By Sophie Beal
Today the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations was pleased to host Covenant Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto, California for a seminar that covered the current global situation concerning the use of child soldiers in armed conflict and efforts made by the United Nations and others to stop this practice.
To begin the day, Elodie and I asked the group members to draw a picture of a world in which children do not serve as child soldiers. The responses were wonderfully diverse and provoked a thoughtful discussion about what the lives of child soldiers might be like. Together, we explored the many ways that putting an end to the injustice of child soldiers could radically alter not only the lives of these children, but also the future of our global community.
We were glad to have had the insights of the group members on the issue of child soldiers. Following our discussion, the group made red hands to contribute to the Red Hands Campaign to stop the use of child soldiers worldwide. We were pleased to hear that the group from Covenant Presbyterian Church plans to bring the campaign back to their congregation and create more red hands to add to the effort to end the use and abuse of children in armed conflict. It is through the strength of each of our communities that we are able to work toward peace and justice across the globe.
Your generous gifts help support the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations and the seminar program.