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June 14, 2018
14 Jun 2018

Fight For Change: 10 Countries with Child Soldiers

Countries with Child Soldiers
The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a ‘child’ as a person below the age of eighteen years. Children across the world have been used as soldiers in state and non-state military warfare, including World Wars I and II.

The 1970s saw a rise of humanitarian groups that raised the awareness of protecting children from the onslaughts of war, and it was during this time that the word “child soldier” appeared as an unacceptable condition. Though the 2002 Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court made enlistment of children under fifteen a war-crime, countries with child soldiers have consistently fallen behind in addressing this issue.

The United Nations (U.N.) estimates that, at present, approximately 300,000 children are used as child soldiers in more than 20 countries in the world, and forty percent of these children are girls. According to the U.N.’s 2017 studies, these are some of the countries with child soldiers:

Countries with Child Soldiers

  1. Central African Republic (CAR): The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) helped release more than 2,800 child soldiers in CAR in 2014. Poverty leads children from a lot of families to join the militia for food and money. Children as young as 8 years old are used as soldiers by groups in Christian militias known as Anti-Balaka and Muslim Séléka coalition. Soldiering involves being used as human shields, messengers, fighters and sex slaves.
  2. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): The Congolese National Army and the rebel Congress for the Defense of the People have been active recruiters of child soldiers. Young boys and girls are abducted and used as fighters and sex slaves by groups like the Lord’s Resistance Army. This occurs not only in DRC, but also southern Sudan, northeastern Congo and the CAR.
  3. Somalia: Children as young as ten are often abducted and coerced into soldiering. The Transitional Federal Government and Islamist group al-Shabaab are known to carry out these recruitments which lead to “horrific abuses,” according Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports. These violations include forced recruitment, rape, forced marriage, religious/political teaching, suicide-bombing, combat and weapons training.
  4. Colombia: Thousands of children are recruited by guerillas and paramilitary forces like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army, the Camilist Union-National Liberation Army, and the paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia. HRW reveals, “At least one of every four irregular combatants in Colombia’s civil war is under eighteen years old.” These children are recruited, trained and expected to carry explosives and executions.
  5. Myanmar: The HRW report, ‘Sold to be Soldiers’ (2007), states that a large portion of the Tatmadaw consists of underage soldiers. In a lot of instances, young boys are lured or coerced into joining the Tatmadaw. In addition to this horrific occurrence, there are numerous non-state armed groups like the Karenni Army, the Karen National Liberation Army and others that use child soldiers.
  6. Afghanistan: The U.N. reports the use of young children as fighters and suicide-bombers in Afghanistan. In Child Soldiers, David Rosen points out the prevalence of underage soldiers in groups like The Afghan National Police, Haqqani, Taliban, Islamic groups called Hezb-i-Islami and Jamat Sunat al-Dawa Salafia, and Tora Bora front.
  7. Iraq: The Sunni and Shia Arab groups fighting in the region — along with other militias involved in the battle for Mosul — are reported to recruit child soldiers. According to HRW reports, Yezidi and Kurdish boys and girls are used as combatants by groups like the Shingal Resistance Units and People’s Defense Forces.
  8. Yemen: Children as young as 14 are deployed here as soldiers by the Yemeni Government to combat the Houthi rebels. UNICEF regards this as more of a socio-cultural problem, as in Yemeni culture, manhood begins at the age of 14 and such adulthood demands the taking up of a weapon. In 2015, the U.N. reported 850 recruitments of children as soldiers. Armed groups like Al-Qaeda also use children for warfare and as sex slaves.
  9. Syria: The civil war in Syria has led to the deployment of many children as young as seven as soldiers by armed groups. Rebel factions fighting against the government and Islamic groups like Jabhat al-Nusra, Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiya, Tawhid Brigade and the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham use child soldiers. These children are used to ferry ammunitions, fight, tend to the wounded, spy, act as snipers and suicide-bombers, and torture and execute prisoners.
  10. Sudan and South Sudan: More than a dozen armed groups, including pro-government militias, groups affiliated to the Sudan Liberation Army, and Sudanese Armed Forces, in Sudan, recruit children. In South Sudan, the South Sudanese Armed Forces and other opposition groups continue to deploy child soldiers. HRW notes that children as young as thirteen are abducted, detained and forced into soldiering.

