Child Soldiering
Chase Carrell
Ms. Held
English III
Child Soldiers in Columbia
Many Children today are forced to fight and risk their lives as soldiers. This paper will discuss Columbia’s use of child soldiers, and child combatants as a human rights issue. This problem is directly violating the laws of Columbia. These young combatants participate in every aspect of contemporary warfare (Bradbury). Some children speak of having witnessed or forced to commit atrocities, including rape and murder. Human rights groups need to force the government to end the use of child soldiers because it endangers children, it. Child soldiering should be put to a stop by the government because it is endangering children, it is depriving them of their childhood, and it is mentally damaging their future despite the objection that it could start a war. In Columbia, like dozens of other countries around the world, children have become direct participants in war. They are deprived of their childhood, and often victims of horrible acts of violence. More than 14,000 of Columbia’s children are fighting as combatants in its armed forces (Snyder). “Physically vulnerable and easily intimidated, children typically make well-trained soldiers”(Bradbury). This is because children without families need money to eat and live. Child soldiering has yet to be stopped in Columbia and many other countries. Life of the Children in Columbia is much like the adults they fight with. In training, they witness prisoners being tortured and mutilated. “An estimated eighty percent of the children under arms belong to one of the two guerrilla groups, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) or the National Liberation Army (ELN)”(Bradbury). At least one of every four irregular combatants in Colombia is under eighteen years of age (Snyder). Also the guns they use are lightweight, so they are easily armed.
The issue of child combatants is completely ignored by the Columbian government. Human rights services
Ms. Held
English III
Child Soldiers in Columbia
Many Children today are forced to fight and risk their lives as soldiers. This paper will discuss Columbia’s use of child soldiers, and child combatants as a human rights issue. This problem is directly violating the laws of Columbia. These young combatants participate in every aspect of contemporary warfare (Bradbury). Some children speak of having witnessed or forced to commit atrocities, including rape and murder. Human rights groups need to force the government to end the use of child soldiers because it endangers children, it. Child soldiering should be put to a stop by the government because it is endangering children, it is depriving them of their childhood, and it is mentally damaging their future despite the objection that it could start a war. In Columbia, like dozens of other countries around the world, children have become direct participants in war. They are deprived of their childhood, and often victims of horrible acts of violence. More than 14,000 of Columbia’s children are fighting as combatants in its armed forces (Snyder). “Physically vulnerable and easily intimidated, children typically make well-trained soldiers”(Bradbury). This is because children without families need money to eat and live. Child soldiering has yet to be stopped in Columbia and many other countries. Life of the Children in Columbia is much like the adults they fight with. In training, they witness prisoners being tortured and mutilated. “An estimated eighty percent of the children under arms belong to one of the two guerrilla groups, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) or the National Liberation Army (ELN)”(Bradbury). At least one of every four irregular combatants in Colombia is under eighteen years of age (Snyder). Also the guns they use are lightweight, so they are easily armed.
The issue of child combatants is completely ignored by the Columbian government. Human rights services
Cited: Remer, John. “Fighting for the Rights of Child Soldiers.” (Fall 2010): 4. EBSCO Host. Web. 12 November 2012. Rosen, David. “Assumptions About Childhood and Child Soldiers.” (13 May 2002): 3. EBSCO Host. Web. 12 November 2012.