Children in Armed Conflicts in Africa

give children peace, not guns

16 September 2000

African Students' Conference 2000

The second African Students' Conference was held at the ISS and organised by the Hague Appeal for Peace and the Students Coordinating Committee on 16 September 2000. Logistics were provided by the Global Coalition for Africa.

The conference gave the participants and organisers the opportunity to interact, exchange ideas and learn many lessons. It brought to the forefront and in the process highlighted the untold misery inflicted on Africa. Proposals of strategies to prevent and resolve conflicts in Africa that were made at the conference, gave participants the challenge to identify roles they can play to bring about peaceful and prosperity to the continent as a whole and to their different countries in particular. Among the many lessons learnt was the need to foster teamwork and commitment if any achievements are to be realised.

Working Group Overview

The following four Workshops were organised during the Conference:

Social Exclusion as contributing factor to armed conflict in Africa
Facilitator: Nicholas Aworti from the Institute of Social Studies
Bad Governance as a contributing factor to armed conflict in Africa
Facilitator: Claudius Preville
Arms Trade as a contributing factor to Armed conflict in Africa
Facilitator: Godfrey Asiimwe
Breakdown of Socio-economic fabric as a contributing factor to armed conflict in Africa
Facilitator: Hannington Odame

Speakers

The keynote address was offered by Marion Kappeyene van de Coppello, Director of the Department of Human Rights and Peacebuilding at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her paper was titled Intrastate Conflicts, Root Causes and What can we do.
Joke Oranje, Watato Wa Amani, the Netherlands, presented a paper on The Message of the Child Soldier.
Ezekiel Mpanda from the Institute of Social Studies presented a paper on Armed Conflicts in Africa: Causes, Extent and Impact on Development.
Emmanuel Tugobiirwes’ paper was titled Child Soldiers; Influencing factors, extent of involvement, impact on their personal development and what can be done to stop the trend.
Monica Emiru and Richard-Okello Epilla from the Institute of Social Studies presented papers from two different perspectives titled Children Aboard Conflict machines: Consequences and Implications.