"I would like to give you a message. Please do your best to tell the world what is happening to us, the children. So that other children don't have to pass through this violence."
A 15-year-old girl who escaped from the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda
Friday, February 23, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
My Findings
I have been doing more and more research on my topic and although its been very depressing and disturbing my topic is something I've become a little obsessed with. I found myself thinking about it today in my class and wondering "How many children were kidnapped from their families today in Africa?" Its wierd, I know, but I recently just started reading this biography A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmal Beah, and it's almost impossible for me to put down. I've also been online going on the websites of certain charity organizations that post the stories of some of the children that were lucky enough to make it out alive. Stories about soldiers forcing the younger boys to rape and murder women in order to make them stronger just made me sick to my stomach, and it made me realize how sheltered my life is and how ignorant people are to this issue. The more and more I learn about this topic the more and more I appreciate the place I was born into to. Another issue is my disappointment in the actions of other countries that are watching this occur and have yet to do something to end it. After almost nothing was done about the Genocide in Rwanda and the many children that were used in battle most would think that when a second Genocide occurs this time in Darfur people would realize that hundreds of thousands of children are holding guns and being forced to murder innocent people. I have also researched the organizations that are trying to end this disgusting trend but it's very difficult to control these armed forces in foreign nations.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Report
The use of children as soldiers is seen as appalling and in today’s society it is completely unacceptable, yet all over the world hundreds of thousands of children are being forced to carry weapons and fight in combat. These children are constantly enduring brutal conditions and dealing with both the physical and psychological effects that consequently follow. As this problem begins to grow so does its awareness and people’s efforts to end it.
The use of children as soldiers is an intolerable problem and is prominent in places all over the world such as Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East but it has become most crucial in Africa where it is estimated that more than 200,000 children are being forced to join these armed militia groups. These armed militia groups move into communities and pick and choose children like cattle. A 15 year old boy P.K who was abducted in Liberia in 2002 said “Government soldiers came and forced me and my father to join them. My father refused so they cut his throat. They beat me and tied me and forced me to join the fighters”. The estimated number of children soldiers is approximately 300,000 but some argue that it is in fact much greater because it is extremely difficult to collect this type of data. Impoverished and underdeveloped countries like Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Liberia and many more are using children as young as five years old to carry out acts of violence. All together there are children actively involved in combat in more than 85 nations all over the world. These children are ripped away from their families at a young age and are raised in these sadistic environments. While some children are kidnapped or forced to become part of these groups, many children join voluntarily because there is little to no other opportunity for a better life and because of the social, political or economic pressures surrounding them.
In many areas these children soldiers undergo brutal conditions and endure a great deal of pain and suffering. In numerous cases children receive very little food, suffer from beatings and sexual abuse, and are forced into using illicit drugs. In Africa these government armed forces, paramilitaries, and civil militia feed these young children drugs in order to condition them into believing that the acts they are committing against their own people and community are acceptable. Boys in captivity are forced to ransack and burn villages and torture and even kill their own neighbors. At age 15 Albert was he was recruited by an armed opposition group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “They would give us ‘chanvre’ [cannabis] and force us to kill people to toughen us up. Sometimes they brought us women and girls to rape…They would beat us if we refused.” Both boys and girls participate in combat and some are even used for sexual purposes, messengers, spies, servants or to lay or clear landmines for the older soldiers. Although life for a boy soldier is ruthless, young girls are also treated inhumanely by having to deal with rape and they are often forced into sexual slavery or are used as “comforters” for the male soldiers. The discrimination brought upon young girls in astonishing and these male soldiers rather refer to them as sexual possessions rather than human beings. Many armed forces believe children soldiers are very vital to their societies because they are seen as cheap and expendable and are very obedient to authority. Because children were seen as “expendable” they were forced to In addition they feel that these young, impressionable children can be turned into the fiercest fighters through brutal instruction and training. Involving children as soldiers has been made easier by the production of inexpensive light weapons.
The goal of these forces and groups is to inhibit fear and guilt into the minds of these children, which later leads to many psychological and physical problems later on in their lives. The involvement of children in war desensitizes them to suffering and emotions, and in some cases children are deliberately exposed to horrific scenes in order to “harden” their psyche. The most severe consequence of having children serve as soldiers is on their moral and psychological development because their moral system is being dominated by fear and violence. After the war has ended it becomes almost impossible for these children to be a functioning member of society when their entire experience of that society is organized around fear and violence. These children also suffer physical injuries like loss of hearing, loss of sight, and loss of limbs. Most children lose limbs because the leaders of these forces cut off limbs as a form of punishment for being disobedient.
The first international regulation dealing with the issue of children in armed conflict was the 1977 Additional Protocols to the Geneva conventions which established a minimum age for recruitment. The world finally reacted to this issue and in 1989 The UN Declaration of the Rights of Child was adopted. To date, a basic agreement among states seems to have been reached on raising to 18 the minimum age for participation in hostilities, for compulsory recruitment into government armed forces, and for any kind of recruitment into nongovernmental armed groups. Although laws have been passed it is a very difficult task to end this trend completely because most of the children are being kidnapped by armed forces that have no connections to the government. Charity organizations also exist that are working to prevent the recruitment and use of children such as the Child Soldiers Coalition Trust and The Child Soldiers Project.
