Malnutrition in Guatemala:A national shame
Guatemalan authorities are failing to act effectively against the country’s high rate of child malnutrition, The Economist says. Nearly half of all Guatemalan youngsters suffer from chronic malnutrition, the sixth-worst level in the world despite the country having potential financial resources sufficient to provide better health care, education and food aid.

In Zambia, photos of childbirth spark controversy
The editor of a newspaper in Zambia might face jail time for distributing pornography after sending officials a photograph of a woman delivering a stillborn child outside a hospital. In the photograph, a woman is shown attempting to deliver the child, who was oriented feet first, after she was turned away from two clinics — which were understaffed because of a prolonged nurses’ strike. Critics say the editor’s arrest is a political retaliation for editorials that have criticized the government’s handling of the health crisis. See a bit more from Cassandra, in the piece Activism or Pornography?

Young Afghan to sue U.S. over Gitmo detention
The family of one of the youngest prisoners ever held at Guantanamo plans to sue the U.S. government to compensate him for mistreatment and an adolescence lost to nearly seven years in a cell, his lawyers said Thursday. Jawad and his family say he was 12 when he was arrested, and that he is now 19 years old. The Pentagon has said a bone scan showed he was about 17 when taken into custody. His defence lawyers decline to give an exact age for Jawad, who does not have a birth certificate, but say photos taken in Guantanamo showed that he had not gone through puberty.

Starvation ravages East Africa
War, drought and rising food prices have unleashed a wave of starvation across eastern Africa. The United Nations’ World Food Programme has issued an emergency appeal for funding to help millions of people in Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia in need of food assistance.

Genetic advance raises IVF hopes
Researchers have discovered a way to treat a disorder affecting the mitochondria in female human ova — a treatment that could promise a way for women with defective eggs to have children without using those eggs. The mitochondrial disorder is faulted for hundreds of disorders, including anemia, dementia and various neurological diseases.

Children poisoned picking tobacco, study finds
Tens of thousands of children working in African tobacco fields slowly are being poisoned through exposure to nicotine and tobacco dust equivalent to smoking a pack a day, according to a study from Plan International. The child laborers wear no protective gear and exhibit symptoms including breathing difficulty, headaches and chest pains, the report noted.

The Women’s Crusade
Using development dollars to help women and girls achieve economic independence as a means to fight extremism and poverty is gaining recognition among Western policymakers and aid groups. In many developing countries, girls are less likely than boys to receive proper medical care, education and sustenance, leading to higher gender-related ratios of poverty and death.

New PMTCT guidelines to save moms and babies
A more effective antiretroviral (ARV) regimen for pregnant HIV-positive Kenyan women lies at the heart of new national guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission {PMTCT). Now, a combination of three ARVs - zidovudine (AZT), nevirapine and lamivudine (3TC) - will be used for mother and baby, rather than the single dose of nevirapine administered previously, which led to some women and children developing resistance to the drug.

“Refusing Marriage at 13, Indian Girl Asks for Education Instead
Rekha Kalindi defied convention at 13, refusing marriage and demanding an education instead. Her story and conviction has been brought to the national stage in India, with newspapers “hailing her for accomplishing change that the Indian government was incapable of making,” as ABC News reports.

Wonder how close to home the issues are to you? Just take a look at the National Sex Offender Registry and you will be almost sickened by the numbers in your neighborhood…However let me also cautious warn you about looking at the registry lightly, and to closely look at the offenses before jumping the gun, as  you must remember that there can be those placed on the registry for a wide array of sexually based offenses, including statutory rape.

There is of course much debate over such registries and their effectiveness, and sometimes relevance. Much of this is drawn from the fact that it can often seem chaotic, as individual police forces input the data into and maintain the main sex offenders’ registry. In the US public sex offender registers have been in place for about a decade, and their transparent nature has thus led to large, but informed debate on both the dangers poised by sex offenders to society, pros and cons of publishing their details in a national public registry. In most states, inclusion on the registry is only following a criminal conviction, thus not all sexual predators and violators are therefore on the list. States place offenders into rankings, such as; 1 (those posing the least threat) to 3 (high risk), while some of those posing the lowest deemed may not actually be published on the internet, while files on category 2 and 3 offenders are published complete with photograph, name, list of offenses, address and maps showing proximity to schools. You can links to individual state registries on the Parents For Megan’s Law website.

