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Monthly Roundup May 2025

2018-2025: from the Global Coalition for Reintegration of Child Soldiers to the Nairobi Process and the Financing Innovation Forum

Release of new publication by the Office of the SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict HERE

"Children are resilient. Children are agents of change and peace. There is no more strategic and economically beneficial way to invest in long-term peace than providing timely, adequate, predictable and sustainable reintegration support to children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups. These children are a strategic cohort for long-term peace and security. If we succeed in an annual doubling of children released and reintegrated and halving those recruited, we will soon significantly reduce the use and abuse of children for, by and in armed conflict,” concluded Ms. Virginia Gamba."

Championing Borneo’s gentle giants: The woman behind Sabah’s elephant conservation

"Her passion gave rise to Seratu Aatai – meaning “united in heart” in the local Sungai language – the only NGO in Sabah dedicated exclusively to Bornean elephant conservation. Founded in 2018, the group now works closely with communities in the Lower Kinabatangan region, over 300 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu, where the rainforest still supports orangutans, sun bears and the endangered proboscis monkey."

In Support of Heart and Stroke Canada

Did you know that every five minutes, someone in Canada dies from heart disease, stroke, and vascular cognitive impairment?

More than 3.5 million people across Canada of all ages, ethnicities and genders are living with these conditions, but we are on the verge of significant breakthroughs and YOUR donation can help make them happen.

That’s why I’m fundraising for the 5th year in the 2025 Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart throughout the month of June, by getting active in support of critical heart disease and stroke research.

You can make a difference, too! By donating, you’re funding the next big breakthrough, fueling the scientific discovery and collaborations needed to save lives. All donations will be matched until the end of June - this means 2x the impact!

Please donate and help us put Heart & Stroke research on the fast track. Together, we’ll beat heart disease and stroke - every beat counts.

Donate HERE

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Monthly Roundup April 2025

Drawing on input from over 250 child protection practitioners in 55 countries, and insights from five leading child protection agencies, this new brief on the "Global Impact of Humanitarian Funding Cuts on Children and Their Protection in Humanitarian Contexts" presents stark evidence of the catastrophic consequences that ongoing funding cuts are having on children’s safety and well-being. Services are being suspended, frontline staff reduced, and protection systems dismantled—leaving millions of children at increased risk of abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and even death.

Key Findings Include:

Over 1.1 million children are directly affected by suspended child protection programmes in more than 23 countries.

Services are being shut down, frontline staff reduced, and national protection systems dismantled.

Budget cuts across all sectors are compounding risks of abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and even death.

Agencies report growing challenges in meeting the Child Protection Minimum Standards, with a rapidly shrinking workforce and limited resources.

This is a critical call to action. The briefing note, along with key advocacy messages and a communications pack, is now available to support your work with donors, governments, and humanitarian leadership.

👉 Read the Briefing Note 📣 Download the Communications Pack HERE

2025 Annual Meeting for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

3rd to 5th June | Zoom | Protection of Children from the Ground Up - Enhancing Localised Approaches in Conflict and Crises

Register HERE

I was a child soldier – here’s what it’ll take to protect young lives in conflict zones

Six ways to protect children in conflict zones:

Cut arm sales to conflict regions

Provide life-saving essentials

Continuous education during conflict

Work with local communities and leaders

Ex-child soldiers as part of disarmament and reintegration

Listen to children’s voices

Finland strengthens its commitment to reparative justice for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and former child soldiers

"The Trust Fund for Victims at the ICC contributes to fulfil the principles of reparative justice established in the Rome Statute by implementing measures that recognise and redress the harm caused by genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression on victims and their families."

Elephant Emergency: A Conservationist’s Plan To Save The Gentle Giants

"Dr. Farina Othman recently won a Whitley Award by the Whitley Fund for Nature, a UK nature charity organisation, for her work in conserving a type of local elephant species."

"According to a report by CNN, Farina has devised a plan to connect the elephant’s habitats by building corridors of wild trees through palm oil plantations."

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Monthly Roundup March 2025

End Child Soldiering is proud to annnounce that the third Opoka Award will be going to the Dallaire Institute for their outstanding work.

End Child Soldiering is a charity and corporation under the laws of Montana as a 501(c)(3) that supports efforts to end the use of children as soldiers and rehabilitate those that have been.

“Child soldiering is a horrific violation of children’s rights and must be stopped. We cannot turn a blind eye to the use of children as soldiers and must work tirelessly to protect their childhood and future.”

Learn more about the Grassroots Reconciliation Group HERE

Poems in Passage

"In February 2025, Poems in Passage returns to TTC buses, streetcars, and trains across Toronto, featuring Margaret Atwood in support of War Child. This initiative transforms daily commutes into moments of reflection through poetry from global icons and emerging voices.

