Children

Guatemala: Alvaro Colom was sworn in yesterday as Guatemala’s new president. Colom pledged to alleviate poverty in the country, where half the people live on an estimated $1 per day.

Afghanistan: Due to an increase in prices, more than 1 million people in rural Afghanistan are at risk of food shortages, says the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) (UN Dispatch).

Sudan: AIDS prevention in Sudan has a long way to go, and efforts to introduction of a prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) program in August 2007at Port Sudan Hospital, 1,620 pregnant women have received information about HIV and the offer of an HIV test; however only 24 have taken the offer. Mother-to-child HIV infection is almost completely preventable - one dose of the antiretroviral (ARV) drug, nevirapine, can halve the chances of a mother infecting her child during delivery (IRIN).

Afghanistan: Heavy snow and extremely cold weather have killed at least 140, mostly children and elderly people, and injured many others in different parts of Afghanistan in the last two weeks, according to the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authorities (ANDMA) and provincial authorities (IRIN).

Egypt: Illegal immigration from Egypt to Europe has risen with steady pace over the last 10 years, according to Wagdi Abdel Aziz, director of the South Center for Human Rights in Cairo. The number of illegal migrants is unknown, but it is estimates are at 10,000-20,000, said Abdel Aziz. The number of those who make it to shore is unknown, however the majority are young men, often underage, who take the risky journey to reach what they hope is economic freedom (IRIN).

India: The International Herald Tribune reports that a push by the Indian government is getting more of the country’s children to attend schools, but says school quality has not improved.  “More Indian children are in school than ever before, but the quality of public schools like this one has sunk to spectacularly low levels, as government schools have become reserves of children at the very bottom of India’s social ladder”.

There are some 27 million slaves in the world today, making the already horrendous crime one one of the There is no corner of the world untouched by this unspeakable crime, which preys mostly on women and children.

The United States has taken the issues with the utmost seriousness, and over the last 8 years has worked to establish effective laws to protect victims and prosecute their offenders. Sadly the road to end modern day slavery isn’t short, not will the ratification of one law change the fate of some 27 million people across the globe, however with each law we are one step closer to ending the the worlds biggest crime against humanity.

The first major step for the US came with the enactment of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, and has since forth been followed with the; Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003, Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003, Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005

In addition to the enactment of specialized laws related to human trafficking and modern day slavery the US State Department has now issued a total of seven congressionally mandated Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report’s, the latest the, 2007 TIP Report was issued on June 12, 2007. The US State Departments Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP), which is led by Ambassador Mark P. Lagon, issues the TIP report and assists in the coordination of anti-trafficking efforts within the US and worldwide, are a direct response to the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000.

While the United States has taken a number of steps towards the abolition of modern day slavery, there are a number of steps which are left to be taken. A number of bills with trafficking-related provisions currently find themselves floating around the Congressional floor. Such bills include; The implementation of the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007, which directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide specified funding and administrative support to strengthen the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center. The William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2007, which was approved by the House on December 4, 2007 by a vote of 405-2, and would, among other provisions, reauthorize anti-trafficking programs until 2011, as well as amend the criminal code and immigration law related to human trafficking. The Congressional Commission on the Abolition of Modern-Day Slavery Act, would create a Commission for the evaluation and make recommendations on, all current U.S. anti-slavery efforts and their effectiveness, including antitrafficking in persons programs. Trafficking in Persons Accountability Act of 2007, approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 20, 2007, would create additional jurisdiction in U.S. courts for trafficking offenses occurring in other countries.

The next step down the road to freedom was taken on January 10, 2008, with a new report which was issued by the U.S. Congressional Research Service, the report examines trends in human trafficking and U.S. policy in several different regions of the world. The report highlights several areas of concern, including the accuracy of statistical data on the numbers of victims, and brings attention to the various bills waiting for Congresses approval. The report looks at the following key Policy Issues; How to Collect Data and Measure Success, Credibility of TIP Rankings, Sanctions: A Useful Tool?, Equal Focus on all Types of Trafficking?, Debates Regarding Prostitution and Trafficking, and Issues Concerning Immigration Relief for Trafficking Victims.

One can only hope that reports like this will bring much needed attention to the severity of the issue of human trafficking, and will enable the US to see a dramatic increase in the protection of victims and awareness of the issues in 2008.

