Child Soldiers In Africa Essay

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Pages: 7

The UNICEF in the article “Child Soldiers in Africa,” defines child soldiers as “Child soldier is any child - boy or girl - under 18 years of age, who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity, including, but not limited to: cooks, porters, messengers, and anyone accompanying such groups other than family members. It includes girls and boys recruited for sexual purposes and/or forced marriage. The definition, therefore, does not only refer to a child who is carrying, or has carried weapons" (Cape Town Principals, 1997).
Facts about Child Soldiers:
The Human Rights Watch article, “Facts About Child Soldiers,” asserts the participation of child soldiers has been reported since 2001. The article also
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One of them is military services who are forcibly doing their acts and contributing child to become child soldiers. The other reason is ‘war’. If there is no more war then, no one needs child soldiers. Other reason is lack of job opportunities. Because of these and survival from abject poverty and survival child choose to be a child soldier. Because of the lack of education, children only think that child soldier is only way to sustain their life and run it a normal way. Because of lack of education in undeveloped countries like Africa, people do not understand the importance of education. Education is not enough to sustain the life. So, there should be an equal balance between education and employment. If people start having knowledge about the educational benefits to be employed and make a better life, then it is obvious that children wouldn’t be subjected to child soldiers. In many countries like Africa people find themselves to be in the world of poverty and unemployment where education has no role to play in it. An armed involvement helps them to make their life raise up from the condition they belong to. The other reason is displacement from families and getting separated in their early childhood. Some are orphans and children think that they only fit in the employment like child soldier as they have no one to support them and give them opportunities to study and make a good life. Children displacement is due to many reasons and one of them is during the time of pasts