One Global Conscience: We Can Do More

This week I have once again explored the blogosphere in search of others who are interested in bringing a better tomorrow to many of the third world countries in Africa. I chose a great day for this type of hunting because today was specifically set aside for global recognition of the crisis in Darfur. While it is unfortunate that we should even have to have such a day, it is hopefully a sign that there are great changes to be made in the future. The world is finally going to recognize that they have yet again been a witness to another genocide. As an international community and as human beings, we have let this go on too long; we have let too many people be victims. In light of today, I have done an exorbitant amount of reading and have learned even more about the devastation from first hand accounts. I have also left comments on two blogs that both discussed the global crisis that is ensuing in Sudan. The first blog where I responded, entitled The Unapologetic Mexican, looked into different tactics we can take as individuals to make a difference in this war; his post was entitled "In Solidarity: Global Day for Darfur." This blogger responded very insightfully to me almost instantaneously which was extremely rewarding to see both as a student and as a human rights activist. On the second blog, Dallas South, I found another globally conscious-minded individual who has taken a stance very similar to my own; in today's post entitled "Darfur Day of Action," there is in-depth discussion of the sexual plight faced by the women and children while the politicians have "washed their hands" of the matter as this blogger says. The comments I have written in can be found on their respective pages and are also provided below.

Comment 1:
First of all, I would like to thank you for being a conscious, informed person because by just writing about the genocide in Darfur, you are helping to educate so many people around the world who have let this crisis go unseen. As an international relations student, I have read so many articles and studied so many books about what is going on in Sudan, yet I have also increasingly come in contact with dozens of people who are wholly unaware of the magnitude of the situation. Outside of Darfur, few people are willing to recognize that such brutalities are still going on; many believed after Hitler massacred six million Jews that the world would never have to endure and be a witness to another genocide. However, as you believe too, we have let this go on far too long. I have written a few papers about how to stop this atrocity, but it never occurred to me to boycott the Coca-Cola Company in light of the Olympics in Beijing this summer. While this may be effective for hurting their revenues short-term, after the games are over in August the company's name will no longer be as synonymous with China, let alone the Chinese policy towards Sudan. Thus I have to wonder if you have other ideas that are just as direct in addressing Chinese policy but that also incorporate a longer time dimension. You briefly mentioned letter writing in petition to the Internal Olympics Committee, do you legitimately think this is something that will make a difference in changing Chinese policy? I have always been of the mindset that there are actions more powerful than stacks of papers and emails. With all this being said, it is heart rendering that any country, especially a permanent member of the UN Security Council, would help a government that is executing a genocide. However, perhaps the silver lining to this cloud is that in light of the Olympics this summer, massive global attention is now being directed towards Darfur, forcing China among others to reconcile with their current policies.

Comment 2:
I acknowledge just as you do, that this is not an easy topic to "broach," but I am so glad to see that there are other Americans just like me who are as concerned for the Sudanese people who have been victims of an alleged "tribal clash." You are right in saying that this is more than just a clash because the death toll does not even begin to describe the atrocities these individuals have been through. You would have thought that after Rwanda when President Clinton disregarded the genocide that the American public and our government would not have flagrantly ignored what has been happening in Sudan. However here we are again confronted with another horrific war that we have watched idly for too long. While I am thankful that Tibet may come out of this summer in a better situation than when this year began, I also hope like you that international attention is turned towards Darfur and beginning to see a difference there. You could not have been more right in saying that countries pointing their fingers at China is "akin to washing their hands of the matter." I believe that in the United States we have so many resources, including a massive population and much esteemed international clout, that we do not utilize to our full potential. While you suggested writing letters to presidential candidates, have you ever looked in to organizing a group to physically travel to Darfur as medical aid or to help build semi-permanent shelters for those living in the camps for internally displaced people? You sound extremely well versed in terms of what is actually going on, between the political fiasco and the brutal rapings of women, so have you considered actually trying to get in direct contact with your congressmen? Personally I think the more powerful people who have this shoved in their face, the more likely we are to see a drastic change in the United States' actions in Darfur. Perhaps mobilizing voters to include human rights issues in their eyes of what makes a good leader would help to bring more international activists into power. While these are just my own suggestions on effectively making sure we see a difference in Darfur, I am extremely grateful to you for helping raise awareness to a topic that has gone ignored for too long.

