http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/ To the Ambassadors of Colombia, Cuba, and Indonesia: Your Excellency, I am deeply concerned that, according to recent reports, parties to armed conflict in at least 22 countries may be recruiting or using children as soldiers, or are at serious risk of doing so. The United Nations Security Council, of which your state is a member, has taken decisive action to end this practice. However, to date, your government has not yet ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, an essential step toward stopping child recruitment. The Optional Protocol, which came into force on 12 February 2002 and by October 2004 had been signed by 117 states and ratified by 85, sets 18 as the minimum age for participation in hostilities and for compulsory recruitment by government forces, and for any recruitment or use in hostilities by non-governmental armed groups. It also calls on states to raise the minimum age for voluntary recruitment, and to implement strict safeguards for voluntary recruitment under 18. I urge your government to ratify the Optional Protocol, without reservations and to setting 18 as the minimum age for all forms of military recruitment, as an essential step toward ending the use of children as soldiers. Sincerely, Tue, 12 Apr 2005 20:1:21 CDT en-us 3 http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig5827340 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I support this petition. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig4686319 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST Children should not be on a battlefield they should be out playing with friends. Don't ruin their childhood and even their lives with war at such a young age. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig4383817 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST Children are the future. do you want war to be there future, and in turn our future. imagine if you were made to fight in an endless war, knowing that at any time a bullet could be flying in your direction, imagine the pian and suffering they go through every day, imagine if you were in the shoes, would you still be saying things like 'children take bullets well, they are good soldiers'. just next time you see some think like this remember what it would be like if your childhod was ripped away from you, so you could go get killed and forgot about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig4383253 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I support this petition. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig4340888 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I support this petition. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig4006558 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I support this petition. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig4005026 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I support this petition. children are the hope of the world. they deserve to be respected and loved and cared.... http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3956295 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3831412 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3751010 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3654020 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3568074 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3473773 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST Children have no place on any battlefield. Let them live and enjoy life. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3368632 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3088290 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3085686 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3059409 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3059232 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3059009 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I think this is a horrible atrocity. I'll support anything that will hopefully work towards ending it. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/childsoldiers/#sig3059010 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I think this is a horrible atrocity. I'll support anything that will hopefully work towards ending it.