HALIFAX, Sept. 24, 2015 /CNW/ - Two of Canada's leading humanitarians—Stephen Lewis and retired lieutenant-general Roméo Dallaire—will take the stage this evening at Dalhousie University to discuss the use of sexual violence and child soldiers and their work to bring an end to the use of these weapons of war.
More than 15 million children—three times the number of children in Canada—live under constant threat of conflict. Many will become direct casualties of these modern weapons of war that continue to define contemporary warfare.
Today, conflicts are raging across the globe. Each of these conflicts has two things in common, the widespread use of sexual violence and child soldiers. Used systematically and deliberately, these two weapons have inflicted unimaginable damage to communities, regions and whole counties.
"While sexual violence and child soldiers share an unfortunate prevalence in conflicts historically, the scale and systematic nature of their use in modern conflicts are creating long-lasting universal repercussions. We only need to look as far as Syria or the continuing violence that has engulfed South Sudan," states Dr. Shelly Whitman, Executive Director of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative.
This evening's presentation will raise funds for the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, based at Dalhousie University. During the event, The Intact Foundation will also officially present its $300,000 contribution to establish the Intact/Dallaire Initiative Senior Fellow. LGen Roméo Dallaire (Ret'd), founder of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, will serve as the inaugural Intact/Dallaire Initiative Senior Fellow.
The contribution will go toward providing ground-breaking research, advocacy, and security-sector training to bring an end to the use of children as weapons of war worldwide.
"The work that the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative is doing will go a long way toward preventing and interrupting the recruitment of youths for unlawful activities," says Charles Brindamour, Chief Executive Officer, Intact Financial Corporation. "We are very proud to be able to support LGen Dallaire's meaningful cause."
"We are in this fight against these two weapons of war for the long-term. With the Intact Foundation's incredibly generous investment in our work, we have critical long term support to create the knowledge, tactics and political will to ultimately end the use of children as weapons of war," states LGen Roméo Dallaire (Ret'd).
Event details:
Name of event: Weapons of War: Sexual Violence and Child Soldiers, sponsored by Intact Insurance Company
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2015
Time: 8 p.m.
Venue: Rebecca Cohn Arts Centre at Dalhousie University.
About the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative
Founded by retired lieutenant-general and celebrated humanitarian Roméo Dallaire, The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative is a global partnership committed to ending the use and recruitment of child soldiers worldwide, through ground-breaking research, advocacy, and security-sector training.
SOURCE Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative
Image with caption: "From left to right: Intact Financial Corporation’s CEO Charles Brindamour with LGeneral Roméo Dallaire (Ret’d), founder of The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative and Stephen Lewis, co-founder and co-director of AIDS-Free World at the Weapons of War: Sexual Violence and Child Soldiers event at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS, Thursday, September 24, 2015. The Intact Foundation is contributing $300,000 to establish the Intact/Dallaire Initiative Senior Fellow. The Canadian Press Images PHOTO/The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative (CNW Group/Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150924_C5967_PHOTO_EN_506583.jpg
Media Contact, Josh Boyter, Communications Officer, The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, Telephone: (902)-494-2392 (office), Email: [email protected]
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