Nonetheless you will still be sickened as you troll through the pages, and let me tell you while your neighborhood may leave you in a state of shock and dismay, the real shocker is yours looks just like everyone else. So the reality of it all is that you cannot run and hide, we can no just ship every sex offender off to an island, some on the registry are in fact harmless and are others are not. That leads me into how do you tell? There is no physical profile of a sex offender, some look like Mr. Nice Guy, your dad, grandpa, and others like the creepy guy down the road. I remember often hearing someone say, “he looks like a kiddie fiddler”, well that infamous “kiddie fiddler” look doesn’t exist and knowing who is a perpetrator or proprietor of child porn is far from simple. And the reality of this registry is it only shows those who have been caught, and caught in the United States, nor does it show anyone using virtual child porn.

The face of predator, human trafficker, or modern slave holder, can look like anyone as well can that of a victim of human trafficking. The exploitation of children, and adults,  is not an issue facing one culture, one society or one faith based community, it isn’t per say a cultural issue, it’s a human issue. And while we are working to combat modern slavery in all forms on a global scale, we must not forget about what is happening in our own backyards. Thus we must ensure that within our own country that we form a united front and unite forces from all cultures and faiths to see that we bring awareness and support to the issues of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. By uniting as a community we will be more effective in bringing awareness to the issues, teaching children and adults the warning and signs of abuse.

According to the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS);

• Sixty-seven percent of all victims of sexual assault reported to the participating law enforcement agencies were juveniles (under the age of 18); 34% of all victims were under age 12.
• One of every seven victims of sexual assault reported to the participating law enforcement agencies were under age 6.
• Forty percent of the offenders in the incidents reported who victimized children under age 6 were juveniles (under the age of 18).

The reality of  abuse against children is shocking, for around four children a day in the U.S. die as a result of child abuse and neglect every day. An estimated 906,000 children are victims of domestic violence and abuse every year. However the key to ending abuse is to know the signs of child abuse.  As a society we need to become more aware and more empowered or victims will go on being victims and the numbers will continue to grow.  Therefore if you see a child or adolescent that is being abused don’t stand helplessly by and let them suffer, report it, talk to the child, and look for the signs. We can end violence against the vulnerable and if we all start with one child we are well on our way to winning the fight.

Resources:
Links for Abused Children and Parents

Crisis Hotlines

Books for Children and Parents of Victims of Abuse

Registering Harm: How Sex Offense Registries Fail Youth Communities

Engaging Bystanders in Sexual Violence Prevention

Rape Prevention and Risk Reduction: Review of the Research Literature for Practitioners

Report Describing Projects Designed to Prevent First Time Male Perpetration of Sexual Violence (Updated)

The gory night of gaols and goblins is almost here again, so while your heading to the pool or getting the kids new clothes for school, its not to early to begin thinking of how to make the night a little less scary.  And what is scarier than the fact that the Cocoa industry often traffics children to work as slaves, according to UNICEF (The United Nation’s Children’s Fund), 200,000 children in West Africa alone, are living in conditions of forced labor and slavery on cocoa farms.

So why not gear up to join school children of all ages and adults across the US and Canada this Halloween for Reverse Trick or Treating.  Individuals and groups will unite to bring awareness to modern slavery in the Cocoa Industry and beyond, by giving Fair Trade chocolate back to adults, as they Trick-or-Treating door-to-door in their communities on Halloween.

How is Reverse Trick or Treating done?  The chocolate is attached to a card with information about social and environmental justice issues in the cocoa industry and how buying Fair Trade certified chocolate provides a sustainable solution.

The best part is that, there is no reason for you not to participate, as Reverse Trick-or-Treating kits are FREE (Participants pay the cost of postage only), thanks to the generous donations of Fair Trade chocolate companies: Equal Exchange, Alter Eco, Sweet Earth, and La Siembra (& others in Canada)

DEADLINE TO REQUEST KITS:
Groups (schools, congregations, youth groups, etc): October 1
Individuals: October 13

To order your kits today click here for the United States or here for Reverse Trick-or-Treating in Canada!

I really don’t watch much TV, especially during the day, however today I happened to be home, when a friend told me to tune into DR Phil.  The episode was Dangerous Teen Trends, the episode had a number of stories, but one that stood out was the story of a 12 year-old girl who had entered into the dangerous world of online sexting.  The parents felt their daughter was safe, she had no computer to access the internet without supervision, but what they didn’t know is that seemingly innocent video game she had was more than just a game.  The girl had was using the hand held video game to access the internet and had entered a dangerous and adult focused world of sex.  Soon she set-up a profile saying she was a 16 year-old porn star, giving explicit details of her life and engaging in online sexually based chats.  All the while her parents had no idea she could access all this from the game…nor did I, thus they thought she was beign safely protected on the internet.

