A video, released by Noticias Uno, shows children in the FARC subjected to long hours of training in guerrilla tactics, like learning to arm and disarm fire arms, to handle grenades, to activate land mines, to ambush the enemy, and to infiltrate and evacuate combat areas.
The expressions on the faces of these young people suggest they think it is all part of a game. To survive, I suppose, one must think of it as game.
For some years now, I have been hoping to help establish, or to become involved in, some sort of independent program to help kids who were once in the FARC. A close friend suggests we focus our time on prevention of children joining the FARC in areas of high-risk. Let’s see. One thought a day, even if at turtle pace, and one day soon, we will get somewhere.
To see Colombian children play with words in books, with art supplies, or with acting and singing in a theatre, as long as none of it involves gun powder, that’s what I wish for 2012.
Happy New Year.
Talking About Colombia 
If it was a simple problem there might be a simple solution.
It is true that most FARC fighters are teenagers and youths. A practical approach would be educating rural peasant families of the trappings presented by FARC commitments – but that too costs money and resources.
Extinguishing the market for illicit drugs in the US would be a good idea too!
By: Tina on January 27, 2012
at 11:13 pm
What about concentrating on stopping children from being press ganged into urban gangs, paramilitary organisations or into dangerous and exceptionally low payed and supposedly legitimate work all of these children are in far greater numbers than those supposedly being forced to fight in the FARC. I guess you still have wet dreams about Uribe and all the wonderful things he promised but never delivered!
By: Matt on January 5, 2012
at 11:30 pm