Left to right: student Harry Ramus, presenter Benazir Ulde, lecturer Adenike Olasanmi, UNACov Secretary Philip Brown, student Louis Smith

On 12 December 2025 United Nations Association Coventry volunteer Benazir Ulde delivered a presentation about Child Soldiers to students at Coventry College. The following is a summary by International Relations Lecturer Dr Adenike (Nikki) Olasanmi of what the presentation covered.

The United Nations was established in 1945 after World War II to maintain international peace, security, justice, and human rights, and promote sustainable development. The United Nations Association (UNA) Coventry, though independent from the UN, aims to inform people about UN-related issues and the impact of global conflicts, including the tragic use of child soldiers.

Since 1945, wars have erupted every two months on average, often civil in nature, leading to the recruitment of thousands of children as soldiers, cooks, spies, and porters. Despite the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the problem persists.

Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier from Sierra Leone, shared his experiences of being forcibly recruited during the civil war, losing his family, and eventually escaping with the help of UNICEF. He spoke at the UN in 1996, advocating for an end to child recruitment in conflicts, and has since become a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, author, and activist.

While Ishmael was fortunate to rebuild his life, many ex-child soldiers suffer long-term psychological trauma. UNA Coventry encourages action through awareness, social media campaigns, and support for organisations like UNICEF to tackle the issue of child soldiers globally.

After the presentation Benazir presented Adenike with a copy of Ishmael Beah’s first book, “a long way gone”.