The Fight of International Aid Organizations

Wars, absence of education, poverty, religious/political conditioning and abduction are some of the causes that contribute to this social crime. UNICEF and ILO have been working with government ministries to stop the use of child soldiers by both state and non-state parties. Programs sponsored by UNICEF and various human rights groups aim towards rehabilitation of child soldiers, building community networks, funding and providing education.

Child Soldiers International has been working with local organizations and advocating the protection of children and reintegration of former child soldiers. HRW has been creating information databases on recruitment patterns of a number of agencies in these countries. Though change is slow, the attempt to improve the condition of millions of children in countries with child soldiers remains consistent.

– Jayendrina Singha Ray
Photo: Flickr

in Child Soldiers, Children, Conflict, Military, War and Violence /by /#permalink
April 29, 2018
29 Apr 2018

Top 10 Bosnian War Facts

Bosnian WarBelow are 10 important Bosnian War facts: how it began, what happened and how it ended.

Top 10 Bosnian War Facts

  1. The state of affairs in Bosnia and Herzegovina began declining when politics became chaotic with the rapid decline of the Yugoslavian economy. Also playing a role was the collapse of communism and a structured government and various ethnic groups vying for control of the area. The Serbs, Muslims and Croats living in Bosnia each desired to appropriate Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territory for their own countries and take control of the government and political field.
  2. Bosnian Croats and Muslims feared that Milošević, the leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia, would take their land, so they called for the independence of Herzeg-Bosnia. The Serbs, however, had the same idea. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s independence was declared on March 3, 1992, and was recognized by the U.S. and the European Community on April 6, 1992.
  3. On April 6, 1992, the Serbs began the Siege of Sarajevo, which lasted until Feb. 29, 1996. The Serbian paramilitary forces began the siege by holding positions inside the city and in the hills surrounding Sarajevo. By the first week of May, the Serbs had surrounded the whole city, which cut Sarajevo off from food, medicine, water, electricity, fuel and other supplies. The Serbs began firing on Sarajevo with advanced artillery but faced heavy defense from those mobilized with weapons within the city. Because the Serbs were facing opposition, they began to terrorize the city with intense gunfire and snipers. The Siege of Sarajevo lasted for 47 months and remains the longest siege in modern history.
  4. With Sarajevo, as well as several other cities isolated by force, the supply of food, utilities and communication became extremely limited and spread thin throughout the territory. This caused many cases of malnutrition and many citizens lost an average of up to 33 pounds while some others lost their lives due to lack of access to supplies.
  5. Bosnian Serbs began ethnic cleansing of large areas occupied by non-Serbs. The genocide destroyed entire villages and thousands of Bosnians were forced out of their homes and taken to detention camps where they were raped, tortured, deported or killed. The Serbians used rape in the Bosnian War as a tactic to destroy relationships, families and communities.
  6. One of the most lethal Bosnian War facts came when Gen. Ratko Mladic led Serbian troops in capturing Srebrenica, previously declared by the U.N. as a safe area, and killed almost 8,000 Muslim men. The U.N. later indicted Radovan Karadžić, orchestrator of the attack on Sarajevo, and General Mladic for genocidal war crimes.
  7. The Bosnian government was prohibited from providing updated and necessary weaponry that the Serbian and Croatian armies maintained due to an international arms embargo imposed throughout the Bosnian War.
  8. Although the U.N. Protection Force sent troops to supervise humanitarian aid and protect declared safe areas, the U.N. overall refused to intercede in the Bosnian War.
  9. After NATO’s negotiations in Dayton, Ohio, in 1995, a final ceasefire was imposed and declared to bring an end to the Bosnian War. NATO enforced this through air strikes until the leaders agreed to the ceasefire and signed the Dayton Peace Accords in Paris on Dec. 14, 1995. The agreement allowed for a NATO peacekeeping enforcement group to maintain a permanent presence and oversight in the country.
  10. Throughout the Bosnian War, more than 250,000 people lost their lives and many more were displaced from their homes.

Even today, as a result of these Bosnian War facts, the territory remains highly divided between two sections: Muslim-Croat and the Serbian Republic. Both sections face a continuous fight against poverty, unemployment and ethnic discord.

Photo: Flickr

in Bosnia, Croatia, Peacekeeping, Serbia, War and Violence /by /#permalink
April 26, 2018
26 Apr 2018

Why and How Foreign Aid Is A Matter of National Security

Foreign Aid Is a Matter of National Security
In February of 2018, the Trump administration released a budget proposal indicating deep 29 percent budget cuts to the state department and steady 13 percent increases to the defense department. These state department cuts materialize into $16.2 billion taken away from the previous $55.6 billion allocated in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. The Trump Administration justifies the cuts by stating that aid will remain in the accounts of “friends” of our future foreign policy decisions.

