#childrennotsoliders

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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!

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Monthly Roundup February 2023

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

“Today, we commit to continuing to work with the international community to ensure that all children can live their lives free from violence. Together, we can make sure children remain children, and build a safer, more just future for all.”

The Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace, and Security

Strategic Plan for 2022 - 2025

Why aren’t child soldiers treated as human trafficking ‘survivors’?

"What happens to child soldiers once the fighting is over? How do they re-integrate into society, and who supports them to find a new place in civilian life?"

"Children who have been used by armed actors do not reintegrate easily. Depending on when they were used and how old they were at the time, they may return to civilian life still as children or as adults. Regardless, many of them will be viewed with suspicion, stigmatised, or outright rejected by their families, communities, governments, and even the international community."

"Engaging with child soldiers as ‘survivors’ is one way to open up a path for involving them in policy and programme design. It’s also a potentially powerful way of changing the narrative around them in ways that can ease their reintegration."

How can we sustain systems of support that are designed with the experiences of child soldiers at their centre?

"What is needed now are ideas for how governments and humanitarian organisations could bring former child soldiers into the policy and programming process, so that the system could – for the first time in their lives – work for them."

Here’s how AI is helping Africa’s endangered elephants

"In collaboration with Dutch tech start-up Hack the Planet, a team of British scientists at Stirling University has developed a new camera that could help protect elephants and other wildlife. The AI-powered device connects directly to satellites and sends real-time information to forest rangers or local villagers."

'The Elephant Whisperers' — An Oscar-nominated love story about people and pachyderms

"[Bellie] is part of the Kattunayakan community, a tribal group that, for generations, has devoted itself to caring for elephants. "For us Kattunayakans, the well-being of the forest is all that matters," she says."

"I wanted the audience to stop seeing animals as the 'other' and start seeing them as one of us," she says. "The Elephant Whisperers helps people understand more about the elephants and their human caretakers, how they love and understand each other, how they've learnt to adapt and co-exist."

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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 from August 2023

INITIATIVE FOR ASIAN ELEPHANTS

"WWF is launching an ambitious regional conservation alliance which aims to tackle the threats faced by wild elephants in Southeast Asia and China by addressing the drivers of population declines, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict. In partnership with governments, private companies, and communities living in close proximity to wild elephant populations, this alliance seeks to secure and restore wild elephant habitats and improve human-elephant conflict management to have thriving elephant and human communities."

Spread the word: https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/AsianElephantAlliance

August 19th was World Humanitarian Day

Around the world, humanitarians work tirelessly to save lives and bring hope to people in need.

No matter who

No matter where

#NoMatterWhat

"We came together to honour humanitarians around the world who strive to meet ever-growing global needs. No matter the danger or the hardship, humanitarians venture deep into disaster-stricken regions and on the front lines of conflict, strive to save and protect people in need."

Supporting Integrated Child Protection and Education Programming in Humanitarian Action

"This guidance aims to support the Child Protection and Education practitioners who respond to the needs of children in humanitarian crises. This includes relevant government line ministries, national civil society organizations, community and faith-based organizations (C/FBOs), (I)NGOs, UN agencies, other implementing organizations, and donors."

Uganda receives 14 former LRA rebel fighters repatriated from CAR

"Uganda received 14 former fighters of the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group repatriated from the Central African Republic (CAR). The first batch of former rebels led by Maj. Gen. Ali Acaye, alias "Doctor", together with 14 of their wives and 33 children who have been holed up in the jungles of CAR, arrived at Entebbe International Airport, 40 kilometers south of Kampala, the capital city, by a chartered flight."

A local band plays Ugandan traditional music to welcome the homecoming former fighters of Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group and their families at the Entebbe military airbase, Uganda, July 22, 2023.

"The repatriation exercise was facilitated by PAX, the largest peace organization in the Netherlands, and other NGOs, with support from the governments of the Netherlands and Belgium."

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Monthly Roundup - March 2023

Running toward education: A former child soldier’s path to UBC Okanagan student athlete

"A South Sudanese refugee who ran towards education after being taken as a child soldier is now a University of British Columbia student and athlete, and he is just getting started."

“Running is therapy for me,” said Achuli.

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Monthly Roundup January 2023

Your Red Hand counts!

"Red Hand Day (February 12th) and the campaign to stop the use of child soldiers [have existed] for over 15 years. 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!

