Make "Child Soldier" An Oxymoron

My forthcoming novel from Charlesbridge, The Bamboo People, features a fifteen-year old Burmese boy who's forced to join the army against his will. That country is one of the nine in the world reportedly using children to fight in their armies, and it's the only one not receiving military aid from the United States. The eight governments who do get money from us include:

• Burundi
• Chad
• Colombia
• Cote d'Ivoire
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Uganda

This Memorial Day, as we gratefully remember heroes who have defended and protected us, consider asking your elected officials to vote for the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007, sponsored by Senators Durbin (D) and Brownback (R).

More from World Vision: The Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007 (S.1175) would curtail U.S. military assistance to governments that fail to take steps to demobilize and stop forcing/recruiting children into the armed forces or government-supported militias. Countries that do take steps to disarm, demobilize and rehabilitate child soldiers would be eligible for certain forms of assistance to help professionalize their forces and ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are not used to finance the exploitation of children in armed conflict. You may use this form to send a message of support for the Act to your elected official.