Ramifications of the 2018 Budget Proposal

Meanwhile, the proposed budget increases the amount of money spent on national defense by 13 percent, raising the $600 billion budget to nearly $690 billion. The increased defense budget will be used to completely update the United States’ nuclear arsenal and increase the amount of ground-based missile interceptors in Alaska working to address the increased threat of the Korean Peninsula.

Assessing nuclear threats is a fair concern and position for the United States government to take, however it should not come at the expense of drastically decreasing foreign aid. In truth, foreign aid is a matter of national security.

Foreign Aid is a Matter of National Security

While it may not appear obvious at first, foreign aid is known and regarded by many U.S. military officials as beneficial to United States foreign policy and national security. To illustrate, in 2017-retired General Mike Mullen and retired Admiral James Jones wrote a piece explaining the hands-on benefits they saw foreign aid bring in leading American troops.

Both officials explain that military power alone cannot prevent despair within vulnerable countries from turning into outbursts of violence and instability. Robust foreign aid should not be looked upon as a no-strings-attached giveaway to the poorest nations in the world, but rather as stability enhancement to places most susceptible to radical influence.

Threat of Extremism

The generals explain that countries with limited social hope and foreign assistance are the most prone to radicalization that materializes into extremism. Terror organizations like Al Qaeda, Al Shabab, Boko Haram and ISIS take root in countries with common characteristics — instability and poor governance. These terror cells bring about a sense of social support that citizens do not believe their public officials and service programs will be able to provide them.

The former military officials further explain that Congress can, and should, fully fund the International Affairs Budget, as the funding leads to active approaches from the U.S. government, non-government organizations and in-country support to provide services that meet citizens’ basic needs.

Foreign Aid and the Military

Moreover, foreign aid goes hand-in-hand with a strong military. Without support after a strong U.S. military presence, countries can remain unstable and vulnerable to extremist influence. Therefore, foreign aid creates proactive conflict-prevention strategies which are far less expensive in resources and expended lives than reactionary use of United States Armed Forces.

In 2013, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis bluntly summarized the words of the retired officials and explains why foreign aid is a matter of national security: “If you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition ultimately. So I think it’s a cost benefit ratio. The more that we put into the State Department’s diplomacy, hopefully the less we have to put into a military budget…”

Diplomacy is ultimately less expensive than the wars that a lack of diplomacy brings about. While a strong military is considerably important in 2018 and beyond, cutting foreign aid to increase military spending weakens our strength as a nation, a role model and peacekeeper.

The words of these military officials should be kept in mind in future policy decisions so as to clearly explain why foreign aid is a matter of national security.

– Daniel Levy
Photo: Unsplash

in Extremism, Foreign Aid, Peacekeeping, Terrorism, War and Violence /by /#permalink
April 20, 2018
20 Apr 2018

Struggle and Sanctuary: How the Media Misrepresents Burundi


The general public is unable to form any positive conclusions from media sources due to how the media misrepresents Burundi. Through closer analysis, however, the public may see a shimmer of hope behind all the destruction that the media portrays is occurring in Burundi.

How Does the Media Portray Burundi?

The media portrays Burundi as economically unstable; however, this fact is only partially true. Population growth in Burundi continues to rapidly increase, leaving the nation fighting to support their growing nation.

Burundi’s economy is lacking in their growth rate with the population growth rate at 3.1 percent annually, and the GDP per capita not growing more than 1.5 percent even in the best of recent years. Because of these economic difficulties the country has endured, Burundi’s economy relies 49 percent on international financial aid.

International Aid

The media states that Western donors are in the process of cutting support towards Burundi, pushing the nation even more towards intolerable levels of poverty; however, in the past three years alone, the United States has donated over $135 million in foreign aid towards the country of Burundi.

Other organizations such as the World Bank pledged $440 million towards helping the country’s financial crisis, and the EU has already made firm commitments towards achieving this goal. Overall, donors have pledged over $2 billion for Burundi’s development strategy in order to rebuild the nation after its civil war and national political crises.

Internal Controversy

How the media misrepresents Burundi can also be seen in the violence occurring in the country due to political turmoil. Burundi’s president, Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been in office since 2005, released a referendum date for May 17 for a controversial constitutional reform. If this reform is passed, it would allow President Nkurunziza to remain in power until 2034 — an unjust situation that would cause public uproar.

