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[[Image:Guinness World Records 2007.jpg|right|275px|thumb|Guinness World Records 2007 edition.]]
[[Image:19450420 Hitler 65bd awards HJ Iron Cross.jpg|thumb|250px|April 20, 1945. On his 56th birthday, [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] awards [[Iron Cross]] to Hitler Youth outside his bunker during the [[Battle of Berlin]].]]
[[Image:Suntec City Mall, Dec 05.JPG|right|250px|thumb|[[Fountain of Wealth]] largest fountain in the world in [[Singapore]].]]
The '''military use of children''' refers to children being placed in harm's way in military actions, in order to protect a ___location or provide propaganda. This is sometimes referred to as [[child sacrifice]], though not equivalent to the religious variety. It may also refer to the use of children as '''child soldiers''' or saboteurs.
[[Image:Ironing guinness 0357.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Some world record attempts are more unusual than others. [[Suresh Joachim]], minutes away from breaking the [[ironing]] world record at 55 hours and 5 minutes, at [[Shoppers World, Brampton]].]]
[[Image:Toronto's CN Tower.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The [[CN Tower]] has been the [[world's tallest freestanding structure on land]] since its opening in 1976.]]
[[Image:Madonnact.JPG|right|250px|thumb|[[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] is the highest earning female singer of all time, according to the 2007 Guinness Book of Records.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=407501&in_page_id=1773 Queen of Pop Madonna crowned highest earning female singer on earth] [[Daily Mail]], 2006-09-28</ref>]]
'''''Guinness World Records''''', known until [[2000]] as '''''The Guinness Book of Records''''' (and in previous [[United States|U.S.]] editions '''''The Guinness Book of World Records'''''), is a [[reference book]] published annually, containing an internationally recognised collection of [[world record]]s, both human achievements and the extreme of the natural world. The book itself holds a world record, as the best-selling copyrighted series.<ref>Watson, Bruce. (August 2005). "World's Unlikeliest Bestseller". ''[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]'', pp. 76–81.</ref>
[[Red Hand Day]] on February 12 is an annual commemoration day to draw public attention to the practice of using children as soldiers in wars and armed conflicts.
==HistoryOrigins==
On [[10 November]] [[1951]], [[Hugh Beaver|Sir Hugh Beaver]], then the managing director of the [[St. James's Gate Brewery|Guinness Brewery]], went on a shooting party in [[Wexford Harbour|North Slob]], by the [[River Slaney]] in [[County Wexford]], [[Ireland]]. He became involved in an argument: which was the fastest game bird in [[Europe]], the [[Eurasian Golden Plover|golden plover]] or the [[grouse]]? That evening at Castlebridge House, he realized that it was impossible to confirm in reference books whether or not the golden plover was Europe's fastest game bird.<ref>[http://freespace.virgin.net/james.robertson/history2.htm Early history of Guinness World Records] - page 2</ref>
[[Image:Greek warrior and young charioteer - Athens pediment.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Illustrative bas-relief of Greek warrior accompanied by his charioteer. From the pediment of a [[kouros]] statue, ca. 490 BC.]]
Beaver thought that there must be numerous other questions debated nightly in the 81,400 pubs in Britain and in Ireland, but there was no book with which to settle arguments about records. He realised then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove popular. <!-- Reference at http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=15 unavailable -->
Throughout history and in many cultures, children have been extensively involved in military campaigns even when such practices were supposedly against cultural morals.
Beaver’s idea became reality when Guinness employee [[Christopher Chataway]] recommended University friends [[Norris McWhirter|Norris]] and [[Ross McWhirter]], who had been running a fact-finding agency in [[London]]. The brothers were commissioned to compile what became ''The Guinness Book of Records'' in August 1954. One thousand copies were printed and given away.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://spyhunter007.com/spy_guinness_book_history.htm|title=History of Guinness Book of Records|accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
The earliest mentions of minors being involved in wars comes from antiquity. It was customary for youths in the cultures of the [[Mediterranean]] basin to serve as aides, charioteers and armor bearers to adult warriors. Examples of this practice can be found in the [[Bible]] (such as [[David]]'s service to King [[Saul the King|Saul]]), in [[Hittites|Hittite]] and [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] art, and in [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] [[Greek mythology|mythology]] (such as the story of [[Hercules]] and [[Hylas]]), philosophy and literature. In ancient Greece the practice was formalized as part of the [[pederasty|pederastic]] educational tradition, and man/boy couples were considered to make an especially effective fighting force. ''See [[Sacred Band of Thebes]]''
[[Image:Child soldier in the US Civil War.jpg|thumb|right|175px|A child soldier in the [[American Civil War]]]]
After founding the ''Guinness Book of Records'' at [[Fleet Street|107 Fleet Street]], the first 198 page edition was bound on [[27 August]] [[1955]] and went to the top of the British best seller lists by [[Christmas]]. "It was a marketing give away—it wasn't supposed to be a money maker," said Beaver. The following year it launched in the U.S., and it sold 70,000 copies.