DDR: Rebuilding the Lives of Child Soldiers

In a previous post entitled "Child Soldiers: A Global Crisis" I briefly discussed the intricacies associated with bringing youth armed forces back into their societies. This topic is something that needs to be examined in much greater depth in order to begin grasping the gravity of the situation of hundreds of thousands of juveniles around the globe. The most immediate problem to be addressed is recovering children from places where they are forced to fight, but what is the next step? How does one bring such a young person who has witnessed and performed so many atrocities back into a functioning, peaceful civilization? The solution is not simple, cheap, or fast. Rather, these adolescents need to go through a rigorous progression of psychological, emotional and physical healing. With the rise of the child soldering phenomenon in the last few decades, the international community has been pressed to find a means to amply tackle these new layers of modern warfare. Their response that aims to stop the cycle of violence from continuing to spiral from one war-torn generation to the next has become known as the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Process (DDR). While the development of this course of action has led to the beginning of many happy endings for individuals, it cannot account for several societal factors out of its control that ultimately are the make-or-break factors in success stories.

The DDR program was created to deal with the post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) experienced by soldiers returning from war; when young boys and girls began to be used to fight, an entirely new element needed to be taken into account: pre-adolescent vulnerability. As one humanitarian writes, "Child soldiers, having grown up within an armed group and having been exposed to atrocities since a very young age, are often the most difficult ex-combatants to reintegrate into society." Because all they have known and can remember is conflict, they lack the norms of behavioral interaction with other people. As the United Nation's DDR Center explains, these young people are entirely unaware of how to interact without resorting to violence. Therefore when it comes to rehabilitation, after they are taken out of the conflict zone and demobilized, the process becomes convoluted and varies with every case. Through the first hand research that has been done in correlation to the wars in Sierra Leone, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a few key over-arching actions emerged for creating the most effective agenda for reintegrating juveniles. These entail separating the young combatants from any other soldiers, finding their families and reuniting them as quickly as possible, providing a strong education and basic skills for entering the work force, and long term out-patient therapy sessions to help unite the two worlds the child has lived in. The most crucial piece is to provide the child with a consistent, stable daily life and environment, so they are less inclined to revert to aggressive and hostile behavior when faced with a challenging situation. If each of these steps can be taken for every individual, then their chances of remaining out of warfare dramatically increase.

While the process has proven to be extremely successful, DDR cannot address all of the complications entangled with the horrific experience of child soldiers. One of the major barriers is persuading societies to allow these former combatants back into their homes. Many families do not accept their kids out of fear of violence and of being shunned by the public for housing vicious murderers. This story becomes even more complex when the former militants are female because they are often victims of brutal rapes, genital mutilation, and forced prostitution. The UN's site for the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children says, "Wartime rape often has a tragic ripple effect that extends far beyond the pain and degradation of the rape itself. Rape victims who become pregnant are often ostracized by their families and communities and abandon their babies. Some may even commit suicide." When organizations focused on reintegrating soldiers are faced with such monumental roadblocks, the struggle to achieve the goal of the programs can be instantaneously rendered ineffective. With this in consideration, suddenly breaking cultural taboos then becomes yet another issue to be dismantled and reversed.

Addictions and diseases are yet another impediment the DDR process struggles to address. Militia leaders are notorious for giving youth highly addictive drugs as a way to relieve anxiety and to make those under the influence more brutal on the battlefield. Brown-brown, the most pervasive substance utilized, is made from a mixture of cocaine and gun powder that is administered by being packed into open wounds or by injection into the bloodstream. Through both the reuse of dirty needles and unprotected sex, many of the juveniles who participate in conflicts are exposed to lethal diseases like HIV/AIDS. Even the most well equipped cities in Africa lack the proper funding and tools necessary to treat such an overwhelming number of infected and addicted people, so when soldiers are released from their rehabilitation programs they are left with little access to adequate medical attention. Of course it is absurd to infer that one single DDR program should be able to account for all of these obstacles. This just shows that while so much has already been improved in removing the children from conflict and helping them to rebuild a new life for themselves, broader pushes need to be made in the political, economic and socio-cultural spheres in order for reintegration to be entirely successful.