The violence has increased to such a degree that the U.S. State Department has warned Americans not to travel to Burundi, and that Burundi citizens are trained to promote violence and on the path towards another civil war. However, this media representation fails to mention measures taken within the nation to ensure the people of Burundi have alternative methods to violence.

New Generation

Diedonné Nahimana, an award-winning Burundi citizen, created the program of New Generation in Bujumbura to coach victims of war to become ambassadors for peace. New Generation was created to provide victims or orphans of war with alternative opportunities for a successful life rather than turning to violence.

This program develops a new generation of leaders who will restore Burundi after their 12-year civil war, and hopefully prevent the return of war. The foundation of their teaching is based upon non-violence as in the steps of Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr.

The dream is that by 2020, this new generation will control leadership positions in the country and teach this method of non-violence to others and ensure peace in the country. Due to all of this violence, more than a quarter of a million people have Burundi in terror, seeking refuge in other countries.

Global Priority

Despite this, sources claim that the world doesn’t seem to notice this violence occurring in Burundi and thus serve as another example of how the media misrepresents Burundi.

The people of Burundi are under constant persecution and live in terror in their country due to the political crises and increased poverty conditions; however, it is not the case that the world has turned their back on this African country. Since 2015, over 300,000 people have fled the country of Burundi, many to refugee camps in neighboring African countries where unfortunately, persecution and inhumane actions still exist.

Struggle and Sanctuary

Other countries, such as Canada, have developed methods to ensure Burundi refugees are welcome in their countries. Canada has designated refugee claims from Burundi which welcomes refugees into their country. In fact, Canada proudly holds a Burundian community of roughly 10,000 and continues to allow refugees inside its borders. The United States has also welcomed over 2,000 Burundian refugees in the past two years and the numbers increase daily.

Although Burundi endures many hardships from political crises, poverty and population growth, there is more good occurring in the country than what the media showcases to the public.

– Adrienne Tauscheck

Photo: Flickr

in Burundi, Foreign Aid, Media, Refugees, War and Violence /by /#permalink
April 17, 2018
17 Apr 2018

Top 10 Croatian War Facts

Although the Croatian War has been over for more than twenty years, the aftermath is still present within the region. Lack of economic and political stability are current problems that Croatia faces. Professor Daliborka Uljarevic, a leader in the Centre for Citizens’ Education, says “political rhetoric and lack of profound economic recovery keep people stuck in recent past, with poor view on better future.” Here are the top 10 Croatian war facts that provide a better understanding of what happened during the war and how Croatia remains affected.

Top 10 Croatian War Facts:

  1. The war started in response to an oppressive government. Nazi rule took over in 1941 and communism dominated Croatia for nearly 50 years. People started to revolt against the government in the movement known as the Croatian Spring of 1971 and Croatian nationalism began to foster.
  2. Croatia was a part of Yugoslavia when it was ruled by communism. Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina were all also under Yugoslavia rule.
  3. Croatia declared independence in 1991 against Yugoslavia rule and the war lasted from 1991-1995.
  4. The U.N. separated Croatia into four areas to disconnect the battling groups of Serbs and Croats. When Croatia later got involved in the Bosnia-Herzegovina conflict, Bosniak Muslims were also separated.
  5. The U.N. Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) emergency relief in the Balkans was the largest of UNHCR’s operations. Costing more than one billion U.S. dollars, the U.N. provided close to a million tons of humanitarian supplies and food within 1991-1995 that ultimately saved many people from death.
  6. Despite the vast humanitarian assistance, more than 120,000 people died during the conflict. Muslim Bosniaks and Catholic Croats made up the majority of the people who died. Two million individuals out of the four million population sought refuge in the neighboring country of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
  7. The Battle of Vukovar was one of the bloodiest battles on Croatian soil and lasted 87 days. Of the Croats and non-Serbs, 7,000 were sent to concentration camps and approximately 22,000 fled the area for their lives.
  8. The war led to mass economic destruction. A quarter of the economy was destroyed, as there were $36 billion of war damages and 180,000 destroyed homes.
  9. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) helps victims of the war have a voice and justice for their suffering. The ICTY still works on resolving war crimes and establishing punishments for those who are guilty. There are still people unaccounted for.
  10. The U.S. led Dayton Peace Accords established peace in the area, bringing an end to the war. The country is now separated into two areas, one where the Bosnian Serbs are dominant and another where the Bosnian Muslims and Croats are dominant. Tensions still run high amongst these groups.

