#acttoprotect

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Monthly Roundup May 2024

The Impact of War on Children Worldwide

"According to Save the Children, in 2022, there were approximately 452 million children – or one in six of all children on the planet – that were living in conflict‐affected areas. As of 2024, we are witnessing unprecedented levels of attacks against children in armed conflict contexts."

“Untitled” by Bîstyek, a Winnipeg‐based Kurdish artist from Syria who fled that country at 16 years of age. Painting by Bîstyek

"The impacts of armed conflict on children are multi‐pronged and have long‐term consequences beyond the duration of the armed conflict. When children are exposed to armed conflict, denied humanitarian access, displaced from their homes and families and unable to attain education, the ramifications impact the individual child and, at the same time, impact the development of communities and economic growth while perpetuating cycles of insecurity and violence."

Gaza – children in the crossfire, lack of access to education and healthcare

Sudan – forced displacement, lack of education and food insecurity

Colombia – armed violence, recruitment of children and trafficking

"We need to reframe the way we think about and understand children’s participation and protection. Understanding and including children’s perspectives in peace and security can contribute to the empowerment of children as agents of change, bring diverse solutions to intractable problems, and help us to disrupt long‐term consequences of armed conflict that impact children’s identity, belonging and connection to family and communities. The challenge of supporting children’s engagement is not about their lack of capacity but a shortcoming in the imagination of adults to think beyond traditional approaches to peace and security. Building lasting peace and security requires a new approach that addresses the unique challenges that children face before, during and after conflict and one that recognizes that children’s perspectives and protection are at the core of our humanity."

Waiving Away the Problem: How US Presidents Have Let Countries Complicit in Child Soldiering Off the Hook

"For more than a decade, the United States has sent billions of dollars in military assistance and weapons to countries complicit in the recruitment or use of child soldiers, despite a law intended to block it. But there are concrete steps that presidents can take to enhance U.S. child soldier prevention efforts by leveraging the fierce global demand for U.S. arms and assistance."

HOW MINT LEAVES AND LEMON TREES ARE HELPING ELEPHANT CONSERVATION IN NEPAL

“There is a strong correlation between elephant habitat fragmentation and crop loss,” says Rinjan Shrestha, WWF-Canada’s leading expert on Asian species. Today, human-elephant conflict remains the number one threat to the already-small Asian elephant population in Nepal. “The answer,” says Shrestha, “is to connect and restore historical habitats for growing numbers of elephants.”

"Biological fencing, or “biofencing” — the practice of making barriers out of natural, living things — is one way to help guide Asian elephants through their natural habitat without tempting them to wander into cropland."

Bees & Elephants: Villagers in Yunnan turn to beekeeping to bolster conservation of wild Asian elephants

"In recent years, in some rural areas in Yunnan, the local governments and volunteers have been promoting industrial transformation, with beekeeping being a key project. This has not only helped achieve rural carbon reduction but also allowed villagers to work at home, reducing direct contact with elephants."

❤️ / It is officially #RideforHeart month!!! ❤️ /

For the 4th year I will be raising money in support of Heart and Stroke in memory of my Dad 🎗 This year I am thrilled to be part of the Heartbeat Heroes - VIP Community! As a VIP my fundraising goal is to reach $1000.

As of today I am at 45% of my goal. You may find my fundraising page HERE Thank you so much for supporting me and Heart and Stroke ❤️ I am making every beat count for my Dad ❤️ today and forever.

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Monthly Roundup October 2023

"All eligible donations are now being matched by the government of Canada.

Gaza is home to more than 2 million people, and half of them are children. Since October 7th, over one million people have been forced to leave their homes to escape the fighting. But nowhere is safe. Food, water, fuel and medical supplies are all running out and access to these resources are severely restricted. Tens of thousands have been injured and the medical system is on the brink of collapse.

Our member agencies are well-established in Gaza and the West Bank and are operating as best as they can, distributing pre-positioned stocks of food, water, and health kits. But these supplies are running out too.

Your gift will ensure that once safe humanitarian access is restored, we can scale up our response swiftly and effectively to deliver food, water, shelter, medical care, and protection to those who need it most. Together, we can save more lives."

Donate today HERE

Canada demand an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict;

Canada ask that Israel lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip and authorize the creation of a humanitarian corridor and an emergency humanitarian intervention;

Canada ask that Israel meet its commitments under the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law;

Canada meet its international commitment to promote and defend human rights;

Canada take any other measure necessary to protect civilians, both Israelis and Palestinians, and help foster a climate conducive to building a lasting peace.

