Final Draft

Regarding child soldiers in all regions; imploring amnesty to be given to child combatants upon ceasing of conflict.

Dear United Nations:

You are well aware of the declination of amnesty towards child soldiers seeking asylum, but the issue isn’t being addressed with the urgency it deserves. My name is Jonah Wimmer, I’m an eighth-grade student attending The American International School of Muscat (TAISM). TAISM advocates self-motivated learning, given the opportunity to further examine current events I researched the employment of children in conflicts going on all over the world. After extensive research I came to a substantial realization; that is: the exploitation of children in state and civil militias is the plight of the century. It is imperative that this problem is recognized with the significance it demands. Children are truly casualties of war. They are condemned to a life of war from birth because of their surroundings. In a study carried out in 2000, there were 300,000 child soldiers and that number hasn’t changed significantly. That is 300,000 children who are abused and enslaved by their leaders. Those 300,000 children are brought up in war and taught only one thing, warfare. So if they aren’t given amnesty structured rehabilitation that is 300,000 children who will grow up to be the next generation of tormentors. Which is why children, upon the conflicts cessation, need to be uprooted from their hostile environments. The importance of giving amnesty to children after the conflict ceases can be summed up by this quote, “Trained and educated in the ways of guerrilla war, many child combatants grow up in a world where brutality is the norm. The result is a violent gift that keeps on giving.”

An entire generation, having been exposed to a life of violence, will conform to that lifestyle and continue to do the only thing they know how to do, be violent. Today’s victims will become tomorrow’s perpetrators, creating a chain of abuse. The only way to combat the exploitation of children is to deliver them out of the hands of their abusers and into the safety of countries sheltered from war. The chain has to be broken. That can’t happen if amnesty continues to be denied to children. Children who were kidnapped, brainwashed, sexually assaulted and forced to kill, none of which out of their own volition, can’t be held accountable for any crimes they committed while under the brutal influence of their captors.

Historically, the United Nations has played a major role in changing international law to promote children’s rights. From the Geneva Conventions to the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC), the UN has worked to achieve a safer environment worldwide. While Unicef has given a great deal of aid and resources toward helping these children, they do not have the power to enact real change. Real change meaning the issue be resolved, not made bearable. That is why the UN is needed more than ever, to step in and give these children a voice.

People like Ishmael Beah, who wrote the book “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier” are bringing attention to this urgent issue. He represents what is possible for a child soldier if they are rehabilitated and given the opportunity to receive counseling and education. His account of his life after he escaped the violence, sheds light on the positive effects of receiving compassion rather than reprimand and punishment. Ishmael says, he can never forget what happened, but through the consistent care of trained counselors, he was able to rekindle his human spirit. Child soldiers like Ishmael, not only need amnesty, they require the steady support of others to reintegrate into society. After which they’d be able to contribute to society and deconstruct the false perceptions people have of war and violence. Furthermore, bring attention to the dire issue, that is the use of child soldiers and their desperate need for help.

To those who might say this is a complex issue and those child soldiers, to some degree, should be punished for their actions. I would say, there are many examples of these children being rehabilitated and reintegrated back into society. Observing the evidence, it is clear to see that there is no choice involved. If you were to blatantly ignore the evidence then it may appear that the children have a choice and are psychologically mature enough to make that choice. However, they’re robbed of their innocence and in turn, their freedom as their captors systematically manipulate them to their will.

During an interview with Ishmael Beah, he spoke about how depending on how you look at child soldiers, you may think they’re perpetrators of crimes. He went on to talk about how he went to the leaders of the militia. From an outside perspective, it appears he volunteered to become a child soldier or had the choice not to. Looking deeper results in a much different perspective. His immediate family was killed when he was 12, he then had to fend for himself and combat starvation, he had no home, no shelter, and for all, he knew there wasn’t a single person in the world who cared about him. Ishmael said that hunger was the driving factor that led to him going into the war camp but really was his human desire to belong to something. Joining the militia offered him a place to belong and soon his group became his surrogate family. His captain and superior officers preyed on Ishmael’s and every other child's thirst for belonging and used it to their advantage. When you consider the evidence and weigh the facts it doesn’t seem like there was much choice at all.

Given that these children are desensitized through drugs and the constant witnessing of violence, they require a level of love, trust, and understanding in order to heal from the loss of their identity, and in most cases, the loss of their family and friends. They are still children inside and can and will return to the person they were before the conflict if given the chance to change.

In the many accounts that have been recorded, it is evident that these children were systematically manipulated to carry out violent acts. It was not their choice to kill, but their survival demanded they either kill or be killed and that isn’t choice at all. Their psyche had to conform to a hostile environment. Put in that situation, anyone would commit those same atrocities.

The severity of the issue is widely underreported because of the nature of the topic. It’s appalling, no one wants to hear about children being used as tools to clear minefields. Our privileged and sheltered experiences prevent us from contemplating the horrors child soldiers are subjected to. News Outlets don’t profit from broadcasting stories centered on conflicts involving the utilization of child soldiers. Because of the lack of awareness, there is a lack of pressure coming from the UN to stop militia’s recruiting children.

Somalia is a country plagued by war and is a well-documented violator of human rights. Their government openly recruits children for various purposes without fear of repercussion. If the UN remains uncommitted towards enforcing human rights then more countries will participate in breaking the laws without consequence.  

It is our civic duty and moral obligation to restore the hope and humanity of child soldiers through rehabilitation. Rehabilitation begins with giving child soldiers amnesty. Whatever the monetary costs involved, it is worth every resource to stop the abuse of children now, in order to prevent the greater costs toward humanity later. Society will pay the price if we do not confront this travesty today and the UN has the power to influence real change in the lives of these children. By procrastinating we exacerbate the problem. Which is why I once again implore that the UN reexamine their policy regarding the granting of amnesty, and with urgency.

Sincerely,

Jonah Wimmer