| Summary: | 碩士 === 淡江大學 === 拉丁美洲研究所碩士班 === 100 === The participation of children in war doesn’t begin from modern times, and it could be traced back from the civilization of ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and the Bible. Any country, which is facing a long-timed war, its troops is going to be exhausted, and during that time it will often recruit children to get into the battlefield. According to interpretation of child soldiers of UNICEF and the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, children who are under the age of 18, participate in any regular or irregular armed groups, including combatants, bombers of mines, baits, logistics, porters, sentries, spies, messengers, cooks, laborers and some of them are forced into the marriage with the commander or to be bodyguards and shields for the commander.
Colombia is currently the only country of Latin American which has civil war. Since Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia was founded in 1964, the problem of guerrilla already existed for nearly 50 years, it’s estimated that about 20 million people died in the armed conflict between Colombia government, the guerrillas and paramilitary. It’s originated from ideological differences and the Colombian internal conflict, and things could be different as time goes by that it finally became the struggle territorial control. Nearly 40 percent of territory in Colombia has controlled by the guerrillas. In Colombia, children who are under 18 years old have to face many challenges in their daily lives. As a result of armed conflict, children forced migration, displacement, kidnapping and get involved with street retaliatory war and military crackdown. The biggest threat is forced to become child soldiers on the battlefield. In Latin America, Colombia is estimated that about 11,000 to 14,000 children get involved with the war between in left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitary and government army.
Making child soldiers to reintegrate into society is a complicated and long-term issue. The United Nations and NGOs over the world spare no efforts to alleviate poverty, improve education and employment opportunities, and establish pipeline for children to participate in the development of regions and countries. These efforts are trying to achieve a future of peace and security which are indispensable.
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