Exploration 2C: Focus on child soldiers Print E-mail

Planning the time

Students and teachers have found they would like to spend more time exploring this subject. To provide more time in class, you might plan to have students do some work as preparation between sessions and thus leave more time for discussions in class.

Exploration 2A introduced students to the rules of war, and Exploration 2B provided examples of precursors to those rules of international humanitarian law (IHL). Exploration 2C looks in depth at one evolving area of international humanitarian law (IHL): the rules governing the recruitment and use of children by armed forces or groups. It begins by taking a look at childhood and the needs of children. It then uses photos, a film and readings to communicate to students the experiences of child soldiers, and to help them understand the consequences of these experiences for the children themselves and for their societies. Finally, the exploration looks at the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts around the world in such a way that no one can dismiss this practice as occurring in 'another part of the world.'

Objectives

  • to become aware of the scope of the practices of recruiting and using boys and girls in war and the consequences of these practices
  • to understand the need for a minimum age for the recruitment and use of children in war
  • to learn that both IHL and human rights law prohibit the recruitment and use of children under 15 in armed conflict and that many countries have formally accepted a new law that raises this age limit to 18 years

Student resourceStudent resources:

Teacher resourceTeacher resources:

Preparation:

Time:

  • Three 45-minute sessions