According to the United Nations, there are an estimated 250,000 children fighting in wars around the world today.
Growing up near New York City, it was all too common to hear stories of innocent children being physically and emotionally abused. I marveled at accounts of children being taken from violent, drug-ridden homes. The fear they must have experienced, the uncertainty of their destiny, must have been astounding.
Too many children worldwide face violent lives. At the extreme end of the spectrum are child soldiers. From Myanmar and Sri Lanka to the Congo and Somalia, innocent children are being torn from their families, drugged and coerced into becoming soldiers. Young and vulnerable, they are easily manipulated and fall prey to the brutal whims of ignorant and power-hungry rebel leaders. Fear drives obedience. Many are brainwashed to kill.
The few who make it out have a horrific yet important story to tell. It is a story of stolen childhoods, abuse and trauma. Yet for those who break free, it is also a story of survival and recovery.
"Wide Angle: Lord's Children," airing tonight at 9, recounts the experiences of three former child soldiers from Uganda, a country ravaged by one of Africa's longest civil wars. For the past 20 years, thousands of children have been kidnapped by Uganda's anti-government rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and forced to serve as soldiers and sex slaves.
These three abductees were fortunate to escape the violence and get help. The program takes us into their rehabilitation center, where the wounds of war, both emotional and physical, are being tended to – and their lives, put back together again.
To give you a taste of tonight's program,
listen to a powerful interview on the "Wide Angle" website featuring a young Ugandan woman named Eunice. Abducted at the age of 12, she spent eight years in the bush married to a rebel commander. Eunice's words say it all. Her bravery and composure astound me.
What is your reaction to human rights abuses against innocent children like Eunice? If you could speak with a former child soldier, what would you say? What can we learn from their painful stories?
Tune in tonight at 9 for "Wide Angle: Lord's Children," and join the discussion here on Panorama.
-Elizabeth Mayer, RMPBS
