Brasil
6,000 Kid Soldiers Serve Rio Gangs
About 6,000 10- to 16-year-olds serve as armed soldiers for rival drug
gangs in Rio de Janeiro's notorious shantytowns, according to a new study.
Study author Luke Dowdney said the report, with stories about gun- and
grenade-toting adolescents, illustrates the blurry lines between gang
violence and child combatants.
Young men in Rio are five times more likely to die from gun violence as
their counterparts in Los Angeles, New York, or Washington, D.C., the
report said. Between 1978 and 2000, at least 49,913 people in Rio died
from small-arms fire, although many more child casualties of gang violence
are believed to be buried in unmarked graves around the city.
Young gunmen are paid salaries by gangs and take part in extended gun
battles involving hundreds of gang members. "What we see in Rio is really
an extreme manifestation of the combination of poverty, lack of
opportunity, and a flood of guns," said Rebecca Peters of the
International Action Network on Small Arms.|||
The report, "Child Combatants in Armed Organized Violence in Rio de
Janeiro," was funded by UNESCO, the Ford Foundation, and Save the Children
Sweden.
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 Champion of Hope
Rob from Ontario, Canada is a true Champion of Hope
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Hawaii
Faces Big Methamphetamine Problem
Hawaii is facing a crystal-methamphetamine problem that is deemed the
worst in the United States.
U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said the alarming use of crystal meth in Hawaii is
destroying families and communities.
According to a Justice Department report, 40 percent of people arrested in
Honolulu tested positive for methamphetamine use. No other U.S. city came
close to 30 percent.
The report also found that 30,000 Honolulu residents are hard-core users
of crystal meth, while as many as three times more are recreational users.
In addition, 50 percent of teenagers are addicted to crystal meth in one
town on the Big Island.
"The report...»»
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