Victims, agents, or both? : a critique of the global humanitarian discourse on the subject of child soldiers

Abstract

The phenomenon of child soldiers is one of the most pressing global humanitarian crises facing the world today. It concerns up to 250,000 children participating in several armed conflicts around the world. In the late 20th century, the international community started taking drastic measures to eliminate the recruitment and use of children, under the age of 18, in armed conflicts. The international commitment to protect children prompted international organizations (IOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and governments to portray all child soldiers as vulnerable victims of armed conflict and forced recruitment. The victimization of child soldiers opens up a debate on whether all child soldiers should be considered victims given that several studies indicate that children are not always forced to join armed forces and groups, but rather, some among them deliberately choose to do so. Therefore, this essay seeks to question the narrative of the victim, often put forth by the global humanitarian discourse, as the dominant explanation of child soldiers' participation in armed conflicts. This essay argues that the narrative of the victim fails to fully capture the complexities of the definition of childhood, child soldiers' narratives, and the local realities that child soldiers face. This essay seeks to develop a holistic approach that takes into consideration both narratives of child soldiers and endeavors to provide a more profound understanding of the complexities of why and how children become child soldiers. The ambition of this research is threefold: first, to explore the existing state of child soldier recruitments and narratives, second, to address the determining factors behind child participation in armed conflicts, and third, to examine the effects of the global humanitarian perspective and practices on local African communities and former child soldiers.