the world of child soldiers

The Blood Diamonds in Sierra Leone sparked major social implications for its country and contributed to the downfall of Sierra Leone’s social structure. The RUF forced children and adults into the mining of diamonds and into the roles of child soldiers to protect its people against the government. The RUF captured children at extremely young ages, forced them to learn gun machinery and how to kill civilians. Eric Engle’s article examines the idea in which “the problem of poverty presents the opportunity of labour exploitation. Opportunities to profit out of misery of others occur in a variety of trades”. Engle’s statement brings about an extremely valid and truthful argument. People living in Sierra Leone, a Third-World country, are extremely poor and live off of questionably little money and resources. Thus, for the RUF it appeared beneficial to be so cruel and take complete advantage over the civilians. The RUF purposely and willfully took charge of children and adults, no matter what the cost was, to ensure they would get ahead and gain total power and control. Individuals forced into labour exploitation by the RUF did not work for money, instead they complied with the rules set by the RUF in order to survive; had an individual not agreed, they were killed immediately. The social implication that is brought to attention here is very evident. Children forced into the roles of child soldiers, ordered to kill friends and family members are socially destructed by the amount of mental stress that comes with being a child soldier will, ultimately, ruin their livelihoods forever. The Sierra Leone society has become socially destroyed due to the traumatic events the RUF forced upon children and adults the constant worry of whether they will be able to live to see another day has