These 10 Croatian war facts do not demonstrate the full monstrosity that ensued during 1991-1995. Victims are still suffering to this day and many families still have not found their missing loved ones.

– Mary McCarthy

Photo: Flickr

in Conflict, Croatia, Global Poverty, War and Violence /by /#permalink
March 25, 2018
25 Mar 2018

Top 12 Most Deadliest Wars in History

deadliest wars
As with most wars, the majority of people killed in the deadliest wars of all time are innocent civilians. Wars have been a part of human history since the dawn of time. The earliest recorded evidence of human warfare suggests that the first conflict took place around 13,000 years ago along the Egypt-Sudan border. It is believed that this conflicted erupted as a resulted of competition over resources — in this case, water. However, there are many reasons a war can develop: poverty, poor governmental leadership, civil unrest, religion, territory disputes, resources and a plethora of other factors are all responsible for most of the wars throughout human history. With that said, here is a look at the deadliest wars in history.

Top 12 Most Deadliest Wars in History

  1. The Second Congo War
    The Second Congo War (1998-2003) was one of the deadliest wars in history and the deadliest in modern African history. This war spanned over a period of 5 years and caused the death of around 5.4 million people. Although the genocides accounted for a large number of casualties, diseases and famine caused by the war were also partially responsible.
  2. Napoleonic Wars
    The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) pitted the French Empire and its allies against a coalition of European powers. The Napoleonic Wars refers to a series of conflicts between the French Empire and the coalitions that fought it: the War of the Third Coalition, the Fourth, the Fifth, the Sixth and the Seventh and final coalition. During this period, it is estimated that around 3.5-6 million people were killed as a direct or indirect result of the war.
  3. The Thirty Years’ War
    As the name implies, the Thirty Years’ War was fought between Catholic and Protestant states in Central Europe from 1618 to 1648. The conflicts eventually drew in the great powers of Europe, resulting in one of the longest, most destructive and deadliest conflicts in European history. It is estimated that the war was responsible for the deaths of 8 million civilians and military personnel alike.
  4. The Chinese Civil War
    The Chinese Civil War started in August of 1927 between the government-backed Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China. The massacres and mass atrocities carried out by both parties resulted in more than 8 million casualties by 1950.
  5. The Russian Civil War
    The Russian Civil War claimed the lives of more than 9 million people — 8 million of whom were civilians. The war spanned from 1917-1922 — immediately after the Russian Revolutions of 1917 — and it was fought between opposing political factions, namely the Red Army and the White Army.
  6. The Dungan Revolt
    The Dungan Revolt was a war fought between the Hans (Chinese ethnic group native to East Asia) and the Huis (Chinese Muslims) in 19th-century China during the Qing Dynasty. There were approximately 20 million war-related deaths, mostly caused by famine and migration brought about by the war.
  7. An Lushan Rebellion
    The An Lushan Rebellion was a rebellion against the Tang Dynasty of China between 755 A.D. and 763 A.D. Although it is difficult to accurately report the death toll, census reports taken the years following the war imply that around 36 million people were killed, or about two-thirds of population of the empire.
  8. World War I
    The First World War was fought between the Allies and the Central Powers. The war lasted 4 years — from 1914 to 1918 —but it was responsible for around 18 million deaths. Of the 18 million deaths, about 11 million were military personnel and about 7 million were civilians.
  9. Taiping Rebellion
    Yet another war in China, the Taping Rebellion was another large-scale rebellion that was fought between 1850 and 1864. The war was fought between the Qing Dynasty and the Christian millenarian movement of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Although there isn’t an exact number, most estimations have the Taiping Rebellion responsible for 20-30 million deaths.
  10. The Qing Dynasty Conquest of the Ming Dynasty
    The transition from the Qing Dynasty to the Ming dynasty was anything but peaceful. The rebellion waged for over 60 years— from 1618 to 1683 — and resulted in the deaths of 25 million people. What started as a relatively small rebellion in northeastern China ultimately resulted in one of the country’s deadliest conflicts as well as one of the deadliest wars in history.
  11. The Second Sino-Japanese War
    The Second Sino-Japanese War was waged between 1937 and 1945 between the Republic of China’s National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army. It is widely believed that the war began with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and it later escalated to an all-out war that resulted in 25 million civilian deaths and over 4 million Chinese and Japanese military deaths.
  12. World War II
    World War II was a global war that spanned from 1939 to 1945. The war pitted the Allies and the Axis power in the deadliest war in history, and was responsible for the deaths of over 70 million people. Known for its genocidal campaign against the Jewish people, the war was also responsible for the deaths of more than 50 million civilians.

