Caught in Conflict: The Journeys of Child Soldiers

Jimmie Briggs, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Man Up Campaign, moderated a discussion on child soldiers involving Ishmael Beah, former child soldier and author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Jocelyn Kelly, Director of the Women in War Program, and Leila Zerrouigui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, United Nations. Topics covered include the split between the “on paper” response to the child soldiers issue as opposed to the situation on the ground and how international recognition has changed the nature of conflicts involving child soldiers. Underappreciated gender-related aspects of the issue were also addressed.