The use of the internet to sell things comes as no shock in our high tech digital age; however, what about the distribution of child pornography and the selling of children? The sad reality is that the use of such sites as MySpace and Craigslist have been at the forefront of these illicit and horrendous crimes. When people tell you that ‘you can literally buy anything online’, they are not kidding! The policing of such activities is has always been difficult for the authorities, but many question the sites themselves for even allowing services of such a sexual nature to even be advertised, thus opening the door for a multitude of illegal activities.

Last month, Love146 initiated a “Call to Action” campaign to ask Craiglist, popular public marketplace website, to make a New Year’s resolution of better monitoring its “Erotic Services” section in order to pro-actively prevent the sale and trafficking of children for sexual purposes. However Craigslist has thus far failed to respond to Love 146’s letter, and thus they are asking supporters to boycott the Craigslist website “until they publicly declare a 2008 resolution to implement safeguards and monitoring procedures that will eradicate the sale of human beings on the erotic services section of the website”. You an find Love 146’s petition letter here

Other organizations including, the Salvation Army, Polaris Project, The Loose Change to Loosen Chains Campaign, the NOT FOR SALE Campaign, Students and Artists Fighting to End Human Slavery, and many others are joining the fight against the use of sites such as Craigslist.

Stories such as the one about an Oakland Man who was Indicted For Pimping Teens On Web, are becoming all to common. The man was charged with the trafficking of two underage girls, for which he used sites, including Craigslist, to sell the girls as escorts.

Over the past year alone a number of pedophiles have have used craigslist to search for and solicit, including Brian Lee Nestor who’s ad posted this past September in the “Casual Encounters” section read; “Anybody into family fun? …bring your son and hang out with us.” (Craigslist.org a source of crimes). The site also has an “Erotic Services” section, which while trolling one can easily see a number of suspicious ad’s for young providers claiming to be 18, however looking at many photos the question of age is quick to come to mind. Seeing ad’s that read; “It’s my duty to please and perform your unforgettable desires”, one has to question who is really behind the numerous faceless young boys and girls who litter the various sections of craigslist. Other ad’s reading, “Older guy looking for young…”, “Daddy type seeking single young girl for fun and more.”, “Sugar Daddy For Young Hottie”, are ripe for traffickers to pawn their young victims on.

“…despite its millions of users and various social benefits, there’s a dark side of Craigslist that most users don’t see. In the “Erotic” section, human traffickers have found Craigslist to be one of the most efficient, effective (and free) ways to post children and women for sale.” -Katherine Chon Executive Director and Co-Founder of Polaris Project.

The sad reality is that the fight to end child trafficking has only just begun, and the road ahead is a long and difficult one, however the first big steps are being made. With the help of organizations and individuals we can work to eradicate this monstrous crime, to see that children are no longer seen as commodities availible for sale on the open market.

Links:
Craigs Crime List - The craigslist crime blotter
International Developments Section of Regulation of Child Pornography on the Internet - Cases and Materials related to Child Pornography on the Internet

AFP

The number of internally displaced people in Iraq had increased some 50% from 2006 to 2007, however some claim the numbers may now be falling, but only slowly. There are still millions of Iraqi’s living away from home due to the threat of violence there, leaving some to flea their homes and head to other regions of the country, while others leave Iraq completely, leaving a total of approximately 4 million Iraqi refugees.

According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) in September 2007 there where more than 2 million IDPs in Iraq; Northern Provinces 800,900, Central Provinces 740,500, Southern Provinces 714, 600, a total of 2,256,000.  Most of the displaced are woman and children, some estimates put children at more than 30%, children like the ones pictured above, who are playing near abandoned shops housing displaced families in Baghdad’s Kasrah and Atash district.  Displacement leaves children at risk for disease, with lack of adequate healthcare and nutrition, and places many children at risk for abuse.
Just last week the UN announced that it is seeking $261 million to help hundreds of thousands of displaced Iraqis, which will include both internally and externally displaced persons. For the children outside Iraq one of the biggest goals is education;

“Under the 2008 appeal, we have set a target of getting another 100,000 Iraqi refugee children into school, bringing the total to 200,000 by the end of this year,” Mr. Redmond said. “We will also continue direct assistance to vulnerable families, including a programme that provides cash cards for limited monthly withdrawals by female-headed households, widows and people with disabilities and chronic illnesses.”

