War Child Canada begins awareness campaign
By Adnews Staff
Charitable organization War Child Canada has begun an advertising campaign intended to raise awareness of child soldiers in conflict areas around the world. The campaign, created pro bono by John St. of Toronto, takes the form of a promotion for Camp Okutta, a fictional summer camp at which Canadian children learn how to use machine guns, hand grenades and land mines. The initiative includes a website located at <http://www.campokutta.com> at which visitors take a virtual tour of the camp. Camp counselors explain in video clips that the children are drugged to prevent homesickness and fed with scraps of food. The campaign also includes brochures and posters that are being distributed by promotional workers dresses as camp counselors. "The purpose of the campaign is not to offend but to inform", said Samantha Nutt, executive director of War Child Canada. "While for many of us here these images seem shocking, this is the reality that many children face in war torn countries around the world. In full violation of international law, children are being forced to fight in wars in countries that include Sudan, Uganda, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka and many others. We hope that this campaign will resonate with Canadians in a new way. These aren't the stereotypical images of children in war intended to promote sympathy. These are images of children that make you stop and go 'that's just not right'."