My topic for this report is “War should not be a place for children.” I decided to do this topic because i was inspired by the film War Horse directed by Steven Spielberg. In the film there were two young German boys who were sent to war underage and they were killed. This inspired me to do this topic because i was interested about how the events of World War 1 has impacted on the use of child soldiers today. It also made me curious about the consequences for the children and the society of children fighting in wars. In War Horse the boys were killed by their own army for desertion which showed me that once children begin to fight they are no longer considered children, and their punishments are reflected by this. My three questions i will …show more content…
use to unpack this issue are “What are the effects of war on child soldiers and the consequences for society?”, “How has history shaped the use of child soldiers?” and “Do the laws in place deter the use of child soldiers?” As i see this issue is worldwide and has been impacted severely by events of the past. What are the effects of war on child soldiers and the consequences for society? My first source is a written text called “Why child soldiers are such a complex issue” by Alexandre J. Vautravers. This source touched on the consequences for society in the form of statistics. In today’s society there are approximately 200,000 to 300,000 child soldiers. This means that there are 20 countries with child soldiers. The most prominent place is the continent of Africa which has approximately 100,000 child soldiers which is at least a third of the world’s child soldiers. My second text is an oral ted talk called "Emmanuel Jal: the music of a war child." Emmanuel Jal was manipulated into child soldiery or as he put it, "left home at the age of seven, one year later leave with an AK47." When he went to the camp he said “I want to kill as many muslims and as many arabs as possible.” He was mind washed by his superiors and believed that the arabs and muslims were to blame. In reality somebody was manipulating the children’s perceptions and emotions so they felt like revenge was the only option. The effects of war on children include losing family and friends, being haunted by images of death and being haunted by the voices of the dead. The consequences for society include child loss, villages being burnt down and people being assaulted sexually and physically Emmanuel Jal had his aunty raped when he was 5 and his father has been detached since. These effects on the children can be life changing and some never recover from the ordeal. Many develop conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. My third source is a written text called “More child soldiers in Somalia fighting” by Kathryn Tancos. This text analyses the situation in Somalia and the treatment and purpose of child soldiers in the Somali conflict. Child soldiers in Somalia are being used as human shields and are being kept in camps fearing for their lives. There are “Children as young as 10 years old increasingly face horrific abuse in war-torn Somalia as the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab has targeted them to replenish its diminishing ranks of fighters” Another worrying issue is the recent increase in abductions of children. A child soldier summarised the use of child soldiers using the quote "out of all my classmates, about 100 boys, only two of us escaped, the rest were killed." From these three sources i have come to the conclusion that major effects of war on child soldiers are death, mutilation and memories and actions which can haunt surviving child soldiers for the rest of their lives. The major consequence for society is the loss of life. This is not just the deaths of the child soldiers but the death of their victims and families, and even the deaths of the militants. Death has a major impact mentality on this who witness it and those who are the cause of it. Losing children can have a major impact on small villages as it can result in the loss of an entire generation. How has history shaped the use of child soldiers? My first source shows that World War 1 and 2 have had an impact on the enlistment ages for multiple countries.
During World War 2 the enlistment age was repeatedly lowered to bring in recruits. In Germany the age was lowered to 16 and there is photographic evidence of Hitler standing with “Tank hunting” children who were definitely below the age of conscription. The British age was lowered to 18 during World War 2. These ages have had an impact on the current ages. The US army has an enlistment age of 17 and Canada’s is 16. Britain’s is 16.5 and the British Army has stated that 40% of their enlistments are between 16 and 17. The official deployment age for all these countries is still 18 as sending anyone below that age into a conflict is illegal. My second source focuses more on the use of child soldiers in civil wars. There are many methods and means of getting child soldiers involved illegally in conflicts. Emmanuel Jal spoke of his own situation and how they manipulated his point of view to lay the blame on someone. This lead to his need for revenge and ultimately his involvement in a conflict dubbing him a ‘child soldier.’ He discovered that ”What was actually killing us wasn’t the Muslim, wasn’t the Arabs. It was somebody sitting somewhere manipulating the system, and using religion to get what they want to get out of us. Which is the oil, the diamond, the gold and the land.” This hierarchy model has been seen often in history, particularly in civil wars. There is an …show more content…
overlord hidden in the background who is discretely manipulating the child soldiers and using them as puppets. My third source does not provide any information on this question. From these three sources i have come to the conclusion that World War 1 and 2 have had an impact on the enlistment age of soldiers in multiple army’s but the deployment age has stayed regulated at 18 worldwide. The use of overlords in internal conflicts has been used for a very long time. The overlords use their power to wreck havoc on people to gain what they want, whether that is oil, money or the death of those who oppose them. Question 3: Do the laws in place deter the use of child soldiers? My first source states that there are three main laws in place to “regulate” the use of child soldiers. The third law is the Rome Statute of the ICC adopted in 1998 and enforced in 2002 which declares that “conscripting or enlisting children under the age of 15 years into the national armed forces or using them to participate actively in hostilities” is a war crime.” There have also been age related laws such as “The 2000 Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflicts” which was used to attempt to regulate and make uniform the age restrictions. Although these laws may exist, it is difficult to enforce them as most cases of child soldiery are in internal conflicts, failed states, organized crime, vulnerable groups and displaced populations. Emmanuel Jal was part of an internal conflict which meant that it was hard to enforce any laws. In the he was rescued by an aid worker who put themselves at risk in an unstable area. This particular aid worker went on to rescue hundreds of child soldiers from this particular conflict. Aid workers are employed by not for profit agencies whose purpose is humanitarian relief. Their primary objective is to save lives and rescuing people from internal conflicts is one way of saving lives. My third source focuses on the wars raging in Somalia. Any laws in place have failed to deter the use of child soldiers because of the extent of damage to the society. Somalia has turned into a war zone where anyone can fall victim. This source was written on the 22nd of February in 2012. The final statement of the report says “On Thursday, senior representatives from more than 40 governments will converge on London in a diplomatic push to find political solutions to restore stability in Somalia.” This shows that governments are trying to restore order and create laws that will effectively deter the use of child soldiers. In conclusion there are laws in place which deter the use of child soldiers in first world and second world countries. In failed states and internal conflicts a point is reached where laws are no longer obeyed or recognised. When that point is reached it becomes nearly impossible to enforce them especially when law enforcement is eventually withdrawn and replaced by militants who are given the power to capture and kill the ‘enemy.’ Conclusion In conclusion my three questions have given me enough information to say that ‘war should not be a place for children.’ This is my theme statement which i based my research on.
