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According to UN estimates, there are at least 300,000 child soldiers worldwide, says Dr. Samantha Nutt, executive director of War Child Canada.

"Kids make great combatants, and I say that with great despair," Dr. Nutt says. "They are compliant, they are easily intimidated, they'll take risks, they follow instructions and they can be brutalized into submission."

All sides — governments, militia, rebel forces — use boys and girls to fight or perform other tasks, she says. "People are using children because they are not being held accountable."

The Globe's Kevin Van Paassen illustrated the efforts underway in Eastern Rwanda to rehabilitate former child soldiers back into mainstream life in his video documentary called Born of War .

Dr. Nutt has worked in war zones for the past decade with War Child Canada, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Iraq, Afghanistan, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Iraq, Burundi, northern Uganda and the Thai-Burmese border. She is a specialist in maternal and child health in zones of armed conflict, family medicine, public health, and women's health. Dr. Nutt is also on staff at Toronto's Sunnybrook and Women's Health Science Centre and is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Dr. Nutt is a recipient of The Globe and Mail's Top 40 Under 40 Award. She was named one of Canada's five leading activists by Time Magazine and an outstanding Canadian leader by CBC News Sunday.

Dr. Nutt was online on Monday and answered reader questions. Your questions and Dr. Nutt's answers appear below.

Sasha Nagy, globeandmail.com: Dear Dr. Nutt: Thanks for agreeing to answer reader questions. As you explained in the Globe's weekend feature Born of War , these children become part of armed conflict because they are kids, they follow authority figures and can be intimidated. It is perhaps one of the most cruel abuses an adult can inflict on a child.

I have an opening question from my colleague Jayson Taylor who helped photographer Kevin Van Paassen produce his excellent video from Rwanda:

Jayson asks: A lot of attention has been directed on boys who have been used as child soldiers, are there many cases of women and girls who have been used in the conflict?

Dr. Samantha Nutt: Yes. While there are no accurate numbers, girls are routinely used both as armed combatants and in other capacities, including as cooks, porters, and messengers. Most tragic of all, however, is that many of these girls are brutally and repeatedly raped, held as sex slaves and/or forced into unwanted marriages. These girls often end up pregnant, and in some case, are infected with HIV. Because of the stigma associated with rape in many of these communities the girls experience isolation and rejection. It creates a cycle of poverty and despair, and in turn they are left raising children in extremely difficult circumstances who are vulnerable to further exploitation and abuse. While the plight of boy soldiers has received a great deal of attention in recent years, the plight of girls has sadly received far less attention and support.

Christine Poirier from Reading, United Kingdom writes: Dr. Nutt: Does War Child Canada participate in the legal aspects of child soldiering, i.e. does it get involved in cases against those who recruit and abduct children in armed conflicts as amicus curiae or otherwise? Also, in your organization's efforts to demobilize child soldiers and rehabilitate them, what is being done to deter these children from taking up arms again in the same, or a later conflict?

Dr. Samantha Nutt: We have a legal program in northern Uganda where we are working to defend, through legal aid mechanisms, children in conflict with the law, some of whom are former combatants. We engage in a great deal of public engagement and policy work pertaining to the legal rights of these children. For more information I would encourage you to contact Michelle Berg, our Director of International Programs, who is a lawyer and who directs this particular program. In terms of deterrents, the most crucial aspect is to provide education, livelihoods support and psychosocial interventions for these kids and to work to reintegrate them back into the communities. Many are rejected by their communities and the transition home - if there is a home to go back to - can be very difficult. Some are still at risk of re-offending. We have seen this in the Congo, among other places. But without programs that target their specific needs there is no incentive for them to remain demobilized and they do seek out new fighting forces to join. WCC is engaging these kids in the areas of education, livelihoods and psychosocial support but the work of DDR falls to the United Nations, specifically UNICEF.

Brad Saunders from Waterloo, Ont. writes: Dr. Nutt: I genuinely appreciate all of the work you and War Child does on behalf of children around the world. My question is about becoming more involved in the work to bring peace and healing to these kids. ... How does one go from simply writing a cheque of financial support to a more hands-on experience to help in the struggle?