Margaret’s contribution, The Disasters of War: A Sequel (excerpt) speaks to the senselessness of war and will be seen alongside other globally recognized writers including Rupi Kaur, and Mustafa, as well as emerging local voices."

From Africa to Asia: A Journey of Conservation and Creativity

"These elephant figurines come all the way from Kenya, crafted from discarded flip-flops collected from beaches across different regions. They are the work of @oceansole a nonprofit organization in Africa dedicated to protecting marine environments and safeguarding whales. Their mission began with a simple yet powerful idea—cleaning up every piece of trash left behind by tourists on the shores and transforming it into recycled products. The proceeds from these creations support internationally recognized projects that help animals and the environment.

This particular elephant is named Rainbow Jokia, inspired by our beloved elephant Jokia, whose rescue story has touched hearts worldwide. The largest elephant figurine in this collection was made from an incredible 1,100 pairs of recycled flip-flops, carefully assembled to bring it to life.

By creating these vibrant elephants from waste collected on beaches, we are not only preventing pollution from harming marine life but also supporting local artisans in Kenya by providing sustainable jobs. This project is expanding to other countries, employing skilled hands from local communities, and making a meaningful impact on both people and wildlife.

These handcrafted elephants are more than just art—they represent kindness, environmental awareness, and a commitment to protecting both our oceans and the magnificent elephants of the land."

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Learn more about the project HERE

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Monthly Roundup February 2025

🇨🇦 Statement on International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers

Aid groups ask Canada to prevent child soldiers by rallying G7 heads around education

“Education is a fundamental pillar of violence prevention within the global security strategies of the international community,” Dallaire says.

"Every year, February 12th — Red Hand Day — stands as a global reminder that children should never be used as soldiers. It is a day to amplify their voices, demand justice, and declare together:

No child should be forced to fight. No child should be trafficked into war. No child should bear the scars of violence they did not create."

"The Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG) Task Force and their members stand together for Red Hand Day, calling for urgent, collective action to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, support their release, and address their recovery and reintegration needs."

In simple words: ‘End the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. Children must always be protected!’

This Red Hand Day, explore key tools and guidance to design and implement programmes for the prevention, release, and reintegration of CAAFAG HERE

"There is hope. Around the world, organizations, activists, and survivors are fighting for their freedom. Those who have escaped captivity are learning to heal, to dream again. With trauma care, education, and reintegration programs, former child soldiers are reclaiming their lives. But the fight isn’t over. Their voices must be heard. Their stories must be told. And that’s where you come in."

Dallaire Institute’s African Centre of Excellence Commemorates the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day) with Conference

The conference, which took place in Kigali, Rwanda, on February 19th & 20th, convened policymakers, subject matter experts, youth, and practitioners from civil society organizations, international organizations, and the regional members of security sector institutions.

Red Hand Day 2025: Historical Perspectives on Child Soldiers

"Between 2005 and 2022, more than 105,000 children are estimated to have been recruited and used in armed conflict around the world. Today, under-eighteens are involved in contemporary conflicts in Ukraine, Palestine, Syria, Ethiopia and elsewhere, navigating global norms of adulthood as they collide with local realities of militarism, resistance and survival."

"Historical research helps to reveal the longer-term structural, cultural and political factors that shape both children’s military recruitment and responses to it from local and international communities, as well as its relationship to other forms of child labour exploitation and youth violence. As we turn our attention to mark 2025’s Red Hand Day, the daily experiences of violence and instability plaguing children and adults alike around the world reminds us of the historically contingent realities that affect children’s participation in armed conflict."

How child soldiers heal after the trauma of war

Shadows into Light looks at the mental health of Sierra Leone’s former child soldiers.

Learn more here: A Life Among Elephants

Africa’s elephants have been in dramatic decline for 50 years. What can be done to save them – new study

"African elephants have experienced serious losses in contemporary times (between 1964 and 2016). The average population trend for African savanna elephants was a decline of 70%. Forest elephant populations declined by over 90%. While declines in the species had been widely recognised, understanding of the overall magnitude and regional context was lacking until now."

Fourth Asian Elephant Range States meeting concludes with the launch of declaration for Asian elephant conservation

"Government representatives from 13 Asian elephant range countries, along with members of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) and the Center for Species Survival (CSS) Asian Elephant, convened for the Fourth Asian Elephant Range States Meeting, held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, from 5-7 February 2025."

"The meeting concluded with the launch of the 2025 Siem Reap Declaration for Asian Elephant Conservation, reaffirming the commitment of participating countries to continued regional collaboration. Expanding on the foundation of the 2022 Kathmandu Declaration, this new Declaration provides a comprehensive framework for range-wide conservation efforts, ensuring the long-term protection of wild elephant populations and their habitats across Asia. Access the Seam Reap Declaration here."

