Red Hand Day

Official logo of the Red Hand Day

(By Mathurin)

(This presentation was made with Hyunmin and Kentaro).

The Red Hand Day's goal is to stop armies using Child Soldiers in wars.

Over all, 300,000 boys and girls as young as 8 are forced to work and kill as soldiers in some parts of the world. They do not have education, and they are separated from their families. They are in poverty, and only think of violence. The armies think that children are cheap to use as some sort of slaves and being controlled easily. They don't have a proper house or family. They may be sent into dangerous fields such as landmine fields. They are taught to kill and some are forced to kill their own families. Many are drugged, and girls are given to commanders as wives. If the war ends, children may have serious brain damage and they may become murderers. They are usually brain washed.


In Burma there are 70,000 Child Soldiers.
In Columbia there are 14,000 Child Soldiers.
In Chad there are 10,000 Child Soldiers.
In Afghanistan there are 8000 Child Soldiers.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo there are 7000 Child Soldiers.
In Mali there are 1000 Child Soldiers.



So what can we do?

February 12 is the international Red Hand Day. On Red Hand Day, thousands of people make a red hand print to say no to Child Soldiers.

These are the prints we made. Kentaro, Hyunmin and I went to the next-door classes and gave them the presentation on Red Hand Day, and got their hand prints.

(This post is a bit late, but you can still do it)!

Mathurin