Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Friday, The Holy See’s Permanent Observer, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, said many boys and girls are denied the right to a childhood and the exploitation of their vulnerabilities for war and profit must stop.
Archbishop Auza said: “It is the sad reality for so many boys and girls in our world whose young lives are interrupted tragically by violent conflict.
“Children who should be free to learn and to play, as they grow in knowledge of themselves and of the world around them, are instead the victims of grave violations that not only rob them of the unique and irreplaceable joys of childhood, but also run the risk of causing long-term physical, emotional, psychological and social damage, with its obvious impacts on their family and wider community.
“It is worse still when children are forced to fight in wars not of their making, or recruited under the guise of being able to provide for their impoverished families. There is a need to examine the root causes of this situation; particularly how socio-economic disadvantages and lack of prospects too often make armed conflict an alternative for our young people.”
Archbishop Auza explained that many disadvantaged children are forced to give up their education or fight in wars to provide for their families and a lack of prospects leaves them vulnerable to radicalisation. He…
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