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Monthly Roundup January 2025

Urgent Appeal for the Prioritizing the Protection of Children Amidst Escalating Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

"The Dallaire Institute calls on all the parties to the conflict to respect international law, ensure the full protection of all civilians, and provide proactive measures and protection to the children affected by the armed conflict in the east of the country."

Source: Peace Direct

A Look Back at Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict in 2024

Together, let’s take a look back at key moments for Watchlist and for the UN’s Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) agenda in 2024.

Implementing the ‘Children and Armed Conflict’ Agenda: Analyzing Data on Trends, Enabling Factors, and Persistent Challenges in Situations with Listed Parties

The analysis shows that the below factors play a role in shaping trends in grave violations:

Conflict and peace process dynamics. Levels of grave violations often ebb and flow over time as the scale and severity of armed conflicts fluctuate.

Third-party supporters. Third-party governments—including the 5 Permanent Members of the UNSC—have offered robust security support to some of the worst perpetrators of grave violations.

Legal accountability. The scale of ‘trigger’ violations is lower in contexts where the International Criminal Court (ICC) has jurisdiction, compared with contexts for which the ICC lacks jurisdiction.

Local civil society activities. In country contexts with the lowest levels of civil society participation, States exhibit a greater propensity to perpetrate ‘trigger’ violations. Conversely, States on the higher end of the civil society participation spectrum exhibit a lower propensity to perpetrate ‘trigger’ violations.

The report includes key recommendations related to: 1) elevating visibility for, and fortifying the credibility of, the CAAC agenda; 2) combatting impunity for grave violations; 3) deepening understanding of the drivers of grave violations; and 4) bolstering coordination among the varied actors advocating for and implementing the CAAC agenda.

2024 IN REVEW: 10 positive outcomes for children this year

1.     Sierra Leone bans child marriage following campaign by girls and Save the Children

2.     The Gambia upholds ban of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

3. Children participate in G20 for the first time in its 25-year history

4.     Cobalt mines and catch up clubs in the Democratic Republic of Congo

5.     Community health workers cycle to tackle malaria in Cote d’Ivoire

6.     Laos becomes first country in Southeast Asia to ban corporal punishment

7.     Vanuatu teen activist at the International Court of Justice (ICJ)

8.     World record set at conference to end violence against children

9.         Children in southern Malawi better equipped against climate-aggravated health risks

10.      Deliveries by drone make childbirth safer for refugees in Rwanda

Amazing artivism initiatives to inspire you!

"The arts have the power to touch and move people in ways that information delivered in traditional ways cannot. When art is integrated into activism, the results are tremendous."

Sri Lanka plans elephant corridors to curb human - elephant conflict

"Sri Lanka is planning to establish five elephant coordiors in its north-central province to reduce human-elephant conflicts, state media reported on Sunday."

Keeping the spotlight on Africa’s child soldiers

"To safeguard children, child protection systems must be strengthened at all levels of government and society. National laws prohibiting the recruitment of child soldiers must be prioritised across Africa. High-risk countries must provide comprehensive services for former youth fighters, and help local communities to effectively reintegrate former child soldiers and prevent their re-enlistment."

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Monthly Roundup November 2024

Haiti’s gangs are recruiting child soldiers, rights group says

"Hundreds, if not thousands, of children “driven by hunger and poverty” have in recent months joined gangs and were forced to commit criminal acts ranging from extortion and looting to killing and kidnapping, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report published on Wednesday."

Gang-related child soldier recruitment in Haiti surges over past years

"Within the Haitian capital, Port-Au-Prince, it is estimated that 1.2 million children are subject to the threat of armed violence, and 25 percent of all displaced persons in the country live in dire conditions that potentially subject them to armed violence. “Children in Haiti are trapped in a vicious cycle—recruited into the very armed groups that are fueling their desperation, and the numbers are growing,” stated UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell in the report."

Researchers analyze DNA from dung to save Laos elephants

"[C]onservationists are hoping DNA analysis of elephants' dung will help them track both captive and wild tuskers, so they can secure a healthy genetic pool and craft an effective breeding plan to protect the species."

On Hiatus until January 2025

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Monthly Roundup October 2024

Ex-rebel gets 40-year jail term in landmark Ugandan case

"A Ugandan court has sentenced a former commander in the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to 40 years in prison following a landmark war crimes trial. Kwoyelo is the first commander from the feared rebel group to be convicted by a Ugandan court."

"The International Criminal Court in the Netherlands sentenced another LRA commander, Dominic Ongwen, to 25 years in prison, in 2021."

Linking Local and Transnational Landscapes for Elephant Conservation

A research team and five countries are working together to understand, create and sustain the wildlife corridors critical to African elephant conservation.

“The hope is that by doing conservation, we're not only benefiting nature and biodiversity but also people,” Naidoo said. “The question is: How can this vision be achieved? And to do that, one of the fundamental things that we need to understand is: Where, when, and how are these animals moving across the landscape?”