For those children who are displaced with in Iraq getting aid proves to be much more difficult due to continuing insecurities in the country, however the UN has specific programs for IDPs.

“In 2008, we will focus on getting assistance to 400,000 of the most vulnerable of the estimated 2.2 million internally displaced people in Iraq.”

A internally displaced family, living in a camp in Suleimaniyah.

In addition to increased efforts by the UN, the

Arab League is to launch massive campaign for Iraqi refugees with UN help, the campaign is to focus mainly on fundraising and public awareness.

“The Iraqi people have suffered extreme hardship. Women, children, entire families have witnessed terrible violence and despair,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres says in a video message to be used in the campaign. “I appeal to you to support your Iraqi brothers and sisters…. Your voice and helping hand can make a profound difference.”

For now it looks like the children of Iraq will continue to suffer with the ensuing violence, and displacement remains one of the largest tragedies of war. For most children the hope of returning home is a distant dream.

Further Information:
Conditions deteriorating for tens of thousands of Iraqi children, UN reports
UNHRC: Statistics on Iraqi’s Around the World, September 2007
Iraqi Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
Map of IDP movement in Iraq
Displacement Due to Recent Violence , April 2006 IOM Iraq IDP
The IDP Crisis in Iraq: National Security Network
Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Tent Camp Assessment Report - October 2007
Iraq: Plight Of Displaced Worsens

Kenya: A total of 3,704 people have fled the ongoing violence in Kenya, crossing the border into neighboring Uganda according to the Uganda Red Cross. Most of the refugees have sought shelter in schools which are closed for the holidays, their fate and futures remain unknown as the violence in Kenya continutes.

Iraq: According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) some 177 million euros is needed in 2008 in order to adequately help Iraqi refugees. The UN estimates some 2.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain in Iraq, with an estimated additional 2 million Iraqi refugees outside the country, residing mainly in Syria and Jordan.

South Asia: People across South Asia are struggling to cope with a severe shortage of affordable wheat and rice. The BBC reports there have been queues outside Pakistani shops in towns around the country, and flour prices have shot up. Global wheat prices are at record highs. Problems have been compounded by crop failures in the northern hemisphere and an increase in demand from developing countries. Last week Afghanistan appealed for foreign help to combat a wheat shortage while Bangladesh recently warned it faced a crisis over rice supplies.

Illiteracy among the Arab states has dramatically increased to some 99.5 million, 29.7% of the population, according to the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO). ALECSO stated that 75 million of which are between 15 and 45 years old, and that the increase could threaten the social development of all the nations.

Congo: On January 9th a major conference took place to target restoring peace and stability in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Kivu provinces at the University of the Great Lakes in Goma. Civil war plagued the country between 1996 and 2003 and in North and South Kivu fighting has continued. The minister of social and humanitarian affairs, stated that the conflict led to the deaths of five million people, the internal displacement of six million, and the rape of half a million women.

Sudan:  It was the Justice and Equality Movement, a Sudanese rebel group, and not Sudanese government soldiers who attacked a clearly marked UN/African Union supply convoy in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region last week, Sudan’s UN ambassador said on Jan. 9. “They were not the government,” Ambassador Abdelmahmoud Abdelhalim Mohamed stated before a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

Zimbabwe: The flooding across southern Africa has increased, causing more and more destuction of homes and livestock, displacement of families, as well as increased the spread  of disease. In Zimbabwe the foods have caused a high level of potentially fatal illnesses in children and adults, with more cases of acute respiratory infection, bilharzias, diarrhea and skin conditions being reported. According to a World Vision Zimbabwe assessment team, diseases such as malaria and dysentery are on the increase, and fears of cholera are spreading.

United States:  According to One Laptop Per Child‘s, Nicholas Negroponte, Intel has repeatedly destabilized the program by using underhand sales tactics and working to block sales contracts. Intel head Paul Otellini said the accusation was “hogwash.” (BBC)

Cambodia: Dengue fever in Cambodia has killed 407 people, mostly children.  This is the highest death toll of the disease in almost a decade. Efforts to stop the diseases spread are underway; the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Red Cross are providing pesticides to kill mosquitoes and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has given some $300,000 for anti-dengue programs.

