07 May 2003
Labor Department Commits $13 Million to Help Former Child Soldiers
(Effort will focus on education, rehabilitation, reintegration) (1840)
The U.S. Department of Labor May 7 announced a $13 million global
effort to help educate, rehabilitate and reintegrate into society
former child soldiers.
"We can't give child soldiers their childhood back, but we can help
them to rebuild their lives," Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said at the
start of a two-day international conference in Washington -- "Children
in the Crossfire: Prevention and Rehabilitation of Child Soldiers."
Chao called the conference to examine strategies to solve the problem
of children as young as seven or eight being forced to become
soldiers, spies, guards, human shields, human minesweepers, servants,
decoys, sentries and prostitutes, often after being drugged.
Strategies include prevention, disarmament, demobilization,
reintegration and rehabilitation at the community level, according to
a Labor Department press release.
Conservative estimates put the number of child soldiers in the world
at 300,000 in more than 30 conflicts around the globe, said Chao.
The Labor initiative includes $7 million to develop comprehensive
strategies with the U.N. International Labor Organization (ILO) to
help former child soldiers in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of
Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Colombia.
It also includes $3 million to help educate former child soldiers in
Uganda and $3 million to educate and reintegrate child fighters in
Afghanistan.
"This is the only way to ensure these brutalized children will someday
have a chance to become productive members of their societies," Chao
said.
In 1999 the United States was one of the first countries to ratify an
ILO convention declaring the forced recruitment of children as
combatants as one of the worst forms of child labor, the release said.
Approximately 500 representatives of governments, nongovernmental
organizations, research groups and the media were expected to attend
the conference, according to the release.
Following is the text of Chao's prepared remarks:
(begin text)
Opening Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
"Children in the Crossfire: Prevention and Rehabilitation of Child
Soldiers"
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, May 7, 2003
Good afternoon, and thank you all for coming.
I'd like to begin by asking you to do something a little unusual.
Imagine that you are an African boy only 11 years old. A rebel army
captures you and your family and takes you to their camp. When you
arrive, you are greeted by the sight of decomposing bodies strewn
everywhere. The soldiers shoot your father. Seeing this, another
captive tries to escape. She is caught, assaulted, and brutally
murdered. You are taken away and forced to fight for the people who
killed your parents. When you try to resist, you are mercilessly
beaten.
Or imagine that you are an innocent 16-year-old girl abducted by
soldiers on the way home from school. You don't want to go with them,
but they threaten to take your clothes and shame you before strangers.
You break down in tears, but they are unmoved. You are taken far away
from home. You don't know if you will ever see your parents again.
Or imagine that you are a child, forced to fight for a commander who
says -- as one commander actually did -- "Children make good fighters
because they think it's all a game, so they're fearless."
These are just a few of the terrible stories of the world's 300,000
child soldiers. These young people are forced to fight by
government-sponsored armed forces or by other armed groups in more
than 30 conflicts around the globe. And we believe these numbers are
conservative estimates.
The plight of child soldiers offends the world's sense of decency and
the code of conduct of civilized nations. These children are forced to
become soldiers, spies, guards, human shields, human minesweepers,
servants, decoys, and sentries. Young girls are forced into
prostitution. And when violence fails to intimidate, many children are
drugged to make it easier to force them to perform horrendous acts of
violence and cruelty. Some victims are as young as 7 or 8, and many
more are 10 to 15. Children who are orphans, refugees, or victims of
poverty or family alienation are particularly at risk.
But today, by our presence at this conference, we are telling the
world in no uncertain terms that these horrors must end. The
compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict is a
barbaric practice condemned by the community of civilized nations. No
child should have to experience the atrocities that child soldiers
must face every day of their lives.
This conference sends a message of hope to these children. Over the
next day-and a-half, we will discuss ways to help these children
reclaim their lives through education, rehabilitation and
reintegration. This conference brings together key stakeholders in the
concerned community, which is an important step towards global action.
We have hundreds of representatives with us from nations and agencies
around the world. I want to recognize the governments, U.N. agencies,
non-profit organizations, researchers, members of the media, and
concerned individuals who have come here to work together. I want to
thank each of you for accepting the invitation of the U. S. Department
of Labor to participate.
The Department of Labor is involved in this issue for two reasons.