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Monthly Roundup September 2024

Interview: A Former Tamil Tiger Child Soldier Charts His Path From Forced Recruitment to Healing

"Kagusthan Ariaratnam, a former child soldier turned defense analyst, speaks with JURIST about his new memoir Spy Tiger: The 05 File. The book, co-written with Michael Bramadat-Willcock, details Ariaratnam’s experiences during the Sri Lankan civil war (1983-2009). Forcibly recruited by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a youth, Ariaratnam later became an informant for both Indian and Sri Lankan governments. The conflict, which pitted the LTTE against the Sri Lankan government, resulted in an estimated 100,000 deaths. In this interview with JURIST Senior Editor for Long Form Content Pitasanna Shanmugathas, Ariaratnam discusses his role in the war, its lasting impacts, and the ethical challenges he faced."

How Satellite Technology is Revolutionizing Elephant Conservation

"In the past, understanding how animals move through a vast region like KAZA was extremely challenging. However, GPS collaring has revolutionized our ability to do this, giving us more accurate and useful information. This technology allows us to map elephant movements across entire ecosystems, providing valuable data for conservation efforts.

From 2009 to 2023, various governments and conservation groups independently collared nearly 300 elephants across KAZA. In 2016, an extensive collaboration united these researchers and field experts who agreed to compile and analyze the data together. That collaboration culminated in the creation of an unprecedented elephant tracking database containing an impressive collection of approximately 4 million GPS data points, making it the most comprehensive of its kind. Using this extensive dataset, we have thoroughly analyzed elephant movement patterns throughout the KAZA landscape, leading to the discovery of vital information for effective conservation management."

Elephants are one of the most heavily poached mammals in the world, with a staggering 90% of African elephants being killed by poachers within the last 100 years.

Elephant poaching: Why it’s a big problem

"Poaching is the term used to describe the illegal hunting, killing, or live capturing of wild animals, usually for commercial gain. This could be for a particular body part, such as their fur, horns, tusks, teeth, meat, skin, etc., or for the live animal trade. Poaching threatens the survival of many species around the world.

Elephants in particular are targeted for their ivory tusks, which are in particularly high demand in illegal wildlife trade. 

The impact of elephant poaching extends far beyond the loss of individual animals. Elephants are a keystone species, playing critical roles in their ecosystems. Not only do they help to physically shape their habitats and local ecosystems by creating clearings in forests, dispersing seeds, and creating pathways for other animals, but they’re also culturally significant and symbolic of wisdom, strength, and spirituality for many communities."

UWO professors express the impact of elephant conservation on the environment

"Over the last 75 years, the population of savannah elephants worldwide has declined by more than 50 percent, making them one of the most endangered species in Africa. With a decreasing population, there also comes threats to the elephants’ environment, which faces dangers such as climate change and lack of plant diversity.

According to a study conducted by Spanbauer in Tanzania in 2015, elephants are creating plant diversity across the savannah through digestion, with their dung acting as both a fertilizer and a protectant against insect predators. Savannah elephants are some of the most important seed dispersers in Africa, traveling up to 200 kilometers to fertilize these seeds."

“No one needs an ivory trinket on their shelf,” Spanbauer stressed. “You cannot really get the ivory off the elephant without hurting or killing them. Without elephants, the land will lose tree growth and moisture and eventually suffer drought. So, ivory needs to stay right where it is, which is on elephants that are alive, happy, reproducing and roaming around Africa.”

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Monthly Roundup August 2024

Free to Roam Project

The Free to Roam project aims to allow elephants and other wildlife to thrive, by empowering Tsavo communities to give 90% of land back to nature, while increasing food security through permaculture on the remaining 10%.

Each year, one billion boys and girls are victims of violence, robbing them of their innocence and leaving lifelong scars. Violence erodes every investment that families, communities and governments make in children, from their education to their mental and physical health. Damaging the childhoods of today and societies of tomorrow.

But solutions exist, and we are the first generation with the power, and knowledge, to ensure every child is protected.

This November, the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children takes place. A responsibility and opportunity to deliver change. On behalf of the one billion children affected by violence, we urgently call on world leaders to participate and pledge actions  to keep every child safe.

Childhood is in our hands. The power to act is now in yours.

Take action HERE

Travel Safe was unveiled on Wednesday, August 28th outside of the Burton Cummings Theatre, 364 Smith St., Winnipeg.

"Darcy Ataman, an artist/producer and the Founder of Make Music Matter, introduces a project to support and raise awareness on the response to refugees and displaced persons through a visceral art installation. Ataman’s overseas experiences with MMM exposed him to the effects of forced migration. Motivated by the words, “We know no one is coming to save us and why,” he created Travel Safe to break the cycle and inspire action to address these issues."

Learn more about Bruno HERE

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Monthly Roundup July 2024

The official theme for World Elephant Day 2024 is “Personifying prehistoric beauty, theological relevance, and environmental importance.”