Also in a practice dating back to antiquity, children were routinely taken on campaign, together with the rest of a military man's family, as part of the [[baggage]]. This of course exposed them to harm from rearguard attacks, such as the one at the [[battle of Agincourt]] where the retainers and children of the English army were massacred by the French.
After the book became a surprise hit, many further editions were printed, eventually settling into a pattern of one revision a year, published in October to coincide with Christmas sales. The McWhirters continued to publish it and related books for many years. Ross was [[assassination|assassinated]] by the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] in 1975. Both brothers had an encyclopedic memory — on the TV series ''[[Record Breakers]]'', based upon the book, they would take questions posed by children in the audience on various world records, and would usually be able to give the correct answer. Following [[Ross McWhirter#Death|McWhirter's assassination]], the feature was called "Norris on the Spot".
The [[Roman empire|Romans]] also made use of youths in war, though it was understood that it was unwise and cruel to use children in war, and [[Plutarch]] implies that regulations required youths to be at least sixteen years of age.
==Evolution==
In [[medieval]] Europe, young boys from about twelve years of age were used as military aides ("squires"), though in theory their role in actual combat was limited. The so-called [[Children's Crusade]] in 1212 recruited thousands of children as untrained soldiers under the assumption that divine power would enable them to conquer the enemy, although none of the children actually entered combat; according to the legend, they were instead sold into [[slavery]]. While most scholars no longer believe that the Children's Crusade consisted solely, or even mostly of children, it nonetheless exemplifies an era in which the entire family took part in a war effort.
Recent editions have focused on record feats by [[human]] competitors. Competitions range from obvious ones such as [[weightlifting]] to the more entertaining such as longest [[egg (biology)|egg]]-throwing distance or the number of [[hot dog]]s that can be consumed in ten minutes - although [[competitive eating|eating contest]] and [[Drinking game#World record|beer and alcohol consumption]] entries are no longer accepted, possibly for fear of [[litigation]]. Besides records about competitions, it contains such facts as the height of the [[list of tall men|tallest person]] ([[Robert Pershing Wadlow]]), the heaviest [[tumor]], the most poisonous plant, the shortest [[river]] ([[Roe River]]), the longest-running drama (''[[Guiding Light]]''), the longest serving members of a drama series ([[William Roache]] for [[Coronation Street]] in the UK, [[Kate Ritchie]] and [[Ray Meagher]] for [[Home and Away]] in Australia), the world's most successful salesman ([[Joe Girard]]) and the only brother and sister to have solo number one singles in UK chart history ([[Daniel Bedingfield|Daniel]] and [[Natasha Bedingfield]]).
[[Image:Warsaw Uprising boyscouts.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Polish [[Boy Scouts ]] fighting in the [[Warsaw Uprising]].]]
Each edition contains a selection of the large set of records in the Guinness database, and the criteria for that choice have changed over the years.
Young boys often took part in battles during [[Gunpowder warfare|early modern warfare]] and [[modern warfare]], perhaps most popularly as the ubiquitous "[[drummer boy]]" – the film [[Waterloo (movie)|''Waterloo'']] (based on the [[Battle of Waterloo]]) graphically depicts French drummer boys leading Napoleon's initial attack only to be gunned down by Allied soldiers. During the [[age of sail]], young boys formed part of the crew of British [[Royal Navy]] ships and were responsible for many important tasks including bringing powder and shot from the [[Magazine (artillery)#Naval Magazines|ship's magazine]] to the gun crews. These children were called Powder Monkeys.
