Topic: Reintegrating Former Child Soldiers
Country: Bangladesh
Delegate Name: Elise Wassink
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Bangladesh position papers GLIMUN 2014 committees
In many countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, problems involving child soldiers and their subsequent lives after service are becoming prevalent. Such regions that allow for child soldiering often do not have adequate resources and abilities to take care of and provide for child veterans who often suffer from vulnerability and mental and/or physical disabilities. Many cultures and customs have stigmas against former child soldiers; such stigmas inhibit the reintegration of these children. It must be addressed how to guide reintegration of child soldiers and at what level of government such guidance should be appointed.
The People’s Republic of Bangladesh supports the reintegration of child soldiers. However, it is necessary for governments to have support systems in place to facilitate a safe return. Education, counseling, and public services must be implemented into societies in order to successfully reintegrate physically or mentally damaged child veterans. Bangladesh has free and public education for all minors, and one of the largest primary education systems in the world. In addition, Bangladesh has “provided [technology] to schools, stipends to 11.90 million students every year,915 million free text books to students in four years, financial support from the “Prime Minister’s Trust Fund” to poor students for higher studies, school feeding program funded by local donors to schools, modern curriculum to [educational institutions], [and] teaching [to] those with autism and other developmental disorders.” Additionally, an emphasis on education may help reduce national stigmas that prevent former child soldiers from being accepted backed into their community. These national advances are exemplified in the 68th UNGA speech on educational initiative in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Education is one of the most important means of reintegration of former child soldiers. In order for a country to successfully implement an integrated education system, reforms and constant efforts should be made to more easily facilitate education to a nation’s youth and, more importantly and specifically, to any former child soldiers. Providing free and public education on a national level is critical to the reintegration of child soldiers, and must be encouraged by the United Nations as much as possible.
