ISIS RECRUITMENT OF CHILDREN IN SYRIA
HL 322 International Health Issues NMU F16
Health Interventions: Saving a Generation
In this section, health interventions regarding child recruitment by ISIS will be explored. In this case, health interventions are programs and/or policies/procedures used to address a health need or problem. Importance is placed on there being reliable data proving they are effective, and whether they are sustainable and empowering.
As ISIS continues to terrorize Syria and much of the middle east, it has turned to a new type of weapon. One that can be indoctrinated, controlled, and engineered to fight for religious extremism. This weapon is, of course, children.
While hardly a new phenomenon in the theater of war, ISIS’s indoctrination of children and its use of them on the battle field is becoming quite an alarming issue. According the Syrian Observatory for human rights, "in the first 7 months of 2015, ISIS recruited 1100 children as fighters for their forces" (Monitor and Ajiri). Another study, by Georgia State University, "found that at least 1,500 children currently are enlisted to fight for ISIS" (Bloom, Horgan, Winter). These figures don’t come close to representing the thousands of other children being indoctrinated and raised to someday be fighters, as well.
photo credit: CNN
How is Child Recruitment Being Stopped?
photo credit: AMI
How is ISIS so successful in recruiting children?
(click right to learn more)
Addressing Educational Needs
Eduction in any war torn area is difficult to come by. What makes the situation even worse, for children in ISIS held areas, is that there is no blueprint for assisting education within an extremest caliphate. What can be done, however, is to offer support to the teachers and elders who see it as their duty to oppose ISIS curriculum and continue teaching children in secret. Ensuring that at least some students can someday have a brighter future. As for how to help these teachers, we must look to previous successes in education, following conflicts, as the global conflict against ISIS is in many ways, still in its infancy.
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For an in-depth report on how civil disobedience is helping to preserve education in ISIS held areas, click the link below
Photo credit: Dimashq Media Office/Islamic State Group
Models for Successful Educational Assistance in Conflict Areas
For a program to mean anything there must be hard evidence of its success. Lots of programs have failed because they have not adapted to fit the problem. The issue of education in ISIS held areas is an ever changing crisis. But with the correct interventions, it can be used to combat ISIS recruitment and give children a brighter future.
Photo credit: Huffington Post
Combating ISIS Propaganda
Why is ISIS Propaganda so Hard to Fight?
As with young people in Western societies, those living in the Middle East are increasingly turning to the internet and social media platforms for answers to questions and social interaction (Pandith). ISIS knows this and has exploited it well. From twitter and YouTube videos, as well as, google, they have been able to create huge publicity. In turn, they have become the source for answers for many young people who may already be at risk of radicalization. Essentially, ISIS has become the loudest voice in the digital world for many, at risk, young people.
Farah Pandith, is a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and former Special Representative to Muslim Communities for the US State Department. She works internationally to improve Muslim community relations and was appointed as a diplomat by both the Bush and Obama administrations (Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs). Her work has given her a deep insight on Muslim affairs and attitudes towards global policy. Below is her interview with Public Radio International on how to combat ISIS propaganda.
Photo Credit: U.S. Department of State
Programs to end the use of Children in Armed Conflict World Wide
"Children, Not Soldiers, is an initiative of Leila Zerrougui, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and UNICEF, aims to galvanize support to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by national security forces in conflict" (United Nations).
Culture of Resistance is an international group, "which aims to promote and support organizations, activists, and artists who seek a more peaceful, just, and democratic world"(CoR). They operate under the basis of using creative frameworks to bring resources and education to those in need. Particularly, children.
"Child Soldiers International collaborates with communities, helping them to safeguard their children from recruiters, while also building information about the problem and developing effective responses" (International).
