Government urged to ratify anti-child soldier convention

(The Daily Star) – Speaking Wednesday at conference on protecting children in conflict settings, Saade Saadeh described his time as a child soldier in the Lebanese Civil War. Recruited at the age of 7, Saadeh said a “monster lived inside” throughout his childhood. He said that accessibility of weapons, vulnerability to propaganda and the mentality of war left him believing that “if others didn’t do what I wanted, I would shoot [them].” Saadeh was speaking at a roundtable discussion on improving the protection of children from becoming involved in armed conflicts. The event, organized by the local NGO Permanent Peace Movement in Lebanon and international rights group Geneva Call, brought together NGOs, government officials and youth members of political parties.

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