Are you planning an event to support your favourite elephant charity for #WorldElephantDay2024? Check out all the #Elevents being planned on the official World Elephant Day site HERE

And learn more about the history of World Elephant Day HERE

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World Elephant Day is a day where organizations and individuals can rally together to give a voice to the issues threatening elephants.

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World Elephant Day 2024: A Call to Protect and Preserve

"World Elephant Day, observed annually on August 12, plays a crucial role in spotlighting the urgent issues faced by elephants and advocating for their protection and preservation. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the threats confronting these majestic creatures and promoting efforts to safeguard their future."

World Elephant Day 2024: Know Surprising Cultural Significance Elephants Have Around the World

"Elephants are not just majestic creatures; they hold deep cultural significance across many societies, embodying wisdom, strength, and spiritual power. This blog delves into the rich cultural significance of elephants around the world, highlighting how these gentle giants have shaped human history and tradition."

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We admire elephants in part because they demonstrate what we consider the finest human traits: empathy, self-awareness, and social intelligence. But the way we treat them puts on display the very worst of human behavior.

– Graydon Carter, Editor of Vanity Fair

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An Afternoon with Elephants: Virtual Safari with founder of World Elephant Day Patricia Sims

Join Canadian Geographic, Vaya Adventures and award-winning documentary filmmaker, conservationist and Founder of World Elephant Day, Patricia Sims on Oct 3 at 11PST / 1pm EST. Learn how her film “Return To The Forest” narrated by William Shatner launched the global elephant conservation movement and the birth of World Elephant Day, which is now in its 13th annual year of reaching millions of people across the globe about the critical issues impacting African and Asian elephants and conservation solutions required to protect them.

Take a virtual safari with Patricia to experience her exclusive World Elephant Day Tour through Kenya, August 13 – 30, 2024, in partnership with Canadian Geographic Travel and Vaya Adventures, to meet some of the incredible organizations and inspiring people behind the African elephant conservation movement.

From child soldier to scriptwriter - storytelling for good

"Life in Lulu storylines highlight these and other social challenges in the country, including the impact of dangerous power dynamics and sexual and gender-based violence. None of these storylines would be possible without our scriptwriters’ knowledge and passion to share their stories, which help to change perspectives and attitudes."

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Monthly Roundup June 2024

JUNE 2024 SPECIAL UPDATE – OPEN DEBATE ON CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT

On June 26, 2024, the Security Council will hold its open debate on children and armed conflict (CAAC), under the Republic of Korea’s presidency. The Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG-CAAC) will present the Secretary-General’s (SG) 2024 annual report on CAAC (forthcoming), covering the period from January 1 to December 31, 2023.

In view of the upcoming open debate, Watchlist recommends that the Security Council and other UN Member States:

Strongly reiterate support for the UN’s CAAC agenda and demand increased compliance with international law and child protection norms;

Strengthen the effective use of existing mechanisms and tools to monitor, report, and respond to grave violations; and

Redouble efforts to prevent grave violations against children and protect their rights in war.

Read the report HERE

Report | An Overview of the 2024 Annual Meeting for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

"The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action organised the 2024 Annual Meeting for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action in Panama City, Panama from the 4th to 6th of June. The Annual Meeting focused on protecting children in escalating conflict and crises, with a specific focus on armed violence, climate shocks, and displacement in the Latin America and Caribbean region."

Access the playlist of recordings HERE

Acess the live drawings HERE

Read the background paper HERE

The impact of citizen evidence: experiences from Northern Uganda

"It has also produced two great reports that are keeping their communities informed and engaged: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, and The Lion, the Leopard, the Hyena and the Fox. Their evidence has brought community leaders of different ages and genders into political engagement with those that seek to speak for them, or blame them, or co-opt them. They say they feel more powerful and better respected and are making more headway."

Central African Republic: helping former child soldiers rebuild their lives

In the south of the CAR, we help former child soldiers and minors left alone because of the war to rebuild their lives, offering psychological assistance, support for schooling and vocational training, and facilitating their reintegration into their families and communities.

Communities need support to care for children returning home, just as the thousands of boys and girls leaving the armed forces to rebuild their future need it.

A HOLISTIC, HEALING–CENTERED APPROACH TO INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE TRAUMA

"Traditional peacebuilding emphasizes resilience and overlooks trauma's multigenerational impact; while healing–centered peacebuilding (HCP), a holistic approach, acknowledges social determinates and incorporates community–based practices to foster collective wellbeing."

"HCP offers a holistic alternative, prioritizing healing as a pathway to building peace. This approach emphasizes the importance of addressing underlying wounds and anxieties stemming from violence and conflict. HCP seeks to decolonize mental health by building systems focused on justice, healing, and human potential. This approach prioritizes community–based healing practices that are culturally grounded, drawing on Indigenous knowledge and resources to create safe spaces for healing and growth in conflict–ridden communities."