An End to War

As John F. Kennedy famously said, “Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” The deadliest wars in history are all a testament to that sentiment — it is a repeating pattern with very costly end results. The last large-scale war, World War II, was responsible for the deaths of nearly 70 million people.

With the ever-advancing technology in the modern world and a booming population, the next war will undoubtedly bring about an unprecedented amount of deaths. Let history be a teacher so that we can avoid committing the same mistakes, and put an end to conflict once and for all.

– Brandon Cerda

Photo: Flickr

in Conflict, History, War and Violence /by /#permalink
March 22, 2018
22 Mar 2018

Robbed Childhoods: The Worst Countries to Be a Kid

Worst Countries to be a Kid
Poverty, famine, violence and abuse have robbed many children of their childhoods. About 9.2 million children die every year, and that does not include the kids who manage to survive in harsh and dangerous conditions. Countless children must learn to survive in times of war, starvation and less than adequate health services. The following are a few of many worst countries to be a kid.

War-Torn Countries: Afghanistan and South Sudan

In Afghanistan, a country ridden by war, about 1.9 million children are in need of assistance. Not only do these children battle against the poverty of their country, but they are also caught in the crossfire of the war.

This is one of the worst countries to be a kid because of the dangers of war. In the first nine months of 2017, about 700 children were killed in Afghanistan; civilian-populated areas have seen a sharp increase in violence in the past years, and a majority of victims were children. In fact, there has been a 9 percent increase in child mortality.

If children survive these vicious attacks, the experiences then lead to severe distress and trauma. Studies have shown that children who survive attacks have a higher chance of suffering from psychological issues and experiencing a negative impact on long-term development. While children are innocent bystanders in Afghanistan, other countries include youth as children soldiers.

South Sudan is in the midst of a violent civil war, and the National Liberation Movement has taken it upon themselves to recruit children into its armies. South Sudan is one of the worst countries to be a kid because the majority of the time, children are forced to become soldiers against their will.

More than 700 children have been taken into the National Liberation Movement, and more than that were kidnapped or brought in by force.

Many of these child soldiers were taken at such a young age that their military existence has become their way of life. This can cause kids to feel trapped and less likely to seek escape. Earlier this year, about 300 children soldiers were released from the Liberation, but their ranks will unfortunately only be replaced.

Child Sex Trafficking: Thailand and China

As of 2004, 800,000 children under the age of 16 were trapped in the sex trade in Thailand alone. Thailand is the most prominent countries for sex tourism, and more than half its victims are kids.

Many of the children are foreigners because traffickers usually seek children who come from immigrant families. These children are a diverse group from Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, India and Bangladesh, and it is not hard for recruiters to find children since parents or brokers will use kids as an avenue to earn money.

China is also known for its part in child sex trafficking. Similar to Thailand, children in China are subjected to prostitution and the sex trade. Traffickers target vulnerable children who are either disabled with mental disabilities or who are from migrating families.

Improvement in the Worst Countries to be a Kid

Though these facts are disheartening, international organizations such as UNICEF are working to prioritize children’s safety. The organizations have impacted numerous areas across Africa, East Asia, the Pacific and parts of Europe, and now continue to fight to decrease the number of worst countries to be a kid across the globe.

– Cassidy Dyce

Photo: Flickr

in Afghanistan, Child Soldiers, Children, China, Human Trafficking, South Sudan, War and Violence /by /#permalink
March 9, 2018
09 Mar 2018

The Theory of How to End Genocides

The Theory of How to End GenocidesDuring the Holocaust, more than six million people lost their lives because of their religion, ethnicity, sexuality or other characteristics. To this day, the Holocaust is still one of history’s most devastating genocides. As a direct response, in 1948, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was established to focus on how to end genocides and atrocities.

Genocide is described as killing members of a targeted group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, consciously inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part, preventing births within the group and taking children away from the group.

Since World War II, genocides have taken place in disparate areas of the world. From Cambodia and Rwanda to Bosnia and Sudan, genocides have often occurred in poverty-stricken countries. So the question is, how to end genocides?

The Stages of Genocide

First, it is essential to recognize the signs leading up to these targeted killings. Being aware of the different steps taken in committing these atrocities is an essential step in how to end genocides.