The young girl had emassed over 800 pages of graphic chat-room conversations with older men, including one she is known to at least have met and had sex.  After explicit conversations with a 19 year-old, she then gave her own address and other personal information, for which he then came and picked her up and dropped her back home.  This incident is frightening for endless reasons, which could have been the door opener to countless other potential dangers and abusers to both herself and her family, including sister.

After the incident above her secret was quickly discovered and she has since been isolated at both home and school, she is literally been put on lock-down, including an alarmed bedroom door.  The young girl seems to have little remorse for her actions, however it is clear there is much more too it…there always is.  One at such an age the full consequences of ones actions are not clear, and this poor girl hasn’t even yet to face the pain of her actions, much of which will come years later as she truly comes into her own.  The reality seems to be that she has taken these drastic means to seek attention, and these actions while bring the attention or focus of the family, it also is compounded by negative attention that it brings due to the sexual stigma in the family and at school.  However what other drives, including abuse, which have pushed her into such actions are yet unclear.

As one who has seen first hand the realities of child sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, including those who have been prostituted on our own streets, the story only stresses how sexualized our society has become and how more and more closed our eyes have gotten.  The average age of a girl who is prostituted on the street is 12-14 years-old, and the dangerous world of sexting is a door wide open into the world of modern slavery.

To see more on the episode click here, and for previous post on child porn and pedophilia click here, including other posts on sexting.

No matter where you stand on the debate of the commercial sex industry and pornography, children are not willing participants to sex, or sexual advances, nor are children ever anything less than innocent victims.  The images of child porn are never truly recovered, the are left to float in the virtual world and continue to victimize.  The pain and scars of sexual abuse may fade in time, but they never go away, the trauma they leave behind often stays buried, but will always find its way to the surface in some form one day or another.

See more in my previous posts on c Child Porn and Pedophilia.

Army to support Sri Lankan reconciliation, new chief says
Sri Lanka’s new army chief is advocating quick resettlement plans for the 250,000 people displaced during the government’s final battle with the Tamil Tigers rebels earlier this year. Lt.-Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya also outlined a new role for the army to help with post-conflict reconciliation and reconstruction efforts.

Polio vaccine leads to disease’s resurgence in Nigeria
The polio virus found in the vaccine used widely in Nigeria has mutated, prompting a new outbreak that has doubled the number of child paralysis cases during the past year. The mutation occurred in the live but weakened virus strain associated with the oral vaccine, which is favored in Nigeria for its ease and lower cost. The incident might lend a boost to persistent local rumors that Western vaccines are tainted.

HIV/AIDS driving South Africa maternal mortality rates
HIV/AIDS-related illnesses such as tuberculosis and pneumonia are the main cause of death for pregnant women in Johannesburg, according to a study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. Almost half the pregnant women who died from 2003 to 2007 died of an HIV/AIDS-related disease.

Africa medical personnel crisis challenge to MDGs
Africa needs an additional 800,000 medical personnel immediately if the continent is to meet Millennium Development Goals for improving maternal and child health, and reducing deaths from HIV/AIDS by 2015, according to a study published in the journal Health Affairs. The report estimates the continent has only 30% of the doctors it needs. Incentives for existing personnel, better training and more widespread use of community health workers could help boost productivity for providers already in place, the authors wrote.

More than 500,000 Bangladeshi children might have rickets
More than half a million children in Bangladesh could be suffering from rickets, a debilitating disease associated with poor nutrition and lack of sunlight, according to a recent survey.    The National Rickets Survey 2008 based its estimate on its finding that 197 out of 20,000 children (0.99 percent) had rickets.

Terrorists kidnap, torture boy to bully Iraqi policeman
Khidir was just 6 years old when he was savagely ripped away from his family, kidnapped by al Qaeda operatives in Iraq. What followed was even more horrific, an ordeal that would last for two years in captivity, all because his father was a policeman. Last December, nearly two years later, police in Taji, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) away, received a tip that terrorists were holding kidnapped children. “We thought that it was just a tip to ambush us, but we considered the mission as a sacrifice,” said Iraqi police Capt. Khalib Ali. “Either we find the children and free them or face the danger and take the risk.” The tip led the Iraqi police to a rundown farm and a series of mud huts. Khidir’s tiny body was twisted abnormally. And in another hut, they found another child. Two children are still believed to be with the kidnappers. Al Qaeda in Iraq has historically kidnapped children for money, to pressure officials, and even to use in terrorist attacks.

