CHILDREN AND WAR

Oct. 22, 2002

Type: discussion

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BlankCHILDREN AND WAR
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Susan V. Thompson, ed.
http://[email protected]
Read online or subscribe at:
http://www.peace.moveon.org/bulletin.php3#sub

CONTENTS

1.. Introduction: Targeting Evil, Striking Innocents
2.. Background: Children and War in General
3.. How Will a New Gulf War Affect Iraqi Children?
4.. Child Soldiers
5.. War Trauma
6.. Afghanistan and the Middle East
7.. The United Nations
8.. Resources for Kids and Adults
9.. Credits
10.. Get Involved
11.. About the Bulletin

INTRODUCTION: TARGETING EVIL, STRIKING INNOCENTS
"Tragically, children are the new face of war."
– Kati Marton, Chief Outreach Officer of the Special Representative of the=
Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (UN)

One of the fundamental problems with war is that it always results in the d=
eaths and suffering of innocent civilians. Children are particularly vulner=
able to harm in any combat situation. In wars all over the world right now,=
children are being killed, maimed, orphaned, displaced, traumatized, starv=
ed, made into child soldiers, and even sold as commercial sex objects. Two =
million children have been killed in conflicts in the past ten years alone,=
with several millions more wounded and some 300,000 recruited as soldiers =
who serve in direct combat.

The worst part of this is that children generally have little or no control=
over what happens to them. They have almost no influence on international =
policy and politics. They have no opportunity to vote, little ability to mo=
bilize, and no real way to tell their stories, unless compassionate adults =
take the time to listen and help. In a war, children are therefore punished=
for policies that they had nothing to do with.

There are some who believe that the suffering of children is an unfortunate=
but necessary means to the end of accomplishing larger goals. We challenge=
that: our children, all children, have the right to grow up in peace. The =
first step is to begin to listen to the stories of the world's children. Th=
ere is no better way that we could begin than with the following letter, wh=
ich MoveOn.org received from children in Yugoslavia in response to our camp=
aign to stop a new war on Iraq.

Dear MoveOn and people of the world,

We are 25 teenagers and young people, the youth task force of the Yugoslav =
NGO, BEOSUPPORT, in Belgrade. The name of our task force is the BS Team. Yo=
ur message regarding the possibility of air strikes on Iraq reached our adu=
lts, and was conveyed to us. Here is our answer, and we are sure we speak o=
n behalf of 28,000 citizens who support us in our campaign for a National P=
lan against the exploitation of children. All were bombed with us.

In 1999 we suffered the biggest air campaign in history. Our country was pu=
nished because we had a dictator who made a huge harm to many innocents aro=
und us but first turned our lifes in disaster and misery. Our country is fu=
ll of graves and handicapped, poor and isolated. As a solution, 19 countrie=
s for 78 days sent up to 900 planes daily upon us, targeting the evil, stri=
king the innocents. Bombs did not remove it, we did. Now, how does it look =
in reality, being bombed? The awful sound of the warning signal, then darkn=
ess no one can imagine, then long frightening silence. The most awful were =
the nights. At one moment, the silence would be broken by the unanimous bar=
king of many many thousands of terrified dogs, who heard something we could=
not. But we knew the planes were approaching. In some minutes, the explosi=
ons, huge and terrifying would start, the walls would tremble, and we were =
shaking in darkness awaiting whether we would stay alive, or would die as c=
ollateral damage. After the ending signal, we would first check by phone wh=
ether our relatives in other parts of the city are alive, and then we would=
look at the fire enlighting the sky. The city was burning. At the end, cof=
fins and tombs, tears and ruins, no bridges for us. During all that time, t=
he evil who victimised us and others was safe. Dictators and families and f=
riends have bunkers at home, villas abroad, and risk nothing. Now they are =
well and rich. Being in prison on fair trial is great, compared to death an=
d wheel chair !!! [Editor's note: This is a reference to former Yugoslav Pr=
esident Slobodan Milosevic, who is being tried for war crimes and crimes ag=
ainst humanity.]

While we suffer diseases, our country is contaminated. The peacekeepers, yo=
ung as us, are risking their health in Kosovo same as we do. Now we face th=
e threat of the same fate for Iraq and we want to tell you and all that no =
child and no person at all should be unhappy twice, victimised by having an=
unacceptable government, and also by global solutions to move away that go=
vernment. We are aware of the horrors of terrorism, we moan all the victims=
of 11th September, we, more than many, understand the Americans. We share =
the experience of fear and death and ruins, and we want the terrorism stopp=
ed. We also want a life free of threat of poisoning and bombing planes. But=
air strikes on countries are not a solution. THEY STRIKE INNOCENTS. We tru=
st democracy, we want a better world but we urge democracy to find solution=
s others than one we were subjected to. We support all the Americans who do=
n't want innocents to be victimised as a solution and join them as victims.=
We support all the people who feels same. We entrust you this message, our=
plea for a wise solution, democracy must find one. And we are confident yo=
u will manage to convey this voice of bombed children in favour of unknown =
Iraqi friends in jeopardy to any place where it is appropriate. We are here=
, very proud for the opportunity to join efforts for a better world.

Thank you.

On behalf of BS TEAM and all BEOSUPPORT.
Zorka Kolundzija 17 years, Severin Jolovic 19, Vuk Palavestra 13.

Editor's note: BEOSUPPORT is a registered Yugoslavian NGO, with a mission t=
o help children and youth at risk of exploitation, especially sexual exploi=
tation. Since war often leads to this exploitation, BEOSUPPORT is also very=
concerned with issues of war and peace. The BS Team is a task force of tee=
nagers who are working to create a National Plan to address the commercial =
sexual exploitation of children in Yugoslavia.

