Britain’s use of former child soldiers overseas reveals a twisted disregard for black bodies

by Robert Kazandjian  Britain’s disregard for black bodies is centuries old, from John Hawkins’ maiden voyage to the Guinea Coast in 1562 and subsequent enslavement of 500 Africans1,which began British involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, to Sarah Reed’s brutalisation by a Metropolitan Police constable in 2012 and her death while in the care of… Read More

Why is child military recruitment still practiced in the UK?

by Yasmin Begum   In December 2015, the UK Parliament was engulfed in a long-winded debate at the House of Commons on whether to carry out airstrikes in Syria, before MPs eventually voted with 397 against 223 votes to authorise the bombing campaign. The following morning, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that initial bombs had… Read More

The Denial of Childhood to Children of Colour

by Judith Wanga In yesterday’s Independent online The Evening Standard’s restaurant critic and ex-Guardian soap opera reviewer, Grace Dent, gave us the gift of her deep understanding of wider society, this time opining that the teenagers in the news who have left the country, apparently to join ISIS in Syria, should not be allowed to… Read More