For "Red Hand Day" on February 12th
Osnabrück, February 10, 2023 – On the occasion of the upcoming Red Hand Day, people worldwide are protesting with the symbol of the red hand against the use of children and young people as soldiers. According to international estimates, around 250,000 boys and girls in over 20 countries are abused as soldiers; many of them are killed or maimed. Girls and boys from the age of about ten are used as couriers or spies and forced to fight with small arms; many are used as porters and sexually abused.
“Forcing children to fight is a horrific violation of children’s rights and must be stopped immediately,” declared Joshua Hofert, spokesperson for the board of terre des hommes . “Children belong in school and on the playground and must never be sacrificed in the wars waged by adults. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has long demanded this. It is high time that the abuse of children and young people as soldiers finally ends. Many children and young people from our projects in Colombia, India, and other countries are committed to this cause, as are our volunteer terre des hommes members. They are protesting against this abuse of minors, for example, on Red Hand Day in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, and Bergisch Gladbach.”
Furthermore, funding for prevention and reintegration programs for former child soldiers must be significantly increased. "The federal government is also called upon to act here, because many of these children fought with German small arms. They have experienced terrible things; they need psychosocial support and education to be able to return to a stable life," said Joshua Hofert.