BACKGROUND: CHILDREN AND WAR IN GENERAL
This is an excellent summary of how armed conflict affects children, includ=
ing how abuses of children continue to rise even with new international law=
s and conventions. Includes pictures.
http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=176

"Impact of Armed Conflict on Children" is a fairly long but compelling repo=
rt that was jointly created by UNICEF and the UN as a whole. The report ove=
rviews the many ways in which children are affected by war, whether as vict=
ims or as child soldiers, and includes recommendations about how to solve t=
hese problems. According to the report, "more and more of the world is bein=
g sucked into a space in which children are slaughtered, raped, and maimed;=
a space in which children are exploited as soldiers; a space in which chil=
dren are starved and exposed to extreme brutality. Such unregulated terror =
and violence speak of deliberate victimization. There are few further depth=
s to which humanity can sink."
http://www.unicef.org/graca/

HOW WILL A NEW GULF WAR AFFECT IRAQI CHILDREN?
To answer this question, we only have to ask how the previous Gulf War and =
the resulting sanctions have already affected Iraqi children.

Children in Iraq have already suffered through one war and over a decade of=
harsh sanctions. Despite the fact that these actions were meant to help fr=
ee them from the rule of Saddam Hussein, the conditions in which they live =
have become only more miserable as a result of these measures. Now they fac=
e a new threat in the form of another war.
http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=177

Over 500,000 children have died as a result of the sanctions against Iraq. =
This compelling article tells the story of a doctor who has the knowledge t=
o treat the leukemia that his young patients are suffering from, but due to=
the sanctions, the equipment and medicine that he needs are unavailable. C=
hild mortality rates are high, and fewer children are going to school. Yet =
the world remains focused on Saddam Hussein and not this humanitarian trage=
dy.
http://gbgm-umc.org/Response/articles/iraq.html

Children who weren't even born at the time of the Gulf War are still suffer=
ing from its effects. Children born in Iraq and the children of soldiers fr=
om the US and Britain are affected by a high rate of congenital deformities=
. Such deformities have jumped since the first Gulf War, a fact which many =
blame on the use of ammunition coated with depleted uranium (DU), a radioac=
tive substance. Other possibilities include environmental pollution also or=
iginating from the Gulf War. Whatever the cause, the effect is tragic–babi=
es are being born with Thalidomide-type deformities and other congenital pr=
oblems such as heart and lung defects and Down's syndrome. Late miscarriage=
s also seem to be far more common.
http://www.oppression.org/middleeast/children\_of\_iraq.html

CHILD SOLDIERS
Human Rights Watch has compiled some basic facts (in point form) about chil=
d soldiers. Child soldiers range in age from 17 to as young as 8 (although =
the use of even younger children has been reported elsewhere). Girls are al=
so often used as child soldiers, and may suffer the further pain of rape or=
being given to a military commander as a "wife."
http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/crp/facts.htm

The Defense Monitor offers an excellent summary of the problem of child sol=
diers around the world. Child soldiers are relatively new in history, and a=
re being used in increasing numbers, partially due to the increasing availa=
bility of lightweight weapons. The largest problem with recording and preve=
nting their use is the fact that they are relatively invisible. They are ge=
nerally in areas far from media scrutiny, they are not always obviously chi=
ldren once they hit their teens, and their deaths and/or abandonment on the=
battlefield are largely undocumented. The horrific things that child soldi=
ers witness, often intentionally on the part of their superiors in order to=
"harden" them, have lasting psychological effects. Combined with injuries =
sustained in battle, experience as a child soldier can make it next to impo=
ssible for these kids to grow up and participate in a "normal" life or soci=
ety. The article includes a discussion of related international laws, and a=
map showing the 33 areas around the world where children are currently inv=
olved in combat.
http://www.cdi.org/dm/1997/issue4/

Ishmael, a former child soldier, told a UN special session panel discussion=
about his experiences in spring of this year. According to Ishmael, he was=
recruited by being told that he could take revenge on the people who kille=
d his family. He fought for three years, and as he fought, he lost "that hu=
man thing that makes you care for other people." He has since been rehabili=
tated, and is committed to preventing others from going through the same pa=
in he has.
http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=178

WAR TRAUMA
The war isn't over when the war is over. Psychological effects of the war l=
ive on – especially for traumatized children. This article focuses on Moza=
mbique, but could just as well be applied to any armed conflict.
http://www.oneworld.org/child\_rights/maputo\_war.html

A study of children in Sarajevo, Angola, and Rwanda, conducted by UNICEF, f=
ound that most children had been present for shelling or shooting, with ove=
r half having been shot at by snipers. The article briefly explains the sym=
ptoms and long-term effects of such trauma, which will not simply heal over=
time but need active treatment.
http://www.unicef.org/sowc96/7trauma.htm

This article is supposed to be about talking to your kids about the threat =
of terrorism and biological attack. While it doesn't exactly answer those q=
uestions in any really specific way, it does provide an excellent brief sum=
mary of the psychological findings on war and trauma, and lists the various=
relevant psychological studies. According to the article, "There is now a =
substantial body of literature documenting the immediate and long-term psyc=
hological effects of war-related violence on children. The research has stu=
died both those who have been direct victims of war and terrorism, as well =
as the indirect victims and even potential victims. Accumulating evidence s=
hows that war experiences can damage the psychosocial development of young =
children and their expectations regarding their future lives. Being separat=
ed from their families, seeing armed combat, having family members injured =
or killed, and being attacked have left profound and enduring psychological=
wounds on children. Both male and female adolescents under the extreme thr=
eat of war-related violence report high levels of psychological distress. M=
any victims of war related-violence develop post-traumatic stress disorder =
(PTSD)."
http://www.fema.gov/kids/terrism.htm