Children being involved in war had consequences for them and society. A short term result is the death of the children. This loss can have a big impact on the society and their family. This can develop into a long term issue because the number of children alive from that generation can begin to dwindle. The population of the villages also decreases. My second question was about how history has impacted the use of child soldiers, I have come to the conclusion that it has impacted it significantly in two ways, the lowered enlistment age for army’s and the multitude of civil wars in the world today. These civil wars are started by greedy, powerful and cruel people. I found that in some cases these civil wars are rebellions against unfair and unjust governments which escalate to unnecessary proportions and do more damage instead of fixing the original problems. The laws in place deter most countries in the world but failed states and internal conflicts can reach a point where law and order is no longer enforced. This is when the illegal use of child soldiers can become a regular ideology. The results of this can be seen today in countries such as Somalia where hundreds of children are killed each year in conflicts. These children are viewed as collateral damage. In my opinion children should never be
involved in war and the research i found supported my point of view on the issue. I found all my sources to be reliable and useful in my research. My first source was statistical and formal and helped to answer all three of my questions. Emmanuel Jal experienced child soldiery first hand and his insights helped me to understand what child soldiers go through and how it effects society. My third source focused on Somalia which is the most known internal conflict currently and countries such as America are beginning to get involved to create order.
There is no exact known number of children currently being utilised in warfare worldwide. The issue of the military use of children is so widespread that no figure can be calculated, although it is estimated that there are currently over 250,000 child soldiers across the world. Many are drugged and brainwashed into murder, many are forced to sever all ties with their family or watch them die. Most are faced with a simple choice: kill or be killed. Although the notion of child soldiers is vastly alien to contemporary Australian society, it is a reality in many parts of the world. ISIS have been known to employ the use of children in warfare and over 30,000 children have been abducted into the Lord’s Resistance Army for military purposes. It
As defined by Timothy Webster, author of Babes with Arms: International Law and Child Soldiers, a child soldier is “any person under the age of eighteen who is or has been associated with any kind of regular or irregular armed group, including those who serve as porters, spies, cooks, messengers and including girls recruited for sexual purposes (Webster, 2007, pp.230). As this definition reveals, a child soldier is more than simply a child with a gun. It is estimated that there are approximately 300,000 children under the age of 18, being used as soldiers in 33 conflicts currently, and this figure continues to rise (Webster, 2007, pp.227). Similarly, in 1999 it was estimated that more than 120,000 children, under the age of 18, were used as soldiers to fight ...
As Garbarino recognizes, the effects of war and such violence is something that sticks with a child and remains constant in their everyday lives. The experiences that children face involving war in their communities and countries are traumatic and long lasting. It not only alters their childhood perspectives, but it also changes their reactions to violence over time. Sadly, children are beginning to play more of a major role in wars in both the United States and other countries.... ...
“This is how wars are fought now: by children, traumatized, hopped-up on drugs, and wielding AK-47s” (Beah). Innocent, vulnerable, and intimidated. These words describe the more than 300,000 children in nations throughout the world coerced into combat. As young as age seven, boys and girls deemed child soldiers participate in armed conflict, risking their lives and killing more innocent others. While many individuals recollect their childhood playing games and running freely, these children will remember “playing” with guns and running for their lives. Many children today spend time playing video games like Modern Warfare, but for some children, it is not a game, it is reality. Although slavery was abolished nearly 150 years ago, the act of forcing a child into a military position is considered slavery and is a continuously growing trend even today despite legal documents prohibiting the use of children under the age of 18 in armed conflict. Being a child soldier does not merely consist of first hand fighting but also work as spies, messengers, and sex slaves which explains why nearly 30 percent of all child soldiers are girls. While the use and exploitation of these young boys and girls often goes unnoticed by most of the world, for those who have and are currently experiencing life as a child soldier, such slavery has had and will continue to have damaging effects on them both psychologically and physically.