Sign the Petition HERE

Follow On Canada Project on Instagram HERE for further information on actions you may take.

Gaza Needs A Ceasefire, Now

Sign the Change.Org Petition HERE

6 ways you can support Palestinians in Gaza

Teaching About the Israel-Hamas War

A collection of resources to help students learn about Hamas’s recent attack on Israel, the dire situation in Gaza, the conflict’s roots, media literacy and more.

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New $2M gift bolsters Dallaire Institute’s work to end recruitment of child soldiers

"The Fondation Monbourquette has made a $2-million gift to the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security that will support the institute in initiating sustainable and effective approaches to global peace and security. Specifically, it will strengthen the institute’s efforts to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict and violence and break the cycles of violence."

'Beasts of No Nation' Author on Child Soldiers in War

"Beasts of No Nation" author Uzo Iweala joins Lunch Break With Tanya Rivero to discuss the book's unique look at child soldiers in war and its milestone status as the first fictional feature distributed by Netflix.

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Monthly Roundup - October 2021

It’s Time To Revisit the United States’ Evolving Posture Toward the Use of Child Soldiers

"First, the Biden administration could more aggressively implement the CSPA by declining to extend waivers so generously, particularly to longtime offenders like South Sudan.

Second, because the use of child soldiers often implicates a broader set of crimes under international law, as in Ongwen’s case, Congress should adopt legislation which closes the gaps between U.S. and international criminal law.

Lastly, the United States should take a leading role in providing financial and logistical support to initiatives by UNICEF and others in the international community that focus on rehabilitation and reintegration of former child soldiers."

DRC’s former child soldiers face tough return to civilian life

"Some of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) former child soldiers have become traders, hairdressers and tailors, but many struggle to recover a normal life in a society buckling under unemployment and poverty."

Namibia launches elephant conservation, management plan for next decade

"Namibia launched a national elephant conservation and management plan for the next 10 years.

"These structures will be empowered to come up with innovative, locally accepted measures and actions to manage elephants occurring in those specific areas."

[A]lso launched the Wildlife Corridors Strategy, which provides for the management and protection of wildlife movement routes or corridors that need to be kept open but limit direct contact between people and wildlife in order to reduce human-wildlife conflict and promote biodiversity conservation and wildlife economy."

Track Your Own Elephant

Every Expedition Bracelet™ comes with a real elephant to track

In partnership with Save The Elephants

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Monthly Roundup May 2026

Child Protection in a Resource-Constrained World: From Challenges in Financing to Innovative Solutions

2026 Annual Meeting for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

Date: 9th to 11th of June 2026

Location: Online - Virtual Platform (Zoom)

"At a time when humanitarian needs are escalating while resources are tightening and the global legal and normative framework for protecting children due to increasing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law is under strain, collective reflection and exchange are critical to sustaining and strengthening child protection outcomes. In response to these challenges, the 2026 Annual Meeting will provide a dedicated space to share evidence, practice, and innovation that can support more effective and resilient child protection responses. The meeting will retain its global focus, while centering realities and solutions emerging at national and sub-national levels."

Find the latest version of the agenda and session summaries—updated on a rolling basis—on the dedicated webpage HERE

Voices from the field

"From Sierra Leone to Colombia, Somalia and Afghanistan, every year, conflict affects the lives of tens of thousands of boys and girls.

They are forced to join army or armed movement, abducted, used and abused, fuelling wars that they have not created.

They are Yenny, Kabba, they are Khaled and Mohamed.

Here are some of their stories."

Children, Not Soldiers

"Twenty years ago, the world united to condemn and take action against the use of children in armed conflict.

Since then, over 130,000 boys and girls have been released as a result of Action Plans mandated by the UN Security Council aimed at ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children in conflict."

Rethinking conservation through elephants’ sense of time and memory

"Historically, conservation has mostly focused on numbers like population and habitat size. However, in the mid-2000s, scientists started to investigate animal emotions, even trauma, when considering conservation success. In a recent Mongabay podcast, Khatijah Rahmat, a geographer at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, shared her research examining how elephants perceive and navigate time, often differently than humans do, and what that means for conserving them."

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Monthly Roundup April 2026

May 3rd is World Press Freedom Day. The occupation has killed 363 journalists across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, and Syria in the 940 days since October 7, 2023.

Photos and stats from: Stopmurderingjournalists.com

Wear The Peace

The hardest part of making this collage was realizing how small we had to make the photos just to fit everything into the slides. Today, May

“A Credible List”: Recommendations for the Secretary-General’s 2026 Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict

"Watchlist’s 36-page report makes eight recommendations for the listing or relisting of parties that have committed grave violations against children, 23 recommendations for further investigation to determine whether parties should be listed in the annexes of the 2026 report, and one recommendation to include a conflict setting as a “situation of concern.”"

