Alternative Perspectives
Child soldiers have become a problem rampant throughout Africa after the beginning of the Mozambique Civil War. Today, there are as many as 300,000 child soldiers in the world, most of which come from Africa. In fact, estimates of the number of African child soldiers ranges from 120,000 to as many as 200,000. However, Abubacar Sultan is not alone in his fight against the unjust and tyrannical employment of children in direct combat. Several well-known organizations have committed themselves to the resolution of this issue, both governmental and non-governmental.
One of the most successful organizations to combat the human rights violations presented by the use of child soldiers is Invisible Children. In their mission statement, the group writes, “Invisible Children exists to bring a permanent end to LRA atrocities.” In other words, they are committed to stopping the Lord’s Resistance Army and their leader, Joseph Kony, who has forced over 66,000 children into soldiering. To do this, they have created films in order to “document LRA atrocities, introduce new audiences to the conflict, and inspire global action.” As of November 3, 2012, their first film, “KONY 2012”, has been viewed over 94 million times.
Also leading the fight against the human rights violations perpetrated by the employment of child soldiers is Child Soldiers International. Formed in 1988, they have since committed themselves to their vision “of a world where all children (boys and girls below the age of 18) can grow up under conditions that allow them to realise their full potential and enjoy their fundamental human rights.” Acknowledging the sacred right to a childhood, they fight to protect the freedoms of the individual in adolescence through “a combination of targeted country work, thematic research and global monitoring.” Their top priority countries are Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Through their gathering and distribution of accurate information about child soldiers, they have helped bring to light the problem in areas around the world, both directly and indirectly, via partnership with other Non-Governmental Organizations.
One of the most successful organizations to combat the human rights violations presented by the use of child soldiers is Invisible Children. In their mission statement, the group writes, “Invisible Children exists to bring a permanent end to LRA atrocities.” In other words, they are committed to stopping the Lord’s Resistance Army and their leader, Joseph Kony, who has forced over 66,000 children into soldiering. To do this, they have created films in order to “document LRA atrocities, introduce new audiences to the conflict, and inspire global action.” As of November 3, 2012, their first film, “KONY 2012”, has been viewed over 94 million times.
Also leading the fight against the human rights violations perpetrated by the employment of child soldiers is Child Soldiers International. Formed in 1988, they have since committed themselves to their vision “of a world where all children (boys and girls below the age of 18) can grow up under conditions that allow them to realise their full potential and enjoy their fundamental human rights.” Acknowledging the sacred right to a childhood, they fight to protect the freedoms of the individual in adolescence through “a combination of targeted country work, thematic research and global monitoring.” Their top priority countries are Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Through their gathering and distribution of accurate information about child soldiers, they have helped bring to light the problem in areas around the world, both directly and indirectly, via partnership with other Non-Governmental Organizations.