(The Huffington Post) – Throughout the ages, children have been used and abused in many ways – from cheap labour to enslavement, maiming, torture, rape and murder. Although slow to come, international pressure built momentum over time leading to ground-breaking commitments such as the decision, 28 years ago today, to adopt the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Its application at national levels might not always be consistent; nevertheless, there is hope for children in its continued implementation. But this hope is denied to a special group of children: the millions living in situations of armed conflict.