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Jennifer Frione (FGCU) Child Soldiers
According to the Child Soldiers Global Report 2008, “21 countries or territories around the globe had children engaged in conflicts between 2004 and 2007.” 21 territories! These territories turn kids into killers. They drug them, abuse them, and give them AK 47’s, and send them out to murder their own people. This tragedy is occurring throughout the globe and needs to be made aware of! “Today there are child soldiers in many nations around the world, including the Central African Republic, Chad, Somalia, Uganda, Myanmar (Burma) Sudan, Iraq, Colombia and Sri Lanka,” (Steel, 2008). Most child soldiers are between the ages of 13 and 18, and some as young as 12 and under. This includes young girls as well. “Girls not only fight on the front lines but provide domestic labor and serve as wives” (Steel, 2008) At about the age of 13 the girls may be given to boy soldiers or adult commanders. They have no choice and those who refuse are either killed or raped. And with molestation comes the spread of disease. So, not only are these innocent children being kidnapped, they are also being subjected to drugs, murder, molestation, and diseases such as HIV/AIDS. So why use kids for war? According to an Amnesty International report, “both governments and armed groups use children because they are easier to condition into fearless killing and unthinking obedience” (“Hidden Scandal, Secret Shame: Torture and Ill-Treatment of Children,” 2000). This entire operation is absolutely disgusting and mind blowing! How can people turn innocent children into heartless killers? I for one am glad to live in American where this tragedy does not exist. Global awareness of this occurrence needs to be increased if any changes are to occur. There must be a better future for the children in these territories!
Works Cited
Steel, M. (2008, Fall). Social Issues. Retrieved April 11, 2009, from Vision: http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=6684
17. April 2009 at 00:18
Society is intimately aware of this problem, but it continues for a number of reasons. Specifically, Africa is in such a state of disrepair at this point, there is little the international community can do to assist because there’s very little profit in doing so. Somalia hasn’t had a functioning government since around 1978, the Darfur Genocide continues, The Congo is still in political turmoil and has been since before 2000 when the UN intervened. The international community has made very little headway regarding Africa as the history of the continent is so muddled by European colonialism that any attempt to solve problems simply angers another group.
While child soldiers are a pity and are treated terribly, the fact of the matter is this; they are effective. Since these areas have been in a constant state of war between weak governments and militias they have lost generations of adults, so they turn to the children to continue the fight. It doesn’t matter what they fight for, as long as they do.
Solving the problem of Child soldiers will require the stabilization of many African nations. Due to the overall weakness of UN peacekeeping forces and the fact that no nation wants to take on such huge responsibilities this will continue unabated for a while. By weakness, I mean the laws that govern UN forces are debilitating as they are not allowed to draw their weapons unless they are fired upon. One of three things will happen; Africa will burn out in a blaze of death and destruction, The stronger nations, such as South Africa, will be forced to extend their powers to their neighbors in order to help stabilize them, or the International community will be forced to intervene due to the numerous humanitarian crisis that stem from this conflict. Any of them will take a while, so Child soldiers will remain a problem for quite a while.