Already more than 600,000 child soldiers worldwide

Already more than 600,000 child soldiers worldwide A 12 year old boy drew his gun and wore the camouflage uniform of the United Self-Defense Groups of Colombia. Each year about fourteen thousand children are enrolled, some by deception, other hostages and some pushed by their parents, for various operations and wars fought by mercenaries emerging bands or groups of Narcos. Some end up serving intelligence missions, installing landmines, snipers are bartered in fighters, porters, carnal slave labor for drug crops. The figures are distressing, and increase infant mortality in 20,000 children each year. The terrifying is that, in the world, there are seventeen countries where rebel troops, or even governments, are using child soldiers in armed conflagrations. Amnesty International and Save the Children, have revealed the conscription of kids by Islamist groups in Mali, where they are required to participate in military skirmishes. The Declaration of the Rights of the Child, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on November 20, 1959, says (Principle 9), "The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. He shall not be the subject of traffic, in any form.” The wars have killed more than two million children, leaving six million disabled and a million orphans in the last decade. They have been more than 15 million expatriates kids. In all the earth there are over 600,000 child soldiers. While the enlistment of children under 18 years, in conventional wars, constitutes a war crime, Amnesty International revealed that in more than 35 countries armies, paramilitary forces and armed opposition groups, rely on soldiers under 15 years of age. Children are sent to the firing line, as patrol and bodyguards, they are cooks and carriers of weapons, water or food. But the case of the girls is more degrading, because they are the first tormented by carnal abuse made by the rest of the recruits who originate them grievous injuries, pregnancy and AIDS infection. Some girls have had to intervene in sexual acts or acts of cannibalism with the bodies of the enemies and corpses, under the influence of drink or drugs. An advertising campaign is repeated, again under the slogan, "Child soldier. They will put it at the forefront. And if he dies, they go to a school to get another. And after another." Jean-Charles, a volunteer who makes his charitable work in Guru, in northern Uganda, summarizes:" They kidnap the children with the intention of turning them into real killing machines”. "When you do, with violence, the first tears spilling a child, you have already put in his spirit anger, sadness, envy, revenge, hypocrisy," wrote the Spanish writer Azorín (1873-1967). Author and journalist Clemente Ferrer has led a distinguished career in Spain in the fields of advertising and public relations. He is currently President of the European Institute of Marketing. clementeferrer3@gmail.com