Topic: Reintegrating Former Child Soldiers
Country: Colombia
Delegate Name: Madeleine Clements
School: Fishers High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Colombia position papers GLIMUN 2014 committees
For more than fifty years the Republic of Colombia has been engaged in internal conflicts fueled by economic, social and political differences. One of the unfortunate consequences of this ongoing conflict has been the rise in child soldiers recruited or forced to join the ranks of rebel groups including the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC). The FARC, a left-wing guerilla (extremist) group has been widely known to recruit children and train them to be soldiers in their cause. Human Rights Watch estimates there are 11,000 to 14,000 child soldiers in Colombian guerrilla groups. It has been estimated that as many as 47% of FARC soldiers were recruited as children. Some children voluntarily join the FARC for various reasons including money or because they are swayed by rebel propaganda. Others are forced to join through threats and intimidation, or through conscription.
In recent years, many FARC child recruits have voluntarily deserted their positions with the rebel group. Others have been captured by government soldiers. Columbia believes that minors who were former members of a rebel group are still subject to judicial process for crimes they may have committed as a member of that group. In an effort to address the problems presented by former child soldiers, the Columbian Constitutional Court has established a Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration process (DDR). The DDR distinguishes between former child soldiers guilty of “Gross Violations of Human Rights” and former child soldiers with minor offenses. Under the DDR, being a minors is not an excuse where the crime is deemed a “Gross Violation” and those found guilty of such crimes face eight years in prison. For minors with no infractions or minor violations, they may receive a pardon and be offered reintegration services. Because many former child soldiers leave the FARC and other rebel groups with significant behavioral, educational and social challenges, reintegration is difficult at best. There are government run rehabilitation programs and “safe communities” such as Don Bosco City, established to aid in the demobilization and reintegration of these former child soldiers. The location of many of these programs is kept confidential to protect the participants from retaliation from rebel groups. Additional rehabilitation programs are run by well-known national, international and religious organizations in cooperation with the Colombian government. The ultimate goal of the Columbian government is to reintegrate these former child soldiers back into society. For those who are still minors, efforts are made to relocate their families to safer regions before reuniting them, or placing the children in safe foster homes.
The Republic of Colombia feels that all nations should balance the crimes committed by minors under periods of conflict. Serious consideration should be given to the time spent as a child soldier and the specifics of the crimes committed before determining a course of action regarding punishment or rehabilitation. As in many other countries, the severity of the crime may make the crime still punishable by imprisonment regardless of their age. However, the people of Columbia believe the focus should be put on developing a reintegration system that emphasizes behavioral modification, educational enrichment and social responsibility, when appropriate.
Citations
Pagan, La Shawn. "Colombia's War on Child Soldiers." Media Global News. United Nations, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2014
"The Great Lakes Invitational Conference Association." The Great Lakes Invitational Conference Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014
"Colombia Child Soldiers." BBC World Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2014.
"Mexico Seeks Lessons from Colombia's War on FARC." Weekend Edition Sunday 2 Jan. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 Nov. 2014
"COLOMBIA: Don Bosco City Providing Hope to More Than 83,000 Orphaned Youth." COLOMBIA: Don Bosco City Providing Hope to More Than 83,000 Orphaned Youth. Mission Newswire, 13 Sept. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014
"Years Of Combat Experience, And Just Turning 20." NPR. NPR, 30 May 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
De Rivaz, Charlie. "FARC Systematically Recruits Child Soldiers: Study." Colombia Reports. N.p., 17 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014
Cruz, Maria F. "The War on Child Soldier Recruitment Begins at School." Mercy Corps. N.p., 22 June 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
