The Amnesty International Chapter of Albany Law School held a symposium entitled "Lost Childhood: Child Soldiers, Trafficked Children, and Child Rights" on Friday, February 1, from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. in Room 200.

Symposium panelists addressed a packed room about the legal and policy issues surrounding child soldiers and child victims of trafficking, including cases involving child soldiers that have come before the International Criminal Court (ICC), the perpetrator bar to asylum-seeking, the international trade in child labor and international rights.

The symposium consisted of 3 panels:

Panel 1 -"CHILD SOLDIERS"

An overview of the issues surrounding child soldiers, including a description of the experiences of the children, legal issues, such as asylum-seeking and applying for refugee status, and cases involving child soldiers that have come before the International Criminal Court (ICC), The Hague. This panel was Moderated by Professor Brescia.

Speakers included:

- Alec Wargo, Program Officer, Office of the Special Representative for Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, United Nations

- Isaac Flattau, former associate of the legal office of the ICC

- Anna Makanju, Associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton, LLP, former clerk of the ICC

- Professor Christian Sundquist,, Assistant Professor of Law, Albany Law School, "Child Soldiers and the 'Perpetrator Bar' Under U.S. Asylum Law"

PANEL 1 AUDIO RECORDING: Click HERE to download or Play It Now!

Professor Donna Young, Professor of Law, Albany Law School, "On The Backs of Our Children: The International Trade in Child Labor"

- An overview of legal and social issues pertaining to trafficking of children for sex or labor. This panel was moderated by Professor Kathy Katz.

Speakers included:

- Professor Maria Grahn-Farley, Associate Professor of Law, Albany Law School, "The Withholding of International Rights from American Children"

- Pantea Javidan, Legal Representative and Advocate, "Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children with Disabled Parents in the Cambodian Community of Oakland"

PANEL 2 AUDIO RECORDING: Click HERE to download or Play It Now!

Panel 3 - "RIGHTS, REHABILITATION & RESETTLEMENT"

- The rights of former child soldiers and trafficked children and the services that are available to them. This panel was moderated by Professor Peter Halewood.

Speakers included:

- Joanne Corbin, PhD, Associate Professor, Chair Research Sequence, School of Social Work, Smith College, "Resettlement of Formerly Abducted Children in Northern Uganda"

- Professor Melissa Breger, Associate Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Family Violence Litigation Clinic, Albany Law School, "Healing the Wounds of Sexually Trafficked Children by Examining Strategies for Childhood Survivors of Family Violence and Sexual Abuse."

PANEL 3 AUDIO RECORDING: Click HERE to download or Play It Now!

The Albany Times Union featured a story about the symposium on February 2, 2008. Click here to read the article.

The symposium was hosted by the Amnesty International Chapter of Albany Law School in conjunction with Diversity Office and the Faculty Diversity Committee of Albany Law School, the Special Initiative Fund of Amnesty International USA and the Program for International Justice and Accountability of Amnesty International USA.