As part of marking the International Day of the African Child that is celebrated every June 16, the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace, and Security (the “Dallaire Institute”) is making the case that children’s perspectives must be integrated in decisions that directly affect them to prevent their recruitment and use in armed violence as well as other forms of child abuse. Dr. Shelly Whitman, the Executive Director of the Dallaire Institute noted that the Day of the African Child was created to honour black South African youth who died protesting against a government mandate that insisted that black high schools be taught in Afrikaans, which at the time was seen as a tool of oppression by the white minority. Thousands of children and youth took to the streets and were met with police brutality. Hundreds of children died, the youngest of whom is suspected to have been only twelve years old. This series of demonstrations and protests led by black school children in South Africa under apartheid was called the ‘Soweto uprising’. “The Soweto Uprising is an example of what can happen when children’s perspectives are not included in the decisions that directly affect them. For peace to prevail, all children must be seen as key stakeholders in these decisions,” stated Whitman. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child highlight the importance of integrating children’s rights and perspectives in all matters which affect them. “But too often this commitment does not translate into action. As conflicts persist across the African continent, it is now, more important than ever, that we place children at the heart of our efforts to achieve lasting peace and security,” Whitman added. Vancouver Principles The 17 Vancouver principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers (the “Vancouver Principles”)-launched by the Government of Canada in 2017 at the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial conference in Vancouver- are a set of political commitments in peacekeeping endorsed by member states regarding the prevention of recruitment and use of child soldiers by armed forces and armed groups. The principles were established considering that all conventions on child protection that were in existence were not explicitly talking about how to handle the issue of recruitment and use of child soldiers during armed conflict. So far, 106 countries globally have endorsed the set of political commitments focused on child protection in peacekeeping, including all stages of a conflict cycle and above 20 African countries have endorsed the principles. Rwanda was the first country on the African continent to endorse the Vancouver Principles and it is a champion in the implementation of the Vancouver Principles given their key role in the United National Peacekeeping missions in the region. Building a Global Children, Peace and Security agenda As the custodian of the Vancouver Principles, the Dallaire Institute has expanded the scope of work under its 2022-2025 strategic plan by developing a Global Children, Peace, and Security (CPS) agenda which brings new approaches and platforms to put a priority on the protection of children from their recruitment and use in violence as central to the attainment of peace and security. In line with Global CPS agenda, the Dallaire Institute seeks to advance understanding about the fragile contexts that threaten children, increase their vulnerability to extreme violence and insecurity, and diminish their agency to positively impact change. These challenges perpetuate cycles of inequality and violence that continue over generations. The Dallaire Institute’s Research and Learning agenda supports a global community of research, practice and learning network to identify, consolidate, and share best practices and lessons learned in the fields of conflict prevention, peace building, security sector reform, and gender and child protection. Speaking about the African child day celebration, Maj. Gen (Rtd) Ferdinand Safari, Director of Dallaire Institute - African Centre of Excellence, said: “The 16th of June is the International Day of the African Child in commemoration of those killed during the Soweto Uprising on that day in 1976. This is the day we celebrate and show support to the African child and this can be done by facilitating their access to education and healthcare but also by preventing their recruitment and use in armed violence. The Dallaire Institute African Centre of Excellence The Dallaire Institute- African Centre of Excellence (ACoE) is strategically located in Kigali, making Rwanda a permanent host of the regional center since February 2022, through a “Host Country Agreement”, approved by the Government of Rwanda via its cabinet of ministers, led by HE President of the Republic of Rwanda. The Dallaire ACoE is hosting the Vancouver Principles agenda and accelerating the action for African countries to endorse and implement the principles, as championed by Rwanda. Rwanda has been the center of both men and women peace and security solutions on the African continent and beyond. The center has strengthened Rwanda’s capacity locally, regionally, and everywhere where Rwanda contributes peacekeepers in building a more operational capability to be deployed to prevent the use of child soldiers in conflicts. Dallaire Institute was established by The Canadian humanitarian, Lt. Gen (Rtd) Romeo Dallaire¸ who was the Force Commander of UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and learned a lesson of how children and youth were recruited to commit atrocities. The Institute works at the invitation of governments, security institutions, and regional and international organizations seeking to advance the Vancouver Principles and a Global Children, Peace, and Security agenda. Its approach gives priority to countries that contribute troops to regional and international peace operations, and to countries where children are recruited and used in armed conflicts and violence. Uniquely, the Dallaire Institute works directly with the security sector to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts and violence. The institute’s work has incorporated the perspectives of communities and children into its programming, research, and advocacy efforts. The Dallaire Institute work in Rwanda is funded majorly by the Germany Federal Foreign Office and other philanthropic donors to advance the mission on the children peace and security agenda.
