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Global Ethics Corner: Child Soldiers and Counter-Terrorism: Should the U.S. Aid Countries that Recruit Child Soldiers?

Series: Global Ethics Corner
From: Carnegie Council
Length: 00:02:00

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Child soldiers and foreign aid raise an important ethical dilemma: Should allies that use child soldiers receive U.S. military aid, even if it compromises our opposition to the practice? When--if ever--should concerns about security trump concerns for human rights? Read the full description.

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Created and managed by Carnegie Council Ethics Studio and written by Senior Fellow William Vocke, Global Ethics Corner is a weekly 2 minute segment devoted to newsworthy ethical issues.

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Piece Description

Created and managed by Carnegie Council Ethics Studio and written by Senior Fellow William Vocke, Global Ethics Corner is a weekly 2 minute segment devoted to newsworthy ethical issues.

Transcript

Every year, thousands of children serve in militaries in conflict zones around the world. They're used as combatants, messengers, spies, and military personnel. The problem is particularly acute in Africa , where children as young as nine are cheap and effective instruments in the waging of war. To address this problem, the U.S. passed the "Child Soldiers Protection Act" in 2008.

The Act prohibits the U.S. from providing military, training, and defense assistance to countries that recruit child soldiers.

But the Obama administration has repeatedly chosen to override this federal law. In both 2010 and 2011, the administration cited U.S. national interests as crucial to its decision to provide assistance to four of the nations that use child soldiers, including Yemen.

The administration vehemently defends its assistance to Yemen. It points out that the country is a key partner in Americ...
Read the full transcript

Additional Credits

Deborah Carroll - Producer
William Vocke - Writer
Marlene Spoerri - Contributing Writer
Julia Kennedy - Content Editor
Robert Smithline - Editor
Terence Hurley - Editor
Gusta Johnson - Production Assistant

Related Website

www.carnegiecouncil.org