When all of this is taken together, it is hard to conceive of a way to fully save future generations from repeating our mistakes, but massive undertakings need to be pursued because the stakes are exceedingly high. Currently there are over six million child casualties world-wide along with another one million orphaned. If we cannot help them now, then their kids too will turn to violence when facing economic suffering and political turmoil. The costs of war and of stopping war in future years are not just monetary but are also a matter of security, a sum that far exceeds the price of implementing an all-encompassing effort to rehabilitate those presently affected. International efforts and funds need to be more directly allocated towards both ending clashes today and minimizing the effects of imminent disputes. While we tend to largely disregard the cliché adage "the youth are our future," the statement is full of immeasurable truth, especially in regards to adolescents engaging in combat. The only way to ensure peace for tomorrow is stop the fighting today, to save those who are fighting today.

Beyond the Obvious: A Deeper Look into African Affairs

This week I explored the internet for more sites on the current state of affairs in Africa. I have carefully chosen to include ten web pages from various esteemed organizations in the field of international studies; none of my choices include blogs because I have found very few of high merit in regards to African politics. The links to the pages I found most relevant can be found in the linkroll section on the right of the page. Below I have evaluated each based on the Webby Award Criteria which help shed light on the quality and effectiveness of the sites. The organizations I have chosen to hone in on can be broken down into four different categories; the first group addresses the judicial aspect of affairs. The page for the International Law Institute (ILI) consists of many different components including a side link roll along with recent headlines in the field. While it is a great tool for research on global judicial interactions, each of its pages are presented in different formats making it daunting to navigate. Similar to the ILI, the World Jurist Association is a forum for law professionals to research current international news regarding their emphases. The discourse is reached through papers and dissertations who have respective links provided on various pages which limits any hope for quick access to information. The other two international law organizations are more specified, allowing for more narrow searches. I really enjoyed the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict because the site provides small blurbs about each link so little time is wasted trying to seek out information. The other site, the International Center for Not-for- Profit Law is not as effective in terms of navigability; in fact, it is extremely difficult to traverse but the substance is invaluable. Moving along to economics, one organization is renown above all others: the World Bank. The link provided is specifically to the African branch. The page is phenomenal in terms of layout, material presentation, and even down to the graphics. In terms of politics, there are several less well known organizations than the United Nations, but they are in the lead for helping to bring about political change to third world nations. By far, Africa Action is my favorite site to visit because of its effectiveness in portraying their messages and because of the overall aesthetics of the page. The African National Congress is another great tool that is leading the continent towards greater political stability. this page is so important to the current state of affairs which is why it's great that their site is laid out successfully. The last category of organizations stresses humanitarian issues that need drastic attention. Closest to most people's hearts is Save Darfur because of the immense notoriety the entire war has received. The website for the group utilizes powerful graphics as a lure, including their famous logo that I have shown here. A lesser known institute is the International Crisis Group that works throughout the world to better the lives of impoverished people. Their page specific to Africa provides wonderful information that is updated frequently about what has been happening throughout the continent. The last humanitarian group, Africare, is another fairly well known organization that has created a site that is both effective and touching. Not only is the page easy to negotiate, but it is also inspiring and empowering. These sites are all priceless resources that help to examine the many facets of African affairs in very divergent ways; collectively they provide a strong foundation for becoming informed about a continent that has been largely ignored.

Sudan: Bereft with Over Fifty Years of Conflict

Very few of us know much about Sudan- other than that it has a place in it called “Darfur” where there is a violent civil war. We have all seen the t-shirts that say “Save Darfur” and many of us have seen the Invisible Children movie, but what are we trying to save them from? What really is going on there? I pride myself as being someone who knows what happens outside of the United States daily, but I have recently realized how little I actually know about what stemmed this conflict. It seems totally ludicrous that any one can try to fix a problem without knowing the causes of the conflict (let alone where the country is located), so today when I came across the BBC headline “Darfur: Little Hope Five Years On”, I planned on writing my own policy prescription for how to restore peace to the region but quickly realized that I too knew very little about what the actual problem was. In noting my own ignorance, I recognized that many of my readers and peers are probably just as in the dark. So in hopes of enlightening both myself and others on what is really happening, my "policy prescription" has expanded to include a brief history of Sudan, specifically leading to the conflict in Darfur. While the most recent clash broke out in 2003, the country has actually been ravaged by civil war since independence. With this in mind, bringing peace to Sudan seems a bit more complicated and dreary, although still entirely possible because of massive international attention and intervention.

