Join us! German Coalition to Stop the Use of We demand: Child Soldiers Your Demand with your hand print and your name beneath: The following organizations are members of the German 1. “Straight 18“: Children under 18 shall not be recruited counts Stop! No use of children as soldiers! Try to win your friends, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers: Aktion Weißes or trained by armies or any other armed group – no matter your family, your schoolmates and your colleagues for the Friedensband, Amnesty International, German Red Cross in which function (even if they are not carrying arms) or idea. Collect red hands at schools, universities, companies, Youth, Kindernothilfe, Lutheran World Federation, missio, whether they join the groups „voluntarily“ or are recruited at city festivals and in pedestrian zones. All you need is red Network Africa Germany, Plan International, terre des by force. In addition, there should be no propaganda for fi nger paint and paper for the action. You can send or as- hommes, UNICEF Germany, World Vision. recruitment directed to minors. All children below the age sign your collected hands to politicians, so that they notice of 18 must be released from armies or other armed groups We inform the world about the issue of child soldiers. and act. No matter if it is the mayor, member of the local, and supported in their reintegration to civil society. We appeal for actions and campaign. regional or national parliament or of international bodies We advocate. like the European Union or the United Nations: Ask them 2. Penalization of the perpetrators: Individuals, states and Several member organizations support relief projects to advocate the campaign’s demands and to start initiatives armed groups who recruit children and use them as soldiers for child soldiers. about it. It’s important that the politicians inform you later must be denounced and punished. Individuals shall be pro- about their activities. You can also involve musicians or The German Coalition cooperates with Child Soldiers Internati- secuted by the International Criminal Court or a national other celebrities and the media in your Red Hand activity to onal (former “Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers”) and court. National states and armed groups must be condem- spread the protest and the demands of the campaign. Take other international organizations. ned and sanctioned by the state community. pictures and upload one of them on our website! Further information: www.kindersoldaten.info We are glad to answer your questions and provide you with 3. Protection, support and political asylum: Former child www.redhandday.org any additional information and material. soldiers need to be provided with medical and psychological care and access to scholar or professional education, espe- cially if they fl ee to developed countries. They need to be granted asylum and protection in the countries they fl ed to. 4. Increased fi nancial funds for aid programmes: 3.A. − 12/12 − Photos: terre des hommes, Sven Gückel Editor: terre des hommes - Concept and Design: Dominic Rödel – Printed on Recycling-Paper National and international fi nancial resources for preventi- on and reintegration programmes for child soldiers should be considerably increased. 5. Stop the export of arms: No arms, component parts or munitions shall be exported to confl ict zones where child soldiers can be found. This is especially applicable to small arms and also refers to third countries that transfer weapons to confl ict areas. Further, all illegal ways by which weapons reach confl ict areas need to be blocked. 6. Promote peace education: Peace education and non- Zukunft für Kinder ! violent confl ict resolution should be an obligatory part of the school curriculum and teacher- training. Your red hand makes Show the world your Red Hand the protest visible - Stand up against the use of children as soldiers worldwide! It is illegal to use children under the Worldwide active! Upload your red hand photo: age of 18 as soldiers in conflicts and Since 2002, every year on 12th wars. In February 12th 2002, this was February, people all over the www.redhandday.org established by an Optional Protocol world protest against this seri- to the United Nations (UN) Conven- ous child rights violation. It is tion on the Rights of the Child. the international day against Nevertheless, as estimated by the the use of child soldiers - Please inform us about your red hand UN, there are about 250,000 child called the Red Hand Day. activities, the amount of collected hands and soldiers worldwide. In nearly all cur- Thousands rent wars and armed conflicts minors of children, the politician’s reactions. Place a photo and are used as soldiers because they are youngsters and a short activity report on the web page! cheap and easy to manipulate. Most adults partici- Thank you! children are abused by non-state pate every year. armed groups such as guerrilla or In many countries, paramilitary groups as is the case in on every continent, Columbia or in Uganda. But some more than 370,000 state armies, e.g. in Burma or in red hand prints have Sudan, also use children as regular been collected and soldiers in combat. have been assigned to politicians, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, former Who is a child soldier? German President Horst “A child associated with an armed force Köhler and leading or armed group” refers to any person politicians in India. This below 18 years of age who is or who has is a huge success! But been recruited or used by an armed force the public protest has to or armed group in any capacity, including continue. There is some but not limited to children, boys and girls, progress, but too little. All used as fighters, cooks, porters, messen- countries have a responsibility gers, spies or for sexual purposes. It does in this concern! not only refer to a child who is taking or has taken a direct part in hostilities.“ (The Paris Principles 2007).