This is an excellent fact sheet on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD,=
which provides information on the definition, development, symptoms, and t=
reatment of the disorder.
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/general/fs\_what\_is\_ptsd.html

AFGHANISTAN AND THE MIDDLE EAST
The Children of War is an organization that provides aid to children and fa=
milies in Afghanistan. Despite a large outpouring of support last year, don=
ations have now all but dried up, due to the mistaken impression that the i=
nternational community has taken care of the humanitarian crisis there. In =
truth, the majority of the pledges of support are yet to be received, and t=
he people of Afghanistan are facing deplorable conditions.
http://www.thechildrenofwar.org

Cluster bombs left over from the war on Afghanistan continue to threaten th=
e lives of Afghan civilians of all ages.
http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=179

According to a recent Amnesty International (AI) report, the new intifada a=
nd the Israeli response to it have targeted children in an "unprecedented" =
way. AI reports that "[i]n the period from 29 September 2000 to the end of =
August 2002, some 1700 Palestinians, including more than 250 children, were=
killed, and more than 580 Israelis, most of them civilians and including 7=
2 children, were killed." The high child death rate has led Amnesty to conc=
lude that Israeli authorities, Palestinian armed groups, and the Palestinia=
n Authority (PA) have all failed to "comply with the obligations and safegu=
ards set down in international human rights and humanitarian law." The brie=
f summary of the report is followed by a link to the report itself.
http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=1040&CategoryId=8

The Bereaved Families Forum, also referred to as Parent's Circle, is an org=
anization of 190 bereaved Israeli parents, Palestinian and Jews, who lost t=
heir children during army service or in an act of terrorism. The organizati=
on recently set up a free service to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to=
talk to each other on the telephone. This is an interview with the founder=
, a man whose son was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group, and who sa=
ys that his revenge is making peace.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=14326

Palestinian children also have to contend with severe malnutrition as a res=
ult of the conditions imposed on them by the Israeli government. A USAID fu=
nded nutritional assessment has found that malnutrition rates of Palestinia=
n children under the age of five have reached emergency levels. This articl=
e contends that the malnutrition of these children is the result of Israeli=
-imposed curfews, checkpoints, and policies of collective punishment, which=
are in direct violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=958&CategoryId=8

According to Dr. Annie Higgins of the University of Chicago, Israeli soldie=
rs enforce a prohibition on school attendance in the Jenin refugee camp by =
shooting into classrooms. Her outrage at this fact is palpable.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article774.shtml

Starhawk, an activist and author, writes about her experiences in the Balat=
a refugee camp after all the men had been rounded up. In this community of =
women and children, she witnesses a child whose sleep is broken by bombs an=
d gunshots, a mother who must try and create a home for her coming baby in =
the midst of destruction, and a grandmother punished for her hopeful singin=
g.
http://www.themightyorgan.com/features\_starhawk.html

Juman is an 11-year-old Palestinian girl who recently spoke at a press conf=
erence in Geneva, Switzerland. The link below is to an article in Arabic wh=
ich describes the conference; the girl in the article is Juman. For our Eng=
lish speaking readers, I have reprinted Juman's story "How I lost my best f=
riend" here. This story came to us from one of our volunteers, who knows Ju=
man.

Before the intifada started, my best friend Zeina came to school from Jerus=
alem to Ramallah every day and sometimes she came to my house to stay overn=
ight. We used to have a lot of fun.

When the intifada started, she began to come to school late every day, beca=
use she had to cross the checkpoint on her way to school. That was very dan=
gerous and took forever.

After the Summer holiday, she didn't come back to school and also didn'=
t come to stay over night in my house, but I didn't lose hope, so we talk=
ed on the phone a lot.

One day she invited me to her birthday party and because crossing the check=
point was very difficult I decided to stay overnight. We wanted to camp in =
her garden. Her house is near an Israeli army camp. I was afraid of shellin=
g because the helicopters were above us and that reminded me of the shellin=
g in Ramallah. I was very scared and went to sleep inside. I went home the =
next day and only saw her once since that day.

This is my story about how I lost my best friend.
http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=180

THE UNITED NATIONS
Olara Ottunu, UN representative for children and armed conflict, participat=
ed in a BBC forum this year, and answered questions both about how children=
are affected by conflict around the world, and how the UN is responding. Y=
ou can either watch the recorded forum or read the transcript as it is pres=
ented here. According to the opening statistics presented as part of the fo=
rum, "[o]ver the past decade, two million children were killed, six million=
seriously injured, one million orphaned and 20 million children displaced =
by conflict situations. More than 300,000 young persons under the age of 18=
are currently being exploited as child soldiers and sex slaves in as many =
as 30 areas of conflict around the world, despite a United Nations treaty b=
anning such exploitation."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking\_point/forum/1975715.stm

The Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted and opened for signat=
ure, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 =
November 1989, with entry into force 2 September 1990, in accordance with a=
rticle 49. The full text is provided here, with links to the status of rati=
fications, declarations and reservations, and the Committee on the Rights o=
f the Child.
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (the chi=
ld soldier protocol) on the involvement of children in armed conflicts was =
adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Ass=
embly resolution A/RES/54/263 of 25 May 2000, and entered into force on 12 =
February 2002.
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/6/crc/treaties/opac.htm

