CANADA
Individuals who work with at-risk youth should consider themselves generals fighting for the future of young people, said one of Canada's most notable soldiers and humanitarians. Retired Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire addressed a crowd of about 570 youth workers Friday, urging them to continue to fight for the welfare of children.
Dallaire said he is often approached by politicians who question why military leaders often complain of inadequate resources. "It is the duty of the general to continuously ask for more in order to reduce the risk to those under his command," he said. "When the chips are down and they're facing the threat, it is the general who looks into the eyes of the soldiers and orders them to accomplish the mission at the risk of their lives."
It's a similar battle, he said, when youth-care workers lobby for funding and awareness of child protection issues. "You are the front line. You are looking in the eyes of those kids. You are the link between them and those who have the power and have access to the funds. You must continuously seek and pressure and lobby and harass those who have the authority to give you more in order to accommodate your mission."
Dallaire served as commander of the ill-fated United Nations peacekeeping force in Rwanda between 1993 and 1994. More than 800,000 people were slaughtered and more than two million were displaced over a 100-day period when the nation was caught up in a vortex of war and genocide. He chronicled his experiences in the 2003 book "Shake Hands With the Devil – the failure of humanity in Rwanda," which was made into a movie in 2007.
After leaving military service, Dallaire was appointed to the Senate. He is also a member of the United Nations secretary general's advisory committee on genocide prevention.
By having various groups joining forces for a common goal such as the welfare of children, he said, there is a greater opportunity for success. "We don't need to just co-operate and co-ordinate and collaborate, but we also need to integrate." That sentiment has served Dallaire well in his efforts to eradicate the use of child soldiers.
Children under 18 are the principal weapons system used in more than 30 conflicts around the world, including Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka. "Child soldiers ... they fight like warriors, but they die like children," Dallaire said.
More than 500 police officers, educators, corrections officers and social service workers from across Ontario attended the two-day conference hosted by the Committee of Youth Officers for the Province of Ontario. The annual event allows youth workers to network with one another and to attend various workshops on trends regarding youth victimization and youth crime, said president Rob MacNeil, an instructor with the Ontario Police College.
Alison Langley
2 March 2008
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