Child Soldiers (ATOM Study Guide)

This documentary is a telling global exposé of children who have become soldiers, or have been through the trauma of soldiering, or who are presently engaged in fighting. Focusing on Uganda, Sudan, Burma, Colombia, and Sierra Leone, Child Soldiers examines the conditions that lead to such recruitment and gives voice to the experiences of numerous children who have witnessed violent atrocities or, in many more cases, been forced to enact brutality on behalf of rebel groups. In an effort to provide solutions to the crisis, the documentary includes interviews with United Nations representatives and aid organisers who are trying to stop the abduction and coercion of children forced into military action. Child Soldiers has relevance for Sociology, Political Science, International Law, African and Latin American Studies, World History, and Child Welfare. This film is geared toward teachers and students of senior secondary and tertiary education as well as community and advocacy groups.