Human Rights Watch explains the above optional protocol in more understanda=
ble terms. Basically, "it establishes eighteen as the minimum age for direc=
t participation in hostilities, for compulsory recruitment, and for any rec=
ruitment or use in hostilities by non-governmental armed groups." Other key=
provisions of the protocol are overviewed as well.
http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/crp/protocol.htm

The US ratified the above protocol in June, 2002. At the time of the US rat=
ification, the protocol had been signed by 109 governments and ratified by =
33.
http://hrw.org/press/2002/06/crd0619.htm

PEACE RESOURCES FOR KIDS AND ADULTS
If you have questions about how to talk to your children about the WTC atta=
cks, the war on Afghanistan, and the war on Iraq, this is an excellent guid=
e which explains how to discuss violence and other complex world issues. It=
is written in an easy-to-use question and answer format. The main emphasis=
of this guide is to focus on your child's opinions, rather than your own, =
while correcting any obvious misinformation and emphasizing how important i=
t is to respect the opinions of others.
http://www.esrnational.org/guide.htm#scaremore

Medecins du Monde (UK) has an excellent website set up for children. It is =
meant to help explain the work that the organization does around the world,=
but is worthwhile whether or not you are interested in the organization, s=
ince it explains what war is and how it affects children in easily understo=
od terms. Children should have no difficulty navigating the site, and the i=
llustrations are colorful and appealing while still not shrinking from the =
difficult subject matter. The site covers such subjects as refugees, war tr=
auma, child soldiers, and poverty. It also includes five short testimonies =
from children around the world, and a section that explains what kids can d=
o to help.
http://www.medecinsdumonde.co.uk/kids/index.html

The Eugene Peace Academy is the first public peace academy in the US. The a=
cademy offers "a fully integrated environmental, relational and creative ar=
ts curriculum grounded in contemporary events, community needs and planetar=
y concerns." In regards to issues of war and peace, the students of the aca=
demy "will come to understand the root and resolution of conflict through a=
ctive skill building and practice of non-violent communication skills." The=
school will initially open for grades K - 8.
http://eugenepeaceacademy.org

Code Pink: Women's Pre-emptive Strike for Peace is a campaign calling on th=
e women of the world to rise up and oppose a new attack on Iraq. Why? Becau=
se "[w]omen have been the guardians of life-not because we are better or pu=
rer or more innately nurturing than men, but because the men have busied th=
emselves making war. Because of our responsibility to the next generation, =
because of our own love for our families and communities and this country t=
hat we are a part of, we understand the love of a mother in Iraq for her ch=
ildren, and the driving desire of that child for life. "
http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=181

Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) is a network of individuals and N=
GOs across Canada and around the world working to oppose the arms trade. CO=
AT is offering free sample copies of their most recent magazine issue, on t=
he topic of "Real Reasons for the Invasion of Iraq," to Canadian residents =
(it can be purchased by any non-Canadian residents who are interested). For=
a brief blurb about the issue and how to order, visit the following link:
http://www.flora.org/coat/forum/1412

CREDITS
Research team:
Joanne Comito
Anna Gavula
Keiko Hatch
Maha Mikhail
Vicki Nikolaidis
Ben Spencer
Ora Szekely
Sharon Winn

Proofreading team:
David Taub Bancroft
Madlyn Bynum
Carol Brewster
Melinda Coyle
Nancy Evans
Anne Haehl
Mary Kim
Dagmara Meijers-Troller
Alfred K. Weber

GET INVOLVED
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<DIV>
<CENTER>
<H2>CHILDREN AND WAR</H2></CENTER>Wednesday, October 23,
2002 Susan V. Thompson, ed. <A
href="http://[email protected]/">http://[email protected]=
</A>
Read online or subscribe at: <A
href="http://www.peace.moveon.org/bulletin.php3#sub">http://www.peace.mov=
eon.org/bulletin.php3#sub</A>

 <A name=section-1.>CONTENTS</A> 
<OL>
<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-2.">Introduction:
Targeting Evil, Striking Innocents</A>
<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-3.">Background:
Children and War in General</A>
<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-4.">How
Will a New Gulf War Affect Iraqi Children?</A>
<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-5.">Child
Soldiers</A>
<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-6.">War
Trauma</A>
<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-7.">Afghanistan
and the Middle East</A>
<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-8.">The
United Nations</A>
<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-9.">Resources
for Kids and Adults</A>
<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-10.">Credits</A>

<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-11.">Get
Involved</A>
<LI><A
href="file:///C:/Program Files/Common Files/Microsoft Shared/Stationery=
/#section-12.">About
the Bulletin</A> </LI></OL>
 <A name=section-2.>INTRODUCTION: TARGETING EVIL, STRIKING
INNOCENTS</A> "Tragically, children are the new face of war." – =
Kati
Marton, Chief Outreach Officer of the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (UN)
One of the fundamental problems with war is that it always results in th=
e
deaths and suffering of innocent civilians. Children are particularly vulne=
rable
to harm in any combat situation. In wars all over the world right now, chil=
dren
are being killed, maimed, orphaned, displaced, traumatized, starved, made i=
nto
child soldiers, and even sold as commercial sex objects. Two million childr=
en
have been killed in conflicts in the past ten years alone, with several mil=
lions
more wounded and some 300,000 recruited as soldiers who serve in direct com=
bat.
The worst part of this is that children generally have little or no cont=
rol
over what happens to them. They have almost no influence on international p=
olicy
and politics. They have no opportunity to vote, little ability to mobilize,=
and
no real way to tell their stories, unless compassionate adults take the tim=
e to
listen and help. In a war, children are therefore punished for policies tha=
t
they had nothing to do with.
There are some who believe that the suffering of children is an unfortun=
ate
but necessary means to the end of accomplishing larger goals. We challenge =
that:
our children, all children, have the right to grow up in peace. The first s=
tep
is to begin to listen to the stories of the world's children. There is no b=
etter
way that we could begin than with the following letter, which MoveOn.org
received from children in Yugoslavia in response to our campaign to stop a =
new
war on Iraq.
Dear MoveOn and people of the world,
We are 25 teenagers and young people, the youth task force of the Yugosl=
av
NGO, BEOSUPPORT, in Belgrade. The name of our task force is the BS Team. Yo=
ur
message regarding the possibility of air strikes on Iraq reached our adults=
, and
was conveyed to us. Here is our answer, and we are sure we speak on behalf =
of
28,000 citizens who support us in our campaign for a National Plan against =
the
exploitation of children. All were bombed with us.
In 1999 we suffered the biggest air campaign in history. Our country was=

