Mr. Speaker, last week's issue of the Ottawa Citizen exposed the grim reality of children in war.
Today in Ottawa a roundtable on children soldiers is further probing this issue.
It is indeed appalling that children have been made direct participants in armed conflicts.
Whether they are kidnapped and indoctrinated to harm and kill or legally forced to go to war by their own government or pressured to volunteer because society has given them no better alternative, just the same it is a tragedy that pierces the heart of humanity.
Those who do not die return from war damaged psychologically.
Civilized nations have a duty to convince the world to stop making soldiers out of children.
Canada should campaign as a standard bearer to advance this objective using the fora of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, La Francophonie, APEC and all diplomatic engagements.
Let us put a stop to robbing children of their childhood.