African elephants address each other by name, new study shows

"A groundbreaking study on African elephant communication has revealed that elephants, like humans, use ‘names’ to address each other. Researchers at Save the Elephants, Colorado State University, and ElephantVoices have recorded vocalisations from wild African elephants in Kenya that suggest they address each other with individually specific calls dubbed ‘vocal labels’."

Key results of the study:

Scientists have uncovered a distinctive "vocal label" in elephant calls, similar to a name.

Unlike other nonhuman species with names, African elephants seem to address each other without copying the receiver’s calls.

When ‘vocal labels’ were played back, elephants responded energetically to those addressed to them, approaching the source and vocalising in response.

‘Vocal labels’ were more common among elephants communicating over long distances or adults addressing calves than among adults addressing each other at close distance. They were also more likely to be produced by adults than by juveniles, suggesting that it may take elephants several years to learn to address one another by name.

The Great Elephant Migration

A symbolic herd of 100 magnificent Indian Elephants are embarking on a global migration to promote coexistence!

July 2024 - July 2025

"The Great Elephant Migration is a global fundraising adventure to amplify indigenous knowledge and inspire the human race, to share space. A collaboration between indigenous artisans, contemporary artists and cultural institutions, it will raise millions of dollars to power human-wildlife coexistence projects and protect migratory animals making spectacular journeys across land, rivers, skies and oceans."

Vist the herd HERE

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Monthly Roundup May 2024

The Impact of War on Children Worldwide

"According to Save the Children, in 2022, there were approximately 452 million children – or one in six of all children on the planet – that were living in conflict‐affected areas. As of 2024, we are witnessing unprecedented levels of attacks against children in armed conflict contexts."

“Untitled” by Bîstyek, a Winnipeg‐based Kurdish artist from Syria who fled that country at 16 years of age. Painting by Bîstyek

"The impacts of armed conflict on children are multi‐pronged and have long‐term consequences beyond the duration of the armed conflict. When children are exposed to armed conflict, denied humanitarian access, displaced from their homes and families and unable to attain education, the ramifications impact the individual child and, at the same time, impact the development of communities and economic growth while perpetuating cycles of insecurity and violence."

Gaza – children in the crossfire, lack of access to education and healthcare

Sudan – forced displacement, lack of education and food insecurity

Colombia – armed violence, recruitment of children and trafficking

"We need to reframe the way we think about and understand children’s participation and protection. Understanding and including children’s perspectives in peace and security can contribute to the empowerment of children as agents of change, bring diverse solutions to intractable problems, and help us to disrupt long‐term consequences of armed conflict that impact children’s identity, belonging and connection to family and communities. The challenge of supporting children’s engagement is not about their lack of capacity but a shortcoming in the imagination of adults to think beyond traditional approaches to peace and security. Building lasting peace and security requires a new approach that addresses the unique challenges that children face before, during and after conflict and one that recognizes that children’s perspectives and protection are at the core of our humanity."

Waiving Away the Problem: How US Presidents Have Let Countries Complicit in Child Soldiering Off the Hook

"For more than a decade, the United States has sent billions of dollars in military assistance and weapons to countries complicit in the recruitment or use of child soldiers, despite a law intended to block it. But there are concrete steps that presidents can take to enhance U.S. child soldier prevention efforts by leveraging the fierce global demand for U.S. arms and assistance."

HOW MINT LEAVES AND LEMON TREES ARE HELPING ELEPHANT CONSERVATION IN NEPAL

“There is a strong correlation between elephant habitat fragmentation and crop loss,” says Rinjan Shrestha, WWF-Canada’s leading expert on Asian species. Today, human-elephant conflict remains the number one threat to the already-small Asian elephant population in Nepal. “The answer,” says Shrestha, “is to connect and restore historical habitats for growing numbers of elephants.”

"Biological fencing, or “biofencing” — the practice of making barriers out of natural, living things — is one way to help guide Asian elephants through their natural habitat without tempting them to wander into cropland."

Bees & Elephants: Villagers in Yunnan turn to beekeeping to bolster conservation of wild Asian elephants

"In recent years, in some rural areas in Yunnan, the local governments and volunteers have been promoting industrial transformation, with beekeeping being a key project. This has not only helped achieve rural carbon reduction but also allowed villagers to work at home, reducing direct contact with elephants."

❤️ / It is officially #RideforHeart month!!! ❤️ /

For the 4th year I will be raising money in support of Heart and Stroke in memory of my Dad 🎗 This year I am thrilled to be part of the Heartbeat Heroes - VIP Community! As a VIP my fundraising goal is to reach $1000.

As of today I am at 45% of my goal. You may find my fundraising page HERE Thank you so much for supporting me and Heart and Stroke ❤️ I am making every beat count for my Dad ❤️ today and forever.

