Get involved

Campaign to end the use of child soldiers

Condemn the use of children as soldiers by governments and armed opposition groups, demand that such practices cease and that children already recruited are demobilised or released into safety.

If it has not already done so, urge your government to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, specifying at least 18 as the minimum age for all forms of military recruitment. Ask for this standard to be implemented in national legislation. You can start by contacting your members of Parliament or Congress to ask what they are doing to stop the involvement of under-18s in armed conflict whether at home or abroad.

If it has not already done so, urge your government to ratify the Statute of the International Criminal Court to address the recruitment and use of children under 15 and International Labour Organization Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour.

Encourage your government to monitor the situation of children recruited and used in hostilities anywhere in the world, and to act consistently and systematically through diplomatic and other channels to end this practice.

Participate in our occasional letter-writing Action Appeals, focusing on governments or armed groups using children as soldiers. The appeals are featured on the home page of our website.

Buy an album of songs about child soldiers

All the profits from the French album, "Enfants Soldats D'ici & D'Ailleurs", go towards helping child soldiers. 80% goes directly to an organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that rehabilitates former child soldiers and 20% goes to Child Soldiers International. For more details and how to buy the album see www.myspace.com/enfantssoldats.


You can also join the following group: Red Hand Day - 12th February - Global Commemoration Against Child Soldiers. Please note that Child Soldiers International is no longer directly involved in the Red Hand Campaign, please direct all enquiries to the Red Hand Day organization.

Raise funds

You can raise funds for Child Soldiers International by changing your search engine or by shopping online at no cost to you. Or you can make a donation.

Or join our JustGiving page and ask your friends and colleagues to make a donation to our cause.

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