They always say that communities across the globe are often united by film, but what about generations. Film is a powerful medium that can unite cultures, bridge generation gaps and open doors. However the use of film as a medium of expression is often seen as an adult world, but the leaders of tomorrow are increasingly using their voices and visions to share messages of hope, empowerment and inspire change across the globe.

In honor of the power of film and youth, UNICEF established International Children’s Day of Broadcasting, which is celebrated across the globe each March.  You can see a list of children’s film festivals around the world from their blog here.

So why not share your youthful wisdom and voice and harness the power of film.  Here is a list of upcoming youth film contests you can participate in:

1. Deadline extended to 30 August - Convention on the Rights of the Child Video Contest
   UNICEF wants to see what you think about children’s rights! It’s the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the document which spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. Make a video showing what child rights mean to you, whether in the world at large, your country, your community or you personally. Videos must be one minute in length and will be judged by professionals and youth from around the world.  The winning video will be used in the CRC’s 20th anniversary celebration and made available for broadcast around the world for the 2010 International Children’s Day of Broadcasting. Deadline is 30 August 2009. For more information, visit www.unicef.org/voy/takeaction/takeaction_4439.html.
2. PLURAL+ video festival
   Youth ages 9 to 25 are invited to submit short videos promoting harmony in diverse societies to the PLURAL+ video festival, to be held at the Paley Center for Media in New York City on December 18.  PLURAL+ is a video festival for youth-produced media aimed at building a more inclusive, tolerant society. The festival will address key issues in today’s youth communities, such as migrant integration, inclusiveness, identity, diversity, human rights and social cohesiveness.  Deadline for submitting entries is 30 September 2009. For more information, visit http://www.unaoc.org/content/view/346/257/lang,en.html.
3. “See the Bigger Picture” Photo Contest on Biodiversity
   Youth around the world are invited to enter the “See the Bigger Picture” photography contest by submitting images illustrating plants, animals or anything else that captures biodiversity. The winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., and will meet with renowned photojournalist and contest judge Joel Sartore.  The contest is open to all kids around the world, although age limits differ by region.  Submit one colour image that you think captures the spirit or idea of biodiversity; your image should show people why biodiversity is a good thing that we should try to preserve. Entries must be received by 8 September 2009. For more information visit: http://www.seethebiggerpicture.org/photo-contest-info.php.
4. Videotivoli International Video Festival for Children and Young People
   The international kids and youngsters film event, Videotivoli, takes place for the seventh time in the spring of 2010, 8-13 March, in Tampere. At the same time, the Nordic and Baltic Kids for Kids competition will be held for the third time.  The festival is looking for films less than 10 minutes long, made by people under 16 years of age. The subjects and styles of the films is open.  Videotivoli offers its young artists a chance to show their work. It’s also an opportunity to meet others, to talk and attend practical media education.  The deadline to submit films is 15 November 2009. For further information send email to videotivoli@videotivoli.fi or visit http://www.videotivoli.fi/english09/index.htm.
5. MEDEA Award for Creativity and Innovation – European Year of Creativity and Innovation
   The MEDEA Award for Creativity and Innovation, set up to coincide with the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 (EYCI), is an award for the creative and innovative use of media in education. MEDA invites applications from anyone who considers their use of media in education and training to be creative and/or innovative.  This includes in the classroom where media is used in different ways to enhance learning or in lifelong learning centres where trainers use media creatively to help learners explore new opportunities. It also includes groups of students who are working together on projects using media to explore and understand the world in a more creative way. Deadline for applications is 30 September 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.medea-awards.com/medea-award-for-creativity-and-innovation.

Children’s film festivals and contests are not just entertainment mediums, but the launching pads for youthful ideas which can inspire all ages, they can ignite change.  Youth films can help build democracy, create social change, and both unite and provide an understanding for youth across all political and cultural boundaries.

In a three part series in Der Spiegel a new approach to aid is looked at in one Namibian village, that has been plagued by racial disparity and poverty.

working to shift from a historical bias against the black poor and the elite white farmers, Namibia is seen as a country that is easily on its way to an utter eruption of ciaos and complete failure if a solution is not found.

