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with as they knew it, as they thought of these groups has again deserted them.

They witness murders, rapes, beheadings, people burnt alive and a number of other atrocities. Brought up to be vicious and immoral, it leaves them with much emotional and mental scarring.

Knowing nothing better than what the army has provided for them, food and shelter, a reason to live and some drugs they may have depended on, find themselves with little or no survival skills. Left alone again, no family, little social skills and classified as undesirable beings, these children of war find themselves facing a huge problem. Being children, as those under the age of 18 are, should they be facing this alone?

Poverty stricken countries that have not provided the support and guidance needed from the go-get, cannot provide this much-needed support afterwards either. If anything, there is now a larger problem at hand where children who have witnessed the atrocities are socially and emotionally inept.

WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING?

In recent years, campaigning by human rights advocates has seen the introduction of educating countries and it's people about using children in armed forces. There has been a decline in the number of militants displaying their youngsters, and now tend to deny their existence within these groups.

In 2002, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child contained a provision that was ratified by all countries involved, that rose the legal entrant age into armed forces to be 18 years. This too has had some positive action.

In 2004 in Sierra Leone, ruled that the recruitment of children into armed forces is a war crime. Prosecutions have begun from this. By doing so, it is setting a precedence to all future and current militia and rebel groups that recruiting children will be dealt with severely.

Now, finally, action is being taken on behalf of these children.

WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS THAT HAVE BEEN DESERTED, AGAIN?

The UN committee also included in it doctrine a number of states wanting to be involved in the rehabilitation and social re-integration of children who were subjected to these atrocities.

In 2003, after the 14-year civil war in Liberia ended, the government began to offer counseling and cash incentives to teach these children skills vital to function in society.

Some of these children were offered the chance to come to America, re-establishing in the "lucky country".

So just what is the world's responsibility in rehabilitating children affected by war? Plenty. The countries that the children are born do not know any better. They do not have the ability top think about tomorrow and beyond, most are too busy trying to stay alive today. Just by reading this article you are becoming aware of the issues of child soldiers being used around the world. This is awareness.

Some wonderful initiatives have and are being put into place, educating children and families of countries in poverty stricken areas. Those countries ripped apart by civil war, brutal, emotional and deadly atrocities that you and I cannot fathom let alone think children are involved in.

We certainly do live in the "Lucky Country". Far luckier than we give it credit for. So next time you see that refugee from Uganda, or that refugee from Liberia walking down the street, consider what they have come from and just how far they've come. Welcome them to a world they're trying to yet again, find some sort of peace and sanctuary in, trying to adopt as their new surrogate family.

References:

Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
http://pulitzercenter .org/
Warchild
http://www.warchi ld.org.au/index.htm

Learn more about this author, R.L Hanlon.
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