First, as you know, the United States is a signatory to the
International Labor Organization Convention No. 182. This convention
names the forced recruitment of children for used in armed conflict as
one of the worst forms of child labor. And second, President George W.
Bush believes -- you do -- that children have human dignity and must
be protected from exploitation.
I pledge to you today that the U.S. Department of Labor will work with
our counterparts around the world to help save children from the
brutal life of a child soldier. The United States strongly believes
that all nations should join together to pursue effective solutions.
Many developing nations are showing their commitment to this cause by
attending this conference, and we appreciate their participation.
There are two faces of the child soldier issue -- the face of despair,
and the face of redemption. In the next few moments, I want to show
you both faces. First, in some video footage shot in Africa. And then,
in the faces and voices of some very brave guests who are with us here
today.
First, please join me in watching this video supplied by World Vision
about Uganda. In this video, we visit a child soldier rehabilitation
center. I want to commend the government of Uganda for its commitment
to rehabilitating these children. This video is particularly
interesting because it shows children engaging in mock battles. This
kind of therapy allows them to safely express their feelings about
their experiences. Let's watch.
[Film will be shown.]
As I'm sure you can imagine, overcoming such horrors requires great
courage. We are fortunate that 9 such courageous young people --
former child soldiers -- are with us today. These remarkable young
people have traveled from all around the globe to present the reality
of their experiences as only they can. They are here to bear witness
for the children who are still in captivity and cannot speak for
themselves. But they can also provide us with a blueprint for change
and a message of hope -- by proving that it is possible to rebuild
shattered lives.
At this time, I want to introduce each of these brave youngsters and
ask them to stand as I call their names.
Fabrice (Fa-breece), from Burundi. Radjabu (Rad jab-boo) from Burundi.
Eider (Eye-dare), from Colombia. Berta (Ber-tuh), from El Salvador.
Steven, from Sierra Leone. Emilia, from Sierra Leone. Mohan (Mo-hun),
from Sri Lanka. Grace, from Uganda. And Paul, from Uganda.
[Children will stand as they are acknowledged.]
I also want to thank the parents, guardians, and representatives from
government and non-profit organizations who accompanied these children
to the conference.
Our young guests are participating in a program with students from
schools in the Washington area. I'm delighted that young Americans are
getting involved in this issue. Exposure to this information will help
them gain new insights about the benefits of liberty, basic human
rights and the rule of law.
We can't give child soldiers their childhood back, but we can help
them to rebuild their lives. That is why this conference will examine
all of the strategies at the community level.
As Secretary of Labor, I have a particular interest in education and
job training programs to help rehabilitate former child soldiers. I
This is the only way to ensure that these brutalized children will
someday have a chance to become productive members of their societies.
And I also have a strong interest in developing special protections
and facilities for young girls, who have particular vulnerabilities
that deserve our attention.
Today, I'm pleased to announce that the U. S. Department of Labor is
launching a new $13-million global initiative to help educate,
rehabilitate and reintegrate former child soldiers.
This initiative includes a $7-million project funded through the ILO's
International
Program on the Elimination of Child Labor. It will develop
comprehensive strategies to help former child soldiers in Burundi, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda,
the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Colombia. This project builds upon and
expands a Department of Labor project in the four Central African
countries.
The initiative also includes a $3-million project to address the
education needs of e former child soldiers and children living in
northern Uganda, an area that was featured in the video. Just this
morning, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with representatives
of the Ugandan Government to launch this program. The Department of
Labor looks forward to our future collaboration with the Ugandan
Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Welfare, and the Ministry of
Education and f Sports.
The third part of the initiative is a $3-million project focusing on
the education needs and reintegration of child soldiers in
Afghanistan. This project will be implemented by UNICEF [United
Nations Children's Fund], an international organization with a long
history of helping children.
Child soldiers suffer in many ways -- often in silence.
As one young girl said after witnessing the wanton slaughter of men
and women, "So many times I just cried inside my heart because I
didn't dare cry out loud."
Child soldiers cannot cry out -- but we can speak up for them, with
clarity, compassion and resolve. That is why we are here today. As
part of our commitment, let us also pledge ourselves to address the
root causes of child soldiers, which is the absence of basic human
rights and fundamental freedoms -- a situation all too prevalent in
the world today. I look forward to working with you to give these
children back their future, and to bring them the hope and opportunity
that is every child's birthright.
Thank you very much.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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