Dr. Samantha Nutt: This is a very thoughtful question Brad and I appreciate hearing from you. The best way to start with an NGO is to get more involved in their work at an HQ level. Organizations appreciate people who support them - sometimes it starts with a fundraising initiative, or donating your time for such things as a mail out, street campagin or other organizational priorities. We've hired many people from volunteer positions, for example. But it depends as well on your age as this changes the options available to you. There are progams through the Canadian International Development Agency and DFAIT that offer employment experiences to youth (under 30) with NGOs on the ground overseas (We're working in war zones so our work is quite specialized and the opportunities for "on the ground" volunteering are therefore less through WCC). Canada World Youth, World University Services and Crossroads, Engineers without Borders also offer overseas experiences to volunteers.

Sophia Underhill from Vancouver writes: I am a first year international studies student at Simon Fraser University currently writing a paper about child soldiers. My question is: Your organization War Child Canada is dedicated to providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance to war-affected children around the world. Given your experience when do you feel international intervention is justified to support your cause?

Dr. Samanatha Nutt: International law dictates, whether you use the Capetown principles, The Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Optional Protocol (for those countries that are signatories), the African Charter and/or the Rome Statute that children under the age of 18 should not be forced to fight in wars. In those instances where those rights are not being upheld then international intervention - for example, in the form of an arrest warrant for the abusers - is justified. There may not always be a mechanism in place to actually put the arrest into effect - we have seen this with the arrest warrants issued against the top 5 LRA commanders in northern Uganda - but it is still an important legal mechanism that can and should be used in these cases because it sends an important message to those who continue to seek to violate and abuse children's rights.

Asad Quraishi from Montreal writes: I can see the value of helping war children re-integrate into society - and to just care for them if that's all that can be done. I don't want to take away from the value this brings them ... but the damage has been done hasn't it? I look at the image of the boy who's arm has been shot - that's the physical damage. I think about the others you mention in the video who have raped and mutilated, killed parents (?!). What kind of emotional damage has that left? It is far easier to rehabilitate the child with a barely functioning arm than the one who has scars that can't be seen. The people who will kidnap them and force them to commit atrocities so they have nowhere left to go except to war - these people are monsters without conscience. I am certain you are not hoping to sway them through advocacy or shame. Wars will, I am sorry to both say and to believe, exist for many years to come. What do you hope to achieve through your work on the advocacy front? Are you looking for faster international peacekeeping intervention in countries that have these practices (coercion of children)?

Dr. Samantha Nutt: We're looking to protect children living in extremely difficult circumstances from the effects of war and to help equip them with the tools that they need to begin rebuilding their lives. But we're also looking to prevent children from joining the militias in the first instance. For example, in Darfur we are working in the internally displaced camps running child centres (offering child protection) while engaging in educational, psychosocial and livelihoods programs. It may seem unusual to engage in livelihoods work (e.g. training in brick laying, food preservation, and the like) in a refugee-type situation but youth especially are able to transform this training into earned income. In many instances it is desperation that drives some of these youth into armed combat. In the Congo, we are rebuilding schools and training teachers in many DDR-targeted communities (communities where there are high numbers of returning refugees and former combatants) so that these children can begin to lead normal lives. If they return to their communities and there is nothing for them, they are unlikely to stay demobilized for long.

Alan Shonfield from Toronto writes: Hello Dr. Samantha Nutt: As a 19 year-old male, I simply cannot imagine the atrocities Omar Khadr has been made to endure during his five year incarceration at Guantanamo Bay. What is your opinion on whether or not the then-15 year-old Khadr should be tried as a child soldier. Is there any difference between a child soldier in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Afghanistan?

Dr. Samantha Nutt: In my opinion, Omar Khadr meets the international definition and standards of a child soldier. And no, a child soldier anywhere in the world is still a child soldier.

Sasha Nagy asks: Dear Dr. Nutt: Are there barriers to these child soldiers from trying to rebuild their lives in the West, does Canada even consider refugee status for former child combatants?

Dr. Samantha Nutt: Refugee status depends on the degree of persecution in accordance with the UN Refugee Convention which is enshrined in Canadian law. A claimant has to prove persecution based on religion, race, social group, political opinion etc. Evidence of past persecution that is so grave in certain circumstances may be sufficient, however, each case is determined on its own circumstances and merits so it is impossible to generalize, but it is possible.

Arlinda D from Canada writes: Hello Dr. Nutt, my question is what aspect of the demobilization of child soldiers do you find to be the most difficult?

Dr. Samantha Nutt: Convincing them to show up in the first instance. It requires, normally, the participation of the ruling generals - those who have recruited them or forcibly abducted them in the first instance. In a war context, this can be very difficult and is normally tied to the peace process or whatever power-sharing arrangement has been negotiated.