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Monthly Roundup April 2024

❤️ Heart Failure Awareness Week, May 5 - 11 ❤️

This week highlights the importance of sharing information to help raise awareness, increase public knowledge, and provide a better understanding of heart health. Follow @canadianheartfailuresociety and visit heartfailure.ca to access downloadable resources 🩺

For the 4th year I will be raising money in support of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada ❤️/ Donations received between now and June 30th will be matched until $500,000 in gifts are received. You may contribute to my page HERE Once again I have set an ambitious goal of $1000. Thank you for supporting me, and Heart & Stroke, in memory of my Dad 🎗

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Many children must live with the trauma of war. Here's how to help them

Conflict in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan has led to millions of children losing family members, fleeing their homes and being caught up in the fighting themselves. The effects could last for decades.

"In particular, they say, from the get-go, the international community needs to not only focus on acute humanitarian needs like food and shelter, but also on the longer-term requirements of providing community and family support, trauma-informed mental health and social services and lasting infrastructure like stable living conditions and medical care."

BIG STEPS FORWARD: A PATH TO ELEPHANT CONSERVATION IN NEPAL "For Asian elephants, who need lots of space to roam, landscape-level conservation means securing and protecting existing habitat fragments and corridors in the Terai Arc Landscape so they can regrow naturally and resist further degradation. This will rebuild safe corridors for elephants to travel and avoid human contact. It also involves using the latest technology — such as motion-sensing cameras, satellite GPS tracking, molecular genetics and conservation drones — to map elephants’ migratory behaviours and monitor corridors. These game-changing tools also help us understand elephants’ use of space and keep an eye on the success of our conservation efforts."

NASA is tracking endangered animal habitats from space

"The rapid decline of many iconic animal species due to habitat loss presents one of the most critical challenges in modern conservation. NASA, an organization typically associated with space exploration, has emerged as a valuable partner in the fight to save endangered animals. By utilizing cutting-edge satellite technology, NASA provides vital data on endangered wildlife habitats, informing and driving conservation strategies around the world."

Elephant conservation: Habitat preferences to mitigate conflict

"African savanna elephants, now classified as endangered, struggle with the relentless expansion of human settlements into their native range. A NASA study offers insights into elephant habitat preferences, particularly in less protected zones where conflict of with humans is more likely. The researchers found that elephants consistently favor dense forests, especially near waterways. Unfortunately, these same areas are often targeted for tourism infrastructure. Armed with this knowledge, conservationists and land managers can work together to identify areas where development poses less risk to elephant populations, striking a balance between economic needs and conservation goals. The experts can also strategically prioritize the protection of the dense forest habitats that elephants rely on for survival."

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How you can get involved

Consider the following ways to get involved:

Support

Targeted donations

Consider volunteering your time or skills.

Raise awareness

The power of your voice

Fact-based advocacy

Make informed choices

Sustainable consumption

Scrutinize business practices

Reduce, reuse, recycle

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Monthly Roundup March 2024

Handbook to Mitigate the Impact of Roads and Railways on Asian Elephants

"The first elephant-specific handbook to help countries reduce collisions and provide safe passage for elephants has just been published, coauthored by experts on elephants and transport ecology from the Asian Elephant Transport Working Group—a collaborative effort between the International Union for Conservation of Nature Asian Elephant Specialist Group and the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group. The “Handbook to Mitigate the Impacts of Roads and Railways on Asian Elephants” aims to provide workable solutions for transportation planners and engineers to protect Asian elephants from the negative impacts of roads and railways."

Who Pays for Conservation?: New CITES Publication Calls for Mobilizing Sustainable Finance for African Elephant Conservation

"The challenge of elephant conservation is both complex and costly, necessitating a move towards innovative approaches to financing conservation costs so as to ensure that no species is threatened with extinction by entering into international trade. This publication is a significant step towards understanding how to address the gap in conservation funding and ensuring the sustainable future of our precious wildlife."

Why Child Soldiering Persists in Africa

"In 2020, approximately 337 million children around the world resided within 50 kilometers of an ongoing conflict where at least one conflict actor was reported to have recruited children. In Africa specifically, some 118 million children were in such a position, meaning about one in six were vulnerable to recruitment." 

"Child recruitment is a global challenge, but the problem remains deep-rooted in several African states despite decades of efforts to combat the practice. Academic research frames the problem in supply- and demand-side terms, shedding light on structural problems in the society unique to young children as well as the conditions that make children desirable recruits."

"Combatting this issue necessitates action: identifying and resolving root causes, disincentivizing armed actors from pursuing children, and enhancing education in local communities."

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/kandakamagazine/p/C5Lj28YOf6N/

Heart and Stroke: Ride for Heart June 2024

You may donate HERE

Thank you for supporting Heart & Stroke in memory of my Dad.