  • Classification
    This is a division between “us” and “them”. A country that lacks interaction between its population’s races and cultures is especially susceptible to genocide. A preventive action of classification is mixing different cultures and races. This promotes appreciation, acceptance, tolerance and understanding among diverse groups.
  • Symbolization
    A targeted group is given a distinguishing name, symbol or color in order to set them apart. Discouraging hate speech and outlawing distinctive symbols such as the swastika are measures to counter symbolization. Coupled with hatred, symbolization can be a dangerous tactic, especially when it is followed by the third stage.
  • Dehumanization
    This occurs when one group strips away the humanity of another group. The group is compared to animals, diseases or insects. This stage is vital because propaganda comes into play, which justifies the mistreatment of a group. To combat this stage, propaganda media should be banned and hate crimes should be punished.
  • Organization
    This a dangerous stage because this is when mass killings are planned. An organized group or individual militias will become trained and armed. These groups are usually terrorist groups who should not only be outlawed, but should also be banned from foreign travel.
  • Extermination
    At this point is when the genocide commences. Mass killings will take place in hopes of “exterminating” the unwanted group. The killers justify their actions because they do not believe their victims are human and that they have little to no worth. At this stage, drastic measures should be taken. Institutions should be set up for groups to hide in safety and they should also be heavily armed. A higher authority such as the national government or the U.N. Security Council should intervene.

How to End Genocide: Address the Root Cause

Being able to recognize the signs of genocide is only the first part of how to end genocides. It is also important to take action when any of these steps are underway in order to prevent the progression to full-blown mass killing.

Genocides usually take place during wartime, so to prevent a massacre, it is essential to find the causes. Many conflicts stem from racism, intolerance, discrimination, dehumanization and hatred of others. Addressing these issues should be a primary goal because it can prevent armed conflict.

Utilize the Judicial System

In times of genocide, using the government is essential. When the government is involved, specific measures can be taken. For example, the deployment of military forces and arrests of those committing genocide can help stop the killings. International interventional may be necessary if the country’s government is complicit in the genocide.

Ultimately, the goal is to prevent genocides before they happen. To do this, it is important to address the thoughts and beliefs that allow some groups to devalue others in order to justify their crimes. Emphasizing the value of all human life is key to ending violence and genocides worldwide.

– Cassidy Dyce

Photo: Flickr

in Genocide, Global Poverty, United Nations, War and Violence /by /#permalink
February 14, 2018
14 Feb 2018

The Devastating Effects of Cluster Bombs in Poor Countries

Effects of Cluster Bombs in Poor CountriesCluster bombs contain hundreds of submunitions that can saturate an area up to the size of several football fields. Groups utilize cluster bombs to maximize destruction impact and exert the least effort possible. These particular weapons are indiscriminate, meaning anyone within range of the bomb’s detonation —whether civilian, military or terrorist— can be injured or killed as one of the effects of cluster bombs. 

More than 98 percent of known cluster bomb victims are innocent civilians, and 40 percent of these are children. Cluster bombs are most prevalent in poor countries because these areas tend to be high in crime, corruption and war. These weapons undergo the following process that may result in detonation:

 

The Drop

A cluster munition is dropped from a plane and can fly around nine miles before releasing its submunitions. This ability makes for highly inaccurate targeting, meaning the bombs are a disproportionate hazard to civilians.

The container begins to spin a short time before releasing its submunitions. It opens at an altitude between 330 and 3,300 feet. The cluster munition’s height, rotation speed and velocity determine how large of an area will be impacted.

 

Parachutes Open

Submunitions deploy parachutes as they descend. The parachute ensures that each submunition is stable and descends with its nose down. Each submunition is about the size of a soda can and made of a copper cone containing over 300 steel fragments and incendiary material. The cone can pierce through seven inches of armor and its contents are designed to burn the targeted area and destroy its inhabitants.

 

Effects of Cluster Bombs

Depending on altitude and wind speed, a cluster bomb’s submunition strikes can cover an area up to 861,120 square feet. The detonation of a single submunition can cause fatalities in a 65-foot radius and injure anyone within a 328-foot radius.

Cluster bombs lack consistency; they are prone to external factors such as weather and deployment tactics. Their volatility renders it near impossible to predict the exact size of an area affected. The effects of cluster bombs usually include numerous civilian and child deaths because of the bomb’s unpredictability.

Many submunitions fail to detonate on impact, resulting in the scattering of explosive “duds” throughout the targeted area. Duds contaminate the area even after conflict ends, essentially becoming landmines that injure and kill civilians. The percentage of unexploded submunitions from older cannisters can be as high as 30 percent, but modern cannisters typically range from two to 20 percent.