punished because we had a dictator who made a huge harm to many innocents a=
round
us but first turned our lifes in disaster and misery. Our country is full o=
f
graves and handicapped, poor and isolated. As a solution, 19 countries for =
78
days sent up to 900 planes daily upon us, targeting the evil, striking the=

innocents. Bombs did not remove it, we did. Now, how does it look in realit=
y,
being bombed? The awful sound of the warning signal, then darkness no one c=
an
imagine, then long frightening silence. The most awful were the nights. At =
one
moment, the silence would be broken by the unanimous barking of many many=

thousands of terrified dogs, who heard something we could not. But we knew =
the
planes were approaching. In some minutes, the explosions, huge and terrifyi=
ng
would start, the walls would tremble, and we were shaking in darkness await=
ing
whether we would stay alive, or would die as collateral damage. After the e=
nding
signal, we would first check by phone whether our relatives in other parts =
of
the city are alive, and then we would look at the fire enlighting the sky. =
The
city was burning. At the end, coffins and tombs, tears and ruins, no bridge=
s for
us. During all that time, the evil who victimised us and others was safe.=

Dictators and families and friends have bunkers at home, villas abroad, and=
risk
nothing. Now they are well and rich. Being in prison on fair trial is great=
,
compared to death and wheel chair !!! [Editor's note: This is a reference t=
o
former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who is being tried for war cr=
imes
and crimes against humanity.]
While we suffer diseases, our country is contaminated. The peacekeepers,=

young as us, are risking their health in Kosovo same as we do. Now we face =
the
threat of the same fate for Iraq and we want to tell you and all that no ch=
ild
and no person at all should be unhappy twice, victimised by having an
unacceptable government, and also by global solutions to move away that
government. We are aware of the horrors of terrorism, we moan all the victi=
ms of
11th September, we, more than many, understand the Americans. We share the=

experience of fear and death and ruins, and we want the terrorism stopped. =
We
also want a life free of threat of poisoning and bombing planes. But air st=
rikes
on countries are not a solution. THEY STRIKE INNOCENTS. We trust democracy,=
we
want a better world but we urge democracy to find solutions others than one=
we
were subjected to. We support all the Americans who don't want innocents to=
be
victimised as a solution and join them as victims. We support all the peopl=
e who
feels same. We entrust you this message, our plea for a wise solution, demo=
cracy
must find one. And we are confident you will manage to convey this voice of=

bombed children in favour of unknown Iraqi friends in jeopardy to any place=

where it is appropriate. We are here, very proud for the opportunity to joi=
n
efforts for a better world.
Thank you.
On behalf of BS TEAM and all BEOSUPPORT. Zorka Kolundzija 17 years,=

Severin Jolovic 19, Vuk Palavestra 13.
Editor's note: BEOSUPPORT is a registered Yugoslavian NGO, with a missio=
n to
help children and youth at risk of exploitation, especially sexual exploita=
tion.
Since war often leads to this exploitation, BEOSUPPORT is also very concern=
ed
with issues of war and peace. The BS Team is a task force of teenagers who =
are
working to create a National Plan to address the commercial sexual exploita=
tion
of children in Yugoslavia.
 <A name=section-3.>BACKGROUND: CHILDREN AND WAR IN
GENERAL</A> This is an excellent summary of how armed conflict affec=
ts
children, including how abuses of children continue to rise even with new=

international laws and conventions. Includes pictures. <A
href="http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=176">http://peace.moveon.org/r2=
.php3?r=176</A>

"Impact of Armed Conflict on Children" is a fairly long but compelling r=
eport
that was jointly created by UNICEF and the UN as a whole. The report overvi=
ews
the many ways in which children are affected by war, whether as victims or =
as
child soldiers, and includes recommendations about how to solve these probl=
ems.
According to the report, "more and more of the world is being sucked into a=

space in which children are slaughtered, raped, and maimed; a space in whic=
h
children are exploited as soldiers; a space in which children are starved a=
nd
exposed to extreme brutality. Such unregulated terror and violence speak of=

deliberate victimization. There are few further depths to which humanity ca=
n
sink." <A
href="http://www.unicef.org/graca/">http://www.unicef.org/graca/</A>
 <A name=section-4.>HOW WILL A NEW GULF WAR AFFECT IRAQI
CHILDREN?</A> To answer this question, we only have to ask how the=

previous Gulf War and the resulting sanctions have already affected Iraqi=

children.
Children in Iraq have already suffered through one war and over a decade=
of
harsh sanctions. Despite the fact that these actions were meant to help fre=
e
them from the rule of Saddam Hussein, the conditions in which they live hav=
e
become only more miserable as a result of these measures. Now they face a n=
ew
threat in the form of another war. <A
href="http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=177">http://peace.moveon.org/r2=
.php3?r=177</A>

