the roméo dallaire child soldiers initiative

The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative was established in 2007 by retired lieutenant-general the honourable Roméo Dallaire, former force commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). Our mission is to progressively eradicate the use of child soldiers through a preventative security sector approach. To achieve this important objective, the Dallaire Initiative conducts activities on three fronts: It conducts world-class interdisciplinary research to buildand shareknowledge, which in turn leads to new solutions; It engages in high-level advocacy activities to create and promote the political will to end the use of children as soldiers; It delivers tactical, prevention-oriented training to security sector actors, so as to promote broader security sector reform. In every aspect of its work, the Dallaire Initiative seeks to collaborate with concerned governments, security sector actors, academics, humanitarians and civilian communities. In particular, its unique approach working with soldiers, police, prison personnel and private security operators many of whom are the first point of contact for child soldiers outside of their armed force or armed group is both groundbreaking and critical to the interruption of childrens recruitment.