Largest Ever Elephant Genome Study Reveals a Hidden Crisis — and a Path to Better Conservation

"The authors explained that maintaining the landscape and ensuring that elephants can move safely across countries and regions is an underappreciated aspect of conservation revealed by the new analysis."

“By identifying distinct population units and levels of gene flow, this research can guide more effective conservation strategies, including habitat management, corridor protection, and translocation decisions. In addition, genomic tools and data that we have generated can support wildlife forensics by helping to trace the origin of confiscated ivory, thereby strengthening efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade,” said Charles Masembe and Vincent Muwanika, evolutionary scientists at Makerere University in Uganda and co-authors of the study, in the press release.

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Monthly Roundup February 2026

Repost from Exile International:

"Today is Red Hand Day—a global call to say enough. The red handprint represents resistance, protection, and a promise to stand with children affected by war.

Children should be holding books, not weapons.

Dreaming about their future, not fighting to survive.

Yet in war zones around the world, children are among the most vulnerable. Traffickers and armed groups exploit chaos—using fear, hunger, and false promises to pull children into lives they never chose. Many are stripped of their childhood, their safety, and their sense of home.

Girls face unique dangers, often subjected to abuse or forced into relationships meant to control and silence them. When conflict drags on and the world looks away, their suffering is hidden—but it does not stop.

Still, hope remains. Survivors are proving that healing is possible. With trauma care, education, and community support, former child soldiers are rediscovering what it means to be children again.

Draw or paint a red handprint on paper or your palm.

Take a photo holding up your hand in solidarity.

Share it on social media using #RedHandDay. "

Today is Red Hand Day—a global call to say enough. The red handprint represents resistance, protection, and a promise to stand with children

Today is Red Hand Day—a global call to say enough. The red handprint represents resistance, protection, and a promise to stand with children

Read Dallaire Institute's full statement HERE

Red Hand Day: Supporting Child Soldiers on the Path to Peace

"Even after the fighting has subsided, many communities in both countries continue to experience lasting consequences, including lost education, stalled socioeconomic development, and deep psychological trauma. The path to reintegration is long and difficult, as those once forced into armed groups grow into young adults who are too often marginalized and denied the chance to live full, stable lives within their communities."

"Peace begins with the youth, and opportunity is essential to sustaining it."

Former child soldier: "Don't leave these children alone!"

"On Red Hand Day, February 12th: The Child Soldiers Alliance demands asylum for children from war zones and an urgent reversal of the massive cuts to humanitarian aid."

Colombia Red Hand Day

"People cover a sheet in handprints at an event marking Red Hand Day, also known as the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, in Bogota, Colombia, where illegal armed groups recruit children, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026."

Child soldiers are still a reality in South Sudan

"In South Sudan, children continue to be recruited and used in the country’s ongoing conflicts. A UN report details violations of children’s rights by both state and non-state actors and calls on the South Sudanese government to improve its protection efforts."

'Tour for Tusks' brings elephant conservation efforts to Florida

"Wildlife SOS, a global wildlife conservation and welfare organization that provides specialized veterinary care to wildlife and works to reduce the human-wildlife conflict, will debut its 2026 Tour for Tusks. The speaking tour is designed to educate, inspire and mobilize audiences to help secure a safer future for India’s elephants by removing them from the streets of India."

The best ways to see elephants without harming them

Here are a few examples of ethical wildlife tourism that allow you to see these majestic animals responsibly:

Visiting elephant sanctuaries for a genuine experience

Observing elephants in the wild: Responsible wildlife tours

How you can support elephant conservation:

Donating to elephant protection programmes

Raising awareness about ethical elephant tourism

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Monthly Roundup January 2026

Review of the June 2025 Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict

Listen to Children Affected by Conflict – and Take Action

"Listen to children who are affected by armed conflict. Hear their stories, pay attention to their voices; their words are powerful and must help us shape the future they want. Let their messages inspire you. On behalf of all children whose voices have been silenced by violence and hostilities, whose stories have been erased by bombs, who have lost schools, families, and hope: take your responsibility and do the right thing. Protecting children in conflict is not simply a moral or political choice; it is a matter of international law. Violating children’s rights in an armed conflict may constitute war crimes."

Children have rights, children want peace: Listen, and take action. Prove It Matters.

Red Hand Day is coming up on February 12th.