Jayson Taylor asks: What is the biggest challenge facing children who have completed programs like the Muhazi Centre? Is there a way of tracking their progress to make sure they haven't rejoined the militia?

Dr. Samantha Nutt: Many rehabilitation programs do track the course of their participants, though sometimes with communications being inconsistent this can be a challenge. In addition, many agencies keep records of the numbers of children who are re-recruited or abducted from their program communities. The risk of re-abducted or re-recruitment is almost always dependent upon the security context within those countries and whether there are transitional programs in place once the children return home. If it is a country where the opportunities to rejoin an armed group are high, and the available support programs within the communities are few (e.g. limited schooling, no skills training programming) then the degree of recidivism among these former child combatants will be very high. I've interacted with a number of children over the years, particularly in the Congo and Sierra Leone, who have been through DDR programs several times.

Donald Smith from Ottawa writes: In Alcinda Honwana's book, Child Soldiers in Africa, she emphasizes the importance of using traditional spiritual healing techniques to help child soldiers and other young victims re-integrate with their communities. On the other hand, mainstream and evangelical Christian churches are a major social force in Africa, and they are employing Christian teachings in their rehabilitation efforts. Finally, western-sponsored NGOs use conventional, or adapted, psychotherapeutic techniques. Can you comment on the three approaches - how they are complementary and how they can conflict and whether there are any data as to the relative success of each.

Dr. Samantha Nutt: This is a great question but one that is fairly long to answer, so I will do my best to keep it tight. In many regions of Africa, as you mention, community ties very closely to the church. Many community-based reconciliation and peace-building activities are linked with church social networks and activities. Any initiative that links very closely to existing community mechanisms and that is driven by members of that community will have a higher degree of receptivity and acceptability locally. But it is imperative that these activities are being supported by the community rather than being forced upon them by external actors - be they NGOs, church or other affiliated groups - who have a specific political or religious mandate. Several academics have researched different modalities concerning the efficacy of various western-based psychotherapeutic techniques and it is very useful - a literature search can provide you with a great deal of information in this respect. As an organization, War Child Canada does not engage in any precise psychotherapy with children in the field, though we do provide informal psychosocial programs that are regularly evaluated (using qualitative modalities) and have proven to be highly beneficial to a child's recovery and psychological well-being. We have neither a religious nor political mandate and always work in association with local communities.

Sasha Nagy writes: A reader raised this point, which I think is an interesting one. With regard to domestic terrorism, do you draw a distinction between a youth in a war zone who has a rifle thrust into their arm and a radicalized youth in Britain or Canada who is enticed into a movement in which violence is the objective? I guess what I am getting at, is as war changes, does the definition of a child soldier change too?

Dr. Samantha Nutt: According to the Capetown Principles, the widely accepted, international definition of a child soldier is "any person under the age of 18 who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed group in any capacity, including to but not limited to cooks, porters...". The definition also includes girls. At the same time, we need to distinguish between international legal instruments and domestic law. In this situation, a youth participating in a terrorist activity would be subject to the norms and standards in the country in which the act of terrorism takes place.

Arlinda D from Barrie writes: Thank you Dr. Nutt for taking the time to discuss this issue with Globe and Mail readers, I am currently a student who is writing a report on child soldiers. My question for you is, are former child soldiers usually receptive and open to rehabilitation or are they far too 'brainwashed' by their militia to step away from that lifestyle?

Dr. Samantha Nutt: Thank you Arlinda for your question. It really depends on the individual child and the circumstances. Some have neither the interest nor the inclination to be rehabilitated. But the vast majority, in my experience, do. Those are the kids that need to be targeted and supported. The challenge is that when a country and a conflict slip from the radar it can be very hard to ensure that the resources and the programs are in place to support their recovery, which is inevitably a long term process.

Sasha Nagy writes: Dr. Nutt: Thanks so much for your time. In closing, is there anything you would like to add that perhaps was not raised.

Also, thanks to Dray Perenic of Toronto for passing on the following announcement.

If you are interested in Dr. Samantha Nutt and her work, she will be speaking at Hart House, University of Toronto on March 25th delivering the 2008 Hancock Lecture entitled The World as Our Backyard: Individual Responsibility for a Global Society. This is a free event but you need a ticket. Tickets are available at www.uofttix.ca or 416-978-8849.

Dr. Samantha Nutt: I would encourage your readers to learn more about what they can do to support our work by visiting our website or emailing us at info@warchild.ca Thank you for this opportunity!