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Anne Raymond <br />8�h Grade - Parkview <br />I�ir. Ebert <br />Honorable Mention <br />The Use of Child Soldiers Must Sto <br />Imagine that you are a yoixng• cluld w�il;ing around scared and unprotected because you <br />were forced to fig}3t in a war. Yoi� don'� get to see yaur family and it is likely you may never see <br />then� aga�n. One of your friends �vas jt�st injured and you don't know if they will live or r�ot. You <br />are �old whai to do and ha�e �lo cantral o�er your life. E�er��where you go you wirness deatl� and <br />r�estructi�n. E�rer��day thei•e are cliildren in forcign countries forced to becorne soldiers who live <br />in situations as �errible as this scena.rio or worse. Clii�d soldiers are currently being used in �7 <br />countries in �f'rica, Cen�rai America, and tl�e Middle East, includingAfgl�anistan, Colombia, <br />India, Iraq, Son��lia, a�tc� Sudan. Tllese innocent children's basic I�uman rights are being <br />��iolated. It should l�e a part of tl�c U��iversal Declarauon of Hun-tari Rigl�ts and an international <br />law that children sllould nat be forced ro be soldiers. <br />Tl�ere are many moral arguments ��r�st children being used as soldiers, but #'ew laws o1• <br />iiit�rnational agreentents. In article 3 of the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights it says, <br />"Everyone ]�as t1�e rigl�t to life, liberry and security of person." Also Articie 4 of r��e U�iiversal <br />Declaration says, "I�?o o��e sh�I be lield in slavery and servitude; slavery and the sla�e trade sha� <br />�e prohibized in all t�eir forn�s". If tl�ese childreri are forced to fight then they are being held in <br />servitude. Also in article 5 it says, "No one s��all be subj�cted to torture or �o eruel, inhuman or <br />degrading treatment or punishmen�. " Since children are gettirig hurt in battle so their captors <br />are v�olating this �uma3� right. These declarations can be used as an argumeni against tlie use af <br />ch�ld soldiers. l3ut tl�ere needs to be specifc statements forbiddingthe use of c�iild saldiers in the <br />UniversaJ Declarat�on oiH�iman �'v�hts anci �n international laws. <br />Son�e people are trying to stop the use oF child soldiers. Yresident Bush passed a law that <br />