CHILD SOLDIERS/CHILD LABOUR

What is the status of the world's children?

"We must not close our eyes to the fact that child soldiers are both victims and perpetrators. They sometimes carry out the most barbaric acts of violence. But no matter what the child is guilty of, the main responsibility lies with us, the adults. There is simply no excuse, no acceptable argument for arming children." Archbishop Desmond Tutu

According to UNICEF, in just one decade, "two million children have been killed, up to five million have been disabled, 12 million made homeless, 300,000 forced to fight, one million orphaned or separated from families, and 10 million have been psychologically traumatized."

"Thousands of Sierra Leonean boys and girls have been abducted to provide slave labour for troops. Now a second generation of child soldiers is being born of girl children forced into sexual slavery."

"In 1997, workers at the Nike show company in Vietnam were paid $1.60 a day, when a modest meal of vegetables, rice and tofu cost 70 cents, so they didn't have enough money to eat three times a day: the founder and chairman of Nike had a net worth at the time of about $5.3 billion."

"A Haitian worker earns only 7 cents for every pair of Disney Pocahontas pajamas she sews, which sells at Wal-Mart for $11.97. These wages amount to one-half of one percent of the sale price of these pajamas."

The proliferation of small arms and use of land mines are among the various obstacles threatening the creation of a world free from fear. Eighty-five per cent of the world's arms trade is supplied by the permanent members of the UN Security Council (UK, USA, Russia, France, and China.)

In 68 countries around the world there are an estimated 115 million landmines still lodged in the ground waiting to explode. Once planted, they remain active for decades. Another 100 million are believed to be stockpiled and ready for use. It is time for the nations of the world to reexamine their priorities and take action to ensure a secure and peaceful world for all.

What matters about this issue and why should anybody care about this?

What is being done about this?

Infonation

State of the World's Children

United Nations Human Rights

Economic and Social Development

Trade Statistics

Countries of the World

State of the World's Children

Information Statistics on Countries of the World

The Politics of Hunger

Canadian International Development Association

Oxfam Take Action Projects

The Hunger Site