According to the U.S. Department of State's nation profile, Sudan is the largest country in Africa, covering as much land mass as the continental United States east of the Mississippi River. Although its citizens are called “Sudanese”, the country is actually made up of several different tribes, with vastly varying beliefs, that came under British imperialist rule in the early nineteenth century. Because the borders of African nations were arbitrarily drawn by the Europeans, it is little surprise that civil war broke out almost immediately following Sudan’s independence in 1953. The internal conflict raged between the North, consisting of Arabic Islamics, and the South, a compilation of tribes that consider themselves Black African, until 2002 when peace talks began to unite rifts. In the course of those fifty years, it is estimated that the war cost over $1.5 million a day, a figure that can only be minimized by the death of 1.2 million people.

As though this story is not devastating enough in and of itself, in February 2003 there were increasing numbers of attacks on civilians, specifically the Non- Arab tribes. Because the government was doing little to stop the violence, two rebel groups took it upon themselves to protect their land and people. These two militias, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) have been fighting against an Arab nomad group knows as the Janjaweed (who is supported and financed by the Sudanese government) for over six years now with no end in sight. While those involved claim their grievances to be based on ethnic and tribal inequality within Sudan, the conflict has been exacerbated by drought, overpopulation and starvation.

By September of the following year, the international community had recognized that a genocide was occurring in Darfur and both sides were responsible. The United Nations has passed several resolutions to “protect the civilian population and humanitarian participants, seek avenues toward a political settlement to the humanitarian and political crisis, and recognize the need for the rapid deployment of an expanded African Union mission in Darfur” (Profile). In addition, the UN Security Council, the United States, and the African Union have sent a peace-keeping task force to the region, which is supposed to eventually number over 26,000 strong. On top of all of these measures, the government and militia groups have signed numerous cease fires. Still the fighting has continued interminably.

The situation in Darfur is a far uglier one than imaginable. The conflict can be prolonged indefinitely because both the rebel groups and military army have access to and make use of a largely unlimited resource: soldiers, specifically children who are captured and trained to fight. As for the people living in the region who have managed to escape capture and death, their circumstances are not much better. Today it is believed that over 2 million Sudanese people have fled to neighboring Chad and are now living in camps for internally displaced people (IDP). A BBC journalist who recently visited one of these sites spoke to several refugees who reported “toddlers being burnt alive in villages as men on horseback razed their houses to the ground; women being raped as they fled their homes looking for safety” (Henshaw). Only four days ago, people in Chad heard bombs beings dropped from helicopters that have been identified as belonging to the Sudanese government army (‘Still Bombing’). As a direct result, refugees who are trying to reenter Sudan to look for their family are being denied passage. In addition, Chad fears the conflict may cross their borders, so IDP camps are being relocated farther from the fighting.

With all this in mind, what can be done to stop the war that has not already been tried? First, the entire UN peace keeping force needs to be deployed. Currently only 9,000 of the 26,000 task force are actually in Darfur. Perhaps there should be consideration of bringing even more military power into the region. Because most of the raids occur at night, patrols consisting of people familiar with the terrain should be placed around villages to minimize these surprise attacks on unarmed civilians. In addition, more effort should be made to capture the top officials of the army and rebel groups as a way to break down the power structures. It is not effective to simply kill those who are ransacking towns because as mentioned earlier, soldiers are not hard to come by. On the political side, harsher punishments need to be placed on high officials in the militaries who are responsible for ordering large scale human rights violations that have led to this massive genocide wherein over 400,000 people have been killed. Those responsible need to reach a cease-fire that can be enforced, beginning by placing leaders in prison upon reaching an agreement. Following this, all of the soldiers need to be demobilized and placed through a rigorous reintegration program as a way to ensure that smaller factions do not restart conflicts in the future. While this is taking place, international volunteer groups should rebuild towns with homes and schools for the internally displaced people to return to. As another preventative measure, the Sudanese government should work to help alleviate the marginalized lifestyle the natives of Darfur endured prior to the conflict. Although all of these measures will help to end the immediate civil war, the international community needs to address border issues in not only Sudan, but throughout most of Africa as a way to lessen the chance of a similar outbreak of conflict. This is not to suggest that borders should be redrawn because this would undoubtedly lead to widespread unrest; however, government policies should address both majority rule and minority rights within each nation.

