STF Events: 2008-2009
STF meets with Pakistan Consul-General in LA
June 2, 2009: An STF delegation met with the Consul-General of Pakistan, the Honorable Syed Ibne Abbas, to urge Pakistan to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. The delegation presented him with 100 red hands and participated in a stimulating discussion on current events in Pakistan, covering such topics as Taliban resurgences in the Swat Valley and Pakistan’s education system. The Consul-General will send the STF letter and red hands to the capital in Islamabad and promised to inform STF of future progress regarding ratification progress of the Optional Protocol.
UPDATE: As of February 23, 2010, Pakistan has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
“Fight For Your Life”
April 28, 2009: Palisades Charter High School junior, Joshua Pandy, presented Madeleine, a former child soldier from the DRC, his poem “Fight for Your Life” at the school’s child soldier assembly on April 28. Joshua wrote the poem for Madeleine after learning about the tragedy of children forced into combat.
Read the poem “Fight for Your Life”
Photo by Joshua Pandy
Former Child Soldier Tour
Photos by Maya Myers
April 27-29, 2009: Coming from the Congo, one of the deadliest conflict areas in the world, former child soldier Madeleine and activist Bukeni Waruzi shared their experiences with high school and university students in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, including Laguna Blanca, UCSB, Palisades Charter HS, Crossroads, Santa Monica HS, Mount St Mary’s College, and Marlborough. The Child Soldier Tour, organized by STF, capped a year of STF advocacy to stop the use of child soldiers. Madeleine spoke about her experience being recruited at age 11 and her release negotiated by Bukeni. Madeleine served as the African Delegate to the UN for the Red Hand Day campaign. Bukeni is the executive director of Ajedi-Ka, which works to demobilize and reintegrate child soldiers in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.
Briefing with Anneke Van Woudenberg
Photos by Patricia Williams
March 11, 2009: STF students and teachers from Crossroads, New Roads, Pacific Palisades, and Santa Monica High Schools attended an “Insider’s Briefing” with HRW researcher Anneke Van Woudenberg hosted by the Wildwood STF. Anneke discussed the history of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and shared personal stories from the field which had a profound effect on her audience. Advocacy efforts are underway to support the appointment of a Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region of Africa.
UNICEF Television: HRW STF Participates in Red Hand Day in NY
February 12, 2009: Click here or on the image to the left to view video. RealPlayer is required. Download RealPlayer.
Photo by Getty Images
UN Secretary-General Pledges to “Stamp Out” Use of Child Soldiers
Photos by Sarah Shatz
February 12, 2009: At a ceremony in New York, the Secretary-General accepted a book of “red hands” created by youth from around the world as part of a year-long international Red Hand Day Campaign. Over 250,000 symbolic “red hands” were created during the campaign as an appeal to world leaders to take stronger action to end the use of child soldiers. Julia Price, President of the Canyon HS Student Task Force, participated in the presentation of the red hands. “The Red Hand Day campaign shows that people all over the world are against the use of child soldiers and want to act,” said Julia. “We are asking the leaders here today to use their influence to pressure every country to uphold international standards and to advocate on behalf of child soldiers.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the forced recruitment and use of child soldiers as “one of the most appalling human rights abuses in the world today,” and stated that “the entire United Nations system and I are determined to stamp out such abuse.”
Full statements of the youth delegates of the Red Hand Day Event in New York