The ousting of Norris McWhirter from his consulting role in 1995 and the subsequent decision by Diageo plc to sell the Guinness World Records brand have shifted it from a text-heavy reference book to a highly-illustrated, colourful product.
By a law signed by [[Nicholas I of Russia]] in 1827, a disproportionate number of [[Jew]]ish boys, known as the [[cantonist]]s, were forced into military training establishments to serve in the army. The 25-year conscription term officially commenced at the age of 18, but boys as young as eight were routinely taken to fulfill the hard [[quota]].
These changes have done no harm to its commercial success: the ''Guinness Book of Records'' is the world's most sold [[copyright]]ed book, thus earning it an entry within its own pages. A number of [[spin-off]] books and [[television]] series have also been produced. Again the emphasis in these shows has been on spectacular, entertaining stunts, rather than any aspiration to inform or educate. The Guinness World Record brand is now owned by [[HIT Entertainment]].
[[Image:NinoHeroe.jpg|thumb|Mexico honors [[Niños Héroes|its heroic cadets]] who died in the [[battle of Chapultepec]] (1847).]]
Guinness World Records do not monitor the category of 'Person with the most records' as this changes too frequently, and records that once existed may now have been 'rested' and therefore this would not be a fair category.
In [[World War II]], children frequently participated in popular insurrections like the [[Warsaw Uprising]] of [[1944]] and other [[anti-fascist]] [[resistance movement]]s across Nazi-occupied Europe.
In 2005, Guinness designated [[9 November]] as ''International Guinness World Records Day'' to encourage breaking of world records; it was described as "phenomenally successful". The 2006 version was dubbed as, "the world’s biggest international event" with an estimated 100,000 people participating in over 10 countries. The promotion has earned Guinness a whopping 2,244 all-new valid records in 12 months, which is a 173% increase over the previous year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061106005761&newsLang=en|title=Records Shatter Across the Globe in Honor of Guinness World Records Day 2006|accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
On the opposite side, [[Hitler Youth]] (Hitlerjugend or HJ) was an official organization in [[Nazism|Nazi]] [[Germany]] that trained youth physically and indoctrinated them with Nazi ideology. By the end of WW2, members of the HJ were taken into the army at increasingly younger ages. During the [[Battle of Berlin]] in 1945 they were a major part of the German defenses.
In 2006, [[Michael Jackson]] visited the Guinness World Records office in London to collect 7 Official Records Certificates related to his successful career as a vocalist and song writer.<ref>http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/mediazone/pdfs/entertainment/061114_michael_jackson.pdf/</ref>
In some cases, [[youth organization]]s were, and still are, militarized in order to instill discipline in their ranks, sometimes to indoctrinate them with [[propaganda]] and prepare for subsequent military service.
On [[9 January]] [[2007]] Guinness announced it was working with [[AskMeNow]] to offer mobile access to the Guinness World Records databases. Users can use [[short message service|SMS]] text messages to ask questions and the answers are sent back.
==International law==
[[Image:Vietchildsoldieradj.JPG|thumb|left|160px|12 year old [[ARVN]] soldier with [[M-79 grenade launcher]], [[Tan Son Nhut]], 1968 ([[Vietnam War]])]]
===International human rights law===
The [[United Nations]] [[Convention on the Rights of the Child]], Art. 38, (1989) proclaimed: "State parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons who have not attained the age of 15 years do not take a direct part in hostilities." The [[Optional protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict]] to the Convention that came into force in 2002 stipulates that its State Parties ''shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons below the age of 18 do not take a direct part in hostilities and that they are not compulsorily recruited into their armed forces''.
==Ethical issues==
The [[UN Security Council Resolution 1261]] "strongly condemns... recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in violation of international law." (UN Sec. Council Res. 1261 (1999), art. 3, 8, 13.)
[[Image:Guinness_Beer_Record.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[Steven Petrosino]], drinking 500 ml beer in 0.4 seconds in June 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beerrecord.com|title=World Speed Beer Drinking Record|accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbX33Zkl9Nw|title=Video clip|accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref> Guinness accepted only the record for one litre, but later dropped all beer and alcohol records from their compendium in 1991.]]