Over 500,000 children have died as a result of the sanctions against Ira=
q.
This compelling article tells the story of a doctor who has the knowledge t=
o
treat the leukemia that his young patients are suffering from, but due to t=
he
sanctions, the equipment and medicine that he needs are unavailable. Child=

mortality rates are high, and fewer children are going to school. Yet the w=
orld
remains focused on Saddam Hussein and not this humanitarian tragedy. <A=

href="http://gbgm-umc.org/Response/articles/iraq.html">http://gbgm-umc.or=
g/Response/articles/iraq.html</A>

Children who weren't even born at the time of the Gulf War are still
suffering from its effects. Children born in Iraq and the children of soldi=
ers
from the US and Britain are affected by a high rate of congenital deformiti=
es.
Such deformities have jumped since the first Gulf War, a fact which many bl=
ame
on the use of ammunition coated with depleted uranium (DU), a radioactive=

substance. Other possibilities include environmental pollution also origina=
ting
from the Gulf War. Whatever the cause, the effect is tragic–babies are bei=
ng
born with Thalidomide-type deformities and other congenital problems such a=
s
heart and lung defects and Down's syndrome. Late miscarriages also seem to =
be
far more common. <A
href="http://www.oppression.org/middleeast/children\_of\_iraq.html">http://=
www.oppression.org/middleeast/children\_of\_iraq.html</A>

 <A name=section-5.>CHILD SOLDIERS</A> Human Rights Watc=
h has
compiled some basic facts (in point form) about child soldiers. Child soldi=
ers
range in age from 17 to as young as 8 (although the use of even younger chi=
ldren
has been reported elsewhere). Girls are also often used as child soldiers, =
and
may suffer the further pain of rape or being given to a military commander =
as a
"wife." <A
href="http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/crp/facts.htm">http://www.hrw.org/camp=
aigns/crp/facts.htm</A>

The Defense Monitor offers an excellent summary of the problem of child=

soldiers around the world. Child soldiers are relatively new in history, an=
d are
being used in increasing numbers, partially due to the increasing availabil=
ity
of lightweight weapons. The largest problem with recording and preventing t=
heir
use is the fact that they are relatively invisible. They are generally in a=
reas
far from media scrutiny, they are not always obviously children once they h=
it
their teens, and their deaths and/or abandonment on the battlefield are lar=
gely
undocumented. The horrific things that child soldiers witness, often
intentionally on the part of their superiors in order to "harden" them, hav=
e
lasting psychological effects. Combined with injuries sustained in battle,=

experience as a child soldier can make it next to impossible for these kids=
to
grow up and participate in a "normal" life or society. The article includes=
a
discussion of related international laws, and a map showing the 33 areas ar=
ound
the world where children are currently involved in combat. <A
href="http://www.cdi.org/dm/1997/issue4/">http://www.cdi.org/dm/1997/issu=
e4/</A>

Ishmael, a former child soldier, told a UN special session panel discuss=
ion
about his experiences in spring of this year. According to Ishmael, he was=

recruited by being told that he could take revenge on the people who killed=
his
family. He fought for three years, and as he fought, he lost "that human th=
ing
that makes you care for other people." He has since been rehabilitated, and=
is
committed to preventing others from going through the same pain he has. =
<A
href="http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=178">http://peace.moveon.org/r2=
.php3?r=178</A>

 <A name=section-6.>WAR TRAUMA</A> The war isn't over wh=
en the
war is over. Psychological effects of the war live on – especially for
traumatized children. This article focuses on Mozambique, but could just as=
well
be applied to any armed conflict. <A
href="http://www.oneworld.org/child\_rights/maputo\_war.html">http://www.on=
eworld.org/child\_rights/maputo\_war.html</A>

A study of children in Sarajevo, Angola, and Rwanda, conducted by UNICEF=
,
found that most children had been present for shelling or shooting, with ov=
er
half having been shot at by snipers. The article briefly explains the sympt=
oms
and long-term effects of such trauma, which will not simply heal over time =
but
need active treatment. <A
href="http://www.unicef.org/sowc96/7trauma.htm">http://www.unicef.org/sow=
c96/7trauma.htm</A>

This article is supposed to be about talking to your kids about the thre=
at of
terrorism and biological attack. While it doesn't exactly answer those ques=
tions
in any really specific way, it does provide an excellent brief summary of t=
he
psychological findings on war and trauma, and lists the various relevant
psychological studies. According to the article, "There is now a substantia=
l
body of literature documenting the immediate and long-term psychological ef=
fects
of war-related violence on children. The research has studied both those wh=
o
have been direct victims of war and terrorism, as well as the indirect vict=
ims
and even potential victims. Accumulating evidence shows that war experience=
s can
damage the psychosocial development of young children and their expectation=
s
regarding their future lives. Being separated from their families, seeing a=
rmed
combat, having family members injured or killed, and being attacked have le=
ft
profound and enduring psychological wounds on children. Both male and femal=
e
adolescents under the extreme threat of war-related violence report high le=
vels
of psychological distress. Many victims of war related-violence develop
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)." <A
href="http://www.fema.gov/kids/terrism.htm">http://www.fema.gov/kids/terr=
ism.htm</A>

This is an excellent fact sheet on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PT=
SD,
which provides information on the definition, development, symptoms, and
treatment of the disorder. <A
href="http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/general/fs\_what\_is\_ptsd.html">http://ww=
w.ncptsd.org/facts/general/fs\_what\_is\_ptsd.html</A>