How a Basic Income Program Saved a Namibian Village
It sounds like a communist utopia, but a basic income program pioneered by German aid workers has helped alleviate poverty in a Namibian village. Crime is down and children can finally attend school.  However the local white farmers are unhappy with the scheme, and some find it down right ridiculous, such as Siggi von Lüttwitz, who thinks that simply handing out money, will only encourage more drinking;

“They’re poor wretches,” he says, “and in some ways I feel sorry for them.” But giving them money? “An idiotic idea,” says Lüttwitz, insisting that it isn’t the right way to teach them to be hardworking.

This view point is shared by most other white farmers, and most believe that education is needed to ensure that the poor local population can get themselves out of poverty.  However when your in poverty education often falls to the waist-side as the food and basic necessity become the priority.

In the article the question is posed, “Is Africa beyond help?”

Poverty is at the root of development issues, but the problem has not been discovering what is causing issues like high child mortality, disease, crime, child labor, low literacy rates, etc., but in how to eradicate poverty sustainably.

Those behind idea of Namibia’s basic income scheme say they have the answer and that its really is simple.  Each citizen under the age of 60 will receive a basic monthly income of 100 Namibia dollars, or about $13.  The basic income is regardless of any other criteria and would go to rich or poor alike, and will be funded by tax revenues.  A pilot is already underway and the only catch is that the organizers want to know what each person plans to do with their income, will they buy more drink, go to school, buy more food, etc. regardless they will still get their allotted 100 dollars. According to Dirk and Claudia Haarmann, the schemes creators;

“The basic income scheme,” says Haarmann, “doesn’t work like charity, but like a constitutional right.” Under the plan, every citizen, rich or poor, would be entitled to it starting at birth. There would be no poverty test, no conditions and, therefore, no social bureaucracy. And no one would be told what he or she is permitted to do with the money.

In Part 2: A Village of Entrepreneurs, the pilot, which is underway in the village of Otjivero, is showing great results.  Especially for mothers like Frieda Nembwaya, who has seven children, who can now see her children receive a basic education as well as have enough food to eat.  Frieda soon found her self not only having enough to feed everyone with some to spare, but to also buy a chicken and then sell the offspring.  In the final part of the article Frieda’s story takes a turn as she is soon able to begin selling a few loves of bread for additional income, which soon spires into an actual business and now she has been able to buy a stove and is looking for an assistant.

According to Part 3: ‘I’m Doing Very Well’, the pilot is a success according to the annual report published by Dirk Haarmann. ‘According to the report, economic activity in the village has grown by 10 percent, more people are paying tuition and doctors’ fees, health is improving and the crime rate is down.  The report also stated that the basic income could be funded through the tax system by increasing the value-added tax or income tax by a few percent. Only 3 percent of the gross domestic product, or €115 million, would be enough to provide a basic income for all Namibians.’

So can this basic income scheme work, and if so will it work anywhere?  According to the Haarmann’s, yes.  In a sense the system has acted a bit like microfinance, however ones investments would continue regardless.  While examples like that of Frieda Nembwaya, are fantastic success stories, and surely there are many others like her, there are also many who are not.  While others may not squander their money on booze, they may not be a intuitive or resourceful as Frieda, and while the scheme may very well work, it seems that a sort of investment counseling may also be needed in the program to help others realize the potential of the basic income they are now receiving.

The reality is that aid needs to take on a hands up philosophy, over that of a hand out.  Sure we need emergency relief, but just throwing food and medical aid at an impoverished area is simply applying a band-aid to a larger wound, and soon that wound it s going to open and the band-aid is not going to be big enough to cover it.

According to the ‘Fatal Neglect’ report by UK based WaterAid; the International aid community is not effectively responding to the causes child deaths. In fact the system in itself is essentially broken, or damaged, as it fails to lower the child mortality rates using sustainable and targeted approach. In fact WaterAid says the international aid system is in fact causing and compounding to the deaths of millions children who die from preventable diseases and illnesses. Children under-five are increasingly dying needlessly from diarrhoea, which can be prevented with increased awareness and better sanitation systems. According to Wateraid , ‘ the aid system must target resources to diseases that pose the greatest burden to a population…’ (IRIN).

