In 1995, the mayor of the war-torn municipality of Aguachica, Colombia announced that elections would be held and that residents would be asked to vote for peace or a continuation of the war. Shortly after his announcement, a group of children asked if they too could participate in the election. The mayor accepted and the children participated in the election. And one year later these same children formed a parallel "Children's Government" dedicated to peacemaking. The Children's Government organized “peace carnivals” and invited children from feuding communities to play together because, as they put it, “children having fun was a good way to help peace.”
The kids realized that most Colombians were unaware of how the conflict actually affected children and they knew that nobody could get that message across to the entire nation as effectively as could the children. So, they decided to organize a nationwide election for peace.
On October 25, 1996, children from across Colombia went to the polls to vote for their rights. Polling stations across the country ran out of ballots and in Bogotá the elections had to be extended to meet the overwhelming demand. More than 2.7 million children went to the polls that day and demanded their right to peace, their right to love, and their right to family. Even in the most violent areas of the country, it was estimated that voter turnout was over 90 percent. This historic event forced the issue of peace to the forefront of the forthcoming presidential elections. When Andres Pastrana was declared the presidential winner in 1998, he announced that the children had given him his agenda for the presidency and that if he did nothing else while in office he had to make peace.
“Peace begins with yourself, with the way you treat your family, your friends, your communities, your country – but it does not stop there. Peace that begins in the hearts of children can cover the whole world.” – Mayerly, age 14.
As demonstrated by the Children’s Peace Movement, the power of children is “not just in the eloquence of their words, but in the fact that they are said by children.” Today, the Children´s Peace Movement in Colombia has more than 100,000 members that have been trained in conflict resolution. Some children say that their views have been taken so seriously because of their innocence and sincerity. While adults may be skeptical of news reports and biased media accounts of the war, they tend to believe children when they talk about the devastating effects of violence.
In addition to children's perceived credibility, the warring parties also view children as neutral actors within the conflict. While neutrality does not ensure their protection, it does seem to influence the belligerent parties. On the day of the children’s election, state security forces, paramilitaries, and guerrillas agreed to a temporary cease-fire. And as one 16-year-old election participant pointed out, “if there can be one day of peace, why not a week, a month, a year, 50 years? Why not 50 years of peace to make up for our 50 years of war?”
What do you think? Can children actually make a difference in conflict zones?
Cameron, Sara. 2000. “The Role of Children as Peace-Makers in Colombia.” Development. Volume 43, Number 1.
Cameron, Sara. 2000. “Voices of Colombian Children on War and Peace.” Development. Volume 43, Number 1.
Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil (1996) Informe sobre el “Mandato Nacional de los Nìños por la Paz.” Bogotá.
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