Children have been used as soldiers in many events, however two that stand out are the use of child soldiers in the Sierra Leone civil war and the drug cartels in Mexico. Most people agree that forcing children to be soldiers is wrong and not humane. The people that make them soldiers transform them into belligerent beings by force. Child soldiers of drug cartels and the armies of Sierra Leone were threatened with their lives if they didn’t become soldiers. The lives of these child soldiers are lives that nobody should live. Situations in both countries are horrible because of the high number of youngsters that are forced to take part in drug use and are transformed into extremely belligerent and inhumane people; in addition they are deprived
Machel, Graca & Sebastian Salgado. The Impact of War on Children. London: C. Hurst, 2001.
A child soldier is a child who has been abducted and forced to fight in a conflict in which they would not typically be involved in. Child soldiers have their relatively normal childhood taken away if they are abducted. Instead of playing with the other children, they are forced to murder them. Many are forced to watch the people they once knew be tortured and they may even take part in the act. Child soldiers are internationally banned, yet many countries still utilize them to this day. Uganda is one country in which they are used. The use of children in armed combat in Uganda sheds light on the fact that the concept of power is indeed a double-edged sword.
The story of a young British man named Albert and his horse, Joey, will take you on a roller coaster of emotions as they are separated before heading off to serve in World War II. It not only takes you through the struggles and agony that the soldiers faced, but it also shows the hardships the horses were put through. War Horse is full of suspense and emotional resonance and is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen.
Child soldier is a worldwide issue, but it became most critical in the Africa. Child soldiers are any children under the age of 18 who are recruited by some rebel groups and used as fighters, cooks, messengers, human shields and suicide bombers, some of them even under the age of 10 when they are forced to serve. Physically vulnerable and easily intimidated, children typically become obedient soldiers. Most of them are abducted or recruited by force, and often compelled to follow orders under threat of death. As society breaks down during conflict, leaving children with no access to school, driving them from their homes, or separating them from family members, many children feel that rebel groups are their best chance for survival.
Throughout the world children younger than 18 are being enlisted into the armed forces to fight while suffering through multiple abuses from their commanders. Children living in areas and countries that are at war are seemingly always the ones being recruited into the armed forces. These children are said to be fighting in about 75 percent of the world’s conflicts with most being 14 years or younger (Singer 2). In 30 countries around the world, the number of boys and girls under the age of 18 fighting as soldiers in government and opposition armed forces is said to be around 300,000 (“Child Soldiers: An Overview” 1). These statistics are clearly devastating and can be difficult to comprehend, since the number of child soldiers around the world should be zero. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands adolescent children are being or have been recruited into paramilitaries, militias and non-state groups in more than 85 countries (“Child Soldiers: An Overview” 1). This information is also quite overwhelming. Child soldiers are used around the world, but in some areas, the numbers are more concentrated.
By definition, a child soldier is any person below 18 years of age who is recruited or used by an armed force in any capacity, including but not limited to children, boys and girls, used as fighters, coo...
The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of a Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict entered into force in 2002. It states that it is against the law for children under the age of 18 to be involved in hostilities. In a previous convention and the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocol, the minimum age to be involved in hostilities was 15 years old. Not only that, the Option...
Wells, Karen C.. "Children and youth at war." Childhood in a global perspective. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 2009. 152. Print.
Everyday I awake in a nice house, almost always have a way to get to school that is not walking, i am a normal child, one that is not forced to be a soldier, yet I believe child soldiers are still very effective as a troop. I agree with the claim of child soldiers being almost the perfect weapon because in the article by “Jeffrey Gettleman in Mogadishu, Somalia Upfront Magazine (October 4, 2010)” named “Armed and Underage” it states “"Child soldiers are ideal," a military commander from the African nation of Chad told Human Rights Watch. "They don't complain, they don't expect to be paid—and if you tell them to kill, they kill."” This ties back to my claim of child soldiers being a effective troop because it shows how they are very cost efficient, also the passage by Gettleman states “In some countries, hunger and poverty drive parents to sell their children into service. What's more, children are often
Child Soldiers are not a new phenomenon. Child combatants have been used in battlefields throughout history. The earliest appearances of young children involved in wars come from the Bronze Age. It was customary for children in the Mediterranean area to serve as a charioteer, armor bearers and aides to lords, knights and other adult soldiers. This was mandatory in order for these children to succeed their adult mentors. Examples can be found in the oldest of literature. In the Bible, David serves as King Saul’s armor bearer. Another example is the story, in Greek mythology, of Hercules and Hylas. Hylas learned how to be a soldier when he served as Hercules’ armor bearer. In the Children’s Crusade in 1212, many children enlisted under the idea that divine power alone would lead them to victory. Although none of the children actually entered combat, they were sold into slavery for war profit. Perhaps one of the most notable examples is the Hitler Jugend, or Hitler Youth, in the closing days of World War II; the Hitler Youth organization “prepared the boys for military service” (Hitler Y...