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Child Soldiers Research Paper

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Child Soldiers Research Paper
Child soldiers
a) The nature of the human rights issue
A child soldier is a person under the age of 18 who participates, directly or indirectly, in armed conflicts as part of an armed force or group, in either armed and supporting roles. The use of children in armed conflict is considered to be a form of slavery or human trafficking. Although children join armed groups ‘voluntarily’ it often involves coercion, force or deception, or the child may see no other option for survival but to join. The UN and human rights watch estimated that the number of children serving in armed conflicts at between 200 000- 300 000. The UN reported 57 armed groups’ worldwide using child soldiers.
b) Where the human rights issue occurs.
Worldwide conflicts
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c) The legal and non legal responses to child soldiers both include international and domestic responses.
Legal responses:
International responses include the Geneva conventions, ‘laws of war’. Which is a series of 4 treaties adopted between 1864 and 1949 to regulate the conduct of armed conflict and attempt to limit its affects. these 4 treaties include; the first Geneva convention (1864) which protects wounded and sick soldiers on land during war, the second Geneva convention (1906) which protects wounded, sick and ship wrecked military personnel at sea during war, the third Geneva convention (1929) which
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Domestic responses include domestic NGOs, Groups or individuals and the media. Domestic NGOs focus on issues relating to child soldiers, particularly in countries where recruitment of child soldiers is a significant problem. For example red hand day. Groups and individuals assist in the rehabilitation of former child soldiers, by helping to relocate their families, get back into school, provide vocational training and re enter life. The media informs the public about the existence and problems of child soldiers for example the movie blood diamond focussed on the recruitment and use of child soldiers in diamond related conflict

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