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"Suffer the little children".

In our universal society of human beings it is of the ultimate importance that all our children have the opportunity for a happy, safe, peaceful and carefree childhood. This is the basic right of every child. We all acknowledge the horrors of war, and are acutely aware of the poignant suffering and hardships of the starving millions in developing countries.

To this end, every one of us must be aware of the responsibilities needed to rehabilitate child soldiers from the horror of serving in armed conflict.

Until the issue of poverty in developing countries can be solved, there will always be the specter of child soldiers in our society. Eradicating poverty is the key to releasing these children from their nightmare lifestyles in armed conflict. Poverty is a major issue for developing nations as they simply do not have the means to access the resources to meet the growing needs of their country. These nations are desperate for an improvement in their living standards by way of basic needs such as food, water, shelter, clothing, health and education.

According to Ignacio Ramonet in his article of November, 1998 in "Le Monde diplomatique" titled The Politics of Hunger'

To satisfy all the world's sanitation and food requirements would cost only $13 billion, hardly as much as the people of the United States and the European Union spend each year on perfume.

The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child was laid down to ensure that children were protected. In 1989 additional protocols were added to the Conventions on the Rights of the Child which states a minimum age for child soldiers as fifteen years. This Convention applies to all children in all circumstances. It sets out the basic human rights for all children 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.

Red Hand Day is commemorated annually on February 12. It came into being in 2002 after it was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2000. It is a day set aside to raise world wide awareness of all children serving as child soldiers and calls for action to end their suffering. It also focuses on support for all children affected by this shameful form of child abuse.

Recently, in the United States, the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007 was introduced to the senate and received partisan support from senators from both sides of the

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