Child Soldiers

For a class presentation I studied the issue child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One of the biggest issues facing the DRC other than the actual issue of children being used as soldiers is the issue of disarmament, demilitarization, and reintegration. I feel the reason why there is so much failure in the DDR programs is because there is such a push from the western worlds on what they think the children need. Where rather there should be discussion with locals and formal soldiers on what they think former soldier reintegration programs need.

One thing I think is needed is forgiveness and love. I think forgiveness and love allow someone to go back into society and be able to cope with the actions or crimes which the child soldiers committed.

The entire act of children being taken to be soldier is really horrible. It honestly makes me so angry because it is taking the innocence of a child can be one of the worst crimes.

Something I learned from this project was how there really is not discrimination against taking girls too. For some reason I felt girls were raped and then left not take as sex slaves or into the militia. It is upsetting how much information is out there about boy child soldiers but how little information out there on female child soldiers. I just wish there was not such one side of a story told but both sides and everything is exposed.