Two former child soldiers Robinson Odokonyero (16), Grace Acayo (18), from Uganda and Juvenile Judge Rita-Felicite Sodjeido-Hounton, Vice-president for Africa, Defence for Children International, from Benin were among the international speakers who addressed a two-day conference at the Melbourne Town Hall on 8-9 September. The conference, of over 100 participants, heard the moving stories of Grace and Robinson, who were abducted at 14, forced to serve the adult soldiers in many ways and forced to kill other children. Australia has already agreed to support many international measures to stop the use
of child soldiers and rehabilitate those who have suffered. However this country is refusing to support the widely supported minimum age of recruitment at 18 years.
This is because young Australians are recruited at 17. If Australia would raise its recruitment own age to 18, a matter which applies to very few recruits anyway, we
will be able support, without reservation, the efforts of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America who want 18 as the minimum.
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