There are no words in the English language that can even begin to describe the atrocities that have taken place in Sudan since it became an independent nation. The fact that we still have been unable to resolve the circumstances in Darfur is evidence that the international community is not doing enough to protect and guarantee basic civil rights and liberties to people around the globe. Much more can still be done by the UN, the African Union, single nations, human rights organizations, and each of us as individuals. As the banner says, we need to do all we can to make sure that what is happening in Darfur happens "Never Again."

International Legitimacy: Engaging the World's Leading Forums

While my main goal for this blog is to create a forum where I can share my thoughts on how globalization is affecting African nations, I also aim for this to be a resource for anyone wishing to extend their knowledge about the topics I discuss within my writing. With this in mind, in my link roll I have placed the links to ten websites that are of highest quality and credibility within the field of International Relations. UNICEF is an extremely well known non governmental organization; their breadth is incredibly extensive, so the website is quite daunting for anyone who does not know what they are explicitly looking for. Because of this, I have included two pages buried within UNICEF’s archives that are extremely relevant for Africa’s future and development: Unite for Children Unite Against AIDS and The State of The World’s Children 2008. The former is fairly easy to navigate and provides valuable insight while the latter is more interactive and engages the material effectively. The logo shown to the right is that of the United Nations, the most renown international coalition of states; their website, like UNICEF’s, is an amazing compilation of tremendous information that has been meticulously organized for in depth research; it is extremely thorough in its content but perhaps too thorough for any novice trying to attain an overview of current world affairs. One of the UN’s departments, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has created an efficient site, allowing for simple searches; however the page is filled with an overwhelming amount of textual headlines making it seem busier than need be. The United Nations Women Watch is similar to the FAO in its profuse overuse of words on its homepage, but the site is filled with great pertinent stories and links to other great sources! The Center for Global Development is yet another website that makes liberal use of small font and information cramming. The benefit to this page is that the headlines are updated almost daily, and the articles are extremely thorough and well written. I have made direct reference and links to the ONE Campaign in previous posts and have made it available again because the website provides its information so successfully making it an invaluable forum. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also been successful in creating a simple, traversable site with easy access to all of its pertinent information. Lastly, BBC Africa is one of the best places for anyone trying to get a general overview of the daily passings of affairs on the continent. The information is relevant, updated around the clock, and is one of the most credible sites of international news reporting.

HIV/ AIDS: A Global Crisis and an International Responsibilty

I just recently discovered and joined the vast world of the blogosphere; initially I thought my scope would not extend any further than publishing my own thoughts on the current circumstance of the African third world, but I have come to appreciate the insight other blog contributors can provide in my own drive to improve the present conditions that exist on the continent. While I was pouring through blogs relating to the challenges faced by African nations, I became increasingly conscious of the number of entries that pertained to raising global awareness for HIV/AIDS. Millions of people throughout dozens of African nations are dying at staggering and increasing rates from diseases and viruses that people in first world countries don't even recognize as legitimate threats. Most of us have been taught the risks and consequences of HIV/AIDS, but view it as a faceless tragedy at a distance- we recognize the fragility of mortality but don't feel personally affected. Most places in the world aren't as fortunate; in Botswana, over twenty-four percent of the adult population is infected with HIV/AIDS. This story follows suit with many other third world countries where large proportions of the working age population are infected with the virus and are rapidly spreading it because of a total lack of prevention information and treatment funding. Since I began exploring the blogosphere, I have come in contact with people like me who are actively trying to get this devastating truth out to as many readers as they can. The first blog I have commented on is part of the online branch of the ONE campaign where distinguished political figures and humanitarians offer their positions on international poverty and disease eradication. The entry "Senator Durbin on Bush's Africa Trip" was posted as a direct response to the President's policies and actions towards the prevention of AIDS in Africa. The second blog post, "Doctor Urges Creation of 'Science of Healthcare Delivery'" is from the blog spot Wired Science; the entry discusses the need for funding towards the HIV/AIDS crisis to unify and address both prevention and treatment of the virus. I have responded to both pieces directly on the respective blogs and also provided my reactions below.