Spain: A week long strike in has taken place by the private clinics that carry out more than 90% of legal abortions in Spain.   Spanish law requires that a doctor diagnosis that pregnancy poses a  mental health risk to the woman.  The strike was held to call for better legal protection for both women and doctors. The strikes are in reaction to police raids on abortion clinics in Barcelona and Madrid late last year.

Submit your essay to UNICEF and you could be attending the Junior 8 Summit in Japan!

Last year a group of 74 youths from 18 countries participated in the Junior 8 Summit in Wismar, Germany.  Presenting their recommendations on how we can build a better world for future generations, they gave participated in discussions about how we can invest more in Africa, work to fight HIV/AIDS, increase corporate social responsibility and work towards the needs and issues of climate change.

The 2007 J8 delegation in Germany 

A national competition is now open to young people (ages 13 - 17) interested in participating in the Junior 8, J8, Summit, a youth event convened this year in Hokkiado, Japan and linked to the annual Group of 8, G8, Summit. The J8 Summit enables young people the unique opportunity to become involved in the topics that concern G8 countries and the broader global community.

Teams of four will write a series of essays and create a multimedia presentation explaining (demonstrating) their solutions to global issues. All candidate teams competing to attend this year’s J8 will address the following issues: 1) global warming and climate change; 2) poverty and development; and 3) child survival, infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS.

All applications must be submitted by March 1, 2008, with winners scheduled to be announced in late March. Teams participating must attend a preparatory training, April 26-28, and the J8 Summit in July.

For more information on criteria and rules of competition and to download a contest application please go to: www.unicefusa.org/youthaction.

It is within the eyes of a child that hope lies, look into them and you will see the dreams of peace and freedom. Children are born to see hope and possibility, it is us as adults, who give them doubts.  It is us, as leaders who give children the reason to believe that hope is lost.  Children are wise, for they are not yet tainted by the greed and hate that ruins societies, sadly they remain this way for only a short while.  Therefore let us look to children for inspiration, courage, and most of all hope!

Willingly no one chooses the yoke of slavery. - Aeschylus

Child slaves in Ghana

Tomorrow is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and I ask you all to take a moment to look into the seriousness of this problem, and realize that is effects all countries, all races, all religions, all ages and sexes. It is for that reason that the 110TH CONGRESS - 1ST SESSION S. CON. RES. 40 - CONCURRENT RESOLUTION, which passed the Senate on June 22, 2007, was set up to support the goals and ideals of observing the established National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness on January 11 of each year, for which it was set to raise awareness of, and opposition to human trafficking.

According to the U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report, some 800,000 persons are victims of trafficking each year, seven times more than in 1960. The victims are mostly woman and children who are often used as sex slaves, forced to endure harsh labor or even to fight wars. The numbers do not always include those who remain enslaved in their own countries, and many believe figures on trafficked persons are much higher than officially reported. There are some 27 million people, who are living lives as slaves today around the world. It is widely believed that there are at least 2 million children used as slaves in the commercial sex industry worldwide. Prices for these modern day slaves are at an all time low, while profits remain high, leading some to believe the problem is worse now than during the days of legalized slavery.

“We could eradicate slavery. The laws are in place. The multi-nationals, the world trade organizations, the United Nations, they could end slavery, but they’re not going to do it until and unless we demand it.” -Kevin Bales

In honor of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, January 11, 2008, various events will be taking place across the country, so please look for events in your community…better yet, organize your own!  If you know of any events taking place, please share them with the other readers and post a comment with the event details today.

Events include those such as; ModernDaySlavery.org is hosting various online events and activities, including video downloads, a free 30 minute online seminar, and a live call-in radio show on Drive Time-Talk Time. The radio interview will feature activist and author of Modern Day Slavery: Human Trafficking Revealed, Catherine Paris who will discuss human trafficking. The show can be heard on air from 3:00PM - 4:00PM (EST), calls to the show can be made to (347) 945-5541. The program will be archived following it’s airing, and can be found on the shows website.

UN GIFT (United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking) also has a number of events taking place, please click their link to find out more.  UN GIFT events will come to an end at the Global Forum against Human Trafficking, which takes place from 13th to 15th Feb 2008, in Vienna.