Several world records that were once included in the book have been removed for ethical reasons. By publishing world records in a category, the book may encourage others to try to beat that record, even at the expense of their own health and safety. For example, following publication of a "heaviest cat" record, many [[cat]] owners overfed their pets beyond the bounds of what was healthy{{Fact|date=February 2007}}, so entries such as these were removed. Likewise, records related to dangerous [[stunt]]s are often not published, for example those closely related to [[freediving]]. The Guinness Book also dropped records within their "eating and drinking records" section of Human Achievements in 1991 due to concerns that potential competitors could do harm to themselves and expose the publisher to potential [[lawsuit|litigation]]. These changes included the removal of all [[liquor]], [[wine]] and [[beer]] drinking records, along with other unusual records for consuming such unlikely things as bicycles and trees.<ref>Guinness Book of World Records 1990 edition, p. 464</ref>
Other records, such as [[sword swallowing]], were closed to further entry as the current holders had performed beyond what are considered safe human tolerance levels. There have been cases where closed records have been reopened. For example, the sword swallowing record was listed as closed in 1990 Guinness Book of World Records, but the ''[[Guinness World Records Primetime]]'' TV show, which started in 1998, accepted three sword swallowing challenges.
===International humanitarian law===
According to the Additional [[Protocol I]] and [[Protocol II]] to the [[Geneva Conventions]], adopted in 1977, children who have not attained the age of 15 years ''shall neither be recruited in the armed forces or groups nor allowed to take part in hostilities''. For persons older than 15 but younger than 18 years, the State Parties to the Geneva Conventions shall endeavour to give priority to those who are oldest. (''Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts'', June 8, 1977, art. 77; ''Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts)'', June 8, 1977, art. 4)
Chain letters are also not allowed. "Guinness World Records does not accept any records relating to chain letters, sent by post or e-mail. If you receive a letter or an e-mail, which may promise to publish the names of all those who send it on, please destroy it, it is a hoax. No matter if it says that Guinness World Records and the postal service are involved, they are not." (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/member/faqs.aspx).
The [[Fourth Geneva Convention]] forbids the use of any civilian as a shield. (''Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War'', Aug. 12, [[1949]], 6 U.S.T. 3516, 75 U.N.T.S. 287, art. 28).
==Museums==
===International labor law===
[[Image:6764 Guinness.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Guinness Museum in Hollywood.]]
Forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, is one of the [[Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention#Predefined Worst Forms of Child Labour|''predefined worst forms of child labour'']] in terms of the [[International Labour Organisation|International Labour Organisation's]] [[Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999]], adopted in 1999.
In recent years the Guinness company has permitted the [[franchising]] of small [[museum]]s with displays based on the book, all currently (as of 2005) located in towns popular with tourists: [[Tokyo]], [[Surfers Paradise, Queensland|Surfers Paradise]], [[Copenhagen]], [[San Francisco]], [[San Antonio]], [[Niagara Falls, Ontario|Niagara Falls]], [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]], [[Atlantic City]], [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]] and [[Gatlinburg, Tennessee]]. While some displays are dramatic, like the statues of the world's tallest and shortest people, or videos of records being broken, much of the information is presented simply with text and photos.
== See also ==
In terms of the [[Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation]] ratifying countries should ensure that forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict is a criminal offence, and also provide for other criminal, civil or administrative remedies to ensure the effective enforcement of such national legislation (Article III(12) to (14)).
* [[Ashrita Furman]], who holds the record for the most Guinness World Records
==Child soldiers in the world today==
* [[List of world records]]
According to [[Amnesty International]],
* [[Ripley's Believe It or Not!]]
==References==
:"An estimated 300,000 children under the age of eighteen are currently participating in armed conflicts in more than thirty different countries on nearly every continent. While most child soldiers are in their teens, some are as young as seven years old."