Our demands:

Straight 18: No child under the age of 18 may be used or trained in armies, armed groups or other military units

Punishment of those responsible

Care, protection and political asylum for former child soldiers

Expand financial support for aid programs for child soldiers

Stop of arms exports

Promotion of peace education

Stay tuned over the next week as the Dallaire Institute shares highlights of this important initiative and ways you can #RaiseYourRed to help end the practice of children being recruited and used as soldiers.

Photo credit HERE

From child soldiers to carpenters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

"To mark IVD 2022, UN Volunteers lend support to APROJED under the Actions and Projects for Sustainable Development, an organization in Turunga, a Nyiragongo municipality on the outskirts of Goma.

This organization houses a training facility formed in 2006. Here, former child soldiers and vulnerable children are taught practical life skills, such as carpentry. So far, this training facility has trained and imparted vocational training to more than 600 children."

26 minutes: counting down for elephant conservation

"Every 26 minutes, on average, one African elephant dies for its ivory. This gloomy statistic is fueled by rampant poaching, by the land and water shortages that drive tense conflicts between people and animals, and by the stifling threats of climate change.

Yet, working together, we can achieve wonders in 26 minutes. That’s how long it takes for IFAW and our conservation partners to protect the life of an African elephant through the complex process of translocation, or movement from one place to another."

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Monthly Roundup - August 2022

YOUTH BRIEFER CALLS FOR STRENGTHENED REINTEGRATION PROGRAMMING AND THE INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES

"Youth advocate and former child soldier Patrick Kumi spoke on behalf of civil society and shared his experiences growing up during the armed conflict in South Sudan. Abducted, tortured, and forcibly recruited by an armed group, Patrick eventually fled to Uganda, where he received reintegration support. He participated in VoiceMore, a youth-led advocacy program of the NGO War Child. Patrick and his friends later founded the NGO Similar Ground, a refugee youth-led peacebuilding and advocacy community-based organization that empowers young refugees and hosts capacity-building initiatives."

Read: Statement by Patrick at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict

International Peace Day is September 21st

"We all have a role to play in fostering peace. And tackling racism is a crucial way to contribute. We can work to dismantle the structures that entrench racism in our midst. We can support movements for equality and human rights everywhere. We can speak out against hate speech – both offline and online. We can promote anti-racism through education and reparatory justice."

"The 2022 theme for the International Day of Peace is “End racism. Build peace.” We invite you to join the efforts of the United Nations as we work towards a world free of racism and racial discrimination. A world where compassion and empathy overcome suspicion and hatred. A world that we can truly be proud of."

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Monthly Roundup - July 2022

In July, the UN Security Council held its open debate on children and armed conflict (CAAC), under Brazil’s presidency. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG-CAAC) presented the Secretary-General’s (SG) 2022 annual report on CAAC (forthcoming), covering the period from January 1 to December 31, 2021.

Read UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell's remarks at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict HERE

JULY 2022 SPECIAL UPDATE – OPEN DEBATE ON CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT

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

Call for increased compliance with international humanitarian, human rights, and refugee law and child protection norms, and strengthen accountability for all grave violations against children;

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

Prioritize the protection of the rights and well-being of children in armed conflict.

Statistics Should Never Overshadow the Individual Suffering of Children in Armed Conflict, “We Must Redouble Efforts to End Grave Violations”

“There is no word strong enough to describe the horrific conditions that children in armed conflict have endured. Those who survived will be affected for life with deep physical and emotional scars. But we must not let these numbers discourage our efforts. They should serve as an impetus to reinforce our determination to end and prevent grave violations against children. This report is a call to action to intensify our work to better protect children in armed conflict and ensure that they are given a real chance to recover and thrive,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba."

FLASH ACTION || LARGEST LRA DEMOBILIZATION IN 20 YEARS

"In April, two LRA splinter groups in eastern CAR  entered into demobilization negotiations with authorities. Both groups began handing over some of their weapons as a first step toward the full disarmament of their groups. This means that up to 250 children, women, and men in these groups could be coming out of the LRA very soon. This would be the largest LRA demobilization since Invisible Children was founded. And it is in large part thanks to the bravery of local community groups, trained by Invisible Children, that have led to this moment."

Join our Flash Action and help us raise $10,000 to continue the ongoing negotiations and make sure every LRA returnee has the support they need to get home to their families.

Drawings from the 2022 Annual Meeting for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

During the 2022 Annual Meeting, the Alliance had a team of virtual artists capturing all the highlights and most memorable moments from each session in the meeting.

