What can you do?
Donate money to Child Soldiers International. It is an international human rights research and advocacy organization.They work to end the military recruitment of under-18s globally and to prevent their use in armed conflict wherever it occurs. We do this through global monitoring, in-depth work on selected countries, and research and analysis on key thematic issues relating to child soldiers.
National Red Hand Day
Participate in National Red Hand Day on Febuary 12. This day is a day to raise awarness of the problem of child soldiers and the recruitment of minors. On this day, people paint their hands red to show their support.
Stop military assistance
The US should stop providing military assistance to the countries that utilize child soldiers. Stopping funding to these countries is a sort of punishment. Many of the countries rely on US assistance and may rethink their decisions to recruit minors.
What is being done today?
The UN is trying to do its part in stopping the issue of child soldiers from reoccurring. The UN has many websites that inform people worldwide about the dilemma. The UN has discussed the conflict with using child soldiers before, the first time in the year 1989. "The convention is an international document negotiated by member states at the United Nations. Every member state of the UN has ratified (or adopted) the treaty, except the US and Somalia-- they have only signed it." (UNworks, unknown) The UN has charged some individual commanders (for example, Thomas Lubanga) for war crimes. There are also some activists for the UN on this tragic topic and some organisations such as Invisible children that work closely with the UN to solve this issue.