United Nations Radio

Three former child soldiers who have become youth advocates against the use of children in conflict have launched their global network. They announced the network at a press conference in New York on Thursday. The former child soldiers want to end the use of children in conflict which is a crime under international law. UN Radio's Diane Bailey reports.

The spotlight in recent days has been on the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo where there are fears that children are being recruited to become child soldiers. But children throughout the world are being used in conflicts not only as soldiers, but also as cooks, spies, couriers, guards or sex slaves. Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier in the army of Sierra Leone says the idea of the Network of Children Affected by War came about because there are former child soldiers scattered all over the world:

Beah 1: And, as I have been traveling, I met Kon and I have met a lot of my colleagues from different parts of the world. We realized that we are not together. We don't have a single strong and unified voice not only to talk to people about how they can help us but also to show that if the rehabilitation is done well, these are the outcomes: people who have written books, people who are doing masters, people who are musicians.

The Global Network of Children Formerly Affected by War, as Ishmael explains, includes children from various parts of the world:

Beah 2: Some of our colleagues who are part of this core group that are not here, one is Emmanuel Jal from Sudan as well, who is a remarkable musician. We have Zlata Filpovic from Bosnia. We have also China Katetsi (?) from Uganda. These are people who have frequented the United Nations, the halls of Washington to advocate, to speak about what has happened to us but more importantly how we can prevent this from happening to other children and also how we an help those children that have already been affected.

NARRATOR: Ishmael Beah has written a book about his own experiences as a child soldier in Sierra Leone. Kon Kelei, to whom he referred, is a former child soldier with the People's Liberation Movement of Sudan. Kon Kelei says that demobilized children face challenges when they have to be reintegrated into their communities:

Kelei: When we are disarmed, we are not able to function like kids. There is no room to be educated or to observe things. And when you have effective rehabilitation which is more holistic, then you have a place that you make so that you could continue with your life. And we believe the members of this network that the change is possible. It is not because we are idealists, but because we believe and we have made it so they can make it as well.

NARRATOR: One former child who has made it is Grace Akallo from northern Uganda. She was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army from her high school when she was fourteen years old. She says that the Global Network of Children Formerly Affected by War has a clear vision:

Akallo1: Our clear vision is to create a world without children being used in the war, a world that is just, inclusive and supports the participation of children, young people in bringing about change. And our purpose is to demand for accountability which they have been talking about a lot, accountability and create a knowledge base, to advocate, promote rehabilitation and empowerment of young people who are affected by armed conflict and violence.

NARRATOR: Ms. Akallo says the Network is not going to confine itself to confine itself to former child soldiers:

Narrator: Diane Bailey

Producer: Derrick Mbatha

(duration: 4'07")