You can also re-watch all the sessions HERE in English.

Solidarity without Borders: Friendship, the Arts, and Social Movements

"How might engaging in the act of friendship, initiating it, cultivating it, and maintaining it, lead to solidarity within a social movement? And does this solidarity lead to future nonviolent collective action? Can friendship be a tool for human rights activists who want to build long-term resilience for a social movement? In order to think through these questions, this essay draws upon ethnographic work with Indonesian artists and social and environmental justice activists who engage with local and global communities. Specifically, the work of art collective Taring Padi is used to illustrate the ways in which art can be used to create new friendships and sustain them with the goal of building long-term connection and transcending violence."

elephants on the move: 250 elephants to be translocated in Malawi

"The translocation will take place between 27th June and 29th July, 2022 as part of a national conservation initiative to maintain healthy habitats in Malawi’s national parks, establish viable elephant populations, and ensure the prosperity of local communities living around the parks."

This important initiative is being made possible by the generous support of the Elephant Cooperation, with a leadership gift and the generous support of various philanthropic funders. Elephant Cooperation is a non-profit devoted to raising awareness of the African Elephant crisis and supporting existing organizations who embrace our cause.

Museums exempt as ivory trade ban comes into force

"The UK's new ivory ban has made it illegal to deal in items containing or made of elephant ivory unless the items qualify for one of five listed exemptions, including an exemption for Accredited museums."

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Monthly Roundup - June 2022

Dallaire Institute Strategic Plan 2022-2025

Children, Peace and Security: A Policy Checklist on Building the Agenda Together

"A policy checklist on what governments and leaders need to understand about a Children, Peace and Security (CPS) agenda and how it relates to the broader global peace and security agenda."

Visiting Scholar Presents Work on Child Soldiers

Dr. Christelle Molima Bameka presented her research related to the effects of colonialism on violent conflict in East Africa. Her presentation touched on a number of theoretical and policy issues, and was narrated through her expertise on child soldiers and war-afflicted youth. She deployed the case-studies of three youths in order to leverage a broader and more complete vision of justice that included conversations about land ownership, histories of colonialism, and how to speak about victims of the violence of child soldiers.

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Monthly Roundup - April 2021

FEDS BACK DALLAIRE INSTITUTE STUDY EXAMINING THE MENTAL‑HEALTH IMPACTS OF EXPOSURE TO CHILD SOLDIERS

“This research project will be the first of its kind to explore the connections between morally injurious events and the recruitment and use of children as soldiers. In a unique partnership between the Dallaire Institute and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), as well as researchers from the University of Western Ontario, Lawson Health Research Institute, and the MacDonald Franklin Operational Stress Injury Research Centre, the mental health impacts of exposure to child soldiers during military service will at last receive the clinical and rigorous academic study this long-neglected area deserves.”

“This unique collaboration of mental health professionals, academic researchers, and practitioners in the field of child protection and military training will enable opportunities to apply this research to multiple fields, including health, security sector reform, and child protection, and has great potential for informing practice and research in this new area.”

Africa’s Elephants Are in Peril—but Travel Could Help Protect Them

“Ecotourism is an important contributor to elephant conservation in southern and east Africa where the tourism industry is well developed, and where elephants are easy to observe in the open savannas,” she said, adding that the challenge is to transfer some of that tourism value to the less-visited regions of West and Central Africa.”

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Red Hand Day

"Red Hand Day, February 12 each year, is an annual commemoration day on which pleas are made to political leaders and events are staged around the world to draw attention to the fates of child soldiers, children who are forced to serve as soldiers in wars and armed conflicts. The aim of Red Hand Day is to call for action against this practice, and support for children who are affected by it.

Children have been used repeatedly as soldiers in recent years including armed conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Burma, the Philippines, Colombia, and Palestine. Estimates on the number of children engaging in armed conflict around the world show no change between 2006 and 2009. Rehabilitation for child soldiers returned to their communities ranges from inadequate to non-existent.

Red Hand Day was initiated in 2002, when the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict entered into force on February 12, 2002. This protocol was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in May 2000 and currently has signatures from over 100 different states. A number of international organizations are active against the use of children as soldiers. These organizations include, for example, the United Nations Child Fund (UNICEF), Amnesty International, Terre des Hommes or the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

The work of these organizations can be summarized by the abbreviation DDR: Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration."  http://pantheonfoundation.org/event/red-hand-day/2015-02-12/