"Senator Durbin on Bush's Africa Trip"
Comment:
While the monetary donations made to third world countries by the United States and the international community are monumental, our primary emphasis should be towards bringing doctors into countries where the HIV/AIDS crisis is rampant. As the Senator noted, only three percent of the world’s health care workers are in Africa even though it overwhelmingly bears the burden of the virus. Of course it is imperative that donations continue to be made, but initiatives should focus on bridging the disparity between infected people and the availability of health care professionals. Large scale international programs should be implemented that would encourage doctors and nurses to travel and work in places where the HIV/AIDS rates are out of hand; smaller organizations like Doctors Without Borders should be expanded, and the government should provide tax reduction benefits to professionals who volunteer. In addition, great lengths need to be taken to allow more students into medical school, a change that would not entail a lowering of academic standards. Currently in the United States, the American Medical Association only allows a minuscule percentage of students into medical schools annually, keeping the supply of doctors low and maintaining their exorbitant salaries. This monopoly is extremely petty in light of the international shortage of doctors.

The concluding challenge- a need to push ourselves and each other to make a greater impact- is vital if we want to be wholly successful in eradicating the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. Globalization and the successive technology revolution have enabled people who are not doctors or lawyers to take an active role in combating the international health crisis. However, few are aware of just how much of an impact they can make. The One Campaign has been extremely successful in educating the masses on global phenomena that have been largely ignored for decades. Still, more should be done to provide information on involvement opportunities, especially to younger generations. I believe if this challenge was more than just a statement but actually provided a means through which the public could donate their time and talents, there would be a surprising turn out of volunteers. Our media overwhelms us with heart wrenching stories, but we are never told how we can make a difference to ensure that our children don't have to bear the burden of problems we left unsolved. Perhaps the most successful plan to eliminate the threat of HIV/AIDS for future generations is to create an accessible, straightforward system through which the masses could become involved.

"Doctor Urges Creation of 'Science of Healthcare Delivery'"
Comment:
This article has such a deep, but overlooked bearing on the international society we live in today; I am extremely grateful to people like Jim Yong Kim who acknowledge that- despite actions like the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and PEPFAR- the United States and the international community could do more to help those already living with HIV/AIDS. As one of the more highly developed nations, we have so much potential to help raise the basic survival rates for people in Africa, yet we do not share the knowledge of medication technology and other treatment methods we have already acquired on the basis that it has not yet proven to be as effective or complete as possible. As Kim put forward- we need to “start rethinking the relationship between finding treatments and actually treating patients”. While we are all painfully aware that there is currently no cure for the virus, treatment plans that delay and alleviate its symptoms do exist. In the United States, these pill cocktails are relatively expensive because our medical and pharmacology systems are businesses and operate under market conditions. However, agreements should be reached to make these drugs available at drastically reduced prices to those who have already been infected in Africa as a way to help execute the Millennium Development Goals put forth by the World Health Organization. This step along with Kim’s suggestion to expand health care delivery on a national scale in African nations would begin the preliminary steps of implementing the practice of preventative medicine throughout third world nations. It is imperative that policies directed towards HIV/AIDS eradication entail a melding of prevention and treatment systems because there are two sides to this crisis that need to be addressed. If only preventative methods or treatments are applied, then only half of the issue is being resolved; this in turn drastically slows the rates by which we could be improving basic standards of living and health in third world nations. This article elucidates our fundamental human obligation to do all that is in our power to begin equalizing basic health as it extends to the entire global population.

Child Soldiers: A Global Crisis

The use of child soldiers is one of the most horrific tragedies of modern warfare and one of the most ignored. Today, over 250,000 children are still being used to fight wars across the globe, most prominently in Asia and Africa. This staggering statistic has been solely a figure for more than three decades; however, as we are now living in a world that is increasingly shrinking because of the pervasiveness of technology, it is time that the world recognized this genocide against our youth. While globalization has played a role in getting these stories out to the world, it actually acts as a double-edged sword. On the one side, it has contributed enormously to the rise of children in warfare, but at the same time, it has also made the crisis global in reach and enabled international society to unite and combat the malice.