A child should ever have to witness the violence that these children endure everyday, and no child should be forced to murder and rape innocent people, it is disturbing to even think about. But everyday more and more children are being rescued from these armed forces and put back into society
The use of children as soldiers is an intolerable problem and is prominent in places all over the world such as Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East but it has become most crucial in Africa where it is estimated that more than 200,000 children are being forced to join these armed militia groups. These armed militia groups move into communities and pick and choose children like cattle. A 15 year old boy P.K who was abducted in Liberia in 2002 said “Government soldiers came and forced me and my father to join them. My father refused so they cut his throat. They beat me and tied me and forced me to join the fighters”. The estimated number of children soldiers is approximately 300,000 but some argue that it is in fact much greater because it is extremely difficult to collect this type of data. Impoverished and underdeveloped countries like Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Liberia and many more are using children as young as five years old to carry out acts of violence. All together there are children actively involved in combat in more than 85 nations all over the world. These children are ripped away from their families at a young age and are raised in these sadistic environments. While some children are kidnapped or forced to become part of these groups, many children join voluntarily because there is little to no other opportunity for a better life and because of the social, political or economic pressures surrounding them.
In many areas these children soldiers undergo brutal conditions and endure a great deal of pain and suffering. In numerous cases children receive very little food, suffer from beatings and sexual abuse, and are forced into using illicit drugs. In Africa these government armed forces, paramilitaries, and civil militia feed these young children drugs in order to condition them into believing that the acts they are committing against their own people and community are acceptable. Boys in captivity are forced to ransack and burn villages and torture and even kill their own neighbors. At age 15 Albert was he was recruited by an armed opposition group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “They would give us ‘chanvre’ [cannabis] and force us to kill people to toughen us up. Sometimes they brought us women and girls to rape…They would beat us if we refused.” Both boys and girls participate in combat and some are even used for sexual purposes, messengers, spies, servants or to lay or clear landmines for the older soldiers. Although life for a boy soldier is ruthless, young girls are also treated inhumanely by having to deal with rape and they are often forced into sexual slavery or are used as “comforters” for the male soldiers. The discrimination brought upon young girls in astonishing and these male soldiers rather refer to them as sexual possessions rather than human beings. Many armed forces believe children soldiers are very vital to their societies because they are seen as cheap and expendable and are very obedient to authority. Because children were seen as “expendable” they were forced to In addition they feel that these young, impressionable children can be turned into the fiercest fighters through brutal instruction and training. Involving children as soldiers has been made easier by the production of inexpensive light weapons.
The goal of these forces and groups is to inhibit fear and guilt into the minds of these children, which later leads to many psychological and physical problems later on in their lives. The involvement of children in war desensitizes them to suffering and emotions, and in some cases children are deliberately exposed to horrific scenes in order to “harden” their psyche. The most severe consequence of having children serve as soldiers is on their moral and psychological development because their moral system is being dominated by fear and violence. After the war has ended it becomes almost impossible for these children to be a functioning member of society when their entire experience of that society is organized around fear and violence. These children also suffer physical injuries like loss of hearing, loss of sight, and loss of limbs. Most children lose limbs because the leaders of these forces cut off limbs as a form of punishment for being disobedient.
The first international regulation dealing with the issue of children in armed conflict was the 1977 Additional Protocols to the Geneva conventions which established a minimum age for recruitment. The world finally reacted to this issue and in 1989 The UN Declaration of the Rights of Child was adopted. To date, a basic agreement among states seems to have been reached on raising to 18 the minimum age for participation in hostilities, for compulsory recruitment into government armed forces, and for any kind of recruitment into nongovernmental armed groups. Although laws have been passed it is a very difficult task to end this trend completely because most of the children are being kidnapped by armed forces that have no connections to the government. Charity organizations also exist that are working to prevent the recruitment and use of children such as the Child Soldiers Coalition Trust and The Child Soldiers Project.
A child should ever have to witness the violence that these children endure everyday, and no child should be forced to murder and rape innocent people, it is disturbing to even think about. But everyday more and more children are being rescued from these armed forces and put back into society
Research Plan part 2
Im having second thoughts about what I want my topic to be for my research paper. I've been curious and looking online and in newspapers and I really think I want to research some type of social issue occuring right now. I was actually reading about the Genocide in Darfur but I feel that I won't have enough sources to construct a good enough paper. I don't read the newspaper very often but I'm interested in learning more about current events and what is happening around the world. While researching about th genocide in Darfur I also came across the topic of children soldiers in Africa. I feel like researching a social issue would be more beneficial then researching something about myself but I feel like it would be hard to find a person that would know enough about this subject to interview or conduct a survey that would be useful to me. I missed class last thursday and I just checked the discussion board today so I'm pressed for time because tomorrow is Tuesday and I need to figure out what it is I want my topic to be but I'm flustered.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
SNOW
I am so happy that it has finally snowed and this time its actually sticking! I am from Buffalo, which is very upstate and it does nothing but snow there, so I was so excited to see that we got more than just a inch of snow. Back at home in Buffalo my younger brothers recieved 8 snowdays already and the snow just keeps coming. They have over 4 ft of snow and I am jealous beyond belief. Snow is the most beautiful sight in the world and there isnt nothing I love more than waking up and seeing everything covered in a blanket of white when I look out my window. I really wish it snowed more HERE!!
My research plan
It really doesnt matter to me what topic I write about, I really enjoy writing about pretty much anything. However I am more curious is writing about something having to do with researching myself or my background. The journal entry where we had to find out where our name came from really interested me. I don't want to do a reasearch project on my name though I would rather do something about my heritage or about the town I grew up in. One of those topics could very well be the starting point for my reasearch project.
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