Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies & Aid
“Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies & Aid” Author Visits Medical Students at The University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Dr. Samantha Nutt is a medical doctor from Canada. She is the founder of the nonprofit organization War Child and author of “Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies & Aid.”
After completing medical school, she moved to the “City of Death,” Baidoa, Somalia, as it was known in the 1990s. The war made it almost impossible for doctors to provide aid. See video presentation below.
Arms dealers dumped $30 automatic rifles into the hands of militias that recruited kids. Thousands were killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes. Source: Controlarms.org. More than 250,000 Baidoan’s died in the war.
“What is the single most important determinant of whether a child in a developing country lives to see his or her 5th birthday?” asked Dr. Nutt. Lack of medicine? No. The answer is: The mother’s lack of income.
Dr. Nutt believes that better arms control policies can provide safer places for children. War Child is committed to providing safer educational places while reducing the appeal of militia groups.
The costs to provide educational opportunities is a fraction of the cost to used to buy weapons.
Dr. Nutt suggested that supporters can help with small amounts of money on a monthly basis and provide educational opportunities. For example, War Child.org re-equips schools and provides training for teachers. Girls benefit most from the schools. Their quality of life improves and child mortality rates drop by 10 percent. Children are dying needlessly and money diverted from arms to education can save their lives.
Posted by Gabriel Soltren