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Monthly Roundup February 2024

Statement by the Prime Minister on the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers

“Today, on the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers, we pledge to continue working closely with United Nations member states and other international partners to ensure every child is protected from the violence of war. Together, we can make sure children remain children and build a safer world where they can fulfil their full potential.”

Statement on International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers

Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development; and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence

[NEW!] Research Handbook of Children and Armed Conflict

The Research Handbook of Children and Armed Conflict adeptly explores childrens’ lived realities of armed conflict and its aftermath. Featuring empirical, conceptual and policy analyses alongside moving first-hand accounts of the experiences of war-affected children and youth, it highlights the urgent need for advocacy and action.

Pre-order: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/research-handbook-of-children-and-armed-conflict-9781839104800.html

Demand a ceasefire by all parties to end civilian suffering

With each day that passes more lives are lost and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is getting worse. Sign Amnesty International's petition HERE to call for an immediate ceasefire by all parties to end civilian bloodshed and ensure humanitarian aid access to Gaza.

Imagining Peace is a knowledge-sharing platform that has:

AN INTERACTIVE TOOLKIT

We highlight artistic practices that contribute to peacebuilding in places affected by conflict and its aftermath. Our interactive toolkit is designed to spark your creativity and understanding of multidisciplinary peacebuilding practices.

A NETWORK OF ORGANISATIONS

We've built a robust database of organizations, spanning different regions, that are dedicated to merging arts and peacebuilding.

Bangladesh's critically endangered Asian elephants get court protection

"Bangladesh's critically endangered wild elephants have received a court order banning their adoption and protecting them from exploitation."

CardiacCrash is a dramatic, interactive program that teaches participants hands-only CPR and AED use in less than an hour.

Learn more HERE

"Everyone should learn CPR and how to use an AED, starting at an early age – both are easy to learn and simple to do. But people need to be empowered to take action. This means increasing awareness around cardiac arrest and equipping people with both the skills and the confidence to act. AEDs should also be much more widely available – and they should be registered, linked to a 9-1-1 dispatch, and properly maintained."

Excerpt taken from the article "We need to create a culture of life savers to address cardiac arrest" posted in The Globe and Mail (February 13, 2024)

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Red Hand Day

Show Your Red Hand to the World

Help stop the spread of child soldiering by raising awareness this #RedHandDay, advocating against the use of children in armed conflict worldwide. Painting hands red symbolizes the blood shed by children forced to commit acts of violence as child soldiers. 

250,000+ children as young as seven are enslaved as child soldiers — kidnapped and forced to fight and kill at the expense of their own lives. Any number of children is too many, and it's time to take a stand.

Photo credit: Exile International

To mark the International Day against the use of Child Soldiers, the Special Representative is launching the Children and Armed Conflict Primer

"To continue the efforts to end and prevent grave violations against children and to mark this year’s Red Hand Day, the Special Representative is proud to announce the launch of an online course, the Children and Armed Conflict Primer. This course has been developed by the Office of the Special Representative and the United Nations System Staff College thanks to the financial support of the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta, and builds on the lessons learned of the pilot Virtual Summer School on Child Protection in Armed Conflict organized in 2022."

This free and self-paced online course is open to all and targets a diverse range of professionals, including from, governments, the United Nations, regional organizations, civil society, and academia.

Registration for the CAAC PRIMER: https://www.unssc.org/courses/children-and-armed-conflict-primer

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Monthly Roundup January 2024

Here are some of my recommendations on who to follow on Instagram for updates and/or ways you can take action:

@so.informed

@letstalkpalestine

@euromedhr

@humanrightswatch

@amnesty

@red_maat

@cjpmeoffical

@unicef

@sulalanimalrescue

@savethechildrencanada

@oxfamcanada

@oncanadaproject

@wearthepeace

@devthepineapple

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10 Good News Stories for Kids in 2023 Despite a Difficult Year, Children’s Rights Made Progress

Rohingya refugee children in a school classroom at a refugee camp in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh, March 9, 2023. © 2023 Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP Photo

Thomas Kwoyelo: Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army rebel commander on trial

"The long-awaited trial of a child soldier-turned-commander in the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has begun in Uganda.

Thomas Kwoyelo faces more than 70 charges - including murder, rape and the recruitment of child soldiers. He becomes the first LRA commander to be tried by a Ugandan court, marking a watershed moment for the country's judicial system."

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Heart Month 2024 is an annual observance in February dedicated to raising awareness about heart health and cardiovascular diseases.

Visit Heart and Stroke to learn more: https://www.heartandstroke.ca/

Every year on February 12th, Red Hand Day encourages political leaders to stop the use of child soldiers. This day is also referred to as the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers.

Hundreds and thousands of handprints have been collected in more than 50 countries and handed over to politicians and to responsible parties, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. There is progress, but there are still 250,000 child soldiers in the world.

Help to stop this abuse of children. Show your Red Hand to the world!