Child soldiers have been used in an increasing number of conflicts for the last half-century at such drastic rates because globalization and technology have proliferated the availability of arms and weaponry. Small governments and resistance groups in third world countries who previously had no access to modern weapons, now can have them imported for a small sum, legally and illegally, with little difficulty. The devastation of modern warfare has spread over great distances and to greater numbers of people as we are progressively more able to reach remote areas of the world that were once impenetrable. Not only has technology increased the availability and lowered the cost of arms, it has also created weapons light and simple enough that children as young as five years old can carry and fire them. One hundred fifty years ago soldiers had to be able to maneuver cannons and bayonets effectively, a task impossible for anyone not of significant size; now with a gun like the AK-47 and other automatic weapons, strength no longer matters.

The other "edge" of globalization's sword is that it has enabled the issue to be publicized en masse to the world's population. The internet and home video cameras make it possible for average people to witness the human rights atrocities being committed in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and Sierra Leone to name a few. One well known example is the Invisible Children story; because of new technology and mass media, three college students were able to create a documentary that has turned into an international movement to stop child soldiering in The Sudan. Other recent movies like Blood Diamond and The Last King of Scotland have also helped to draw public attention to the international crises taking place. Hundreds of thousands of people are now getting involved and donating to international organizations like UNICEF and Amnesty International to help actively end the atrocities of these children that would otherwise be unknown, unnoticed, and forgotten. Because people have access to these stories, they are helping to bring about change in the lives of children half way across the globe.

Now that the international public on a large scale has taken notice of this international crisis and demanded change, the U.N. has been able to take steps to eliminate the use of child soldiering throughout the world. In 2000, a majority of the members ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention of Rights of the Child in the Involvement in Armed Conflict. This regulation outlaws conscripting any person under the age of 18 into an armed force group. Not only does this apply to rebel groups, but governments are also forbidden from drafting underaged people. The protocol was the first monumental legislation implemented that acknowledged the problem even existed; however, it did little beyond that because punishments were vague and thus not enforced. The United Nations has intervened in a few wars where children were involved, like Sudan, but only after massive international public attention was drawn to the crisis. In the last few months, the U.N. General Secretary has been trying to persuade the Security Council to place trade, travel and arms sales sanctions on countries that are still using child soldiers in combat zones. As shown on this map, the countries where there are child soldiers being used in conflicts include Afghanistan, Colombia, Nepal, the Philippines and several African nations; coincidentally, all of them are members of the UN and have all ratified the Optional Protocol on the Rights of the Child. If these new sanctions are achieved and enforced, they could be yet another key piece in halting the international child soldiering crisis.

Even as international bodies are able to make progress in removing children from war fronts, an entirely new set of monumental issues arises with reintroducing former soldiers into society. When the children are captured from their homes, they are put through a horrifying "indoctrination" process that ties them to the army. Because of the total brain-washing the children receive at such a young age, the reintegration process is a daunting task that needs to be completely effective in every case in order to guarantee first, that the children do not reenter the armed forces and second that the child soldier phenomenon does not repeat itself. The reintegration process used by international organizations is called "D.D.R"; thus far it has been the most effective way of helping former child soldiers become successful, productive members of their society. The first step to the process is 'Disarmament'- stripping the child of the only safety he or she has had since being forcibly conscripted. In most cases, the children have to be forcibly recaptured and taken to rehabilitation centers because their fighting units are the only family they have known, and their leaders constantly instill fear that the world outside the unit is an enemy. The second step, 'Demobilization', is more crucial, complicated, and time consuming because the brain-washing and indoctrination need to be reversed; this is achieved through psychological healing, teaching basic social skills, providing basic education, and breaking physiological addictions to brown-brown, a highly addictive substance given to child soldiers. The last step in the process is 'Reintegration' into society which is just as convoluted as the two preceding parts because many children do not remember their real names nor where they came from, and in many cases, the families have already been killed or moved to Internally-Displaced People (IDP) camps.

While this process is extremely complex and not entirely uplifting, it has been successful in the reintegration of many former child soldiers back into their societies. However, the most crucial issue that is yet to be addressed entails massive global mobilization; doctors, teachers, psychologists, lawyers, resources and funding are extremely low in supply, thus their success is limited to helping only a small number of the children who need to reintegrated. The story of child soldiers is bereft with tragedy and to date the ending has not been much different because as an international society, not enough has been done to help save the current children in warfare and few preventative methods have been implemented. However, we are living in an increasingly globalized world that gives each of us more power to gt involved to end this human rights atrocity.