“Massive poverty and obscene inequality are such terrible scourges of our times - times in which the world boasts breathtaking advances in science, technology, industry and wealth accumulation - that they have to rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social evils.” -Nelson Mandela

I hope you will take this day and use your voice to raise awareness on the issues of human trafficking, so that we may win the fight against slavery once and for all. Let us win the fight so that future generations of children can truly no for no other reason than that of something they learned in a history class.

Please see my article from the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions Analysis: Child Trafficking and my previous posts related to child trafficking. You can also find more information by visiting any of the organizations listed on my Human Trafficking Links, watching one of the videos on my Human Trafficking and Slavery Related Movies and Documentaries list, and by reading some of the related books on my Book List.

I recently came across this photo, which was taken at a Refugee camp in Baghdad on November 16 2004. While I am very used to seeing images of children who are victims of violence, this image struck me harder than many of the bloody photos of war I have seen. The reason it took me back a bit more wasn’t so much the fact that the children where playing, but while both boys have guns in their hands, their expressions and body languages each tells a different story. The true fear in the younger boys face makes your heart sink into your stomach. While the expression on the older boys face is more like one of elation and joy over the mere fact that he could kill the other boy if he really wanted to, and sends a shiver down your spine.

Children look to us, the adults, the leaders, for examples and for the children of war torn countries the examples that we give them are nothing but violence and death. Therefore children of war and violence are more likely to grow into violent adults, if they make it that far, than those who live in peace. However all of our children are affected, as the images of war and violence invade all of our lives on a daily basis. Many children know nothing except war, poverty and displacement. These children will spend their entire childhoods, surrounded by violence and these are the examples of adulthood that will be forever etched into their impressionable minds.

One wonders when looking back at the photograph what the fate of these two boys is, what they have become in the last three years. Are they still alive? Have they walked separate paths, did the younger one choose peace and the older one choose violence as his road to adulthood? Will they ever live a happy normal life?
The saddest part about this image is that all too often the guns in the children’s hands are not that of toys.

The crisis in Darfur has been waging on for five years, and one would think that peace and stability would now be on the horizon, however the the situation appears to be getting worse.  As we enter this new year, hope has begun to fade for many, especially the children. Despite efforts to send AID into the region, which has been repeatedly torn apart over the years by genocidal violence, however the level of child malnutrition in the region has increased over the past year.

According to a UN report issued at the close of 2007, the rate of child malnutrition in the region was considerably higher, even with an increased presence of aid workers in the past year. The current aid operation in Darfur is currently the worlds largest, comprised of 13 United Nations agencies and around 80 private aid agencies. The cost of aid in Darfur in 2007 was some one billion US dollars, yet the effects of the relief effort appear to be falling short for Darfur’s children who once again are left to suffer and subcome to the elements derived from the continued violence.

The UN’s report showed 16.1% of children affected by the conflict suffer from acute malnutrition, in comparison to 12.9% a year earlier. This is the first time malnutrition rates have soured above the World Health Organization’s malnutrition “emergency threshold”, which is set at 15%, since 2004, a year following the beginning of the conflict, when it ran at 21.8%. (Child Malnutrition on Rise in Darfur).

“There is a psychological effect here,” said one aid official in Sudan who did not want to be identified because he feared reprisals from the Sudanese government. “These people have been in these camps for years now, and the energy that was around a few years ago and the hopes that this situation might be over soon and people could go home — all that’s gone now. He said that depression could affect how mothers care for their children, and that the overall malaise in the camps would make poor health conditions worse.” (Malnutrition Up in Darfur Despite Aid).

A lack of security, new tribal violence, constant displacement, fear, and attacks on aid workers are just to name a few factors which are adding to the increase in child malnutrition. While there are many reasons that may be hindering the effectiveness of aid, and compounding the situation for children and adults alike.  Nonetheless the fact remains that the people of Darfur can not continue to slip further and further away for our eyes, and therefore increased security and new planning must be made to ensure that people receive their basic human rights. However all of this will continue to fail if the International community does not take stronger action against the government of Sudan and work to find a sustainable solution to bring peace to Darfur, and the entire country of Sudan.