The use of children as soldiers is prohibited under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Yet, despite this, children around the world continue to fight and die in conflicts. Use our resources and activities to inspire your students to understand the issues and take action in support of child soldiers around the world.
Film + lesson plan: In Conversation With Ishmael Beah
Age: 11-14
Cost: FREE
Curriculum: Citizenship/PSE/English/Art
Product code: ED119
Ishmael Beah was 13 years old when he became a child solider in Sierra Leone. This collection of short films was made when he visited Amnesty in 2008 and told his story to an audience of secondary school students.
The supporting lesson includes activities that build on an empathetic understanding of Ishmael's experiences in order to develop knowledge and understanding of the subject. It also includes a selection of extension activities that can be used as stand alone lessons on the topic child soldiers, not related to Ishmael's story.
- Watch In Conversation With Ishmael Beah on ProtectTheHuman.com:
Ishmael's story | Child soldiers in war | Pictures of his past - Order DVD: +44 (0)1788 545 553 + quote product code
- Download Child Soldiers resource (pdf)
- Read Ishmael's full story in his book A Long Way Gone
Take Action: Red Hand Day (12 February)
If your students feel strongly about the issue and want to take action, why not get them involved in the Red Hand Campaign?
The Red Hand symbol has been used all over the world by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers and other organizations to say no to the recruitment and use of child soldiers. Red Hands are used to attract the attention of the media, decision makers and opinion leaders.
Red Hand Day is held on 12 February each year to raise global awareness of the plight of child soldiers through public protests, demonstrations and other activities. On Red Hand Day 2009, youth delegates handed over more than 250,000 red hands to UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon.
Find out more: Red Hand Day website
Other useful resources
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers | www.child-soldiers.org
Amnesty is a member of this coalition that works to end the recruitment of children into armed forces and to reintegrate former child soldiers back into civilian life. Find out more about the campaign and explore their educational resources.