When I think of a soldier, I think of a strong young man fighting for his country. When I think of a child, I get the image of a young child playing outside with no worries in the world and no responsibilities. However, this is not true, as there are millions of children who have become child soldiers and have been displaced in the world. What makes children want to become child soldiers? Children become soldiers for their governments, as they recruit them. As these children have little access to education, they often think that this is an easy way out for them. Their parents either sell them to the recruiters for money as they are desperate to help the others in the families or the children think that by joining these armies, …show more content…
This psychological damage stays with them for the rest of their lives as they have seen terrible things and have been forced into doing many unimaginable things. A lot of these children have missed out on school for many years and without an education they will go back to the rebel groups, just so that they can get food. These children need to be reunited with their families to try and get some stability back into their lives. Unfortunately, many girls who get raped by these rebels do not get accepted back into their families and their communities as they are seen to have shamed their families. Females are used to being raped and being a single mum and it is vital that these girls get given the education and counseling to help them get back into society. Families too have to be educated, as many families feel that they now have a sign attached to their name and many girls are “honor killed” by their fathers and …show more content…
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. “The Effects of War on Children.” Warchild.org, 2014, www.warchild.org.uk/issues/effects-war-children. Accessed 16 Nov. 2016. “Philipines.” Children and Armed Conflict, 7 Sept. 1999, childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/countries-caac/philippines/. Accessed 14 Nov. 2016. “South Sudan: Terrifying Lives of Child Soldiers.” Human Rights Watch, 14 Dec. 2015, www.hrw.org/news/2015/12/14/south-sudan-terrifying-lives-child-soldiers. Accessed 16 Nov.
There is a problem in the world and something needs to be done of it. There are children, primarily in Africa, that are forced to massacre innocent men and women. These kids are called child soldiers. Child soldiers are kids who are associated in war. A popular book about child soldier is an autobiography by Ishmael Beah called A Long Way Gone.
The child soldiers of Sierra Leone, Africa are a major issue today because they are forced to fight, they are being sexually abused or forced to serve in sexual behaviors and the affects of war on these children are psychological. Something has to be done in order to protect the children of Sierra
Child soldiers have been a major issue in countries all over the world for a very long time. For example, Afghanistan is recruiting children to become a part of the Taliban, one of the largest terrorist groups in the country. A theme presented by Ishmael Beah in the book A Long Way Gone: memoirs of a boy soldier is that when all is lost, there is always hope. He went through brutal drugs and a dark childhood while he was in a civil war but he still was able to push through it and find happiness.
ALWG Research Essay In A Long Way Gone the main character Ishmael is forced to be recruited as a child soldier. He was drugged up and put through traumatic events. This leads to him being rehabilitated, and now sharing his story.
An estimated 300,000 children are forced to become soldiers every day all around the world and will be forced to grow up in a war environment. Many teens in African countries have been fighting in the war since the 90s. These children were forced to fight in the war to survive not being killed by a higher power. An estimated 40% of child soldiers are active in Africa. There is a big risk involved with a post-conflict society.
The wide spectrum for the desire to own resources in many countries has produced a raging armed conflict. For instance, developing countries like, Africa are the most vulnerable to face constant wars due to the lack of resources. Consequently, a new source is being used to battle the rivalries for the reoccurring conflict. Ismael Beah’s book, A Long Way Gone, reveals in detail that child soldiers are the newest source used in the armed conflict. His book, also demonstrates his experience as a child soldier, fighting for the Sierra Leone Armed Services at the age of twelve.
No family, only the war life they were forced to live. Child soldiers did not have a childhood, neither did they have the right amount of love and affection that they deserved. Life was taken away from these kids, and it was not anything they could do about it. From reading A Long Way Gone, I plan to make a better life for my children in the future and try to prevent the difficulties that happened to the child soldiers from my children. A Long Way Gone, has taught me a valuable lesson to always appreciate everything because there are people around the world that wished they had a better
This quote shows that many of them don’t have any interest in being soldiers, so they don’t want to be violent. “They are easily manipulated.” (Gettleman) Since they are only kids, we shouldn’t expect them to be mature enough to think about what they are doing as soldiers. Besides, most child soldiers don’t
This literary piece “The Making and Unmaking of a child soldier” by Ishmael Beah, unravels aspects of the world often looked over. The book opens an eye on how child soldiers are used as spawn for civil wars for ruthless warlords over drug empires in Sierra Leone. Children are forced to become soldiers to serve for military and save their country, Sierra Leone. Child soldiers are also forced to work and there are many different jobs which are given to child soldiers.
In the article Should Child Soldiers be Prosecuted For Their Crimes it says,“if a child is under the age of 15 is considered too young to fight then he or she must be considered too young to be held criminally responsible for serious violations.” This explains how that they are easily manipulated and targeted because they aren't legally responsible to take responsibility for their actions. Each child were held in hostilities and couldn't have to opportunity to not fight. Also in Should Child Soldiers be Prosecuted For Their Crimes a report within the article it says, “ The report says child soldiers should not be prosecuted simply for the association with an armed group of having participation in hostilities.” Children are targeted to be recruited to war because nobody can take responsibility for the
How would you feel if you were recruited as a soldier during war? Since 2001, the participation of child soldiers has been reported in 21 on-going or recent armed conflicts in almost every region of the world. The importance of this is portrayed in Ishmael Beah’s memoir A Long Way Gone. The author believes that innocent kids should not be selected to fight as soldiers, lose their innocence killing people, witnessing violent scenes and suffer because of war.
Also, according to the Invisible Children Association, “...child soldiers are often forced into fighting through false promises. They are also forced into fighting through drugs and alcohol.” This shows how they are forced and they think what they are doing is okay because they are brainwashed. These children are being misled and sometimes threatened to commit horrible acts, that they wouldn’t do if they knew what was happening. But these children were never taught what is right and wrong.
An unhealthy obsession with guns, being drugged to make killings seem normal, and being undoubtedly loyal to commanders is only part of what a child soldier is. Child soldiers can be dangerous and make up many armies in war-torn countries. In much of the world, usually in unstable countries, when conflict breaks out, children can quickly be swept up and put on the front lines to fight. Children may carry ten-pound guns and use bullets twice the size of their fingers. Some children are old enough to understand what they are doing, and others have no idea.
Assignment page Video Where many children all over the world merrily and freely live under the protection of the law, for others, this is a distant reality, they live in a world where they’re battling poverty, stripped of their childhood and basic human rights are expunged, they’re the innocent victims of conflict, and war is made to seem their one and only duty, not to mention that these are children no more than 10 years of age. They are put into a situation where it’s to kill or be killed. The United Nations defines a child soldier as, “Any person under 18 years of age who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity.” Since the past 15 years, child soldiers are being used in almost every region of the world. Unlike most children, who go to school, they’re abducted from their families and forced into becoming a child soldier, where living conditions are beyond imaginable.
Have you ever imagined growing up on a life of drugs, war, crime, and seeing things that many adults won’t dare to ever see? In many countries around the world, this is what many children have to deal with. There is an occurring issue of people across Africa and parts of Asia using children as soldiers in war. They act and take upon the roles of real combatants, causing the people of the public to act in different ways. It’s been well documented that these children have used guns and war tactics, and committed various illegal and illicit acts of violence.