Poor sanitation, which is a major cause of diarrhea, continues to receive inadequate attention. Sanitation continues to receive low priority from both international donors and state governments; well the other two leading causes of child mortality, HIV and meningitis receive much greater attention. According to the World Health Organization 28% of deaths for children under the age of five years-old are caused by poor sanitation and unsafe water. More than 1 billion people live without access to safe water and 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation. As written in the post, Clean Water and Sanitation a Must for Children, if an end to high child mortality rates are to be seen.

The serious nature diarrheal disease has not completely fallen on deaf ears in recent years, in fact, the fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to reduce Child Mortality, set to reduce the number of children dying before their fifth birthday, by two-thirds by 2015.  The World Health Organization (WHO)’s ‘report card’ on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) progress, which was released this past May, stated that 9 million under-five children died in 2007, which is down from an estimated 12.5 million in 1990, for which MDG progress is measured.  “However, in many African countries and in low-income countries generally, progress has been insufficient to reach the MDG target that aims for a two-thirds reduction in child mortality by the year 2015 (WHO)”.  However as with most of the other MDG’s as an international community we are in a critical state, and in Sub-Saharan Africa at current rates the goals will not be met until 2064. Additionally 2008 was the International Year of Sanitation, and while it did bring a great deal of attention to the issue, and enabled many projects, the fight for clean water is far from over.

For children water truly brings with it a double edged sword, as there is Life or Death in Each Drop. There are 2.5 billion people without access to adequate sanitation facilities, and some 900 million more people who are left to drink water which remains unsafe, putting their lives in danger with each and every sip. The drink of life truly becomes the drink of death for many, as waterborne illnesses are the second largest cause of death for children under age five. With some 2.5 billion people without access to adequate sanitation facilities, and another 900 million more without access to clean and potable water, each and every sip is like playing Russian roulette. The drink of life truly becomes the drink of death for many, as waterborne illnesses are the second largest cause of death for children under the age of five.

So what is to be done? According to WaterAid’s report, Developing country governments and donors should adhere to these general principles:

1. In health planning, the under-five disease  burden and all its determinants should be  comprehensively addressed
2. In health policy, strengthening health systems should continue to be a priority,
but sufficient focus should also be given to the wider determinants of poor health,
particularly poor sanitation.

More importantly the report stated that the following three concrete steps must urgently be taken:

1. All national health plans should confirm clear links between country health information systems, particularly disease prevalence data, and the process of planning and budgeting.
2. All countries should have a mechanism for inter-ministry coordination on reducing child mortality, with a joint agenda to deliver relevant strategies.
3. All national health plans should contain an adequate and costed strategy for environmental health.

Arrest in China Rattles Backers of Legal Rights
Chinese authorities have detained Xu Zhiyong, a scholar whose work has been marked by legal rights advocacy for migrant workers, prisoners and parents of children poisoned by tainted milk. Though he was arrested on charges of tax evasion, it is widely believed Xu is the subject of a crackdown initiated by Chinese authorities against human-rights lawyers on technicalities.

Pakistani Taliban preys on youths to bolster forces
Pakistani Taliban training camps are recruiting and in some cases capturing young boys to serve as recruits, according to children who have escaped the camps. Authorities are not able to verify the claims, which suggest as many as 400 youths, some as young as 7, might be kept at the camps

Opium ravages Afghan villages
Opium and heroin addiction are flourishing across Afghanistan, prompting families to sell their meager belongings and go without food to feed their addictions. Supply is bountiful and treatment options remain limited, especially in remote areas.

Unjust and ineffective
While U.S. laws are tough on sex offenders, the broad definition of the term makes it difficult to distinguish between the most dangerous offenders and everyone else. At least 13 states commit the names of people convicted of urinating in public to sex-crimes registries, while 29 states require registration for teens who have consensual sex with other teens. The explosion of the ranks of sex-offender registries has made it more difficult for authorities to track authentically dangerous sex offenders.

The Geopolitics of Facebook
New technologies speak most directly to young people, John Feffer writes, so they have tremendous potential to act as agents of social change by creating bonds between younger generations that their elders do not share. Web sites such as Facebook are more than just communication tools, he argues, they’re actively changing how younger people see the world.

U.N. team to visit Myanmar over child soldiers
The United Nations will send a team to Myanmar to investigate the use of child soldiers by the government and rebel groups and to encourage all sides to end the practice. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has criticized both sides for using underage fighters. The team will be investigating government claims some child soldiers have been released.