I don't totally agree I think it's an appropriate topic in some sense
because while some issues do not directly affect women and the earth, others
are because they, in my opinion, propel discussion that is relevant to this
list. In addition, this is an issue which involves the contributor's
(Vivianne) country. I didn't think children's issues were out of place on
this list. But then again, there are so many issues and I sometimes find it
difficult not to bring up issues which aren't necessarily relevant to women
and the earth, but are still ones I would like to hear other's input about.
Sorry this is kind of rambling. And as Vikki said: just a thought.
kim
----- Original Message -----
From: vikki charles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, November 05, 1999 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: 300,000 Child Soldiers Serving World-Wide
> If this is studies in women ad the environment - presumably
> talking about stuff from a womans point of view whay are we
> talking about child soldiers? Yes it's bad and down right
> daft that Britain and US have under age soldiers but surely
> talking about children on an ecofem page is just pandering
> to and reinforcing the idea that women look after children
> while men go out and do nasty things.
> just a thought.
> -vikki
> On Thu, 4 Nov 1999 10:09:47 -1000 Viviane Lerner
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > 300,000 Child Soldiers Serving World-Wide
> > http://www.aviva.org/newsinex.htm
> > It is estimated that there are a total of 300,000 child soldiers on the
> > front line of battle, in every continent. Children are involved in
ongoing
> > conflicts in Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Colombia, Congo, El Salvador,
> > Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Sudan
and
> > Uganda. During Sierra Leone's brutal war of amputations, children have
been
> > abducted to special camps to be trained, and drugged - so that they
believed
> > they had magical powers to resist enemy bullets. In Uganda, children
aged
> > between 13 to 16 make up to 90% of the Lord's Resistance Army, which is
> > fighting the government in the north of the country. As human rights
groups
> > are pressing for adoption of an optional protocol on the Rights of the
> > Child, which would raise the minimum age of recruitment into the armed
> > forces from 15 to 18 - the US and Britain have said they would not block
the
> > protocol - but continue themselves to recruit 16 year olds. The
Convention
> > of the Rights of the Child, which marks its 10th anniversary in
November,
> > has been ratified by 191 countries - the US and Somalia remain the only
> > countries who have not signed up. Source: BBC World Service, 18.10.99
> >
>
> ----------------------
> vikki charles
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