 <A name=section-7.>AFGHANISTAN AND THE MIDDLE EAST</A> =
The
Children of War is an organization that provides aid to children and famili=
es in
Afghanistan. Despite a large outpouring of support last year, donations hav=
e now
all but dried up, due to the mistaken impression that the international
community has taken care of the humanitarian crisis there. In truth, the
majority of the pledges of support are yet to be received, and the people o=
f
Afghanistan are facing deplorable conditions. <A
href="http://www.thechildrenofwar.org/">http://www.thechildrenofwar.org</=
A>
Cluster bombs left over from the war on Afghanistan continue to threaten=
the
lives of Afghan civilians of all ages. <A
href="http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=179">http://peace.moveon.org/r2=
.php3?r=179</A>

According to a recent Amnesty International (AI) report, the new intifad=
a and
the Israeli response to it have targeted children in an "unprecedented" way=
. AI
reports that "[i]n the period from 29 September 2000 to the end of August 2=
002,
some 1700 Palestinians, including more than 250 children, were killed, and =
more
than 580 Israelis, most of them civilians and including 72 children, were=

killed." The high child death rate has led Amnesty to conclude that Israeli=

authorities, Palestinian armed groups, and the Palestinian Authority (PA) h=
ave
all failed to "comply with the obligations and safeguards set down in
international human rights and humanitarian law." The brief summary of the=

report is followed by a link to the report itself. <A
href="http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=1040&CategoryId=8">=
http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=1040&CategoryId=8</A>

The Bereaved Families Forum, also referred to as Parent's Circle, is an=

organization of 190 bereaved Israeli parents, Palestinian and Jews, who los=
t
their children during army service or in an act of terrorism. The organizat=
ion
recently set up a free service to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to ta=
lk to
each other on the telephone. This is an interview with the founder, a man w=
hose
son was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group, and who says that his re=
venge
is making peace. <A
href="http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=14326">http://www.alte=
rnet.org/story.html?StoryID=14326</A>

Palestinian children also have to contend with severe malnutrition as a=

result of the conditions imposed on them by the Israeli government. A USAID=

funded nutritional assessment has found that malnutrition rates of Palestin=
ian
children under the age of five have reached emergency levels. This article=

contends that the malnutrition of these children is the result of
Israeli-imposed curfews, checkpoints, and policies of collective punishment=
,
which are in direct violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child. <A
href="http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=958&CategoryId=8">h=
ttp://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=958&CategoryId=8</A>

According to Dr. Annie Higgins of the University of Chicago, Israeli sol=
diers
enforce a prohibition on school attendance in the Jenin refugee camp by sho=
oting
into classrooms. Her outrage at this fact is palpable. <A
href="http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article774.shtml">http://electroni=
cintifada.net/v2/article774.shtml</A>

Starhawk, an activist and author, writes about her experiences in the Ba=
lata
refugee camp after all the men had been rounded up. In this community of wo=
men
and children, she witnesses a child whose sleep is broken by bombs and guns=
hots,
a mother who must try and create a home for her coming baby in the midst of=

destruction, and a grandmother punished for her hopeful singing. <A
href="http://www.themightyorgan.com/features\_starhawk.html">http://www.th=
emightyorgan.com/features\_starhawk.html</A>

Juman is an 11-year-old Palestinian girl who recently spoke at a press=

conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The link below is to an article in Arabi=
c
which describes the conference; the girl in the article is Juman. For our=

English speaking readers, I have reprinted Juman's story "How I lost my bes=
t
friend" here. This story came to us from one of our volunteers, who knows J=
uman.

Before the intifada started, my best friend Zeina came to school from
Jerusalem to Ramallah every day and sometimes she came to my house to stay=

overnight. We used to have a lot of fun.
When the intifada started, she began to come to school late every day,=

because she had to cross the checkpoint on her way to school. That was very=

dangerous and took forever.
After the Summer holiday, she didn't come back to school and also didn=
't come
to stay over night in my house, but I didn't lose hope, so we talked on t=
he
phone a lot.
One day she invited me to her birthday party and because crossing the
checkpoint was very difficult I decided to stay overnight. We wanted to cam=
p in
her garden. Her house is near an Israeli army camp. I was afraid of shellin=
g
because the helicopters were above us and that reminded me of the shelling =
in
Ramallah. I was very scared and went to sleep inside. I went home the next =
day
and only saw her once since that day.
This is my story about how I lost my best friend. <A
href="http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=180">http://peace.moveon.org/r2=
.php3?r=180</A>

 <A name=section-8.>THE UNITED NATIONS</A> Olara Ottunu,=
UN
representative for children and armed conflict, participated in a BBC forum=
this
year, and answered questions both about how children are affected by confli=
ct
around the world, and how the UN is responding. You can either watch the
recorded forum or read the transcript as it is presented here. According to=
the
opening statistics presented as part of the forum, "[o]ver the past decade,=
two
million children were killed, six million seriously injured, one million
orphaned and 20 million children displaced by conflict situations. More tha=
n
300,000 young persons under the age of 18 are currently being exploited as =
child
soldiers and sex slaves in as many as 30 areas of conflict around the world=
,
despite a United Nations treaty banning such exploitation." <A
href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking\_point/forum/1975715.stm">http://=
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking\_point/forum/1975715.stm</A>

The Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted and opened for
signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 =
of 20
November 1989, with entry into force 2 September 1990, in accordance with=

article 49. The full text is provided here, with links to the status of
ratifications, declarations and reservations, and the Committee on the Righ=
ts of
the Child. <A
href="http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm">http://www.unhchr.ch/h=
tml/menu3/b/k2crc.htm</A>

