The result? In July 2014, Chad was delisted, having implemented the principal policy and operational commitments it made under the Action Plan.

Equally notable, but more recently, Child Soldiers International launched the Child Soldiers World Index in February 2018, which is the first global resource of its kind.

The World Index maps the military recruitment practices, policies and laws of all 197 UN member states, and charts the exploitation of children by non-state armed groups around the world.

One representative from Child Soldiers International remarked:

"We believe the World Index will be an invaluable resource for governments, international bodies and civil society organizations and will help strengthen our efforts in ending the recruitment of children for war."