Meet Dominic and Benjamin. When war came to Sierra Leone in 1991, soldiers forcibly recruited children of similar ages to serve as soldiers in the country's devastating civil war. The U.N. estimates more than 10,000 children were conscripted to service in Sierra Leone and that at any time there may be more than 300,000 children involved with fighting forces worldwide.
Seven years after the war's end, many former child soldiers were successfully integrated back to their families. Others still bear the scars of their experience, carrying depression and anxiety with them into young adulthood. Children who do not have opportunities for education and employment like Dominic and Benjamin are at risk of being pulled back into violence or conflicts in nearby countries.
Former child soldiers need programs aimed at allowing them to finish their education and have healthy, productive lives. Pledge to support these children and the organizations helping them to build lives of hope and opportunity.
We signed the “Rebuilding the Lives of Child Soldiers” petition!
# 6,685:
10:51 am PST, Nov 21,Ariel C, Canada
They are in my prayers and heart. God bless them with healing and for all their needs to be met.
# 6,684:
10:27 pm PST, Nov 20,Soo Thacker, Alaska
Meet Dominic and Benjamin. When war came to Sierra Leone in 1991, soldiers forcibly recruited children of similar ages to serve as soldiers in the country's devastating civil war. The U.N. estimates more than 10,000 children were conscripted to service in Sierra Leone and that at any time there may be more than 300,000 children involved with fighting forces worldwide.
# 6,683:
5:58 pm PST, Nov 20,Daniel Plane, Wisconsin
# 6,682:
7:37 am PST, Nov 20,Stephen Weatherby, Georgia
# 6,681:
3:59 am PST, Nov 20,Kelli Stowe, California
# 6,680:
7:33 pm PST, Nov 19,Brande Pickerel, Washington
# 6,679:
4:28 pm PST, Nov 18,Name not displayed, Florida
# 6,678:
7:53 am PST, Nov 18,Dorie Green, Montana
Forcing children to kill and maim is the worst kind of child abuse.
# 6,677:
6:57 pm PST, Nov 17,Ryan Lee, California
# 6,676:
4:35 pm PST, Nov 17,Ellie Shain, California
# 6,675:
10:01 pm PST, Nov 16,Sara Neveu, New Hampshire
# 6,674:
4:26 pm PST, Nov 16,Theresia Cronan, California
# 6,673:
8:47 am PST, Nov 16,Name not displayed, New Jersey
# 6,672:
11:21 am PST, Nov 15,Susann Balk, Michigan
# 6,671:
9:10 am PST, Nov 15,Joseph Kuczynski, Minnesota
# 6,670:
11:32 pm PST, Nov 14,Estelle Eichenberger, New York
# 6,669:
2:03 pm PST, Nov 14,Costantina Lentini, Italy
# 6,668:
7:26 pm PST, Nov 13,Robert MacFarlane, New Jersey
# 6,667:
5:42 am PST, Nov 13,Jenny Oestli, Norway
# 6,666:
4:06 am PST, Nov 13,Allyson Sites, Indiana
# 6,665:
9:14 pm PST, Nov 12,Deirdre Evangelista, New Jersey
# 6,664:
1:46 pm PST, Nov 12,Kristine Andarmani, California
# 6,663:
6:21 am PST, Nov 12,Darlene Ross, California
# 6,662:
1:05 pm PST, Nov 10,Rachel Dowden, Louisiana
# 6,661:
9:37 am PST, Nov 10,Tracy Gourville, North Carolina
# 6,660:
6:17 am PST, Nov 10,Tina Lynch, Maryland
# 6,659:
10:16 pm PST, Nov 8,Amanda Kelly, Illinois
# 6,658:
2:03 pm PST, Nov 8,Name not displayed, Utah
# 6,657:
10:13 am PST, Nov 8,MICHELLE SHENTON, Michigan
# 6,656:
9:45 am PST, Nov 8,Janice Sturdy, United Kingdom
# 6,655:
3:39 pm PST, Nov 7,Sarah Fritz, New Jersey
No one should be forced to do something they don't want to do!
