The organization was founded by LGen Roméo Dallaire (Ret’d) in 2007. General Dallaire first experienced the issue of child soldiers as the Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. During this time, General Dallaire realized that he and his troops were ill prepared to face them.

The Dallaire Initiative wants to bring the perspective of the security sector to the issue of child soldiery, while equipping them with the training and tools to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers worldwide. Through this we hope to build a more holistic, prevention oriented approach to the issue of child soldiers that complements current efforts while providing innovative solutions.