The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative Ending the use of Child Soldiers from a Preventative Security Sector Perspective
Our Mission To progressively eradicate the use and recruitment of child soldiers through a security sector approach.
Protecting the Child and the Soldier “For soldiers with any sense of honour at all, fighting children offers a no-win situation. To be defeated by children would almost certainly bring death, derision and disgrace, while to win would carry the taint of having killed mere children. ” -LGen Roméo Dallaire ( ret’d )
Recruitment Prevention When we intervene
2007: Prodigal Child and virtual network created. 2010 : The Dallaire Initiative moves to Dalhousie University 2011: Security Sector Training, DRC/Rwanda. 2011: Core Competencies. 2011: "Children and Maritime Piracy" report published. 2012: Training Handbook. 2013: Sierra Leone program launched. 2014: E-Learning course launched.
We engage in high- level advocacy activities to create and promote the political will to end the use of children as soldiers. Current Advocacy Efforts: • UN • AU • NATO • Paris Principles Working Group
20. … recommends further that United Nations entities and UN peacekeeping troop and police-contributing countries undertake targeted and operational trainings for the preparation of UN mission personnel including troop and police contingents on their contribution in preventing violations against children so as to give all mission personnel the ability to effectively recognize, report and respond to violations and abuses committed against children and to successfully support child protection activities for better implementation of their respective mandates;
6. Encourages Member States, when undertaking security sector reforms, to mainstream child protection, such as the inclusion of child protection in military training and standard operating procedures, as well as in military guidance as appropriate, the establishment of child protection units in national security forces, of effective age assessment mechanisms to prevent underage recruitment, of vetting mechanisms to ensure that those responsible for violations and abuses against children are not included in the ranks of national security forces and of measures to protect schools and hospitals from attack and to prevent the military use of schools in contravention of applicable international law;
We conduct world-class interdisciplinary research to build — and share — knowledge, which in turn leads to new solutions Current Research Focuses: • Child Soldiers as an early warning indicator for mass atrocity. • Women and Peacekeeping. • Religious leaders and chaplains. • The radicalization of youth • The use of children in maritime piracy
Our Approach We deliver tactical, prevention-oriented training to security sector actors, so as to promote broader security sector reform. Where and who we have trained: • DRC • Rwanda • Sierra Leone • Pre-deployment for police and military To date, we have trained security sector actors from over 60 different national security forces worldwide
• Child Soldiers: A Handbook for security sector actors is a first of its kind training manual on the issue of child soldiers. • Our training cover 11 different interactions that may occur between the security sector and child soldiers. • Our training is scenario based and participatory providing a unique learning environment for student to work through our course curriculum.
• Co-developed with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research • Facilitated, Cohort learning model • Course will help participants gain a better understanding of child soldiering, as well as the reasons behind the use of children in armed conflicts • Extends the reach and access to our training and complements our activities
info@childsoldiers.org 902-494-6637
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