Vital Statistics
- The number of children under the age of 18 who have been coerced or induced to take up arms as child soldiers is generally thought to be in the range of 300,000.
- Most soldiers under 15 are to be found in non-governmental military organizations.
- Most child soldiers under 18 have been recruited into Governmental armed forces.
- The youngest child soldiers are about 7 years old.
- An optional protocol prohibiting the recruitment or use of children as soldiers was completed and opened for signature and ratification by all States in June 2000.
- Over 50 countries currently recruit children under age 18 into their armed forces. (Un.org, 2014)
Organisations
There are multiple organisations dedicated to solving this world issue, they all work hard in finding ex child soldiers and helping to give them the life they were deprived of a Childhood, Education and a family to grow up with. There are multiple goals that these Organisations have in common to stop the use of Child Soldiers such as; Stopping the Civil Wars, trying to help the recovery of effected Child soldiers and to make sure they get the help they need to get their life back on track and making sure there is the funding to do all this by raising money.
Here are some Links to Organisations;
http://www.warchild.org.uk/issues/child-soldiers
http://www.voicesofyouth.org/posts/blood-diamonds-child-soldiers
http://www.unicef.org/donate
Here are some Links to Organisations;
http://www.warchild.org.uk/issues/child-soldiers
http://www.voicesofyouth.org/posts/blood-diamonds-child-soldiers
http://www.unicef.org/donate
Steps to improving situations/plans
To fix this situation of Child Soldiers there are multiple steps that these Countries need to take with the help of these organisations; "Certainly important steps have been taken to end underage recruitment since the signing of the Joint Action Plan. UN figures show that 176 children have been released from the ranks of the Tatmadaw [Burma’s military]; access to military sites by the UN Country Task Force has improved; the number of soldiers held accountable for underage recruitment has increased; and important procedures have been introduced by the government to ensure that recruitment processes are improved at least in the four main recruitment centers.
However, almost 18 months since the signing of the Action Plan, children continue to be present in the ranks of the Tatmadaw Kyi[Burma Army] and the Border Guard Forces [BGFs] as well as armed opposition groups. Access to military sites remains constricted by a 72-hour notice period and children who escape from the Tatmadaw Kyi continue to be detained and treated as adult deserters. While some form of disciplinary action by the military is taken in cases brought to their attention, the majority of those punished are of lower ranks". (Child-Soldiers.org, 2014)
The United Nations are the most Important organisation that can fix this problem and they have started to achieve their goal of bringing the number of Child Soldiers down to Zero. This is a major world problem that needs to be improved so that these countries can start to develop, this is halting all development in these countries and that's why people need to donate so that these Organisations can start to help and that their work is appreciated.
However, almost 18 months since the signing of the Action Plan, children continue to be present in the ranks of the Tatmadaw Kyi[Burma Army] and the Border Guard Forces [BGFs] as well as armed opposition groups. Access to military sites remains constricted by a 72-hour notice period and children who escape from the Tatmadaw Kyi continue to be detained and treated as adult deserters. While some form of disciplinary action by the military is taken in cases brought to their attention, the majority of those punished are of lower ranks". (Child-Soldiers.org, 2014)
The United Nations are the most Important organisation that can fix this problem and they have started to achieve their goal of bringing the number of Child Soldiers down to Zero. This is a major world problem that needs to be improved so that these countries can start to develop, this is halting all development in these countries and that's why people need to donate so that these Organisations can start to help and that their work is appreciated.
References
Child-soldiers.org, (2014). Child Soldiers International - Use of Children Should Be a Violation of Any Ceasefire. [online] Available at: http://www.child-soldiers.org/news_reader.php?id=726 [Accessed 9 Sep. 2014].
Un.org, (2014). Child Soldiers. [online] Available at: http://www.un.org/pubs/cyberschoolbus/briefing/soldiers/index.htm [Accessed 8 Sep. 2014].
Warchild.org.uk, (2014). Child Soldiers | War Child - The charity for children affected by war. [online] Available at: http://www.warchild.org.uk/issues/child-soldiers [Accessed 2 Sep. 2014].
Voices of Youth. 2014. Blood Diamonds and Child Soldiers. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.voicesofyouth.org/posts/blood-diamonds-child-soldiers. [Accessed 31 August 14]
Un.org, (2014). Child Soldiers. [online] Available at: http://www.un.org/pubs/cyberschoolbus/briefing/soldiers/index.htm [Accessed 8 Sep. 2014].
Warchild.org.uk, (2014). Child Soldiers | War Child - The charity for children affected by war. [online] Available at: http://www.warchild.org.uk/issues/child-soldiers [Accessed 2 Sep. 2014].
Voices of Youth. 2014. Blood Diamonds and Child Soldiers. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.voicesofyouth.org/posts/blood-diamonds-child-soldiers. [Accessed 31 August 14]