Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers Q1 2008

After the election results I spoke with Carissa from the Coalition and they were delighted to have been voted in for a second year and passed on their thanks to OPS members for their continued support. In the proposal for the election, it was mentioned that the 2007 project that OPS funds supported in the DRC had been experiencing some difficulties. Therefore, Carissa and Heloise proposed two possible new activities that we could get involved with:

• Support to children’s awareness raising activities (DRC)
• Bringing the voices of formerly abducted children to reintegration (Uganda/DRC)

After discussing the choice with the trustees, and also the guys from the Coalition, we decided to choose the first option. The OPS funds will therefore support efforts in advocating for the rights of children in the DRC by conducting a series of public education campaigns at key child rights events throughout the year, such as Red Hand Day and the Day of the African Child. This type of advocacy role is much more like the standard work of the Coalitions – compared with the direct support provided in 2007.

As mentioned in the proposal, OPS  funds will support the participation of children in these events. Activities will likely include: hosting screenings of coalition-produced documentaries on child soldiers, theatre plays addressing prevention strategies, children’s poetry slam, street parades, and broadcasting key messages on local radio programs. Red Hand Day for 2008 has already taken place; so hopefully we should get some news about how the event went soon.

James Etchells May 2008