Analysis of child recruitment in the latest CAPAZ Policy Brief
The latest CAPAZ Policy Brief, written by Lorena Carrillo González, is titled “From Infantilization to Political Agency: Another Perspective to Prevent Recruitment”.
Lorena Carrillo is a sociologist, specialist in Human Rights and IHL. She holds a master’s degree in rural studies, and is a doctoral student studying Knowledge and Culture in Latin America. She also serves as a researcher in the “Latin America: Transformations, Political Dynamics, and Social Thought” research group at Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
Summary
This text is intended to problematize and provoke reflection on the traditional approach under which public policy documents for the prevention of recruitment and the use of children and adolescents by armed groups have been developed. It highlights the problems faced by public administrations at territorial level in terms of implementing plans, programs, and projects, especially because there is no differential treatment that considers the resource limitations of municipalities with a higher incidence of these phenomena. There is also no specific approach to the situation of teenagers between 12 and 18 years old, which leads to a certain infantilization. Among other things, we recommend the positioning of the political agency of rural teenage populations and their capacity for choice as a central factor in preventing their involvement in armed groups. This will help them channel their frustrations and expectations in a non-violent, participatory, and democratic manner.