Child soldiers no more

Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn and retired General Romeo Dallaire—both UVic honorary degree recipients—will team up on Oct. 4 for Child Soldiers No More, a benefit concert to help end the use of child soldiers.

Proceeds will aid the Child Soldiers Initiative, developed by Drs. Sibylle Artz, Marie Hoskins, and Daniel Scott (child and youth care) to re-integrate war-affected children into their communities.

“Our research is aimed at developing effective methods of re-introducing these children to a stable life,” says Artz who, with Hoskins, joined Dallaire and 40 other professionals from around the world last summer at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana, where they developed and tested innovative solutions to help eradicate the use of child soldiers.

It is estimated that over 300,000 children in more than 30 countries serve as soldiers, human mine detectors, porters, spies, suicide messengers and sexual slaves.

Since witnessing the Rwandan genocide, Dallaire has devoted himself to helping war-affected children. “Removing all children from combat is an essential step to end cycles of violence, and having Bruce Cockburn’s important support on this mission enables many more people to learn of the initiative,” says Dallaire.

Cockburn has long been a spokesperson for global peace. “It is a great honour to be working with General Dallaire and raising awareness about this initiative,” he says.

Tickets for the concert are $81.50 each (including GST and service charges) and are on sale now. For further information contact the University Ticket Centre at 721-8480 or visit www.auditorium.uvic.ca.