<div class="references-small">
<references/>
</div>
==External links==
===Uses of child soldiers===
{{wikinews|category:World records|World records}}
Children have been used as spotters, observers, message-carriers, and even as [[human shield]]s. The last case is particularly problematic: if the hostage value of the child is respected, children will be increasingly used as human shields, and the soldier is placed at a tactical disadvantage. If not, soldiers must suffer the morale effects of wounding and killing children in self-defense. In any case, a great deal of propaganda value can be gained from publicizing different (and often false) accounts of such events. Usually, girls are made to perform as [[sex slave]]s and aides, while boys' fate is combat, although recent reports indicate that girls have been forced to perform combat as well, and that boys are routinely used for sexual purposes. To counter their reluctance, the children are dulled by forcing them to commit brutalities and to take [[Psychoactive drug|drug]]s that inhibit guilt and fear. [[Propaganda]], revenge and fear of being left alone influence children to "voluntarily" stay in the army. Children have been both participants in and victims of atrocities. The recruitment of children as soldiers is a practice that has survived into modern times.
{{wikinews|Fastest "zorb" ride set by New Zealanders}}
{{wikinews|Toronto and Rockettes kick into the records book}}
*[http://www.guinnessattractions.com/ Guinness World Attractions] (the official Museum website)
*[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/ Guinness World Records] (the official Book website)
[[Category:1955 books]]
===Africa===
[[Category:Guinness World Record|Guinness World Record]]
As of [[2004]], Africa has the largest number of child soldiers with up to 100,000 believed to be involved in hostilities. Child soldiers are being used in armed conflict in [[Burundi]], [[Cote d'Ivoire]], [[Democratic Republic of Congo]], [[Rwanda]], [[Sierra Leone]], [[Somalia]], [[Sudan]], and [[Uganda]].
[[Category:Reference works]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies of the United Kingdom]]
===Asia===
In Asia thousands of children are involved in fighting forces in active conflict and ceasefire situations, although government refusal of access to conflict zones has made it impossible to document the numbers involved. [[Myanmar]] is unique in the region, as the only country where government armed forces forcibly recruit and use children between the ages of 12 and 18. Child soldiers also exist in [[Afghanistan]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Laos]], [[Sri Lanka]] and [[Philippines]], where they are mainly associated with armed opposition groups, factional or clan-based groups or groups composed of ethnic or religious minorities.
====Sri Lanka====
{{Main|Military use of children in Sri Lanka}}
In [[Sri Lanka]], thousands of children are believed to be in the ranks of the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] (LTTE), a rebel group banned as a terrorist organization by a number of countries including the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[India]] and the [[European Union]].
Since signing a ceasefire agreement in 2001, the latest available [[UNICEF]] figures show that the LTTE has abducted 5,666 children until July [[2006]], although the organization speculates that only about a third of such cases are reported to them. Sri Lankan soldiers nicknamed one unit the ''Baby Battalion'', due to the number of children in it.
In response to widespread international condemnation of alleged children recruitment practices, the LTTE had enacted laws (taking effect in Oct. 2006) to make children recruitment illegal in its territory. [http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=331811&sid=SAS].
More recently, the [[para-military]] group known as the [[Karuna Group]], which is apparently pro-government [[splinter]] group from the LTTE, has been held responsible for the abduction of children according to [[UNICEF]] and Human Rights Watch. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL262174.htm][http://www.unicef.org/media/media_34677.html]
====Vietnam====
{{Main|Vietnam War}}
During the [[Vietnam War]], American soldiers reported (and US military sources documented) a number of incidents where Vietnamese children were given hand grenades and/or explosives and used as weapons against American troops. In one variation, a young girl is instructed to throw a hand grenade (with or without pulling the pin to activate it first, depending on whether direct or psychological casualties are intended.) In another variation, children had explosives strapped to their bodies and were encouraged to mingle with American soldiers, with detonation either by a mechanical device or by remote control. The frequency of such incidents, and whether deadly force was necessary as often as it was actually used, is hotly debated; critics claim the military cited such incidents to justify use of deadly force against children.
===Europe===
In Europe under-18s are believed to be involved in a range of armed groups in the [[Chechen Republic]] of [[Russia]], although the numbers are impossible to establish given a virtual ban on media and human rights organizations from operating in the region.<ref>http://www.child-soldiers.org/childsoldiers/questions-and-answers</ref>
===Middle East===
In the [[Middle East]] child soldiers are reportedly used in [[Iran]], [[Iraq]], [[Israel]] (in the [[Palestinian Territories]]), and in tribal groups in [[Yemen]].
