Study on global dynamics of child recruitment in conflicts presented in Oslo by Dakhla-based center
A delegation from the Dakhla-based International Research Center for the Prevention of Child Soldiers (French acronym IRCPCS) presented, in Oslo on Monday, the findings of its latest report on the global dynamics that perpetuate the recruitment of children in conflict.
The Center presented the results of field investigations through a major study entitled “Global Patterns of Child Recruitment: An In-Depth Analysis” at the University of Oslo’s Department of Community Medicine and Global Health.
The delegation, led by the Center’s President Abdelkader Filali and including Executive Director Josée Provençale, and Africa’s Office Director, Willy Foga Konefon, unveiled its groundbreaking research as part of a cross-disciplinary program dedicated to sustainable health.
Based on in-depth surveys carried out in the Sahel and with former child soldiers from the Tindouf camps in Algeria, this study offers an unprecedented analysis of the global dynamics that perpetuate the recruitment of children in conflicts.
Combining criminology, anthropology of violence, and international relations, the IRCPCS team shed light on the systemic mechanisms of child exploitation in war zones.
Through this study, the delegation highlighted the crucial importance of adopting a multidisciplinary approach to eradicating this war crime, advocating an integrated response that combines medical, psychological, and public health perspectives while placing human dignity at the heart of solutions.
According to the IRCPCS team, this comprehensive approach goes beyond abstract theories, and proposes concrete actions capable of breaking the cycle of violence and laying the foundations for lasting peace.
This event at the University of Oslo marks the first stage in a series of visits to academic institutions and research centers across Europe. The IRCPCS intends to share its findings and engage in dialogue with academic and political experts, thereby contributing to international efforts to eradicate the recruitment of children in armed conflicts and to chart a safer future for children worldwide.
Created in 2022, the International Research Center for the Prevention of Child Soldiers aims to contribute to the fight against the recruitment of child soldiers, in particular by raising awareness to their fate, the processes involved in their recruitment, and the underlying causes that fuel this scourge.