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (the =
child
soldier protocol) on the involvement of children in armed conflicts was ado=
pted
and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly
resolution A/RES/54/263 of 25 May 2000, and entered into force on 12 Februa=
ry
2002. <A
href="http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/6/crc/treaties/opac.htm">http://www=
.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/6/crc/treaties/opac.htm</A>

Human Rights Watch explains the above optional protocol in more
understandable terms. Basically, "it establishes eighteen as the minimum ag=
e for
direct participation in hostilities, for compulsory recruitment, and for an=
y
recruitment or use in hostilities by non-governmental armed groups." Other =
key
provisions of the protocol are overviewed as well. <A
href="http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/crp/protocol.htm">http://www.hrw.org/c=
ampaigns/crp/protocol.htm</A>

The US ratified the above protocol in June, 2002. At the time of the US=

ratification, the protocol had been signed by 109 governments and ratified =
by
33. <A
href="http://hrw.org/press/2002/06/crd0619.htm">http://hrw.org/press/2002=
/06/crd0619.htm</A>

 <A name=section-9.>PEACE RESOURCES FOR KIDS AND ADULTS</A>=
 If
you have questions about how to talk to your children about the WTC attacks=
, the
war on Afghanistan, and the war on Iraq, this is an excellent guide which=

explains how to discuss violence and other complex world issues. It is writ=
ten
in an easy-to-use question and answer format. The main emphasis of this gui=
de is
to focus on your child's opinions, rather than your own, while correcting a=
ny
obvious misinformation and emphasizing how important it is to respect the=

opinions of others. <A
href="http://www.esrnational.org/guide.htm#scaremore">http://www.esrnatio=
nal.org/guide.htm#scaremore</A>

Medecins du Monde (UK) has an excellent website set up for children. It =
is
meant to help explain the work that the organization does around the world,=
but
is worthwhile whether or not you are interested in the organization, since =
it
explains what war is and how it affects children in easily understood terms=
.
Children should have no difficulty navigating the site, and the illustratio=
ns
are colorful and appealing while still not shrinking from the difficult sub=
ject
matter. The site covers such subjects as refugees, war trauma, child soldie=
rs,
and poverty. It also includes five short testimonies from children around t=
he
world, and a section that explains what kids can do to help. <A
href="http://www.medecinsdumonde.co.uk/kids/index.html">http://www.medeci=
nsdumonde.co.uk/kids/index.html</A>

The Eugene Peace Academy is the first public peace academy in the US. Th=
e
academy offers "a fully integrated environmental, relational and creative a=
rts
curriculum grounded in contemporary events, community needs and planetary=

concerns." In regards to issues of war and peace, the students of the acade=
my
"will come to understand the root and resolution of conflict through active=

skill building and practice of non-violent communication skills." The schoo=
l
will initially open for grades K - 8. <A
href="http://eugenepeaceacademy.org/">http://eugenepeaceacademy.org</A>=

Code Pink: Women's Pre-emptive Strike for Peace is a campaign calling on=
the
women of the world to rise up and oppose a new attack on Iraq. Why? Because=

"[w]omen have been the guardians of life-not because we are better or purer=
or
more innately nurturing than men, but because the men have busied themselve=
s
making war. Because of our responsibility to the next generation, because o=
f our
own love for our families and communities and this country that we are a pa=
rt
of, we understand the love of a mother in Iraq for her children, and the dr=
iving
desire of that child for life. " <A
href="http://peace.moveon.org/r2.php3?r=181">http://peace.moveon.org/r2=
.php3?r=181</A>

Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) is a network of individuals an=
d
NGOs across Canada and around the world working to oppose the arms trade. C=
OAT
is offering free sample copies of their most recent magazine issue, on the =
topic
of "Real Reasons for the Invasion of Iraq," to Canadian residents (it can b=
e
purchased by any non-Canadian residents who are interested). For a brief bl=
urb
about the issue and how to order, visit the following link: <A
href="http://www.flora.org/coat/forum/1412">http://www.flora.org/coat/for=
um/1412</A>

 <A name=section-10.>CREDITS</A> Research team: Joann=
e
Comito Anna Gavula Keiko Hatch Maha Mikhail Vicki
Nikolaidis Ben Spencer Ora Szekely Sharon Winn
Proofreading team: David Taub Bancroft Madlyn Bynum Carol
Brewster Melinda Coyle Nancy Evans Anne Haehl Mary Kim Dagm=
ara
Meijers-Troller Alfred K. Weber
 <A name=section-11.>GET INVOLVED</A> Want to volunteer =
with
MoveOn? We are currently looking for someone with excellent computer skills=

(esp. Outlook and HTML) to assist us with technical troubleshooting and HTM=
L
formatting. If you think you have the time and experience to help with this=
,
please write to <A
href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A> , a=
nd let
us know who you are and why you're interested.
If you would like us to include an action, news article, or source for m=
ore
information in the bulletin, please also write to <A
href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A> and=

describe your item in the subject line.
 <A name=section-12.>ABOUT THE BULLETIN</A> The MoveOn P=
eace
bulletin is a weekly newsletter providing resources, news, and action ideas=
to
over 50,000 people around the world. The full text of the bulletin is onlin=
e at
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href="http://www.peace.moveon.org/bulletin.php3#sub">http://www.peace.mov=
eon.org/bulletin.php3#sub</A>
; users can subscribe to the bulletin at that address also. The bulletin is=
a
project of MoveOn.org. Contact <A
href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A> for=
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information.

<HR>
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