Currently, 63 countries are stockpiling submunitions and this number continues to grow. Cheaper variations of the bombs are likely to be used by countries that brutalize their own civilians or by violent no-state agents that disregard civilian safety.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions prohibits the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster bombs. The international agreement was created in August 2010 and has been signed by 111 countries and ratified by 70. The U.S. has not signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

It is possible to combat the effects of cluster bombs by supporting the clearance of unexploded bombs and encouraging countries to sign the treaty banning cluster munitions. With continued effort, civilians’ and children’s lives can be spared.

– Carolyn Gibson

Photo: Flickr

in Conflict, Developing Countries, Global Poverty, War and Violence /by /#permalink
December 16, 2017
16 Dec 2017

The Battle of Aleppo and its Continued Significance in Syrian Civil War

The Battle of Aleppo
Beginning in 2012 and concluding in 2016, the Battle of Aleppo has been a major war of attrition in the fight against the so-called Islamic State as well as served as a major impediment to the Astana Peace Process. Often dubbed ‘Syria’s Stalingrad’, the city of Aleppo is still reeling from the social, economic, and political ramifications of the offensive since the ceasefire deal reached last year in 2016.

With the death toll currently standing at over 31,000, many individuals continue to face the threat of internal displacement, diseases, and other human rights violations.

Aleppo in the Syrian Economy 

Aleppo, an important city with a population of 2.3 million individuals, used to make up a notable part of Syria’s GDP in the past with its economic potential. Approximately, 60 percent of the city has been devastated — a significant proportion of that destruction being landmark cultural and heritage sites. As if infrastructure mistreatment wasn’t enough, the Battle of Aleppo was also infamously known for the rebels’ use of civilians as human shields and other forms of modern slavery.

According to the World Bank Group, the economic cost of the war comes to €200 billion so far. Over 1 million people were forced to flee the city — an influx to Europe that contributed significantly to the 2015 European Migrant Crisis. Consequently, since the beginning of 2017 alone, 300,000 people residing in Aleppo were forced to leave the city.

Humanitarian Aid

During the Battle of Aleppo, a significant number of humanitarian aid initiatives were spearheaded by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2165 was instrumental in ratifying the supply of aid to the country, particularly across border crossings and other obstacles.

In October 2017, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported casualties that amounted to the hundreds. Many schools and hospitals were destroyed in the crossfire of the combat against the Islamic State and other extremist groups in the country. Rural areas in the country faced especially damaging impacts since over 27 percent of Syrian homes were destroyed during the course of the Battle of Aleppo.

The U.N. has recommended that over $3.5 billion is needed to cover the social, economic and human costs of the Syrian Civil War. This figure means that Aleppo will hopefully be given a greater focus and priority in the future through the globe’s increased channeling of funding and resources.

Humanitarian aid is taking on a pivotal role in order to address the situation’s immediate needs. Russian military officers have delivered a batch totaling 1.3 billion tons of aid and, as a part of the initiative, 300 sets of food were also provided. Similarly, Iran also delivered humanitarian aid to rural areas of Aleppo with an aid convoy of 200 tons of food, clothing and medicine for affected civilians.

Aid Efforts 

Various aid organizations currently address water and sanitation needs by equipping households with water tanks as full supply has still not been restored in many communities. Moreover, UNICEF has delivered water to over 700,000 individuals in Aleppo and aids in the maintenance of water storage tanks in the city.

Currently, the reconstruction of the city and resettlement of civilians in the future remains top priorities for various stakeholders, as many returning civilians come home to a city in ruination. To date, over 332,000 individuals have returned to Aleppo so far.

Based in the city of Budapest is the humanitarian program of the Aleppo Project, which acts as a large collaboration between various refugees, students and experts. The organization is active in Lebanon and Turkey and works concertedly to restore the city to order. Their focus on the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is the establishment of a participatory planning system that will help continue the present post-crisis restoration of the entire city. Within the city, the UNHCR is providing returning civilians with items like protective equipment to help them regain control of their lives.

With the city of Aleppo continuing to act as a major epicenter of the Syrian civil war, safe passages and avenues are needed for the affected and the vulnerable to remain protected. At this juncture, sustainable aid is thus required in order to have an effective solution to the crisis and mitigate negative impacts.

– Shivani Ekkanath

Photo: Flickr

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