====Iran====
During the later stages of the [[Iran-Iraq War]], both sides were accused of using teenaged children to fill out the ranks of soldiers depleted by years of warfare. During that war, [[Iran]] was accused of using children to clear [[land mine|minefields]] by having them run or bicycle through the fields. {{citation needed}}
====Palestinian Territories ====
Child soldiers have also been used in the [[Israeli-Palestinian conflict]].
According to the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers' "2004 Global Report on the Use of Child Soldiers", [http://www.child-soldiers.org/resources/global-reports.html] there were at least nine documented [[Child suicide bombers in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict|suicide attacks involving Palestinian minors]] between October [[2000]] and March [[2004]]: "There was no evidence of systematic recruitment of children by Palestinian armed groups. However, children are used as messengers and couriers, and in some cases as fighters and suicide bombers in attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. All the main political groups involve children in this way, including [[Fatah]], [[Hamas]], [[Islamic Jihad]], and the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine]]." [http://www.child-soldiers.org/document_get.php?id=945]. According to [[Israeli security forces]], there have been 229 cases of minors involved in militant activity.
Arab journalist Huda Al-Hussein wrote in the London newspaper ''Al-Sharq Al-Awsat'': "While UN organizations save child-soldiers, especially in Africa, from the control of militia leaders who hurl them into the furnace of gang-fighting, some Palestinian leaders… consciously issue orders with the purpose of ending their childhood, even if it means their last breath." (Oct. 27, 2000, translated by [[MEMRI]], ''Arab Journalist Decries Palestinian Child-Soldiers'' Special Dispatch 146, Nov. 1, 2000). In an interview with the [[Kuwait]]i newspaper ''Azzaman'' ([[June 20]], [[2002]]), [[Mahmoud Abbas]] condemned the practice, saying that he opposed "that little children go to die", stating that "[i]t is a horrible thing. At least 40 children in [[Rafah]] became cripples after their hands were blown off by [[pipe bomb]]s. They received 5 [[shekel]]s [slightly over $1] to throw them" (Quoted in the [[Jordan]]ian newspaper ''Alrai'') [http://www.idf.il/hebrew/announcements/2002/june/mazen.stm]
On May 23, 2005, [[Amnesty International]] reiterated its calls to Palestinian armed groups to
put an immediate end to the use of children in armed activities: "Palestinian armed groups must not use children under any circumstances to carry out armed attacks or to transport weapons or other material." [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE150332005]
===Latin America===
In [[Latin America]], more than 11,000 children are estimated to be involved with left-wing guerrilla groups and right-wing paramilitaries in [[Colombia]]. According to [[Human Rights Watch]], "Approximately 80 percent of child combatants in Colombia belong to one of the two left-wing guerrilla groups, the [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia|FARC]] or [[National Liberation Army (Colombia)|ELN]]. The remainder fights in [[paramilitary]] ranks." [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/02/22/colomb10202.htm]
==The military use of children by western countries==
===United Kingdom===
Boy soldiers have been part of the military establishment of the British Army at least since formation of [[Oliver Cromwell]]'s New Model Army (c. 1640).{{fact}} An estimated 4,000 boy soldiers were on the field at the [[Battle of Waterloo]] in 1815. The French army of [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] had a similar number, and the Prussian army of General [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher]] about half that number. An estimated 10,000 underage soldiers took part in the battle (see Sons of the Brave, 1984, by A. W. Cockerill, pub Secker & Warburg).
Lady [[Elizabeth Thompson|Elizabeth Butler]]'s painting "Stand fast the drums and fifes" depicts the surviving 11 boy drummers and fifers of the [[57th Regiment of Foot]] at the [[Battle of Albuera]] (May 16, 1811) during the Peninsular Campaign. The youngest boy soldier on record was James Wade of the [[9th Regiment of Foot]], who enlisted on his seventh birthday, 10 July 1800, and was discharged after 21 years service at age 28 years.
Today, the [[United Kingdom]] has been criticised for its practice of allowing boys to join the armed services at the age of 16, and to fight at 17, something which human rights campaigners decry as hypocritical, given Britain's stance against human rights violations elsewhere. In the United Kingdom, approximately forty percent of its military forces joined when they were just sixteen or seventeen years of age. This military service is voluntary, leading some to suggest that the argument turns on whether a teenager has the free will and clear mind to consent to join the army. Children's rights advocates claim that children should not be exposed to the risks of military life even if they appear to be willing to do so.
