10 Presbyterian youth + 6 adult leaders + 2 Presbyterian United Nations Office staff people + some red paint + some cloth = 16 banners + a witness saying "No Child Soldiers" in the name of Jesus.
Youth and adult chaperones from the Fab Five Presbytery Partnership Group took part in a seminar at the Presbyterian United Nations Office on February 16-17. The theme was the global victimization of children.
A portion of the seminar focused on child soldiers. Despite an international treaty that has been in effect since 2002 and that prohibits the use of children under age 18 as soldiers, Human Rights Watch reports that children are currently used as soldiers in at least 14 countries.
The Red Hand Campaign is an international effort, initiated by youth and students, to call the nations of the world to live up to their commitments, to protect children, and to end the use of children as soldiers. Simple red hand prints proclaim the message – children should not be used as soldiers!
During the seminar, the youth, the adults, and the Presbyterian Office staff created red hand banners. Banners will be shared with church leaders. Each participant also took a banner to help tell the story and spread the message that the children Jesus loves should not be forced to serve as soldiers.
The Fab Five Presbyteries are Albany, Cayuga-Syracuse, Northern New York, Susquehanna Valley and Utica.