Child Conflicts

Conflicts have various implications on children and their future, as they affect a lot of different sectors of their lives. As Grace Machel, a United Nations member, in 1996 said, “War violates every right of a child – the right to life, the right to be with family and nurtured and respected”. First of all, during conflicts and in conflict areas children do witness or even experience violent acts, which can easily impinge on their psychology and can have long-term repercussions. Moreover, children are often kidnapped and consequently recruited by armed groups or other organizations to execute various commands, including the placement of mines and explosives and the participation in combat. Furthermore, they are often used for domestic labour …show more content…
However, almost 40 million children are restricted from education due to the conflicts in their countries. One of the principal reasons is that schools in conflict-affected states are often damaged, burnt down, destroyed or even bombarded and thus considered improper to house students. Moreover, a lot of families with children may immigrate and be displaced in refugee camps where access to education is highly limited. Another reason might be the fact that during conflicts a lot of families are separated and their children are recruited by groups and consequently made to work instead of attending school. Additionally, diseases and contagious illnesses such as ebola or malaria, which can be easily observed in conflict-affected countries due to the poor sanitation and medical healthcare, may contribute to the prohibition of education, as schools may close to hinder the wide spread of such viruses and bacteria. Finally, teachers are sometimes killed or kidnapped and due to the lack of working personnel, schools are closed preventing children from acquiring valuable education. Yet, as Nelson Mandela once claimed “Education is the greatest weapon with which we can change the world - and it is particularly important in war-torn countries.” This means that education is vital for the continuation of the social and general development of each community in a conflict area, as education provides fundamental knowledge that can set the basis for a future development. Schools, especially in war-torn countries, can provide a shelter for children where they can develop their social skills and learn useful things which will certainly contribute to their survival in their community, since they can be taught how to handle drinkable water and how to avoid mines and explosives