===United States===
The United States currently uses seventeen-year-olds in its armed forces, though not in combat situations. The United States military is based on voluntary recruitment, though minors must also must have parental permission to enlist (or permission of one's legal guardian in the absence of parents). Males under eighteen years of age are not draft eligible, and females are not eligible for conscription at any age. The United States military requires all soldiers to possess a high school diploma or equivalent; this requirement may be waived for young soldiers for up to 180 days from the date of enlistment. In spirit, these policies ensure soldier maturity similarly to laws that would explicitly ban the use of minors in combat. The human rights organization [[Human Rights Watch]] reported:
:The United States has emerged as the most vigorous opponent of establishing eighteen as the minimum age for military service, even though fewer than 3,000 members of its 1.3 million active duty force are minors.
==Movement to stop military use of children==
Recently, a strong international movement has emerged to put an end to the practice. See, for example, [[Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers]].
After the war, bringing children or former child soldiers into civil society is difficult, as they have received little education, are accustomed to the use of violence, and often the children have lost ties to their families.
==See also==
* [[ChildVoice International]]
* [[Ender's Game]]
* [[Human shield]]
* [[Lord's Resistance Army]]
* [[Lwów Eaglets]]
* [[Minors detained in the global war on terror]]
* [[Trafficking in children]]
* [[Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention]]
==External links==
* [http://www.childvoiceintl.com/ ChildVoice International]
* [http://www.invisiblechildren.com/ Invisible Childen]
* [http://www.teachkidspeace.org/ Teach Kids Peace]
* [http://web.amnesty.org/pages/childsoldiers-index-eng Amnesty International campaign]
* [http://www.tamilnation.org/humanrights/child/index.htm Child Soldiers & the Law: A Survey]
* [http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/crp/index.htm Human Rights Watch campaign]
* [http://hrw.org/doc/?t=children HRW list of child soldier incidents]
* [http://www.child-soldiers.org/ Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers]
* [http://www.definingmoment.tv/defining-moment-shows/index-220.html Interview: Children Abucted for Terrorism in Sri Lanka]
* [http://www.child-soldiers.org/document_get.php?id=839 Global Report 2004 - United States]''[[Portable Document Format|PDF]]''
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3019838.stm BBC report: Sex slavery awaits Ugandan schoolgirls]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4266789.stm BBC report: Ugandan army recruiting children]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1383998.stm BBC report: Criticism of British child soldier recruitment]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1469358,00.html The Guardian report: Armies of girls caught up in conflict]
* [http://ods-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N04/318/63/PDF/N0431863.pdf?OpenElement Children and armed conflict] - [[UN Security Council]] resolution 1539 (2004). ''[[Portable Document Format|PDF]]''
* [http://child-soldier.org Child Soldier Projects]
* [http://www.jcpa.org/jl/vp441.htm The Use of Palestinian Children in the Al-Aqsa Intifada]
* [http://www.pmw.org.il/tv%20part1.html PA Indoctrination of Children to Seek Heroic Death for Allah]
* [http://www.psychohistory.com/htm/eln03_terrorism.html The Childhood Origins of Terrorism]
*The [[International Labour Organisation]]'s [[International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour]] on [http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/ipec/themes/soldiers/index.htm child soldiers]
* [http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/r10113.htm EU guidelines on children and armed conflict] adopted at the General Affairs Council meeting on 8 December 2003
* [http://www.warchild.org/links_resources/childsoldiers/childsoldiers.html War Child International] - Child Soldier links & resources
* War Child UK's [http://www.warchild.org.uk/upload/pdf/I_Am_Not_Trash.pdf report on Child Soldiers in Democratic Republic of Congo]''[[Portable Document Format|PDF]]''
[[Category:Childhood]]
[[Category:Politics about the military]]
[[Category:Child labour]]
[[Category:Children in war]]
[[ar:موسوعة جينيس للأرقام القياسية]]
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[[es:Uso militar de niños]]
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[[vi:Sách Kỷ lục Guinness]]
[[uk:Книга рекордів Гінесса]]
[[ur:گنیز ورلڈ ریکارڈز]]
[[zh:吉尼斯世界纪录大全]]
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