Remembering Craig: Iconic super tusker and symbol of elephant conservation

"It is with immense sadness that IFAW and the global conservation community mark the passing of Craig, Kenya’s beloved super tusker. He was both a symbol of elephant conservation and a living embodiment of nature’s majesty. Today, the plains of Amboseli National Park sit quieter without him—beneath the gaze of Mount Kilimanjaro, across a landscape he graced for more than five decades."

"...Craig embodied the long-term commitment that is fundamental in conservation—a marathon rather than a sprint. His image, captured by countless photographers, helped shine a global spotlight on both the awe-inspiring beauty and the vulnerability of elephants. His survival into old age was a genuine victory for long-term, community-driven conservation."

Every year I proudly participate in #RideforHeart in memory of my Dad 💖 Since 2021, I have been raising funds through this campaign to support Heart & Stroke, a Canadian charity dedicated to beating heart disease and stroke and funding life-saving research and awareness efforts.

If you are able, please consider visiting https://heartandstroke.crowdchange.ca/127430/page/387528 and making a donation. Every contribution helps advance critical work that keeps families together.

Thank you for your support. I will continue this tradition because beating heart disease and stroke is something worth fighting for 💪

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Monthly Roundup February 2025

🇨🇦 Statement on International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers

Aid groups ask Canada to prevent child soldiers by rallying G7 heads around education

“Education is a fundamental pillar of violence prevention within the global security strategies of the international community,” Dallaire says.

"Every year, February 12th — Red Hand Day — stands as a global reminder that children should never be used as soldiers. It is a day to amplify their voices, demand justice, and declare together:

No child should be forced to fight. No child should be trafficked into war. No child should bear the scars of violence they did not create."

"The Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG) Task Force and their members stand together for Red Hand Day, calling for urgent, collective action to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, support their release, and address their recovery and reintegration needs."

In simple words: ‘End the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. Children must always be protected!’

This Red Hand Day, explore key tools and guidance to design and implement programmes for the prevention, release, and reintegration of CAAFAG HERE

"There is hope. Around the world, organizations, activists, and survivors are fighting for their freedom. Those who have escaped captivity are learning to heal, to dream again. With trauma care, education, and reintegration programs, former child soldiers are reclaiming their lives. But the fight isn’t over. Their voices must be heard. Their stories must be told. And that’s where you come in."

Dallaire Institute’s African Centre of Excellence Commemorates the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day) with Conference

The conference, which took place in Kigali, Rwanda, on February 19th & 20th, convened policymakers, subject matter experts, youth, and practitioners from civil society organizations, international organizations, and the regional members of security sector institutions.

Red Hand Day 2025: Historical Perspectives on Child Soldiers

"Between 2005 and 2022, more than 105,000 children are estimated to have been recruited and used in armed conflict around the world. Today, under-eighteens are involved in contemporary conflicts in Ukraine, Palestine, Syria, Ethiopia and elsewhere, navigating global norms of adulthood as they collide with local realities of militarism, resistance and survival."

"Historical research helps to reveal the longer-term structural, cultural and political factors that shape both children’s military recruitment and responses to it from local and international communities, as well as its relationship to other forms of child labour exploitation and youth violence. As we turn our attention to mark 2025’s Red Hand Day, the daily experiences of violence and instability plaguing children and adults alike around the world reminds us of the historically contingent realities that affect children’s participation in armed conflict."

How child soldiers heal after the trauma of war

Shadows into Light looks at the mental health of Sierra Leone’s former child soldiers.

Learn more here: A Life Among Elephants

Africa’s elephants have been in dramatic decline for 50 years. What can be done to save them – new study

"African elephants have experienced serious losses in contemporary times (between 1964 and 2016). The average population trend for African savanna elephants was a decline of 70%. Forest elephant populations declined by over 90%. While declines in the species had been widely recognised, understanding of the overall magnitude and regional context was lacking until now."

Fourth Asian Elephant Range States meeting concludes with the launch of declaration for Asian elephant conservation

"Government representatives from 13 Asian elephant range countries, along with members of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) and the Center for Species Survival (CSS) Asian Elephant, convened for the Fourth Asian Elephant Range States Meeting, held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, from 5-7 February 2025."

"The meeting concluded with the launch of the 2025 Siem Reap Declaration for Asian Elephant Conservation, reaffirming the commitment of participating countries to continued regional collaboration. Expanding on the foundation of the 2022 Kathmandu Declaration, this new Declaration provides a comprehensive framework for range-wide conservation efforts, ensuring the long-term protection of wild elephant populations and their habitats across Asia. Access the Seam Reap Declaration here."